curred the
ban, and by the states which had joined them, in order to support and
favour their frivolous pretensions. His imperial majesty expressed his
hope and confidence, that the other electors, princes, and states of the
empire, would vote the said resolution to be null and of no force; and
never suffer so small a number of states, who were adherents of, and
abettors to, the disturbers of the empire, to prejudice the rights and
prerogatives of the whole Germanic body; to abuse the name of the
associated states of the Augsburgh confession, in order forcibly to
impose a _factum_ entirely repugnant to the constitution of the empire;
to deprive their co-estates of the right of voting freely, and thereby
endeavouring totally to subvert the system of the Germanic body. These
remarks will speak for themselves to the reflection of the unprejudiced
reader.

FRENCH MINISTRY STOP PAYMENT.

The implacability of the court of Vienna was equalled by nothing but the
perseverance of the French ministry. Though their numerous army had
not gained one inch of ground in Westphalia, the campaign on that side
having ended exactly where it had begun; though the chief source of
their commerce in the West Indies had fallen into the hands of Great
Britain, and they had already laid their account with the loss of
Quebec; though their coffers hung with emptiness, and their confederates
were clamorous for subsidies,--they still resolved to maintain the war
in Germany. This was doubtless the most politic resolution to which
they could adhere; because their enemies, instead of exerting all
their efforts where there was almost a certainty of success, kindly
condescended to seek them where alone their whole strength could
be advantageously employed, without any great augmentation of their
ordinary expense. Some of the springs of their national wealth were
indeed exhausted, or diverted into other channels; but the subjects
declared for a continuation of the war, and the necessities of the state
were supplied by the loyalty and attachment of the people. They not only
acquiesced in the bankruptcy of public credit, when the court stopped
payment of the interest on twelve different branches of the national
debt, but they likewise sent in large quantities of plate to be melted
down, and coined into specie, for the maintenance of the war. All the
bills drawn on the government by the colonies were protested to an
immense amount, and a stop was put t