ing the kingdom with every thing requifite for repairing the breach, which, if not fpeedily remedied, might undermine its welfare-I have in that conviction, in the courfe of the laft three years, faced with intrepidity all difficulties and obftacles, in fearching myfelf after the means, by ufeful arrangement and ftrict economy, to increase the revenues of the kingdom, in full confidence thus to difcover the genuine fource for the ftability and the dignity of an independent country.

The revenues and expenfes, together with the wants of the ftate, I have caufed to be eftimated, that they may this day be laid before the members of the diet, to prove what I have been able to effect for the benefit of the empire, and what farther measures may be neceffary for fulfilling our firft and mutual endeavours to ameliorate and fix the ftandard of the price of money. The low courfe of exchange, arifing from the preffing debts of the empire, have always thwarted my best defigns and plans for the welfare of the ftate. Every individual feels this oppreffive evil, more or lefs, but the government feels it more fenfibly; for it has not only diminished the revenues of the ftate, but opened a wide field to felfilmefs and ufury, than which nothing can operate more prejudicially to the fellow-citizens of greedy fpeculators, who ought to be hunned and detefted by every honeft man,

Two oppreffive and difaftrous years have not a little contributed to the prefent high prices of corn and provifions; and the fiate, as much as the individual, has felt the deficiency of crops, and other heavy loffes. I fhall, neverthelets, find

great confolation in any efficacious means to enable me to fuccour my diftreffed fubjects, and to furnih them with farther proofs of my foli citude for their welfare.

I have thus purposely called this diet, to advife with you how to obviate the exifling evils, and how to prevent fimilar ones in future. To effect this important end, it is ne ceflary that I fhould be crowned king of Sweden, in order to cement the facred bonds of union in the moft folemn manner, which ought ever to unite the fovereign with the nation. I conceived the moft propitious period for this folemnity would be that after the birth of my beloved fon Guftav, the fruit of my happy union with my beloved confort. I want words to exprefs to you the joy I felt, on feeing the throne of Sweden, by the grace of the Moft High, ftill more fortified than before; and this happy fenfation was mixed with the natural fatisfaction of being a father. And if I this day recall thofe unfpeakable fenfations to my bolom, it is in the fond hope, the perfect conviction, that my beloved and faithful fubjects here affembled partake them with their prince.

When I gave a name to my fon, which in fo many refpects must be dear to us and our common country, I was in great hopes to educate him in fuch a manner as to render him worthy of that name; that, whenever I fhall be no more, he may render his people happy. I fll ever reprefent to him the great deftiny of Providence, in order that, from his infant days, he may be imprefled with the great impor tance of his future duty; and that he may never forget that he is born and defined to reign over a free,

integral,

integral, or felf-fubfiftent nation, and to promote its happinefs; thus to enjoy the only, but the greatest confolation which a fovereign can with for his manifold troubles and

cares. I fhall moreover allure him, that he will have to reign over a faithful nation, always fubmiffive to the laws of the country; and which, by its truft in God, by its faith, fincerity, harmony, and unity, conftitutes a great people.

Since I have opened to you, in this folemn place, the inmoft of my thoughts and principles, with fincerity and confidence, I have reafon to expect that you, my faithful fubjects, will anfwer my wifhes. Be affured that, when in your deliberations with me, unity, harmony, and fincerity, fhall be found to reign, we may expect from the grace of God, that this diet will terminate to the welfare of the empire. Then fall I think myfelf amply rewarded for all my paft care and folicitude; and who among you will not feel within himfelf the lively fatisfaction of having laboured and contributed to the real profperity of his country?

Convinced that you, as faithful Swedish fubjects, worthy of your ancestors, partake of my fentiments, I wish that the heavenly grace and bleffing of the Almighty God may attend your deliberations, and remain with royal grace and good will, your affectionate, &c.

His majefty having ended his addrefs, baron Ehrenheim read the articles propofed by the king as the fubjects of the deliberations, which principally relate to the regulation of the finances, the amendment of feveral civil laws, and to meafures of economy and police.

Convention between the French Republic and the United States of America.

