A DECREE of the King of Holland, passed August 28th, 1807, relative to Neutral Commerce. LOUIS NAPOLEON, by the Grace of God, and the Constitution, King of Holland, Considering that, consistently with the true interest of our Kingdom, it is our intention to co-operate by every means in our power towards the wished for result of the great measures adopted by his Majesty the Emperour and King, for the attainment of a general peace and the independence of the seas, considering that some subaltern Agents have been guilty of weakness and neglect in the execution of the measures prescribed by our Decree of 15th October 1806,-considering the dexterity and perfidy with which the Papers of neutral Vessels are imitated in some of the Enemy's ports and even the Bills of Health, at the risk of the health of Europe, considering, lastly, that all these irregularities ought to cease, at a moment so critical for the enemy of the whole Continent, and particularly for the commercial Nations, and that the honour and the dearest interests of our subjects would be endangered by a deviation from the strictest execution of the laws, and decrees existing on this important subject; We have decreed and enact as follows : 1st. The agents, arrested according to the order of our ministers of justice and police, shall be brought before the competent courts of justice and tried according to law. 2d. Concerning the vessels detained in our ports, of which a list accompa nies the present, sentence shall be pronounced by the competent courts of justice with the greatest rigour. 3d. All the inward bound vessels, from the date of the promulgation of the present Decree, shall be obliged to give a double security, which shall remain in force till the legality of the papers are fully acknowledged, and that it is proved that the same vessels have not touched at any enemy's port. 4th. In case it should be proved that the papers were false, or that, contrary to the declaration of the captain, the vessel had touched at an enemy's port, the double security shall be levied immediately on the bondsman, and the amount thereof paid into the publick treasury. 5th. As soon as the security shall have been regulated, the vessel may begin discharging in presence of persons appointed thereto by the minister of finance, who will take care that the owner discharge no goods which are suspected to be English wares. 6th. In case it should be proved, that the goods were really of English manufacture, or came from an enemy's port, the same shall not only be con fiscated for the benefit of the publick treasury, but the double security shall likewise be levied without delay, and the vessel be obliged to proceed to sea immediately; and in case of bad weather,no permission shall be granted her to remain, but under the strictest precautions—namely a guard, and the most vigilant cognizance. 7th. All correspondences, journals, &c. which come through neutral territory, shall be seized and burnt. 8th. All passengers or travellers, not being able to prove that they are not come from the British islands, shall be immediately ordered out of the country. 9th All prohibitory regulations concerning the trade with England, remain in full force,in so far as they are not altered by the present deeree. Vol. IV. Appendix. K 10th. All those who violate the present regulations, shall be tried and punished as opposing the laws of the kingdom. 11th. Our minister of finance is alone personally answerable for the strict executions; our ministers of war and marine shall hold at his disposal the detachments of Hussars, Gend'armes, of Infantry,together with boats and armed vessels, which he may demand of them. 12th. Our ministers of marine, of finance, and of war, are charged each in as far as it concerns him, with the execution of the present Decree. Given on the 28th of August, 1807, being the second year of our reign. Signed, On the part of the King, W. F. ROELL, Sec'ry of State. LOUIS. REPORT Of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, communicated to Congress, November 6. 1807. In obedience to the directions of the act supplementary to the act intitu led "An act to establish the Treasury Department," the secretary of the treasury respectfully submits the following report and estimates. REVENUE and RECEIPTS. The nett revenue arising from duties on merchandise and tonnage which accrued during the year 1805, amounted to 14,135,138 And that which accrued during the year 1806, amounted as will appear by the statement (A) to 16,576,454 The same revenue, after deducting that portion which arose from the duty on salt, and from the additional duties constituting the Mediterranean fund, amounted during the year. 1805, to And during the year 1806, to 12,520,532 14,809,758 It is ascertained, that the nett revenue which has accrued during the three first quarters of the year 1807, exceeds that of the corresponding quarters of the year 1806; and that branch of the revenue may, exclusively of the duty on sait, and of the Mediterranean fund, both of which expire on the 1st day of January next, be safely estimated for the present, if no charge takes place in the relation of the UnitedStates with foreign nations, at fourteen millions of dollars. The statement (B.) exhibits in detail, the several species of merchandise and other sources