ercafioned by his communicating the foregoing Orders to them. HE deputies of the states of the Austrian Belgic provinces who are proftrate at the foot of the throne of their auguft fovereign, have feen, with the moft fenfible grief, their endeavours and hopes fruftrated in not being able to obtain the proofs of his paternal tendernefs, and that fort of declaration, which, by terminating the evils and misfortunes of this nation, would have raised its gratitude to its higheft pitch; instead of which, my lord, our concern is augmented, and our alarms are redoubled, at the knowledge of the orders which his majefty has refolved to fend to the government general of our provinces, and which you have deigned to communicate to us. The faithful inhabitants of thofe provinces, full of confidence in his majefty's paternal bounty, did not doubt but he would put the feal of approbation to the declarations which we were charged to folicit, and thereby renew the public confidence, without which commerce and industry muft languish, if not become extinct, which will bring on a certain inactivity, the bane of wealth. They hoped that a fimple and precife declaration, tending to preferve all our rights, ufages, and privileges, which we had reafon to expect from his majesty, would recover in the minds of foreigners that confidence they have a right to expect from an upright honeft people, living peaceably under the protection of its wife and ancient conftitution, which would have caufed the national credit (greatly hurt by the fear of a new fyftem) to refume its former vigour. They alfo hoped, that the inhabitants of thofe countries, who were ready to forfake their native foil by reason of internal divifions, would feek and find an afylum with them, which they certainly will not do now, until the new tribunals of juftice are irrevocably fuppreffed, and the fatal intendencies abolished by an express declaration. In the orders fent to the government every one will fee his majesty relaxes in nothing relating to the ecclefiaftical affairs, which are fo ftrongly linked with the rights and privileges of the other claffes of citizens, that it feems as if it was all one intereft. They will fee that his majefty, previous to entering into any deliberation whatsoever, requires the fubfidies to be granted and paid, whilft it has always been an invariable rule that the confenting to the fubfidies was dependent upon the exact obfervance of the privileges and liberties of the country. The penetration of your highnefs cannot fail to obferve the cruel fenfations which thefe orders will have on the minds of the Belgic people, as well as on thofe of foreigners, as they muft appear to be only given to ftrengthen the new difpofitions iffued in the facred name of his majefty, and which are the fubject of our juft com→ plaints. We are not ignorant, my lord, that his majefty can employ that force which the divine providence has put into his hands; but will the goodness of his heart permit him to ufe means fo contrary to the welfare of his fubjects? Will he deliver his children to the deftructive effects of military execu tions, and that only because they remain remain attached to a conftitution, which, in fupporting the lawful power of the fovereign, affects at the fame time the happiness of the people? Will the paternal tendernefs of his majetty fuffer him to detroy his faithful fubjects, instead. of ruling them by their indigenous laws, which have caufed their happiness and profperity for fo many ages? Can fuch deftructive means be reconciled with the paternal difpofitions which he has deigned to profefs for them, and which their inviolable fidelity has rendered them fo worthy of? Will what his majefty thinks due to his offended dignity be completed, if, to revenge it, he gives up his faithful fubjects to fo many horrors, thofe fubjects who are always ready to spend their wealth and blood in his defence, and for the glory of the country? We are, therefore, bold enough to implore your highnefs to deign to employ your good offices and great intereft in our favour, and to inform his majefty of our juft fears, that thereby we may obtain a repeal of thofe orders, or fome abatement of them, or, at leaft, the fufpenfion of the departure of the courier, that we may have time to give notice to our conftituents, that they may, with the zeal that has always animated them, prepare the people for the fad news, and endeavour to avoid thofe evils which, from the knowledge we have of the state of things, we cannot but expect and dread. Done at Vienna, Aug. 16, 1787. Declaration of the Emperor to the States of Brabant, delivered by his Excellency the Comte de Murray. Jofeph Comte de Murray, baron Melgum, knight of the military order of Maria-Therefa, chamberlain and privy-counsellor of flate to his majesty the emror and king, colonel-proprietor of a regiment of infantry in his faid majefty's fervice, commander in chief in the Netherlands, his lieutenant-governor and captain-general, ad interim, &c. Gentlemen, HE folemn deputation from the the provincial ftates appointed to lay at the foot of the throne the public teftimony of the nation's attachment to his majefty's auguft perfon, and the vote of the faid ftates inthe laft concentration of the troops, being an additional inftance of that fincerity, finally, the declaration of the aforefaid ftates concerning the execution of the preliminary articles, prefcribed by the royal difpatch of the 16th of Auguft laft, together with the explanatory act of the ift inftant, which was approved of as fatisfactory to the dignity of the throne, empowers the emperor to follow the dictates of his paternal heart. His majefty, in the first place, informed by our report of the fatisfactory explanation given by the refpective deputies of the provinces fucceffively, was gracioufly pleased, in order to calm the alarms of his fubjects, to fend us his commands, that in cafe the declarations of the ftates fhould be agreeable to the execution of the preliminaries, his royal pleafure fiould be fignified, which his dignity could not permit