HE

chief conful of the French republic, in the name of the French people, and the prefident of the United States of America, equally animated with a defire to put an end to the differences which have arifen between the two states, have refpectively named their plenipotentiaries, and have given them full powers to negociate concerning thefe differences, and to terminate them; that is to fay, the chief conful of the French republic, in the name of the French people, has nominated, as plenipotentiaries of the faid republic, citizens Jofeph Bonaparte, late ambaffador of the French republic at Rome, and connfellor of ftate; Charles Peter Claret Fleurieu, member of the national inftitution, and of the board of longitude, counfellor of ftate, and prefident of the section of marine; and Peter Lewis Roederer, member of the national inftitute, counsellor of ftate, and prefident of the fection of the interior; and the prefident of the United States of America, by and with the advice and confent of the fenate of the faid ftates, has nominated, as their plenipotentiaries, Oliver Elfworth, chief-juftice of the United States; William Richardfon Davie, late governor of South Carolina, and William Vans Murray, refident minifter of the United States at the Hague:

Who, after having exchanged their credentials, and long and maturely difcuffed the refpective interefts of the two ftates, have agreed to the following condi

tions:

ift. There

Ift. There fhall be a firm, in violable, and univerfal peace, and a true and fincere friendship between the French republic and the United States of America, as well as between their countries, territories, cities, and towns, and between their citizens and inhabitants, without exception of perfons or places.

2d. The minifter plenipotentiary of the two parties not being able, for the present, to come to an agreement with regard to the treaty of alliance of the 6th of February, 1778, the treaty of friendship and commerce of the fame date, and the convention under date of the 14th of November, 1778; nor, likewife, with regard to the indemnities mutually due or reclaimed; the parties will negociate ulteriorly upon thofe points at a convenient time; and till they have come to a definitive agreement, the faid treaties and conventions fall have no effect, and the relations of the two ftatés fhall be regulated as follows:

3d. The veffels belonging to government, which have been taken on both fides, or may be taken before the exchange of the ratifications, fhall be restored.

4th. The property captured and not yet definitively condemned, or which may be captured before the exchange of the ratifications, except contraband merchandife deftined for an enemy's port, fhall be mutually restored upon the following proofs of property, viz.

On both fides the proofs of property, with regard to merchant-velfels, armed, or not armed, fhall be a paflport in the following form:

"To all thofe to whom thefe prefents may come, be it known,

that freedom and permission have been granted to mafter or commander of the ship called of the city of -, of the burden of tons, or thereabout, at prefent in the port and harbour ofand bound for, laden with

-; that after his fhip has been vifited, and before his departure, he fhall make oath before the of ficers authorized for that purpose, that the faid fhip belongs to one or more of the fubje&ts of· -, whofe agreement fhall be fubjoined at the bottom of the palfport; likewife, that he will oblerve, and make be obferved by his crew, the maritime ordinances and regulations; and he fhall deliver a lift figned and attefted by witneffes, containing the names and furnames, the births, places and refidences, of the perfons compofing the crew of his fhip, and of all thofe who fhall embark with him, whom he fhall not receive on board without the permiflion of the authorized officers; and in every port or harbour he fhall enter with his hip, he thall fhow the prefent permiflion to the officers authorifed for this purpose, and fhall give them a faithful account of what has happened during

his

voyage; and he thall carry the colours, arms, and enfign [of the French republic, or of the United States] during his faid voyage.→ In witnefs whereof we have figned this paper, have made it be counterfigned by and have affixed

the year of

to it feafs bearing our arms. "Given at our Lord

And this palport fhall of itfelf be fufficient, notwithstanding all regulations to the contrary. It shall not be required that this pafport be renewed or revoked, whatever

number

number of voyages the veffel may make, at least if she has not touched at her own port during the course of a year.

With regard to the cargo, the proofs fhall be certificates containing an account of the place from which the veffel has failed, and that to which he is bound; fo that prohibited and contraband goods may be diftinguished by certificates, which certificates fhall have been made by the officers of the place from which the vellel fhall have failed, in the ufual form of the country; and if these paffports, or certificates, or either of them, have been deftroyed by accident, or feized by violence, the want of them may be fupplied by all the other proofs of property admiffible according to the general ufage of

nations.

