Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

The French finances are understood to be in a most dilapidated state, and the experiment of a voluntary contribution is about to be tried. To enforce this measure, Circular letters have been addressed by the Prefects to all the wealthy persons in their respective departments.

FRENCH PAPERS.

Paris, February 26.

Expose of the situation of the empire, presented to the legislative body, in the sitting of the 25th of February, by his excellency count de Montalivet, minister of the interior.

Gentlemen—His excellency has ordered me to inform you of the situation of the empire in the years 1811 and 1812. You will see with satisfaction, that notwithstanding the great armies which the state of the marine and continental war obliges us to keep on foot, the population continues to increase—that our industry has made new progress—that the lands have never been better cultivated, nor the manufactories more flourishing—that never at any epoch of our history, have riches been more spread among the different classes of society.

The simple cultivator at this time knows enjoyments to which he was formerly a stranger; he purchases at a higher price such lands as suit him best—his clothing is better, his food is more abundant and more substantial—he rebuilds his houses, and makes them more commodious and substantial.

New inventions in agriculture, in industry, and in the useful arts, are not rejected, merely because of their being new. Every where trials are made, and such as experience proves to be preferable, are usually substituted for the old routines. The artificial sheep walks are multiplied, the system of fallowing is discontinued—inclosures less extensive, and new cultivations augment the produce of our lands—the cattle multiply, and their breed is ameliorated: the lowest farmers have obtained the means of obtaining, at high prices, the rams of the Spanish breed, and the stallions of our best kinds of horses. Become enlightened to their true interests, they do not hesitate making the useful purchases—thus the wants of our manufactures, our agriculture, and our armies, become every day more assured of relief. This degree of prosperity is owing to the liberal laws by which this great empire is governed—to the suppression of the Feudal system, the tithes, the Main-mortes, the Monastic orders—a suppression which has constituted or rendered free, that great number of private estates, now become the free patrimony of a multitude of families hitherto of the lowest class—it is owing to the equality of partitions, to the clearness and simplicity of the laws on property, and on securities; to the promptitude with which the law-suits, which are every day decreasing, are decided; it is to these same causes, and to the influence of vaccination, that the increase of the population should be attributed. And why should we not acknowledge to ourselves, that even the conscription itself, which every year causes the choice of our youth to range themselves under its banners, has contributed to this increase, by multiplying the number of marriages, in favoring them, by forever fixing the fate of young Frenchmen, who have once obeyed the law.

Here follows a long detailed account of the state of the population, agriculture, manufactures, commerce, public works, interior administration and marine, occupying nearly the whole of the Moniteur, and two supplementary sheets, to which the President of the Legislative body replied as follows:

Gentlemen, The Expose of the situation of the empire, which we hear without fresh interest, cannot find more enlightened judges, nor receive more sincere applauses, than in the bosom of the Legislative Corps. Who among us is ignorant of the progress of this interior circulation which enlivens every kind of industry, and has caused its effects to reach even that laborious class which had for so long a time been ignorant of its enjoyments! it is by the remembrance of those days not far removed from us, and not by the regret of those who cannot hope for them again, that we love to judge of the works of government, and of their success.

France, always tributary to foreigners for the greater part of its wants, without circulation among the interior towns, without certain employment to the inhabitants of the country, and without giving them proportionate wages, saw her commerce and her fortune concentered in a few maritime cities, whose splendor we for the moment regret, but the influence of which was but little felt in the distant provinces. At present a more skilful agriculture yields a more considerable produce; great manufactories bring into every district foreign arts; more abundant and better paid labor makes the people forget their privations. But, nevertheless, far from us be the idea of any injustice towards these anterior times: much was then done, but we have surpassed the hopes of our forefathers, and far from misconceiving those benefits, we love to place the glory of them to their author. How can we forbear admiring these generous efforts which no interests could relax? In this very year, when unexpected losses appear to leave no other care than that of repairing them, immense sums are consecrated equally to interior industry, to retaining what has already been achieved, and to the execution of what is yet performed.

May our enemies at length acknowledge the infinite resources of the empire, and judge of her greatness by this noble emulation of generosity between the sovereign and the people, and thence destiny, which is in the hands of Jly capable of inspiring his enemies, and his people with confidence.