the crown will serve for the expenses of the maintenance of the house of the minor king, the other half shall be appropriated to the expenses of the regency.

6. The king of Holland shall be for ever grand dignitary of the empire, under the title of constable; the functions of this grand dignitary may, nevertheless, be filled at the will of the emperor of the French, by a prince vice-constable, when he shall judge proper to create this dignity. 7. The members of the reigning house of Holland shall remain personally subject to the dispositions of the 30th of last March, forming the law of the imperial family of France.

8. The offices and employments of the state, exclusive of those appertaining to the house of the king, can only be conferred on natives.

9. The arms of the king shall be the ancient arms of Holland quartered, with the imperial eagle of France, and surmounted with the royal crown.

10. There shall be forthwith concluded between the contracting powers, a treaty of commerce, by virtue of which the subjects of Holland will be treated at all times in the ports, and on the territory of the French em. pire, as the nation especially favored. His majesty, the emperor and king, further engages to intercede with the powers of Barbary, that the Dutch flag may be respected by them, as well as that of his majesty the emperor of the French. The ratifications of the present treaty shall be exchanged at Paris in the space of ten days.

(Signed)

Paris, this 24th May, 1806.

CH. M. TALLEYRAND.

CH. HENRI VERHUEL.

J. J. A. GOGEL, JEAN VAN STYRUM,
W. SIX, et BRANTZEN.

The 20th of June, 1806, his majesty the king of Holland made a proposal to their high mightinesses, concerning the oaths to be pronounced by the king and by the public officers, as also of the publication of the laws: their high mightinesses approved the same day the law, which is to the following purport:

OF OATHS

ART. 1. Immediately after the proclamation, the king will receive the oath of their high mightinesses, of the ministers the counsellors of the 'state, of the high court of justice, of the great and other officers of the palace, of the national chamber of accounts, of the presidents, of the attorney general, of the courts of justice, of officers of the land and sea; to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and captain; lieutenant inclusively.

2. In the course of this year, the king, accompanied by his ministers, the great officers, and the officers of the palace, will take the oath to the Dutch nation, in the presence of their high mightinesses, the council of the state, of the high court of justice, of the national chamber of accounts, of the high military court, of the council of taxes and prizes by sea and land, of the presidents of the departmental administrations, and of the presidents of the tribunals. The secretary of state to commit to

writing the verbal process of taking the oath. The oath of the king is conceived in these terms:

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"I swear to maintain the constitutional laws of the kingdom, to de"fend the integrity of the territory of the kingdom, to respect the liberty of worships, to respect and to cause to be respected the equality of rights, as well as the civil, and political liberty: not to raise any taxes, "and to order no impositions but by virtue of the law: to have no other "end in my reign than the sole interests, the prosperity, and the glory of "the Dutch nation."

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3. The oath that is made to the king is conceived in these terms: "I swear obedience to the constitutional laws of the kingdom, and fidelity to the king."

OF THE PUBLICATION.

ART. 1. The king will seal and publish all the laws.

2. Two copies are to be made of each law, both to be signed by the king, countersigned by the secretary of state and one of the ministers, and sealed with the great seal.

3. One of the copies is to be deposited among the archives of the secretary of state, and the other among the archives of their high mighti

nesses.

4. The publication shall be conceived in these terms, &c.

The minister of the home department has the care of the publication. 5. Judgments shall be pronounced, and the execution of them follows immediately.

The court shall execute its judgments in the name of the king. All civil and military authorities, legally required for the purpose, are bound to render their assistance.

Royal Decree of the 25th of June, 1806, creating general directors for the different departments of the public administration.

Louis Napoleon, &c. considering, that the affairs of the colonies are administered by two councils, who have neither strength nor unity sufficient to act to the advantage of the interests of the kingdom; and that nevertheless this important branch of the administration of the affairs of the kingdom merits all our solicitude: considering, that the ministry of marine is of too high a nature, and that the objects which relate to it are too multiplied and too abstract to be united with that of the war depart、 ment: considering, that the minister for the home department is sufficiently occupied by the inspection of administration, and the inspection of the waters; by the cares of promoting the advancement of agriculture; of the public safety and instruction; and, indeed, of the arts and sciences, we have decreed as follows:

ART. 1. There shall be three general directors, who shall follow immediately in rank the ministers, and shall be employed directly with us, viz. The director general of the war department; the director general of the affairs of India and of commerce; the director-general of affairs rela

tive to public worship and justice, and at the same time charged with the care of all that regards the safety of the kingdom.

2. They shall enjoy the honours, rank, and treatment of ministers. 3. Our ministers are respectively charged, as far as they are concerned, with the execution of the present decree.

Royal Decree of the 1st of July, 1806, containing the Organization and the Attributes of the Council of State.

Louis Napoleon, &c. considering, that the council of state is charged with high and important functions; that all the laws, and almost all the acts of administration, ought to be prepared and discussed there: considering, that amongst these acts there are many of great importance for the interests and security of the different departments, and which require the local knowledge of each country, its situation and particular customs: considering, that there are laws and acts of government of such importance, that they require the united talents and zeal of all the citizens who have experience thereon, have decreed, and do decree as follows:

ART. 1. That the council of state shall be composed of thirteen members residing near us.

