paid the 10th of the month of March next ensuing; the second third shall be paid the 1st of May; and the third shall be paid the 1st of August.-III. All English manufactures being liable to confiscation on the sole ground of their origin, shall be ransomed by the merchants who possess the same, and who are at liberty to dispose thereof as they please, by paying one third part of their value, according to their invoices, The said payment shall be made in three instalments, and at the periods fixed in the preceding articles.-IV. All gold and plate of all the churches, chapels, fraternities of the city of Lisbon, and the district belonging thereto, shall be carried to the mint, received by the treasurer thereof, under the inspection and direction of the director of the mint, within the term of 15 days. In the churches no silver vessels shall remain, but such as are required for the decent observance of religious worship, and of those vessels a list shall be delivered, signed by the person or persons who are charged with the custody and management thereof. The person who carries the same to the mint, shall receive from the treasury a receipt, in an authentic form, for the articles delivered. All persons convicted of fraud, either with regard to the declaration of the articles existing in such churches, or left there, or with respect to any like articles embezzled for their own use, shall be sentenced to pay four times the value of the article not declared or embezzled.-V. All the articles above mentioned, belonging to churches, chapels and fraternities in the provinces, shall be delivered at the houses of the receivers of tythes, within the term of fifteen days, on the same condition and penalties mentioned in the fourth article. The several receivers shall give authentic receipts for the same, and send the articles received to the mint in Lisbon, the treasurer of which is to give them a proper receipt for the same. The above receivers shall have an escort, if required.-VI.

The

total amount of the value of the said articles shall be deducted from the present contribution.-VII. All archbishops and bishops of the realm, all prelates and superiors of religious orders of both sexes, the regular and secular congregations which possess landed property, or capitals placed out on interest, shall contribute two-thirds of their annual produce, in case that the latter does not exceed sixteen thousand crusades: should it exceed sixteen thousand crusades, they shall contribute three fourths of the said produce; they shall, however, all be exempted from the payment of tithes in

the present. year.-VIII. In fifteen days after the publication of the present decree, all prelates shall be bound to deliver to the Secretary of State of the interior and of the finances, a correct return of their yearly income, which he shall cause to be examined and verified. And every person whose return shall be found incorrect, shall be sentenced to pay double the amount of his contribution. The said fine shall be recovered out of the property of the offender by the readiest means of execution.-IX. The first third part of this contribution shall be delivered at the office of the Receiver General of the contributions and public revenue of Portugal, within the term of one month next ensuing the publication of the present decree, by the prelates above mentioned residing in Lisbon; and within the term of six weeks, by those who reside in the provinces.-X. The second third part shall be delivered at the said office within six months next ensuing the delivery of the first third, by such prelates as reside in Lisbon, and in one month after the first delivery, by those who reside in the provinces.-XI. The last one third part shall be delivered at the said office, one month after the delivery of the second, by such prelates as reside in Lisbon, and three months after the second delivery, by such prelates as reside in the provinces-XII. All persons who possess church livings of 600 to 900 milreis per ann, shall contribute two-third parts of their annual income, and should such livings exceed 900 milreis per annum, they shall contribute three fourths of the annual produce; the payment thereof shall be made into the chest of the ordinary receiver of tithes of the district, under the inspection of the respective superintendants of tithes, who are to examine the said returns, and the same penalties shall be inflicted on the offenders. -XIII. The respective receivers of tithes shall, under the inspection and direction of the superintendants, deliver within the shortest time possible, the amount of the sum by them received into the chest of the Receiver-General of the public revenue and contributions of Portugal.-XIV. All the knights commanders of the three military orders, and of the order of Malta, shall contribute two-thirds of the produce of their commanderies, in the installments and under the penalties above-mentioned, with regard to the prelates.-XV. All the holders of the grants of the crown shall pay double the amount of the annual contribution which has hitherto been imposed on them. The payment and delivery thereof shall be made in the manner aforesaid.—XVI.

All the proprietors of houses situated in Lisbon and in the district belonging thereto, shall contribute one moiety of the annual rent for which they have let, in case of their being let; and should the proprietors inhabit the said houses themselves, one moiety of the rent, to be determined by valuation. Payment and delivery thereof shall be made in the manner above-mentioned, and under the same penalties. All proprietors of houses situated in other towns and boroughs of the kingdon are liable to the same contribution, payable in the same form, and under the same penalties.-XVII. All proprietors of land, shall pay this year, double the amount of the tithes imposed on them.-XVIII. For all horses, mules, and servants, double the tax shall this year be paid which was laid on them by former regulations, and the amount of the said tax so doubled shall be paid at once.-XIX. All public buildings and establishments, which contribute towards the expenditure of the police, shall this year pay under the said contribution a sum equal to the amount thereof. -XX. The Sheriff shall, under the direction of the Senate, make a proportional reduction of the contribution, on all the companies of mechanics and tradesmen, whether they keep open shops in public. places or elsewhere, levying the sum assessed by prompt execution, applying them to the purpose intended, and giving proper receipts to those who have paid their quota of the contribution. The Senate will cause the total amount thereof to be delivered into the chest of the Receiver General of the contributions and the public revenue of Portugal, every eight days until it shall be entirely discharged.-XXI. The Senate of the city of Oporto will cause the amount of the contribution to be levied in the same manner in the city of Oporto and in the district be longing thereto. And the said senate is further charged to compel all magistrates of all other places in the north to do the same, the northern provinces being in this case only subjected to the said senate.--XXII. The board of public welfare is to make, under the inspection of the Royal Exchequer, a similar requisition on such ships as shall be found without the jurisdiction of the senate, observing in point of payment and delivery the forms and penalties above-mentioned. XXIII. The General in chief being desirous to indemnify the unfortunate inhabitants of Beira for what they have suffered from the march of the army through that province, orders, that the boroughs and villages situated between the Tejo and the road of Satra

terra, &c. shall be exempted from the payment of the two first thirds of the present contribution, and from the provisions contained in the 21st article. The boroughs and villages situated on the road to Lisbon,. shall enjoy the same exemption. Lands belonging to knights commanders, to holders of grants of the crown, and to other persons, pointed out in the 7th article, shall not be included in the disposition of the present article.-XXIV. The Secretary of State of the interior and of the Finances, is charged with the execution of the present Decrce, which shall be printed and posted throughout the whole kingdom.

