- (Sjjr te. the piini of fair dellghtfel feue,
UikvrtfpM Party tUgtj to Hko Btctbcri."
Monday; .August i$, 1803.
Vol. IV.
PAPERS : ,f.j
Preentedykis Majefty's Cemm and
to both , of Parliament, the
ilth May 1803.
'Continued from pur laft.)
No. 43. From Whitworth .to
Hwke1bury, dated Paris March
Mr g'viT1? an account of .the con
version Mich has already excited
much public attention. Thje Con
ful remarked that th?y had already
waed war for fifteen years, nd the
Rrittfh would force Him to! a war
of fifteen years more : and addref
firig the Count del Marco w aind h.e
Chevalier Afcara, faid if the Engiifh
are the firft: to draw the fwprd, I
(hall be- the laft to put it up. They
do not refpect treaties and we
muft put up the badges of mourning.
After having gone his round, he re
turned to Whit worth and among
other remarks faid, " You may pof
fioly deftroy France, but cannot
intimidate her;" "We do not wifh
to do either,' laid Whitworth,
'we wifh to maintain a good intellir
ence with her." " You rouft
then,' (aid the Corfu!, " refpect
treaties. Evil'to thole who !do not
refpeel treaties, they will be refpon
fi ;le to all Europe." 1
No. 44. Immaterial;
No. 45.. Hawkefbury to Andre
ofh dared March 15, recapitulating
the arguments fo often urged jn de-
fence of retaining oofTeflion of Mal
ta; He ihTiits that the freajy was
concluded with reference I to the
then exifting ftaie of. pofTeffions,
and as thofe had materially changed,
the flipulations of tke treaty were
m .d-fi.:d thereby that the inten
t;. ns r f France nth refpeel; to the
Turk' Hi d ominions became evident,
ly of n alarming nature, and that
the refufal of the powers to guaran
tee the iflind except on condition
of the fupprttion of the Maltefe
laneue, placed it in a iitUation too
uncertain to render it Confluent
vith tha interefts or diityof the
Britifli Government to evacuate it
under thofe circumftanqes. v
No. 4G. Lord Vhitw(jrtf to
Lid Hawkefbury, giving'him an
accnint of his cunverlation with
Talleyrand complaining of tie Con
ful's treatment of hm at thej Thu'iL
leries. Talleyrand apologifed faid no
offence was tneant, and a Fated hirh
nothing fun ilar would' a gain occur.
N 1. 47. Is an e?it'a6i of a
letter from L,ord Whit worth . to
Lrd Hawkebury, dated Paris,
Mrch 18, iSr 3. The only'materia!
point in this difoatch is a remark ol
the Engiifh. AmbalTador to Tal
leyr2nd, vz. That by oxir poflef-
fion of Mlta, Ffance was riot threa
tened, but the leverfe was the cafe,
fhould the aCcels to Egypt be open
ed by its eva"iiatton.
No. 48. -Letter from Lord
Hiwkcfbury to Lord Whitwoith,
aaea ij wrung- !t,reett March 22,
1803. Ilis Lordlhip fays 3 " I have
it ',: command to fignify to you his
Mii?lv's pleafuie, that j vou take
the eatlicft oppor . unity to reprefeni
to Monheur de ;Tal!eyrand, the fdr-
pi z? with wh;ch nis iVtajeltv has
learnt the conduft whicH the Firft
r 1 1 rl 1
utui naa ooisrvea towaras your
Excellency in the inftanee to which
tint difpatch refers ; a net you will
adJ, that s h)$ Mjeftv has a right
to exr.ett that his AsnbaiTaidor hould
be treated with; the refpfccV and at
tention due to the Sovereign whom
he reprefents, it will be impofTible
f,jt' vou to preiient yourfelf on any
4ays or jeremorty to the Firft Con-
iul, unlels vou have an atiurance
that you will never be expoled to
a repetition of the tr"atrnnt which
you expeneocedon this occahqn
No. 49. The uriderfianerfy
General of dwifion, Atnhaffador and
Mini iter Plenipotentiary front the
French Republic, has laiclbefore his
Government the note addrefled to
h;n by his Excellency .ord Haw
kefbury, He has received orders to
make the following ahfwer to tHe
obfervatipns therein contained.
