Murat’s last decree
In the appendix, Helfert cites the decree that was found in Murat’s wallet and that sealed his fate (if there was still any doubt about it). The author follows a copy made by Austrian ambassador Jablonovski. the document is once more in Italian which I do not speak, so I’ve done my best with the help of online translations. The decree is of some interest because, as Helfert points out, there are notes in Murat’s own hand on it:
Royal Decree of Joachim Murat.
(Written in French in Ajaccio around September 25, later translated into Italian by Galvani. Murat seems to have had some textual changes in mind. This is indicated by the various additions or improvements made to the copy on which the Jablonovski copy is based, which undoubtedly originate from Murat's hand, and which are shown in italics in the following print, and the passages in the manuscript that have been crossed out are enclosed in brackets. In a final note appended to the Jablonovski copy, it says of these "aggiunzioni" [additions] that they were "nell' originale scritto col Lapis di un carattere poco intelligibile e che dalla sua ortografia sembra di essere stato fatto da un Francese". It should be noted that the "Decree " was found with Murat only in manuscript, not like the "Proclamation" in a printed copy, so it seems that only the latter, but not also this one, was printed in Ajaccio. Since, by the way, most of the handwritten additions and improvements are also found in Franceschetti a. a. D. p. 65-70, they must have been retranslated from the Italian and subsequently added to the French handwritten text).
- nell originale…: in the original written in pencil in a barely intelligible handwriting and which from its spelling seems to have been done by a Frenchman
Joachim Napoleon King of the Two Sicilies
We have decreed and declare the following
Article 1
The Constitution will be executed as from 1st January 1816. Provisions will be made for the prompt meeting in Naples of the Parliament and the House of Commons. The Members of Parliament and the House of Commons shall assemble at ... immediately upon receipt of news of our landing.
The order of convocation
Arrangements will be made for the prompt convening of Parliament in Naples.
R. d. Ma.
Article 2
All employees dismissed after 21 May of this year shall return immediately to the exercise of their duties.
Article 3
All persons employed by Ferdinand after the aforesaid time shall cease their functions from the day of the publication of the present decree or from the day of the new publication of our landing. Those who, after this publication or after the new one, will persist in maintaining their posts or in giving any disposition, will be considered as Rebels, Traitors of the Homeland, and as such will be punished with all the severity of the Laws.
Article 4
Any Minister of Ferdinand, any employee who, after the publication of this decree or the news of our landing, retains the power to execute the orders of his Sovereign, or who orders measures or dispositions to impede the execution of our orders, will be declared a Rebel, a Provocateur of the Civil War, a Traitor of the Fatherland and the King, banished from the Law and judged as such and every good Napolitano is ordered to commit their persons to public force.
Article 5
Any official who, having sworn an oath of allegiance to us, wishes to continue to exercise his functions in the name of Ferdinand shall be declared perjured and shall lose his employment forever.
Article 6
All Our Ministers and Councillors of State, upon the publication of this decree or upon the news of Our landing, shall return to the exercise of their functions.
Article 7
All Grand Officials of Our Crown, all Civil and Military Officials of Our Royal House shall immediately return to the exercise of their functions.
Article 8
The ancient organisation of the Army is maintained. However, numbers 11 and 12 in the Infantry Line are provisionally suppressed because they are composed of foreign soldiers. The officers of these two regiments will be employed in the other Corps to replace foreign officers who have had to leave the Kingdom.
Every soldier, whatever his rank, who has asked for his discharge or who has received it without having asked for it, shall be reinstated.
All promotions made and all rewards awarded by Us during the last campaign shall be retained.
We reserve the right to rule definitively on those that Ferdinand granted after 21 May.
Article 9
The Swiss Regiment is preserved in its present organisation.
Article 10
Soldiers who have received rewards on the Domain of the Marches of Ancona will receive the equivalent on the Domain of the State.
Article 11
Those of Our subjects who, in return for their services, have been endowed with titles or donations, and who have been dispossessed of them, shall return to the enjoyment of their property.
Article 12
The good and faithful Security Guard of Our good City of Naples is maintained; it will continue to do the same service it did at the time of 21 May. We declare the faithful officers of the Security Guard as Guards of the Corps.
Article 13
Our Royal Houses of Naples and Portici, the Royal Museum and all public establishments, as well as the persons and properties of Our good Napolitans, are under the special protection of the Security Guard.
Article 14
All Our properties are under the responsibility of the Grand Bailiffs, each for the part that concerns him.
Our First Squire, and all Our Squires in the absence of Our Grand Squire, shall guard the King's horses, crews and carriages.
The Security Guard shall support them in case of need, as well as Our Grand Marshals.
Article 15
All Public Treasuries will be closed at the time of the publication of this Decree or of the news of our landing.
All employees of the Royal Treasury, those of the Bank, of the Amortization Fund, of the General and Particular Receivers of the Lottery, of the Customs and reserved or consumer rights, and those of the Civil List shall be responsible for all funds that will arise from their respective coffers after the publication of this Decree or of our new landing.
Any operation of annuity or transfer of any kind shall be temporarily suspended.
Article 16
All our vessels, our frigates, in a word, any armed or unarmed ships, all our ar-
land all weapons
senals and the Marine Artillery are under the safeguard and responsibility of the Marine Corps.
(to the land arsenal)
and the land and sea artillery
Article 17
The Chiefs of the Provincial Legions are appointed Commanders of their respective Provinces, except for Naples,
e rittimentar [word does not make sense, according to Helfert’s footnote].
which will have its own government: they will immediately gather their Legions in the capital of the district closest to the Capital and they will have the high police until Our entry into Our good City of Naples. I am specially charged with the (Provisional) execution of Articles 2 3 4 and 5.
Article 18
All Our Field Marshals and Ordnance Officers who are in the Kingdom shall immediately report to Our Headquarters.
Article 19.
All Our Subjects, all those who are true Neapolitans and true friends of the King, are authorised to decorate themselves with the
being [???]
Medal of Honour. The colour Amaranth is declared the national colour (the Neapolitan ladies are invited to wear this colour) in person and in all the Kingdom.
Article 20
All Patriotic Societies in the Kingdom are under the special protection of Our Government.
Joachim Napoleon.
Given on October 1815.
What can I say? Count on Joachim Murat to make me laugh at least once even in the saddest of moments. That Article 19 and Murat’s additions to it just are hilarious.