AUSTRIA. Declaration of the Emperor of Austria against England: dated Vienna, February 18th, 1808.

During the war which was concluded by the peace of Tilsit, his imperial royal and apostolic majesty has continually endeavoured to impress the belligerent powers with the motives which ought to induce them to concur in endeavouring to insure a general peace. The court of Vienna from that time declared its sentiments to the Cabinet of St. James's, and the imperial envoy at London, Prince Stahremberg, received formal and pressing instructions. But as the British ministry, in an answer to these written communications declared that its auswer must depend on its allies, the salutary propositions of Austria could not but be considered as disregarded, and soon after the treaty of Tilsit was concluded, by which the interests of the continent were regulated, without the participation of Great Britain. His imperial royal and apostolic majesty continued, nevertheless, convinced of the utility, and even of the necessity, of a general pacification; and this conviction afforded him new motives for renewing his pressing representations to the court of London.in July, soon after the signing of the peace, the Prince of Stahremberg again received orders to induce the British ministry to enter into a negociation with France, in order that the continental peace night be connected with and confirmed by, a maritime peace; but these propositions were not more successful than the former had been, and the answer of England was evasive. His majesty, however, thought it right to return to a subject of the most material influence on the general system of Europe, as well as the prosperity of the Austrian provinces in particular. Prince

Stahremberg was, therefore, for the third time, directed, in September, 1807, to make some farther overtures, connected with the former measures of the court of Vienna. But before his majesty's ambassador reported the result of his communication, the Court of London declared its sentiments, with regard to a maritime peace, in so positive a manter, refusing, at the same time, the mediation of Russia, making an attack on Copenhagen, and seizing the Danish fleet, without assigning any satisfactory cause of these violent measures, nay endeavouring to justify these proceedings, their infringements of the unquestionable rights of neutral powers, by official declarations which so evidently clashed with the principles adopted by other great powers, that it was impossible not to perceive in the course pursued by the British minister, a disposition to remove the possibility of peace to a greater distance, and not to listen to whatever had any tendency to restore the tranquillity of Europe.The impression which this conduct, destructive of all the hopes which his Majesty had fondly conceived, made on him, was as deep as it was painful Without waiting for the farther reports of Prince Staliremberg, orders still more urgent and more positive were sent him, than he had before received. These instructions, bearing date the 30th October, contained, 1st, a recapitulation of all former transactions, and directed him to represent to the Cabinet of St. James's in the strongest colours, the unavoidable consequences of its conduct, and to insist, in the most earnest manner, on an open declaration of its real sentiments, with regard to peace, and to avail himself of all possible means to lead it both to sentiments of moderation, fitted for the present situation, and meeting the wishes of Europe. The dispatches closed with the precise orders-" to apply once more on this subject in an official manner to his Britannic Majesty's Minister for Foreign Affairs, and to make to him the formal proposal to enter into negociations for a maritime peace, on such principles as answered the interests of all the powers concerned, and as a provisional proof of his pacific disposition, to desist from the measures pursued against Denmark, and retract the declaration which accompanied them. Should the Court of St. James's reject these proposals, or purposely protract giving any answer, Prince Stahremberg was directed to demand his

passports and leave London with every per. son belonging to the embassy.It was the Emperor's will that the above instructions should be restricted to such points of general interest, as were most likely to move the British cabinet to receive his proposals with attention and kindness; and if his Imperial Majesty ordered no complaints to be inserted of the numerous violations of his right, as a neutral power, violations, with regard to which his Majesty had not been able to obtain the least redress or compensation, the reasons, no doubt, will be obvious, which induced his Majesty to pass by in silence whatever concerned his personal interest.—His Imperial Majesty's ambassador in London could but execute the positive orders, which he received from Vienna, to their full extent. But being of opinion that he might yet indulge an hope of being able to prevail on the English ministry to shew more pacific sentiments towards France, he resolved to express, at first, part only of his orders in a note, which he addressed to Mr. Canning on the 20th November. The Secretary of State answered that note by a mere repetition of the declaration made to Austria since the month of April, 1807.- As all further representations were now evidently ineffectual, a final notification was sent on the 22d December to Prince Stahremberg, which repeated the order of the 30th October, and directed him, before his departure, to give in a note explaining circumstantially the motives of the Court of Vienna towards that of London. These dispatches, however, did not arrive in London till Prince Stahremberg had applied for, and received, his passes, and he no longer could have communication with the Secretary of State, and deliver in the note which had been transmitted to him.This representation, which is confined to the official communications that have passed between the two governments, is sufficient to shew that the Cabinet of St. James's cannot mistake the causes, nor the motives which have induced his Apostolic Majesty to break off the connection, which has hitherto existed between Austria and Great Britain.The Emperor, nevertheless, wishes to see the moment arrive, when the Court of London, sensible of its true interests, shall, with calmness and justice, judge of, and compare, the situation of England, with that of the other powers, and thereby enable his Majesty to renew with it his former friendly con nections,