The Enquirer

FOREIGN:

LATE FOREIGN NEWS

New-York, May 2.

Received at the Office of the Commercial Advertiser by the ship Hibernia, in 23 days from Belfast.

FRENCH PAPERS.

FROM THE MONITEUR.

REPORT OF THE DUKE OF BASSANO.

"Sire,—The maritime rights of Europe settled by the Treaty at Utrecht, became the common law of nations. This law, renewed in all subsequent treaties, proves, that the flag covers the merchandize, that therefore enemy's goods under a neutral flag are neutral, in the same manner as neutral property under an enemy's flag is hostile property. The only merchandize not protected by the flag is the arms & warlike stores. Such are the obligations of Belligerent Powers. By a series of events, the English Marine has become more numerous than all the other Maritime Powers; taking advantage of which, she wishes to subject all seas to the same laws as are enforced in the River Thames. [He here states the different Orders in Council, &c.] Your Majesty saw the evils with which the Continent was menaced, and instantly applied a remedy."—[Here the Berlin and Milan Decrees, &c. &c. are given.]—"Never did an act of reprisal attain its object in a more prompt manner.—Your Majesty armed it with all your power. Holland, the Hanseatic Towns, the countries which unite the Zuyder Zee with the Baltic, were united to, and subject to the same regulations as France." He then says, that England, which arrogantly hastened to the dominion of the seas, finds her ships refused entrance into all the ports of the Continent. All the disposable forces of France must be sent wherever the British flag can enter; an army, charged with guarding our immense coasts, our maritime arsenals and triple range of fortresses, which cover the frontiers, will answer to your Majesty for the safety of the territory confided to its valor.

For a length of time England proclaimed everlasting war, a frightful project which is likely to be realized, if France is only to expect engagements without guarantee—

Peace. Sire, which your Majesty, in the midst of all your power, has so often offered to your enemies, will crown your labors, if England, perseveringly banished the Continent, and separated from all the States whose independence she has violated, will consent to return to the principles that constitute European Society, and acknowledge the laws of nations, and respect those rights consecrated by the treaty of Utrecht.

REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF WAR.

"Sire,—The greatest part of your Majesty's troops have been called without the French empire, to defend those great interests which assure the independence of the empire, and maintain the Milan and Berlin Decrees, so fatal to England." He afterwards proceeds to state, how greatly England has already suffered by those Decrees, and points out measures for the organization and disposition of the National Guards, in the different strong fortresses on the Rhine, at Brest, Toulon, &c. &c. so that in four days 30,000, and within ten, from 60 to 80,000 men may be collected at any given point which might be attacked."

FRENCH SENATUS CONSULTUM.

After the reading of the Reports the Counsellors of State presented the Project of the Senatus Consulte of the following tenor.

SITTING OF THE 13th MARCH.

The Senate having met at noon, Count Lacepede, in the name of the Special Commission, appointed in the sitting of the 10th, presented the following Report upon the project of the Senatus Consulte.

"Senators—Your special Commission has examined with all the attention the importance of the subject demanded, the Senatus Consulte's project relative to the organization of the national guard of the empire, as well as the levy of 100 cohorts from the first ban of the national guards, and has with care compared the different dispositions, with the reasons which have been stated to you.

"This project is divided under two titles;

"The first offers one of those important institutions which will signalize one of the most illustrious of reigns; the second puts in motion part of that force established by the first; one is the ground of action, the other the consequence and application of it.

"Let us, before all, examine the first.

"It separates into three bans the national guard of the empire; it points out French men, who, according to the difference of their age, must belong to one or other of these three bans: it fixes the successive renewal of their different stations: it determines the nature of the services which their country and sovereign have a right to expect from them:

"And now what is the national guard of the empire? The nation armed—and what nation but that which extends from the banks of the Baltic Sea to those beyond the Tiber, and whose ancient renown every day acquires fresh eclat by its successful and new associations, and by the immortal glory of him who governs it?

"This nation had not received different successive laws, but particular organization only. It is going to receive a grand historical law, a general organization.

"And what a wonderful change is this profound conception of the Emperor going to produce! Order was established at his command, among the immense number of Frenchmen whose very zeal and bravery, not regulated by his foresight, would have led to confusion and disorder; that admirable and regular motion is the result of the high wisdom of him who, combining with the fruits of his genius the produce of experience, carries his views into future ages, to give durability to all the monuments he erects.