The object of this note appears to
toexptain rm Britannic Majefty's
vti'flTag ; and to gve fome elucida-
whicn had been demanded ref
uting the execution of the treaty
v Amiens, I ' -
The F rit Conful will not make
8ny complaint relative to the extra
;)rfdnary and ; u n ex pefted auctions
. - y nis ornannic
)tlW Not one of them is foun.
, 1
i v ...
t His Britannic Majefty believes
nls kingdom is menaced by prepara
tions made in the ports of Holjthd
and France. He has keen deceived
The Firft Conful has made no pre.
pa ration.. , - . .f '
There were at th$:iiO$ of itfce.
meffage but two Frigates in theroads
of Holland, and but three cbrtrettcs
in the road of Dunk irk . . ivV-1'
. . How can his Britannic Majefty's
Mihifters have been deceived on
facts fo evident His Britannic
Maj'flv's Arnbaffadors at Pans and
the Hague ha ve ferioufly to reproach
themfclvesi if they have credited
information fo evidently falfe, and
if th.ey did not fnrrfee that they
thereby cxpofed their government
to err in the moll important deliber
at ions , , , . ,
. Was it not conformable to the li
ft ge practifed among nations, firft to
demand explanations, and thus to
rakft means for beinsr convinced of
the" falfehood of the intelligence
which the Mini Hers might have re
ceived ! Muft not the lead effefls
of the omidion of th;s practice be.
to bring on the rum of families, and
fo carry confution, uncertainty,;ana
iliforder into alt"the co.mrriercjal af
fairs of both nations ? The i'lrit
Conful knows, both from his own
O.ntimentSL and tudginff or other
people by the French, that a great
; 7 J o
nation can never be terrified. rl
believes that good pclicy and the
feelings of true dignity ever infpire
1. i,n,-.n)i r.f fit .fm tnr a nvi
nation, and nevef the defign of me
1 a . T . . . L
nacinq her. l sreai nation may o
deftroved, but not intimidated.
The fecond part of his Majeity's
mrliige conhlts of another atiertion
no better founded. HtS hsritannic
Majefty makt-s mention of difcufli-
ons, the lucceis or wmcn is (ioudi-
. 1 r 1 1 1 1 . j i
ful. What are thefe difcuflions ?
What official' hotes, what protocols
prove the opening, the progrefs, the
vicilirudes of t nele debates r Can a
Mate of difficulties, which leads to
an alternative of Peace or War,
foring up unawares without com
mencement,' without progreflion,
and lead without diftin&ion, to an
appeal to arms before all the means
or conciliation have been ex faul
ted ?
In this cafe, :the appeal has been
publicly mide before it could be
known that there was room for
mifunderftanding. The termina
tion of ihe difculfian was ann'iun,
ced before thev had begun. The
ffue of a difficult difcufll on has been
declared before it arolc. What
would Europe, what would both
lationS think, if they knew that
thels difcuflions announced by his
Britanic Majefty as fo difficult to
terminate, were unknown to the
French Government ; and that the
FirftConful on reading the meffage,
coqtd not comprehend the meaning
of either of the declarations therein
contained.
He has alfo abftained from any
oftcnfible ftep ; and whatever may
have been J he clamour, the aci?vity,
the provocations of war, which have '
taken place m England lince that
meffage, he has given no order, he
has mde no difpofitions, no prepa
rations. He places his glory in an
affair of this nature, wholly in being
faken in an unprovided ftate. He
will continue in this fyftem of ho
heft franknefs, until his Britannic
Majefty has reftettcd fully on the
part he propofes to take.
In Lord Hawkefbury's note, an
opinion is ex'preffed that the French
Republic has increased in power
fince the peace of Amiens. This is
a decided errer. Since that epoch,
France has evacuated a confiderable
territory. The French power has
received no degree of augmentation.
if his Britannic Majefty is determi
ned to, make war, he may alledge all
the pretexts he pleafes. He Will
find few lcls founded.
