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The Newport Gazette
Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
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A report from France counters misrepresentations in British papers, stating the French revenue is under 39 million sterling with debt interest over 3.2 million pounds as of 1775. Military and naval forces remain on reduced establishment under Count de St. Germain, with no signs of war preparations, alleviating alarms about France's strength.
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PRESENT STATE OF FRANCE.
SIR,
There have been so many misrepresentations of late in the public prints concerning the present state of the French revenues and forces by land and sea, that an accurate review of them, such as they really are at the present time, must, I think, be of considerable use to your readers, especially as the particulars we shall give are not gained from books printed so long ago as not at present to be of the least authority, but, on the contrary, collected from an actual residence in that kingdom.
The above review has been exceedingly misrepresented, paper accounts of finance are exceedingly common in France, and a favourite species of writing, and they usually are full of exaggerations; this has of late been so much the case, that I may assert, on the best authority, that the present revenue of that kingdom does not amount to thirty nine millions sterling; and that the interest of their national debt is certainly not less than 3,296,542l. which is the exact sum given me for it in the year 1775. From this it will be seen that the accounts which have of late appeared in our Papers, are so many monstrous errors, arising probably from a disposition to magnify the state of that kingdom in order to serve the purposes of a party in this.
The particulars we have had of their military arrangements, by sea and land, are of a piece with those of their finance. The truth is, their revenue is so cramped, and so much inferior to the demands made on it for the Court, interest of debt, army and navy on the reduced establishment, that nothing remains for those extraordinary preparations of which we have heard so much and which never existed but upon paper. They fitted out seven men of war at Rochefort and Toulon, but eight others were laid up at Brest and Rochefort instead of them. And concerning the army, it is yet upon the reduced establishment with the Count de St. Germain, without the smallest appearance or any sign that can be taken for the indication of a war.
Upon the whole, Sir, there is no trace any truth in the representations which have been made of France being in so prosperous a state that Great Britain has reason to be alarmed.
X. Y.
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Foreign News Details
Primary Location
France
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Outcome
revenue does not amount to thirty nine millions sterling; interest of national debt not less than 3,296,542l. as of 1775; army and navy on reduced establishment; seven men of war fitted out at rochefort and toulon, eight others laid up at brest and rochefort; no preparations for war.
Event Details
Misrepresentations in public prints exaggerate French revenues and forces. Actual revenue under 39 million sterling, debt interest over 3.2 million pounds from 1775 data, collected from recent residence in France. Financial accounts full of exaggerations. Military arrangements match finances: revenue insufficient for court, debt, army, navy beyond reduced establishment. No extraordinary preparations exist beyond paper. Seven men of war fitted out, but eight laid up instead. Army under Count de St. Germain on reduced establishment, no signs of war. No truth to claims of France's prosperous state alarming Britain.