I also mentioned in my last letter, that I had proposed the reducing the substance of Monsieur de Calonne’s letter into the form of an Arret, with some alterations, which, on consultation with the merchants at the different ports I visited, I had found to be necessary.  I received soon after a letter from the Comptroller General, informing me, that the letter of Monsieur de Calonne was in a course of execution.  Of this, I enclose you a copy.  I was, in that moment, enclosing to him my general observations on that letter, a copy of which is also enclosed.  In these I stated all the alterations I wished to have made.  It became expedient soon after, to bring on the article of tobacco; first, to know whether the Farmers had executed the order of Bernis, and also to prepare some arrangements to succeed the expiration of this order.  So that I am now pursuing the whole subject of our commerce, 1. to have necessary amendments made in Monsieur de Calonne’s letter; 2. to put it into a more stable form; 3. to have full execution of the order of Bernis; 4. to provide arrangements for the article of tobacco, after that order shall be expired.  By the copy of my letter on the two last points, you will perceive that I again press the abolition of the Farm of this article.  The conferences on that subject give no hope of effecting that.  Some poor palliative is probably all we shall obtain.  The Marquis de la Fayette goes hand in hand with me in all these transactions, and is an invaluable auxiliary to me.  I hope it will not be imputed either to partiality or affectation, my naming this gentleman so often in my despatches.  Were I not to do it, it would be a suppression of truth, and the taking to myself the whole merit where he has the greatest share.

The Emperor, on his return to Vienna, disavowed the concessions of his Governors General to his subjects of Brabant.  He at the same time proposed their sending deputies to him, to consult on their affairs.  They refused in the first moment; but afterwards nominated deputies; without giving them any power, however, to concede any thing.  In the mean time, they are arming and training themselves.  Probably the Emperor will avail himself of the aid of these deputies, to tread back his steps.  He will be the more prompt to do this, that he may be in readiness to act freely, if he finds occasion, in the new scenes preparing in Holland.  What these will be, cannot be foreseen.  You well know, that the original party-divisions of that country were into Stadtholderians, Aristocrats, and Democrats.  There was a subdivision of the Aristocrats, into violent and moderate, which was important.  The violent Aristocrats would have wished to preserve all the powers of government in the hands of the Regents, and that these should remain self-elective:  but choosing to receive a modification of these powers from the Stadtholder, rather than from the people, they threw themselves into his scale.  The moderate Aristocrats would