The General then notices the a-
bufes of the public prints, and con
eludes thus
Lord Hawkefbury mentions an
article m a French new fpaper, con
taining a report of a French colony.
In ferious d ileum ns an anlweron
this point might be difpenfed with;
but it is neither a long nor a diihcuh
matter. A Colonel m the Engiifh
army has publifhed a work in Eng
land, filled with the rnoft attrocious
JandJdiiguiling calumnies again ft he
French army and its' Gcncr: l rf&c'
lies it contain? have been contradic
ted by the reception which Coloret
Sebaftisma experiencedi The pub
licity of his report was at once a
refutation and a reparation which
th:Fth army had a right to- e
ret. On his arrival in Egypt, this
officer, to his preat aftonifhment,
foundUthe EnfflitH -tfrjav there, ab
f Sough they (houlove evacuated
5 1 , an d t he Turks p rod ig iou Uy a 1 a r m
erl at the continuance of the Eng
Wfh army, and at; its relation with
he natives in rebellion and open
revolt againft he Sublime Porte.
He muft have conceived that the
treaties which connec: us with the
Porte, anct by which we have'Vgua
ranteed to it the integrity of its pofj
fefTions, compelled us to unite with
that power. It Was natural to think
that England meant to declare War
from the inftant fhe refufed to ex
ecute the articles of the treaty.
For after all, trance is' not re
duced to fuch a ftate of debafe
ment a to fufFcr treaties made
with her to be execii ed or not at
oleafure. Hence, the refearches
made by this officer, as to the forces
which were in Egypt and as to the
pout ion occupied by. the Engiifh ar
my. $ut Egypt has fince been res
tored to the dominion of its lawful
Sovereign, and the idea of a rupture
between thetwo nations, on account
of the engagement contracted with
the Porte, no longer exifis
There remains, therefore, but one
object worthy pf fixing the attention
of the two nations. The execution
of the treaty of Amiens, as far as
concerns Malta. His Majefty has
engaged to reftorei t to the order, and
to entruft it to t.he Neapolitan ar
my till the order thall be in a con
dition to guard it. s. His Majefty
wdl reject all fophiftry, every dif
tinftion, every mental, refervation
which might be ofTere! to him, to
out in doubt the force and the ya-
uaity his engagement. Mis JtJri
tannic Majcfty's equity, his cn
fcience in this refpeel, are .guaran
tees for the French Republic. WTere
frTotherWife, what means in future
would the two nations have for
coming to an underftanding ?
Would not all be chao ? This
would indeed beadding another ca.
bmity to thofe which have menaced
focial order.
The undcrfig.ned is directed to
declare, in fhort, that the Firft Con
ful will not take up the defiance of
war given by England to France ;
that as to Malta, he fees no fubject
for difcufiion, the treaty having pro
v.ded for everything and fetled eve.
iy thing.
The uhderfigned has the honour
to be' &c.
(Signed) F. ANDREOSSI.
Portland place ', 8 Germinal year 11
March 39, 1803.
No. L,
DoVfftittzStreet, April 4 180?'.
My Lord,
It has become client ial, that the
difcuflions which have been for
lome time fubfifting between" His
Majeity and the rrench govern
ment, ihould be brought to an il
fue within as fhort a time as is con
fiftent with the deliberation which
muff be given to objects of fo much
importance.
- The la ft note prefented by Gen.
Andreofly, in the name of his go
vernment, in anfwer to my note of
the 15th of laft month, evades all
explanation, and even all difcuflion,
of the points of Which complaint
has been made by his Majelty, .