2. That it shall be formed in a general assembly, and divided into sections.

3. That the general assembly shall be convoked, and presided over by the king.

4. That the ministers shall have rank, a seat, and a deliberative voice in the council of state.

5. That there shall be five divisions of the council of state, each of which shall have its president.

6. These divisions shall be as follows: the division of legislation and of general affairs, comprehending the affairs of administration, and all that has not a reference to the other divisions; the division of marine; of finances; of commerce and the colonies; the division of war. The president and the members of the divisions or sections shall be appointed by us every three months. Each section shall have a superior clerk attached to it.

7. The title, rank, and honours of the counsellors of state shall be granted either to the public officers or to the members of the different authorities, or to the citizens most distinguished by their talents and probity. They shall not be annexed to the divisions of the council of state until they have been called by us to the council.

8. There shall always be a counsellor of state of each of the eight great departments for the legislation and general affairs, another for financial affairs, and another for the affairs relative to commerce and the colonies; and this in order that we may be well assured that the laws, or very important acts of government, shall not be prepared and discussed without having taken into consideration the situation and interests of each of the eight grand departments.

9. These counsellors of state shall have no other provision than for such duty as they shall be otherwise called upon to exercise. They shall

have no right to come to the council unless called thither by us. The counsellors extraordinary of state, who might be nominated members of the assembly of their high mightinesses, shall not be assembled at the council of state so long as they shall exercise that dignity.

10. On the first of January every year we will determine the list of the thirteen resident counsellors of state, and of the presidents, in order to call to a residence near us those who might be in the departments.

11. The resident counsellors who shall be preserved on the list will occupy in the departments the places to which they shall be or might have been called.

12. There shall be a secretary general of the council of state, having under him the offices necessary for the dispatch of business.

13. There shall be near our council of state, Auditors, of whom we shall determine the number and the distribution They shall be chosen from amongst those young men who are destined for the administration, who have finished their studies, and who have distinguished themselves therein. There shall be two classes, the first composed of young people who shall have shewn in the exercise of their functions more capacity, discretion, and attachment to their duty: they shall take the name of auditors of the king, and the others merely the name of auditors. They shall be employed to prepare business, according to the orders they shall receive from the presidents of the sections of the council of state: they shall have no communication with the ministers unless by a formal order from us. The auditors of the king shall assist at the general sittings of the state when they are called there by us. In that case they shall rank behind the counsellors of state, and shall have no voice in council, unless we, from a wish to assure ourselves whether they improve in the transaction of affairs, in qualifying themselves for the administration, shall ask their advice: the other auditors shall only be employed in the interior of the divisions.

14. As the institution of auditors is intended to initiate young men in business, and to facilitate the means of succeeding in it, they will receive no provision.

Royal Decree of the 9th July, 1806, relative to the Presentation of the projected Laws of their High Mightinesses.

ART. 1. When the plan of a law, (the council of state having been heard) shall have been adopted by us, the secretary of state shall summon, by a letter, the president of the legislative body, at least two days beforehand, to assemble the orators of the government at such a day and such an hour, at the assembly of their high mightinesses, to present to them one or several projects of law; if there are many, the number shall be indicated.

2. The secretary of state shall inform the same day the secretary gene. ral of the council of state that such project of law has been adopted by his majesty; he will transmit to him at the same time a decree, signifying 1st, the nomination of auditors; 2d, the day of presentation.

3. On the day appointed for the presentation at the latest, the general secretary of the council of state shall transmit to the person first named in the decree, and who is to be the speaker, 1st, a copy of the same decree by which their powers are constituted; 2d, two copies of the law.

6th. The orators of the government shall repair to the assembly of their high mightinesses, in the carriages of government, preceded by two tipstaff's and accompanied by two of the royal horse-guards. The guards before whom they pass will draw up, and present their arms: at the palace, where the sittings of the assembly of their high mightinesses are held, they are to be received in a private room by the committee of that assembly, then at the door of the chamber of sittings by the notary, who shall introduce them to the place of the sittings of the assembly, and accompany them to the place destined for them, and which is similiar to that of the members of the assembly. The orator of the government first named in the decree, shall ask the president for leave to speak, and read, first, the royal decree and the project of the law, and secondly the exposition of the motives. This address finished, the president shall return the act to the orators, and a copy signed, which they are to report, and the orators will retire with the same ceremony with which they arrived.

As the 7th article of the treaty signed at Paris the 24th of May, 1806, ordains that the members of the reigning house of Holland shall remam personally subject to the dispositions of the 30th of last March, forming the law of the imperial family of France, it cannot but be agreeable to find here the most important articles to which his majesty the King of Holland is subjected, and which are most adapted to him: they are as follows:

TITLE 1st. Of the Princes and Princesses of the Imperial House.

ART. 1. The emperor is the chief and common father of his family; under these titles he exercises paternal authority over those who compose it, during their minority; and preserves always, in respect to them, a power of inspection, of police, and of discipline, the principal objects of which will be determined hereafter.

3. The imperial house is composed, first, of the princes comprised in the hereditary order established by the act of the constitutions of the 28th May, 12th year, concerning their marriage, and their descendants in legitimate marriage: 2d. of the princesses our sisters, of their husbands, and of their descendants in legitimate marriage, to the fifth degree inclusively: 3dly. of our children by adoption, and of their legitimate descendants.

TITLE III. Of the Education of the Princes and Princesses of the Im

perial House.

26. The emperor regulates all that concerns the issue of the princes and princesses of this house: he nominates and revokes at will those who are commissioned with it, and determines the place where it is to be effected.

M