him before to make known. We have the fingular happiness to have it now in our power to obey his commands: wherefore we here by by declare, in the name of the emperor and king, and in confequence of his orders: ift, That all the conditions, fundamental laws, privileges, and franchises, in fine, the joyous entry, are, and thall be maintained, and remain untouched, conformably to the acts of his majefty's inauguration, both as to the civil and ecclefiaftical order. zdly, That the new tribunal of juftice, the intendancies and their committees, fhall no longer be fufpended, but be, and are entirely fuppreffed; his majefty, by his parental fondness, and his juftice, being induced to give up this point, as well as those which had been regulated by two diplomas, iffued out the first of January laft, concerning the adminiftrations, the provincial ftates, and the intermediate committee, or deputation from the faid ftates. 3dly, This tribunal, fuperior and inferior jurifdictions of the towns, and of the flat country, in fine, the order and adminiftrations of justice, the ftates and their deputies, as well as the respective adminiftrations of the towns and of the flat country, fhall henceforth remain on the former footing, fo that there will be no further mention made of the new form which had been talked of to be introduced in the different branches of public adminiftration, in regard to which the two diplomas of the 1ft of January, 1787, are entirely at an end: wherefore the dignities of grand bailiffs and civil governors thall continue in full force; and the fupport of the ftates requires that the fame fhould be understood of thofe abbey's whofe abbots are members of the faid ftates, and the latter VOL. XXIX. remain attached to a conftitution, which, in fupporting the lawful power of the fovereign, affects at the fame time the happiness of the people? Will the paternal tendernefs of his majetty fuffer him to detroy his faithful fubjects, inftead of ruling them by their indigenous laws, which have caufed their happinefs and profperity for fo many ages? Can fuch deftructive means be reconciled with the paternal difpofitions which he has deigned to profefs for them, and which their inviolable fidelity has rendered them fo worthy of? Will what his majefty thinks due to his offended dignity be completed, if, to revenge it, he gives up his faithful fubjects to so many horrors, thofe fubjects who are always ready to spend their wealth and blood in his defence, and for the glory of the country? We are, therefore, bold enough to implore your highnefs to deign to employ your good offices and great intereft in our favour, and to inform his majefty of our juft fears, that thereby we may obtain a repeal of thofe orders, or fome abatement of them, or, at least, the fufpention of the departure of the courier, that we may have time to give notice to our conftituents, that they may, with the zeal that has always animated them, prepare the people for the fad news, and endeavour to avoid thofe evils which, from the knowledge we have of the state of things, we cannot but expect and dread. Done at Vienna, Aug. 16, 1787. Declaration of the Emperor to the States of Brabant, delivered by his Excellency the Comte de Murray. Jofeph Comte de Murray, baron Melgum, knight of the military T HE folemn deputation from the provincial ftates appointed to lay at the foot of the throne the public teftimony of the nation's attachment to his majesty's august perfon, and the vote of the said states inthe last concentration of the troops, being an additional inftance of that fincerity, finally, the declaration of the aforefaid ftates concerning the execution of the preliminary articles, prefcribed by the royal dispatch of the 16th of Auguft laft, together with the explanatory act of the ift inftant, which was approved of as fatisfactory to the dignity of the throne, empowers the emperor to follow the dictates of his paternal heart. His majefty, in the first place, informed by our report of the fatisfactory explanation given by the refpective deputies of the provinces fucceffively, was gracioufly pleased, in order to calm the alarms of his fubjects, to fend us his commands, that in cafe the declarations of the ftates fhould be agreeable to the execution of the preliminaries, his royal pleasure fhould be fignified, ` which his dignity could not permit him before to make known. We have the fingular happiness to have it now in our power to obey his commands: wherefore we here by by declare, in the name of the emperor and king, and in confequence of his orders: ift, That all the conditions, fundamental laws, privileges, and franchises, in fine, the joyous entry, are, and thall be maintained, and remain untouched, conformably to the acts of his majefty's inauguration, both as to the civil and ecclefiaftical order. zdly, That the new tribunal of juftice, the intendancies and their committees, fhall no longer be fufpended, but be, and are entirely fuppreffed; his majefty, by his parental fondnefs, and his juftice, being induced to give up this point, as well as those which had been regulated by two diplomas, iffued out the first of January laft, concerning the adminiftrations, the provincial ftates, and the intermediate committee, or deputation from the faid ftates. 3dly, This tribunal, fuperior and inferior jurifdictions of the towns, and of the flat country, in fine, the order and adminiftrations of justice, the ftates and their deputies, as well as the respective adminiftrations of the towns and of the flat country, fhall henceforth remain on the former footing, fo that there will be no further mention made of the new form which had been talked of to be introduced in the different branches of public adminiftration, in regard to which the two diplomas of the 1ft of January, 1787, are entirely at an end: wherefore the dignities of grand bailiffs and civil governors thall continue in full force; and the fupport of the ftates requires that the fame fhould be understood of thofe abbey's whofe abbots are members of the said states, and the latter VOL. XXIX. |