For other than merchant fhips, the proofs fhall be the commiffion which they bear,

This article fhall take effect from the date of the fignature of the prefent convention; and if, after the date of the faid fignature, property fhall be condemned, contrary to the fpirit of the faid convention, before this ftipulation is known, the property thus condemned fhall, without delay, be restored, or paid for.

Art. 5. The debts contracted by one of the two nations to individuals of the other, or by individuals of the one to individuals of the other, fhall be paid, or their payment fhall be fued for, as if there had been no mifunderftanding between the two ftates; but this claufe fhall not extend to indemnities claimed for captures or condemnations.

6th. The commerce between the two parties fhall be free; the

veffels of the two nations, and their privateers, as well as their prizes, fall be treated, in the refpective ports, as thofe of the most favoured nations; and in general the two parties fhall enjoy in the ports of each other, in what refpecis commerce and navigation, all the privileges of the most favoured nations.

7th. The citizens and inhabitants of the United States fhall he allowed to dispose, by teftament, gift, cr otherwife, of their property, real and perfonal, poffeffed in the European territories of the French republic; and the citizens of the French republic fhall have the fame power with regard to real and perfonal property poffeffed in the territories of the United States, in favour of fuch perfons as to them fhall feem good. The citizens and inhabitants of one of the two states who fhall be heirs to property, real or perfonal, fituated in the other, fhall fucceed ab inteflate, without there being occafion for letters of naturalization, and without it be ing poffible for the effect of this ftipulation to be denied or difputed under any pretext whattoever; and the faid heirs, whether by will or ab inteftato, fhall, in both nations, be free from every tax. It is ftipulated that this article fhall, in no wife, infringe the laws which are now in force in the two nations, or which may hereafter be enacted againft emigration; and likewife, that, in cafe the laws of one of the two ftates fhould limit the rights of foreigners to real property, it shall be lawful to fell fuch property, or to difpofe of it otherwife, in favour of the inhabitants or citizens of the country in which it is fituated; and the other nation fhall be at li

liberty

berty to establish fimilar regula

tions.

8th. In order mutually to promote the operations of commerce, it is agreed, that if (which the Lord forbid!) war fhould break out between the two countries, there fhall be allowed, mutually, to the merchants and other citizens, or refpective inhabitants, fix months after the declaration of war, during which period they will have the permiffion to retire with fuch goods and effects as they may be able to carry off, or to fell the whole, agreeably to their own option, without the interpofition of any restraint. Not only their goods, much lefs their perfons, can be feized on, during the prefcribed period of fix months. On the contrary, they fhall be furnished with palports, to fecure their fafe return home. These passports hall avail them as guarantees against every infult and feizure on the part of privateers, who may attempt to capture their goods or their perfons; and if, within the term above mentioned, they should fuftain from any of the parties, their fellow-citizens, or abettors, any damage or injury, either in their perfons or property, they fhall receive complete fatisfaction thereof.

9th. The debts due by the individuals of one or the other nation to the individuals of the other, fhall not, in any cafe of hoftility or national difagreement, be fequeftrated or confifcated, no more than the depofits that are placed in the public funds, or in the houfes of public or private bankers.

10th. The two contracting parties may appoint, for the protection of commerce, commercial agents, who shall refide in France

11th. The

citizens of the French republic fhall not pay in the ports, harbours, creeks, iflands, diftricts, or in any part of the United States, any higher impofts on entries of whatsoever nature or denomination than thofe that are or must be paid by the moft favoured nations and they fhall enjoy all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions, as far as regards trade, navigation, and commerce, whether in paffing from any one of the ports to the other of the faid United States, or in going thither or coming from thence, or whether they be deftined for any other part of the world, provided the above-mentioned powers are participants, or may participate therein. And, reciprocally, the citizens of the United States fhall enjoy within the territory of the French republic in Europe, the fame privileges, immuni, ties, &c. &c. not only with regard to their perfons and property, but alfo as to what relates to trade, navigation, and commerce.

12th. The citizens of the two nations may convey their fhips and merchandife, excepting always con traband goods, into any port belonging to the enemy of the other country. They may navigate and trade, in full freedom and fecurity, with their merchandife and fhips