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and direct all that we may deem it our duty to prescribe and direct to consolidate the said company more and more, to render it stronger, and to purge it of abuses, should they ever creep in, which God avert. It now remains for us to exhort with all our hearts, and in the name of the Lord, all Superiors, Provincials, Rectors, Companions, and Pupils of this re-established Society, to shew themselves at all times and in all places faithful imitators of their father: that they exactly observe the rule prescribed by their great founder; that they obey with an always increasing zeal the useful advices and salutary counsels which he has left to his children.

In fine, we recommend strongly in the Lord, the company and all its members to our dear sons in Jesus Christ the illustrious and noble Princes and Lords temporal, as well as to our venerable brothers the Archbishops and Bishops, and to all those who are placed in authority; we exhort, we conjure them not only not to suffer that these religions may be in any way molested, but to watch that they be treated with all due kindness and charity.

We ordain that the present letters be inviolably observed according to their form and tenour, in all time coming; that they enjoy their full and entire effect; that they shall never be submitted to the judgment or revision of any judge, with whatever power he may be clothed; declaring null and of no effect any encroachment on the present regulations, either knowingly or from ignorance; and this notwithstanding any apostolical

constitutions and ordinances, especially the brief of Clement XIV. of happy memory, beginning with the words Dominus ac Redemptor noster, issued under the seal of the Fisherman, on the 22d of July, 1773, which we expressly abrogate as far as contrary to the present order.

It is also our will that the same credit be paid to copies, whether in manuscript or printed, of our present brief, as to the original itself, provided they have the signature of some notary public, and the seal of some ecclesiastical dignitary; that no one be permitted to infringe, or by an audacious temerity to oppose any part of this ordinance; and that should any one take upon him to attempt it, let him know that he will thereby incur the indignation of Almighty God, and of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at Rome, at Sancta Maria Major, on the 17th of August, in the year of our Lord, 1814, and the 15th of our Pontificate.

(Signed)

Cardinal PRODATAIRE. Cardinal BRASCHI.

Edict issued by the Pope for the re-establishment of the Monastic Orders,

Among the calamities occasioned by the revolutions which we have witnessed, one of the most severe, doubiless, is the oppression and almost total annihilation of those religious societies, who formed one of the firmest pillars of the church, and were a fruitful source of advantage to education and science in Christian and civil communities. No

sooner

sooner was the Holy Father restored to his See, than he perceived the pernicious effects which had already resulted, and must continue to result, from that destruction, which God, in his impenetrable designs, has permitted impiety to consummate in the capital of the Christian world, and in the Pontifical States. His Holiness, penetrated with the sentiments which, as head of the Church, he must feel for all these sacred institutions; guided by the particular affection which he bears them, as a member of one of the oldest orders, which he has ever gloried in belonging to, deems it worthy of his paternal solicitude to devote all his cares to their restoration from ruin. Many obstacles oppose the accomplishment of his Holiness's wishes; in addition to its being far from easy to collect the religious dispersed in all quarters, their houses and convents are despoiled of every necessary for their accommodation, and the greater part are without revenue.

The Holy Father is occupied with the means of overcoming these difficulties. His views are principally directed to the great object of giving these communities a new lustre by repairing past disorders, and bringing them back to the observance of rules suitable to the holiness and excellence of their profession. To attain this object, his Holiness appointed a commission to investigate every thing that relates to the re-establishment of the regular orders. It has now formed and presented a plan to his Holiness, tending to procure for them the requisite means, and to settle regulations which should be observed in those religious

communities. But as circum, stances for the moment do not permit the re-establishment of these regular societies in all the pontifical states, it has been proposed to make a commencement at Rome, where all the disposable convents shall be given them, ia which the superiors may be lodg ed, and the greatest possible numiber of monks assembled. It is hoped, from the religion of the Governments, and the zeal of the Bishops of the Catholic world, that they will patronise the establishment of these asylums of Christian piety and evangelical perfection. His Holiness has approved the plan of the congregation, and has ordered its publication, that all concerned may know it, and may apply to the Secretary of the congregation, who will inform them of the house or convent where they are to assemble.

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Proclamation of Prince Christian to the Norwegians.

Norwegians!-When upon the dissolution of your union with Denmark, we took upon ourselves the direction of the affairs of Norway, it was to prevent your beloved country from being torn to pieces by civil war and faction. Your wishes called us to the throne of Norway. We obeyed the call.— Your confidence and your good cause demanded our participation. We resolved to make every personal sacrifice in order to secure to you those benefits.

It is true we were aware of the dangers which threatened your hopes and our's in such an unequal contest, but we could not possibly conceive that the most powerful states of Europe would combine to oppose a noble and innocent people, whose reasonable wish was liberty, and whose only desire was independence. Meanwhile Sweden's powerful allies informed us by their envoys, that the union of Norway with Sweden was irrevocably determined on. It is known to you that we were willing to sacrifice our personal happy situation, if the great assembly of the nation should find it conducive to the happiness of the country; but you likewise know that the conditions upon which an armistice was at that time offered, were such that we could not accede to them, till the fortune of war had been tried, because they were contrary to the fundamental laws. We saw with regret that our sincere endeavours to avoid a war in the north were fruitless.

The extensive frontiers and seacoast of Norway made it necessary to divide the troops. Sweden made great exertions to arm at dif. ferent points, and in the uncertainty on what part of the king dom the attack might be expected, from which we could cover the interior provinces of the kingdom, and at the same time hasten to the assistance of such points as were threatened or attacked, in all these respects Glommen seemed to present the most advantages.

