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gagements of his crown are effenually implicated therein.

The magnanimity of the king, his inviolable good faith and his defire to reftore repofe to fo many Nations, induce him to confider this fituation of affairs as affording the means of procuring for all the belligerent powers jutt and equitable terms of peace, and fuch as are calculated to enfure for the time to come the general tranquillity.

It is on this footing, then, that he purpofes to negotiate, by offering to make compenfation to France, by proportionable reftitutions, for thofe arrangements to which fhe will be called upon to confent, in order to fatisfy the juft demands of the kings allies, and to preferve the political balance of Europe.

Having made this firft overture, his majetty will, in the fequel, explain himself more particularly on the application of this principle to the different objects which may be difcuffed between the refpective parties.

It is this application which will conftitute the fubjc&t of thofe difcuffions, into which his majefty has authorized his minifter to enter, as foon as the principle to be adopted as the general bafis of the negotiation is known.

But his majefty cannot omit to declare, that if this generous and equitable offer fhould not be accepted, or if, unfortunately, the difcuffions which may enfue, fhould fail to produce the defired effect, neither this general propofition, nor thofe more detailed which may refult from it, can be regard

ed, in any cafe, as points agreed upon or admitted by his majetty. (Signed) MALMESBURY. Minifter plenipotentiary from his Britannic majefty.

Paris, Od. 24, 1796.

No. 15.

Extract from the register of the deliberations of the executive directory.

Paris, 5 Brumaire, 5th year of the republic, one and indiwifible.

THE executive directory orders the minifter for foreign affairs to make the following aniwer to lord Malmesbury:

The executive directory fees with pain, that at the moment when it had reafon to hope for the speedy return of peace between the French republic and his Britannic majefty, the propofal of lord Malmeibury offers nothing but dilatory or very diftant means of bringing the negotiation to a conclufion.

The directory obferve, that if lord Malmesbury would have agreed to treat teparately, as he was formally authorized by the tenor of his credentials, the negotiations might have been confiderably abridged; that the neceflity of balancing with the interefts of the two powers thofe of the allies of Great Britain, multiplies the combinations, increases the difficulties, tends to the formation of a congrefs, the forms of which it is known are always tardy, and requires the acceffion of powers which hitherto have difplayed no detire of accommodation, and have not given to lord Malmetbury himfelf, according to his own declara

tion, any power to ftipulate for them. Thus, without prejudging the intentions of lord Malmesbury; without drawing any conclufion from the circumftance of his declaration not appearing to accord with his credentials; without fuppofing that he has received any fecret inftructions which would deftroy the effect of his oftenfible powers; without pretending, in fhort, to affert, that the British government have had a double object in view-to prevent, by general propofitions, the partial propofitions of other powers, and to obtain from the people of England the means of continuing the war, by throwing upon the republic the odium of delay occafioned by them. felves; the executive directory cannot but perceive, that the propofition of lord Malmesbury is nothing more than a renewal, under more amicable forms, of the propofitions made laft year by Mr. Wickham, and that it prefents but a diftant hope of peace.

The executive directory farther obferve, with regard to the principle of retroceffions advanced by lord Malmesbury, that fuch a principle, prefented in a vague and ifolated manner, cannot ferve as the bafis of negotiation; that the first points of confideration are, the common neceffity of a juft and folid peace, the political equilibrium which abfolute retroceffions might deftroy, and then the means which the belligerent powers may poffefs the one to retain conquefts made at a time when it was fupported by a great number of allies, now detached from the coalition; and the other, to recover them at a time when thofe who were at first its enemies, have almost all, become

either its allies, or at leaft neuter.

Nevertheless, the executive directory, animated with an ardent defire of putting aftop to the fcourge of war, and to prove that they will not reject any means of reconciliation, declare, that as foon as lord Malmesbury fhall exhibit to the minifter for foreign affairs fufficient powers, from the allies of Great Britain, for ftipulating for their refpective interefts, accompanied by a promife on their part to fubfcribe to whatever thall be concluded in their names, the executive directory will haften to give an anfwer to the fpecific propofitions which shall be fubmitted to them, and that the difficulties thall be removed, as far as may be confiftent with the fafety and dignity of the French republic.

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dignity to permit an answer to be In the courfe of fuch a negotia

made to them on his part in any manner whatsoever.

The progrefs and the refult of the negotiation will fufficiently prove the principles by which it will have been directed on each fide; and it is neither by revolting reproaches wholly deftitute of foundation, nor by reciprocal invective, that a fincere with to accomplish the great work of pacifi

cation can be evinced.

The undersigned paffes, therefore, to the first object of difcuffion brought forward in the answer of the executive directory; that of a feparate negotiation, to which it has been fuppofed, without the fmalleft foundation, that the underfigned was authorized to accede.

His full powers, made out in the ufual form, give him all neceffary authority to negotiate and to conclude the peace; but thefe powers prescribe to him neither the form, the nature, nor the conditions of the future treaty.

Upon thefe points, he is bound to conform himself, according to the long established and received cuftom of Europe, to the inftructions which he thall receive from his court; and accordingly he did not fail to acquaint the minifter for foreign affairs, at their firft conference, that the king his mafter had exprefsly enjoyned him to lif ten to no propofal tending to feparate the interefts of his majefty from thofe of his allies.

There can be no queftion then but of a negotiation which fhall combine the interefts and pretenfions of all the powers who make a common caufe with the king in the prefent war.

tion, the intervention, or, at least, the participation of thefe powers will doubtlefs become abfolutely neceflary; and his majefty hopes to find at all times the fame difpofitions to treat, upon a juft and equitable bafis, of which his majetty, the emperor and king, gave to the French government to striking a proof at the very moment of the opening of the prefent campaign.

