Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

BALTIMORE. March 25.

Extract of a letter from an American gentleman of much respectability at Paris, under date of the 20th of Dec. 1802.

Our countrymen here who have long standing claims on this government, are very dispirited indeed: After being buoyed up with the hope of receiving payments at the restoration of peace, and especially after the ratification of the convention between the United States and France, they see now that they have as little prospect of receiving any adequate payments as ever. There is hardly anyone of them here but would gladly take 40 per cent. of the amount of their respective demands. It is generally believed that peace between this country and England will not be of a long continuance; both governments appear to be distrustful of each other, though this place be resorted by many of the English nobility who are much caressed. A strong party is working in England to bring back Mr. Pitt into administration; should they succeed it is generally thought that war would become inevitable, and that it would immediately take place.

This country keeps up a most expensive military establishment, say four hundred and fifty thousand land forces, which by the estimate of the minister of war cost an annual expense of two hundred and sixty two millions tournois, whilst the whole revenue is but about four hundred and seventy millions—of course you may easily judge of the embarrassed circumstances of this country's finances. This will account for the non payment of about one hundred and fifty millions tournois they owe to foreigners of all nations; they are even anticipating always about nine months on the national revenue for the daily expenditure of government, and there is to this moment no mode proposed to extinguish this deficit.

Trade is dull and private confidence exhausted by numerous failures which have lately taken place in this capital.