On being informed of the enemy's invasion by Ide, Sletten, and Swinesund, we hastened to collect a corps at Rackestadt, in order by an attack from that side to stop

the further progress of the enemy; but the unexpected surrender of Frederickstadt obliged us to take a position on the Glommen, the enemy having obtained a secure passage, so that the road to Christiania might be forced.

The enemy being superior at sea, had it in his power by frequent landings to turn our right flank.A long blockade by the English and Swedish naval force bal hindered us from furnishing our magazines in a sufficient manner : they were nearly exhausted, and want of the first necessaries threatened to break that courage which the superior force of the enemy could not bend. The Deputies from the Diet were not received by the English Ministry, and therefore returned without any hope of assistance or a relaxation of the inimical measures of that kingdom. Under these circumstances Sweden proposed an armistice. Of the two fortresses, the occupation of which by Swedish troops had been refused by the negociations that were broken off, one was already in their hands, and the other cut off from all relief and bombarded. The fortune of war had declared against us, and the continuation of the contest would in such circumstances have led only to the total ruin of our country. prevent this, and to give the nation an opportunity of learning the condition of the kingdom by a meeting of the Dict, we repeated our offer of voluntarily retiring from that happy situation to which your confidence had called us.

To

The armistice and convention of the 14th inst were signed: and in consequence thereof, we have by our rescript of this day, directed to

the

the chief magistrates, caused our Extraordinary Diet to be summoned to meet at Christiania, on Fri, day, the 7th of October, this year, Beloved people of Norway, only imperious necessity-this you cannot doubt-could have induced us to take a step which your attachment to us renders doubly painful. Our desire was to deserve your love our comfort is the conviction of your sentiments and the consciousness that your welfare was the object of all our actions.

Given at Moss, Aug. 16, 1814, under our hand and the seal of the kingdom.

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The principles according to which our ancestors, for centuries, governed their States, are a sufficient guarantee to our subjects, that it has never been our intention to take advantage of the overthrow of the Germanic Constitution by the restriction of their rights. Since the deliverance of the Electorate, the military circumstances in which Germany found herself placed, and the continual presence of foreign troops, prevented us from forming regular deliberations with our faithful States, as the measures which it was necessary to take would not allow of the least delay, and as most of the arrangements which they dictated were necessary to be executed ac

cording to the resolutions agreed upon between the Allied Sovereigns. Nevertheless, we have deliberated separately with the States of the different provinces on the affairs of the country, as often as was possible. Although the State may not have a complete Constitution before the issue of the Congress of Vienna, which we bope will be fortunate, and although the resolutions which may be adopted at it may have a decisive influence over the internal relations of the German Provinces of his Majesty, yet we have wished not to defer any longer the entering upon discussions with all the Unit ed States of our provinces relative to the different objects which concern each in particular. It is na❤ tural, as has been proved by experience, that the separation of the different provinces should render extremely difficult the concurrence of the States, on questions which relate to the general affairs of the country, and that this separation must necessarily cause a considerable loss of time. But besides, the difference of opinions has hitherto rendered it impossible to have an unanimous resolution on the part of those States, either because the representatives of each province in particular did not possess the right of deliberating on the relations of the other provinces of the country, or because it was impossible to have an absolute majority of voices, on account of the distance of the different countries from each other.

This separation has produced as many different systems for taxation, and the modes of liquidating the debts of the country, as there were different states. It was necessary to consider as separate

countries

countries particular provinces of the same country, and this has interrupted, here and there, a free communication between our subjects. The change of circumstances, and the injury done to the country by its occupation by the enemy, require ameliorations in the forming of the administration. We do not propose in any manner to change the constitution, as to matters which guarantee the rights and reciprocal relations between the Sovereign and the subjects. We shall in this respect retain the Constitution of the States in the different provinces, with such reservations and modifications as may be deemed necessary or useful. But as the rights of the States are confined to their respective provinces, and as the authority of the Sovereign extends to all the country, which ought to be governed according to uniform principles, we are on vinced that our faithful subjects will regard as a benefit, and as a proof of confidence on our part, that we should decree, as we do by these presents, that henceforth all the general affairs of the country which may be brought under the discussion with the states, conformably to the constitution which has subsisted to the present time, shall be submitted to an Assembly of the States of all the Provinces, which shall adopt on such subjects a general resolution.

As the circumstances above mentioned, and even the uncertainty as to the extent of the frontiers of the country, do not permit, at the present time, a final determination as to the manner in which the different provinces are to concur in forming a General Assembly, we decree, for the present, that the

States of all the Provinces which now compose the Electorate, shall form themselves, by means of Representatives, into a General Diet, on the 15th of December next, at Hanover. We expect that these Deputies appear with full powers on the part of their constituents, to vote on the subjects which shall be submitted to their deliberation, without requiring subsequent instructions. Thus these Deputies will be regarded as the Representatives of the whole country, and not as the Delegates of particular provinces or corporations. And to the end, that the Chapters, aware of the limited number of their Members, may choose such persons as enjoy their perfect confidence, we permit them to elect their Deputies freely, without being obliged to confine themselves in their choice to the Members of their own body. The towns will have the same liberty in this respect according to their particular constitution: and they will not be compelled to elect their Syndics or Magistrates. We reserve to ourselves to determine in a more precise manner, when the Congress at Vienna, as well as these primary States General, shall be terminated, the mode of representation, and that of the election of the Presi dent, as well as of the Deputies.—— For this time the Deputies will choose from amongst themselves, a President, a Syndic General, and a Secretary.

GEORGE, Prince Regent. Carlton-House, Aug. 12, 1814.

Treaty between Denmark and
Prussia.
In the name of the most holy
and

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