If the French government Ihould
ferioufly intend to perfift in this
courfe of proceeding, there can be
no hopes of a fuceelsf ul termination
to the prefent negociation. It is im
portant, therefore, that you fhould af
certain diftmctly, in . the firft in
ftartCe, whether they are difpofed to
enter into explanation on the points
on which His Majefty has com
plained, and to come to fucb an ar
rangement as may be calculated lo
adjuft the differences at prelenC fub-
tilting between the two countries.;
and for this purpofc you will pre-
lent a no'e to the etrect of that
which is herewith prelented. It is
pofflble that the French government
may continue to evade all difcuflion
on the points in queftion, and con'
hne thcmlclves to a categorical de.
mana, tnat Malta inouid be im
mediately evacuated. - In that
cafe, it is his Maj efty's pleafure,
S '11 1 1 11 ii ii.iim 111 Hi nf-ii U 11 ii-iwiiht' irTimi-
pofiibility of the relations of amity
Contihuing to fubdft between, the
two countries, and the neceffity
that you. will be under of leaving
Parii in a certain tinie. But a'f-on
the other handi 4 thev jfHould
(hew a readinefs to enter into dif.
cuffion, and tOL givjj reafonable fa
tisf action and explanation, it is iail
portan that you fnould be infor
mcd, without lo (s of timeilbFv the
fehtiments of his Majefty' goyefn
ment, as to what might be con fide
red as an equitable adjuft ment of the
j differences between the governments
I at this moment
I have therefore, by His Majefty's
j command, ihclofed the project of an
arrangement, which, under thepre
lent circujnftances, would meet the
ideas of His Majefty's government;
which would afford vfecurity for
thofe objects which are confidered
as endangeied by the unecjui vocal
difclofure of the views of the Firft
Conful, and which, at the fame time
might entirely fave the honour of
the French government.
I am.' Sec. .
HAWKESBURY.
Hit Excellrncj Lord Wbitivortb. (&c.
(Firft inclofure referred to in No. L.)
The underfigned, His Britannic
Majefty's ambaftador extraordinary
has received the orders of his court
to make the following cofnmunica
tion to the French government.
His Majefty has perceived, with
great regret, that the French govern.,
ment continue to withhold all fitis-
faction and explanation on the points j
on which he has complained, and)
that at the time when they evade all j
difcuftion on the fubjet of his re. ;
presentations they perfift in their re
quifition that the iflind of Malta
fhould be forthwith evacuated by
his forces. His Majefty can never
fo far forget What is due to himfelf
and to his people, as to acquiefce in
fuch a courfe of proceeding. He
has therefore commanded the under.
figned to afceirtain diftinctly froni
the French government, whether
they are determined 16 pcrfevefe in
withholding all fatisfaction and ex..
planation upon the pointson which
His Majefty has complained, or
whether they are difpofed, without
delay, to give fuch fatisfaction and
explanation upon the prefent ftate
of affairs, as may lead to anarrange
mentwhich may be calculated to ad
juft the differences at prefent fub
Gfting between the two govern
mentsw .
It is His Majefty's anxious defire,
that by adopting this mode of pro
ceeding, an end may be put to that
itate of lulpenle and uncertainty
which muft be fo injurious to the
interefts of both countries.
(Signed) 3VH1TWORTH.
Secoad I nclofur referred to in No. L.)
Heads of an arrangement to be con
cluded by treaty or convention be
tween His Majejly and the French
government .
Malta to remain in perpetuity in
the DofTeffion of His Majefty. The
knights of ths Order of St. John to
be indemnified by His Majefty for
any ioffes of property which they
may fuftain in conlequenc e of fuch
an arrangemeit. ;
Holland and Switzerland to be c
vacuated by the French troops.
The I (land of Elba to be confirmed
by His Majefty to France, and the
King of Etriiria to be acknow
ledged. ' The Italian and Ligurian Repub
lics to be acknowledged by His Ma
jefty, provided an arrangement , is
made jn Italy for the King of Sar
dinia Which fhall be latisfactory to
him.
No. 51. Lord Whitworth's ac
knowledgement of the receipt of
a difpatch from Lord Hawkftfbury.
52. Ld. WhttworthtbLdHawftef-
bury giving an account of his con
veriation with Talleyrand with ref
lect to Sebaftiani's official report ;
in which the French minifter faid
two much ftrefs had been laid upon
this publication.
53. From the fame to-fame, with
particulars of another con verfation
with Talleyrand, in which he re
quires that the precife object fhould
be Hated, in which it was alledged
explanations had been ; refulcd.