from which the revenue was collected during the year 1806. It appears by the statement (C) that the sales of the publick lands have during the year ending on the 30th September, 1807, exceeded 284,000 acres. Some returns are not yet received: and the proceeds of sales in the Mississippi Territory being, after deducting the surveying and other incidental expenses, appropriated in the first place to the payment of a sum of 1,250,000 dollars to the state of Georgia, have not been included, but are distinctly stated. The actual payments by purchasers have, during the same period, exceeded 680,000 dollars; and the receipts into the treasury from that source may, after deducting charges and the 5 pr. ct. reserved for roads, be estimated for the ensuing year, at 500,000 dolls. The receipts arising from the permanent revenue of the United States may, therefore, without including the duties on postage & other incidental branches, be computed for the year 1808 at 14,500,000 And the payments into the treasury during the same year,on account of the salt and Mediterranean duties previously accrued, bon are estimated at one million three hundred thousand dollars 1,300,000 Making in the whole an aggregate of fifteen millions eight hun... dred thousand dollars 15,800,000 Last Quarter of the Year 1807. The balance in the treasury which, on the 30th of Sept. 1806 amounted to 5,496,969 dollars 77 cents, did on the 30th of Sept. 1807, amount to 8,530,000 The receipts into the treasury from the 1st of October to the 31st day of December 1807, are estimated at 4,000,000 The expenses during the same period for all objects whatever, the publick debt excepted, and including 686,076 dollars for the extraordinary expenditures of the Navy Department, of which the estimate has been transmitted, are estimated at The ordinary payments on account of the publick debt, including the provision for the interest on the Louisiana and Dutch debt to the 1st of July 1808, are estimated at A further sum of about 1,500,000 dollars should also be paid. during this quarter,in order to complete the annual appropriation of eight millions of dollars. If the whole of this sum which is applicable to the purchase of the eight per cent, stock, cannot be expended this year, the unexpended balance will form an additional expenditure for the year 1808, charging however the whole to this quarter, Making an an aggregate of 4,900,000 dollars and will leave in the Treasury at the close of the year a balance of about seven millions six hundred thousand dollars, Expenditures of the Year 1808. The permanent expences calculated on a peace establishment are estimated at 11,600,000 dollars, and consist of the following items, viz. 12,530,000 1,700,000 1,700,000 1,500,000 7,630,000 12,530,000 ་་་་་་ 1. For the civil department, and all domestick expenses of a civil nature including invalid pensions, the light house, and mint establishments, the expenses of surveying publick lands and then, sea coast, the fifth instalment of the loan due to Maryland, and a : sum of 100,000 dollars to meet such miscellaneous appropriations, not included in the estimates, as may be made by Congress, 2. For expenses incident to the intercourse with foreign na- tions including the permanent appropriation for Algiers, 197 3. For the military and Indian department, including trading houses and the permanent appropriaton for certain Indian tribes, 4. For the naval establishment, 5. The annual appropriation of eight millions of dls. for the payment of the principal and interest of the publick debt; of which sum not more than 3,400,000 dols. will for the year 1808 be applicable to the payment of interest. 1 1,100,000 200,000 1.280,000 1,020,000 8,000,000 .11,600,000 To the permanent expenses must be added for the year 1808 a sum of about 800,000 dollars, necessary in addition to the annual appropriation of eight millions of dollars, to complete on the 1st January, 1809, the reimbursement of the 8 per cent. stock, And for paying the balance of American claims, assumed by the French convention, Making altogether 12,600,000 for the expenses of that year, Making all together 7,630,000 23,430,000 Would therefore probably leave in the Treasury on the 1st of January, 1809, a balance of near eleven millions of dollars, 800,000 200,000 12,600,000 10,830,000 23,430,000 PUBLICK DEBT. It appears by the statement (D) that the payments on account of the prin cipal of the publiek debt, have, during the year ending the 30th day of September, 1807, exceeded 4,600,000 dollars; making the total of publick debt reimbursed from the 1st of April, 1801, to the 1st of October, 1807, about 25,880,000 dollars, exclusively of more than six millions, which have been paid during the same period, in conformity with the provisions of the treaty and convention with Great Britain, and of the Louisiana convention. Of the twelve millions of dollars, which according to the preceding estimates, may be paid on account of the publick debt, between the 30th September 1807, and the 1st January 1809, about eight millions will be on account of the principal. It must, however, be observed, that the unascertain. ed result of the proportion made to the publick creditors for the modifica tion of the debt, may affect the amount payable during the year 1808, on account of both