"But what is the grand and principal effect of this new institution?

"The safety of the interior and public security.

"Hitherto the safety of the interior of empires was provided for by armies, who became offensive or defensive, according to the circumstances of the war and the chances of success.

"But the security was neither entire nor durable.—The fear of a reverse weakened it, bad success might annihilate it, and what a situation was that people in, whose comforts & labors were every moment interrupted by anxiety and fear'?

", "Let us refer to history, and we will see how frequently weak Governments could only satisfy their subjects by imprudently pointing out the number of their troops and their military dispositions, of their political arrangements, and being obliged to give way by dangerous and absurd dispositions of their forces, to the ridiculous ideas which the want of security suggested, joined to false notions respecting the true elements of a good defence.

"The project of the Senatus-Consulte which is presented to you, Senators, prevents forever all these misfortunes.

"Then, should even all the active armies quit the frontiers and proceed to an immense distance to hurl the Imperial thunder, the immense enclosure of the Empire would present numerous defenders, which could be replaced by still more numerous defenders, and the French Empire considered (if I may be allowed so to express myself,) as an immense citadel placed in the middle of the world, would shew its natural garrison in a national guard regularly organized, uniting to the constancy and instruction of old veterans all the vigor of a youthful army.

"This is what the Hero has thought fit to do to render our frontiers inviolable; to tranquilize minds the most prone to conceive alarms; to guard the public security against all the attempts of false zeal from ignorance or perfidy.

"This is what the Father of his People has done; for this great benefit but trifling sacrifices are required.

"The Cohorts of the first ban will be renewed with one-sixth each year; the young Frenchmen who constitute a part of it will know the exact period when they will return to their paternal roofs; and be restored to their affections, their labors; their habits;

they will enjoy the fruit of their devotion.

"Arrived at the age in which ardor is united to strength, they will find in their military exercises salutary games and agreeable relaxations, rather than severe duties and painful occupations.

"They will not be strangers to any of the advantages which the old phalanxes of Napoleon enjoy.

"Let us now proceed, Senators, to examine the second title.

"You have heard the minister of Foreign Affairs and that for War expose the frank, firm and moderate policy of the Emperor.

"European commerce must be freed from the shameful yoke wished to be imposed upon it.

"Nature demands this; the most solemn treaties prescribe it.

"The imperious interests of the State demand it.

"Already does the enemy of Continental independence suffer in his Island, a part of those evils with which he wished to inundate the world.

"He has sworn everlasting war.

"Let a formidable Power render abortive this attempt against humanity.

"Let all the active armies of the Empire be ready to march to whatever place they may be called by the greatest of heroes.

Let 100 cohorts of the first ban answer to the country for its frontiers, its strong places, its ports, and its arsenals

"Let 100,000 brave men, chosen from among those of the first ban, join the standards of glory.

"Here we again find the same paternal solicitude of the Monarch, and same foresight of the Great Captain.

"We have related to the successively renewing of that part of the first ban, which will be placed at the disposition of the minister of War, is fixed with care, and all Frenchmen of the first ban, who shall have married anterior to the publication of the Senatus Consulte, shall remain in the bosom of his young family, and constitute part of the second ban.

"The assembling of a part of the first ban will allow the Conscripts destined to augment or complete the active armies, to be longer exercised at their depots, and every thing has been calculated in such a manner, that at the least signal a numerous army can be promptly collected, and with facility march towards all the points menaced.

"In order to be able better to judge of all the advantages of the institution proposed to you, represent to yourselves, Senators, all the irregular appeals from the National Guard which you have witnessed. Let those of our colleagues, whose military renown and confidence of the Emperor have frequently placed at the head of these National Guards, hastily collected, say how much they have deplored the inevitable disorders and forced and truly painful marches—of dispositions which time did not permit to properly digest; of sacrifices almost inevitable—of losses in men, ammunition and money.

"If you call to your recollection the circumstance so honorable for several departments of the Empire, when British pride split upon the banks of the Scheldt; can you suppose that if at that epoch, at which you expressed in so solemn a manner the devotion of the French People towards the Emperor, the Institution which France is going to receive from its tutelary genius, had been established, England would have dared to conceive the hope of the most trifling success?

"Your Commission has, therefore, the honor of unanimously proposing the adoption of the Senatus Consulte which has been presented you.

The Senatus Consulte was adopted with the utmost unanimity.