Lord Whitworth anfweff tKafe they
had better conhne the lubject to
e-xercifecl .a right of extending it '" x
influence and territory in" violation,'
of the f pint, bf the treaty of Amiens
Great, Britain had a right to feek a '
counter poife .Talleyrand diij'nptj,
feern to difpute . this,, but on: tho'-i'
point of fatisfactionj he faid the Firrl?fi
Confyl ivas hurt at theexpreffioni; . :
'which he conceived to be a"n'arrb-vr
gatiqn of Superiority in, the? BritifH
Concluded By Talleyrand'affMran? 7
ces that the Conful wifhed fofPeacc :
and propofed a paiticular- eovett
tiori forthe fettlement of grievances.
J $4. From the . fame tb the fame
mentioning the Negociation as at a
ftand. . ,.. .'
55. A note from Ld Hawkefbury'
to Lord Whitworth, complaining
of trie conduct of the French Minif 1
ter at Hamburgh in authonfing the
publication again it Great Britain
C No, LVI.
pcivHingSt'reet, April jj, 180J. , .
, My Lord, ' " ; .jy; .
" Your Excellency's difpatches
have been received, and laid before
the Kng.
" His Majefty has obferVedr wjth f
great fatisfaction, the admiffion by
the French governmeht of the Juf
tice of his claim to fome i coni pen fa
tion in confequepce of the increafed .
power and influence of France,
fince the period of the conclufiorx
of the Definitive Treaty. r.
" Although under the circum
ftances of your converfation with
M. Talleyrand, and particularly' af;
ter the Note Verbale whicfl he gave .
to you, it might have been" expe- f
dicnt that you ihould have deferred
piefenting the projeft contained irt ;
my difpatch No. 7, in the form of a
project it is defirable that you
fhould communicate without delay
in fame mode or other, the contents
of that projeft, for te purpofe of ,
alcertaming diftmctly whether the ;.
conditions are fuch as to induce thO
French government to giveT way
upon the queftion of Malta. Thefe
conditions appear to his Majefty fo
well calculated to fave the honour
of the French government on the !
fubject of , Malta, if the queftion
of Malta is principally confidered
by them as a queftion of honour,
and af the fame time hold out to them
fuch important advantages, that this
Huccefs of the propofition is at lea ft
yorth trying, particularly as: the
refult.of it might be productive of
the rnoft eafy mcms of - adjuft..
ing the rnoft material of our prefent
differences. ;
' With refpect to the afTeriori
fo ofterTadvanced and repeated by
M .Talleyraad in your laft con ver
lations of the non-execution of the
Treaty of Amiens relative to Malta,
1 have only toqbferre agaih that iho ,
execution of that article is become
impracticable, for caufes which
have not been in the power of his
M jefty to controul. That the great
eft part of the funds afligned to the
iupport ot the Order, & indifpenfa
bly ncceffary for the- independence
of he Order and defence of the if
land, have been fequeftrated fince
the conclufion , 6fv ;he Defiaitjye
Treaty i in direct repugnancefto trie
fpirit and letter of that treaty ; and
that two of the principle powers
who were invited to accede as guai
raotees to the arrangement have
refufed their acceffion, except on
the conditions that the part of the
arrangement which was deemed io.
material relative to the Maltefe inha
bitants, fhould be entirely can delrf,
led. The conduct of the Frcncrt I,
government fince the conclufion of
the Definitive Treaty, gives His Ma
jefty a right, which ?s nqvfi at"
length admitted by themfelves, to
demand fome com pen fat ion for the
paft, and fecurity lor the future.
Such com pen fa tion could never be
confidered ?s obtained by the poffef
iion of an liland, which would en
tail a very heavy expence ori tKls
country ; and the degree of f-cunty
which would be roviued by thefe
means would only De f , foch
as his Majefty, under thet Wene
circumltiuces, is Entitled to de
mand. ; :,- -!'-,' '
" I obferye in the Note virbale
of Monfieur Taliey rand, he makes
ufeof the cxpreffipn,.
dtrut oftht Ordcrof Malta,' j. If this;
is tecant to apply to the.Order cx
clufiveTy his Majefty would be wil
lingfor the prelervation of ,Feace