principal and interest. On the 1st day of January, 1809, the principal of the debt, will, if the proposed modification be not assented to by the publiek creditors, amount to near fifty-seven millions five hundred thousand dollars. The subsequent annual payments thereon,on account of principal and interest, will not,exclusively of occasional purchases, exceed 4,600,000 dollars; and the whole of the debt, the nineteen millions of three per cent stock only excepted, will be reimbursed in 16 years. A general subscription would reduce the capital to about fifty-one millions. of dollars. The payments would amount to eight millions of dollars annually, during six years, and average less than three millions during the seven following, at the end of which period the whole debt would be extinguished.. An annual unappropriated surplus of at least three millions of dollars, may henceforth be relied upon with great confidence. The receipts of the year 1808 have been estimated at 15,800,000 and the expences at 12,100,000 dollars. The permanent revenue has been computed at 14,500,000 dollars, and the permanent expences,predicated on an annual payment of eight milligas of dollars on account of the debt, have been stated at 16,600,000 dolJars and as this would, if no modification of the debt should take place, be reduced to less than 8,500,000, the annual surplus would then amount to six millions of dollars. Nor are the seven millions and an half of dollars, which remain in the treasury at the end of the present year, included in the calen lation. What portion of that surplus may be wanted for necessary measures of security and defence; what portion should be applied to internal improvements, which, whilst increasing and diffusing the national wealth, will strengthen the bonds of union, are subjects which do not fall within the province of the Treasury Department-but it is not impossible, that after making ample provisions for both those objects considerable surplusses, which can no longer be applied to the redemption of the debt, may still accumulate in the treasury. The previous accumulation of treasury in time of peace might, in a great degree, defray the extraordinary expences of war, and diminish the necessity of either loans or additional taxes. It would provide, during periods of prosperity, for those of adverse events, to which every nation is exposed, instead of increasing the burdens of the people at a time when they are least able to bear them, or of impairing by anticipations the resources of ensuing generations:-and the publick monies of the United States,not being locked up and withdrawn from the general circulation; but on the contrary depos ited in banks, and continuing to form a part of the circulating medium, the most formidable objection to that system, which has nevertheless been at times adopted with considerable success in other countries, is thereby altogether removed. It is also believed that the renewal of the charter of the Bank of the United States may, among other advantages, afford to governinent an opportunity of obtaining interest on publick deposits, whenever they shall exceed a certain amount. Should the United States, contrary to their expectation and desire, be involved in war, it is believed that the receipts of the year 1808 will not be materially affected by the event, inasmuch as they will principally arise from the revenue accrued during the present year. The amount of outstanding bonds due by importers, after deducting the debentures issued on account of re-exportations, exceeds, at this time, sixteen millions of dollars. The deductions to be made from these on account of subsequent re-exportations, would, in case of war, be less than usual; for exportations will then be checked, as well as importations, and in proportion as these will decrease, a greater home demand will be created for the stock on hand, and the neces sity of re-exporting be diminished. It has already been stated, that the specie in the treasury at the end of this year, together with the surplus of the year 1808, will amount to near eleven millions of dollars-a sum probably adequate to meet the extraordinary expences of the war for that year. It will also be recollected, that in the esti mated expences of the year 1808, the reimbursement of near five millions and a half of the principal of the debt is included. The only provision therefore which may render any contingency necessary for the extraordinary service of that year,in order to cover any deficiency of revenue or increase of expenditure beyond what has been estimated, will be an authority to borrow a sum equal to that reimbursement. That the revenue of the United States will, in subsequent years, be considerably impaired by a war, neither can or ought to be concealed.It is on the contrary necessary,in order to be prepared for the crisis, to take an early view of the subject, and to examine the resources which should be selected for supplying the deficiency, and defraying the extraordinary expen ces. There are no data from which the extent of the defalcation can at this moment be calculated, or even estimated. It will be sufficient to state, 1st, That it appears necessary to provide a revenue at least equal to the annual expences on a peace establishment, the interest of the existing debt, and the |