But it appears, that the waiting for a formal and definitive authori ty on the part of the allies of the king, before Great Britain and France begin to difcufs, even provifionally, the principles of the negotiation, would be to create a very ufelefs delay.

A conduct wholly different has been obferved by those two powers on almost all fimilar occafions; and his majefty thinks, that the beft proof which they can give, at the prefent moment, to all Europe, of their mutual defire to put a stop, as foon as poffible, to the calamities of war, would be to fettle, without delay, the bafis of a combined negotiation, inviting, at the fame time, their allies to concur in it, in the manner the most proper for accelerating the general pacification.

It is with this view that the underfigned was charged to propose at first, and at the very commencement of the negotiation, a principle, which the generofity and good faith of his majefty could alone dictate to him-that of making compenfation to France, by proportionable reftitutions, for the arrangements to which the will be required to confent, in order to fatisfy the just pretenfions of the king's allies,

and

and to preserve the political balance of Europe.

The executive directory has not explained itfelf in a precife manner, either as to the acceptance of this principle, or as to the changes or modifications which it may defire to be made in it; nor has it, in short, propofed any other principle whatever to answer the fame end.

The underfigned, then, has orders to recur to this point, and to demand, on that head, a frank and precife explanation, in order to abridge the delays which must neceffarily refult from the difficulty of form which has been started by the executive directory.

He is authorized to add to this demand the exprefs declaration, that his majefty in communicating to his auguft allies every fucceffive tep which he may take, relative to the object of the prefent negotiation, and in fulfilling, towards these fovereigns, in the moft efficacious manner, all the duties of a good and faithful ally, will omit nothing on his part, as well to difpofe them to concur in this nego tiation, by the means the moft proper to facilitate its progrefs, and infure its fuccefs, as to induce them always to perfift in fentiments conformable to the withes which he entertains for the return of a gene ral peace, upon juft, honourable, and permanent conditions. (Signed)

MALMESBURY.

Paris, November 12, 1796.

No. 17. THE underfigned is charged, by the executive directory, to invite you to point out, without the fmalleft delay, and exprefsly, the objects of reciprocal compenfation which you propofe.

He is, moreover, charged to de

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THE underfigned does not hefitate a moment to answer the two queftions which you have been inftructed by the executive directory to put to him.

The memorial prefented this morning by the undersigned proposes, in exprefs terms, on the part of his majefty the king of Great Britain, to compenfate France, by proportionable reftitutions, for the arrangements to which the will be called upon to confent, in order to fatisfy the just pretenfions of the king's allies, and to preserve the political balance of Europe.

Before the formal acceptation of this principle, or the proposal, on the part of the executive directory, of fome other principles which might equally ferve as the bafis of a negotiation for a general peace, the undersigned cannot be authorized to defignate the objects of reciprocal compenfation.

As to the proof of the pacific difpofition given to the French government by his majefty, the emperor and king at the opening of the campaign, the underfigned contents himself with a reference to the following words contained in the note of baron Degelman, on the 4th of June last.

The

The operations of the war will in no wife prevent his Imperial majefty from being ever ready to concur, agreeably to any form of negotiation which fhall be adopted, in concert with the belligerent powers, in the difcuffion of proper means for putting a ftop to the farther effufion of human blood.

This note was prefented after the armistice was broken.

MALMESBURY.

Paris, November 12, 1796.

No. 19. THE minifter plenipotentiary of his Britannic majefty requefts the minifter for foreign affairs to inform him, whether he is to confider the official note, which he received from him yesterday evening, as the anfwer to that which lord Malmefbury delivered yesterday morning to the minitter for foreign affairs by order of his court. He applies for this information, that the departure of his courier may not be unneceffarily dalayed.

MALMESBURY. Paris, November 13, 1796.

No. 20. THE undersigned, minifter for foreign affairs, declares to lord Malmesbury, minifter plenipotentiary from his Britannic majefty, that he is to confider the official note fent to him yesterday as the anfwer to that which lord Malmefbury had addreffed to him on the morning of the fame day.

CHARLES DELACROIX.

23 Brumaire, 5th year. November 13, 1796.

No. 21.

LORD Malmetbury has juft received the anfwer of the minifter for foreign affairs, in which he declares that the official note which he fent to him yesterday is to be

confidered as the answer to that which lord Malmesbury addreffed to him on the morning of the fame day.

Lord Malmesbury will transmit it, this day, to his court.

MALMESBURY.
Paris, November 13, 1796.
No. 22.

THE undersigned, in reply to your fecond note of yesterday, is ordered, by the executive directory, to declare to you, that he has nothing to add to the answer which has been addressed to you. He is alfo inftructed to afk you, whether, on each official communication which fhall take place between you and him, it will be neceffary for you to fend a courier to receive fpecial inftructions?

CHARLES DELACROIX.
Paris, 23 Brumaire, (Nov. 13,)
5th year.
No. 23.

He

THE underfigned will not fail to tranfmit to his court the note which he has just received from the minifter of foreign affairs. declares likewife, that he fhall difpatch couriers to his court as often as the official communications made to him may require special inftructions. (Signed)

MALMESBURY.

Paris, Nov. 13, 1796.
No. 24.

Note. The court of London, having been informed of what has paffed in confequence of the last memorial, delivered, by its order, to the minifter for foreign affairs, does not think it neceifary to add any thing to the answer made by the underfigned to the two questions which the directory thought proper to addrefs to him.

That court waits therefore, and

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