the
degree of liberty to be given to the press; 6. a bill of rights; and 7.
there is a passage which looks towards the responsibility of ministers.
Nothing is said of communicating to them a share in the legislation. The
ministry, perhaps, may be unwilling to part with this, but it will be
insisted on in the States. The letters of convocation will not appear
till towards the latter end of the month: neither time nor place are yet
declared, but Versailles is talked of, and we may well presume that some
time in April will be fixed on. In the mean time, Mr. Necker gets money
to keep the machine in motion. Their funds rose slowly, but steadily,
till within these few days, when there was a small check. However,
they stand very well, and will rise. The _caisse d'escompte_ lent the
government twenty-five millions, two days ago. The navy of this country
sustained a heavy loss lately, by the death of the Bailli de Suffrein.
He was appointed Generalissimo of the Atlantic, when war was hourly
expected with England, and is certainly the officer on whom the nation
would have reposed its principal hopes, in such a case.
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