good citizens, and particularly the defenders of the country, are, at feeing deferred at the very moment when its conclufion was thought to be near at hand, and after having bought it with fo much blood and fo much fuffering-a definitive peace, which the heads of the vanquifhed coalition at length folicited in good earnest, when its conclufion was expected, and which a go. vernment, friendly to humanity, were ftill more earnest to conclude: when, all on a fudden, buoyed up with new hopes, reckoning upon a general diffolution of the government by the failing of its finances, upon its deftruction, upon the death or banishment of its braveft generals, and upon the difperfion and lofs of its armies, thele very fame coalefced powers have thrown as much delay into the negotiations, as they had fhown anxiety to bring them to an er..

(No. 32.)-Copy of a Difpatch from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenwille, dated Lifle, August 22, 1797.

My Lord,

In my conference of this morning I took an opportunity of remarking to the French plenipotentiaries on the very unfair and extraordinary affertion which had appeared in the meffage of the 9th inftant, from the directory to the council of five hundred, viz."Que les puissances coalifées ont mis autant de lenteur dans les negotiations, qu'elles avoient montré de l'ardeur pour les terminer." 1 obferved to them, that I had orders from my court to ask a precife explanation, whether this accufation of delay was meant to apply to the manner in which bis majefty had conducted the nego

1797

tiation at Lifle, and if it was fo meant, to declare that no accufation was ever more deftitute of foundation, nor a wider deviation from the real fact. I faid I was perfectly ready to abide by their determination on this point, convinced that it was impoffible for them not to acknowledge that the delay (if there had been any blameable delay) refted with the French government, and not with his majefty. The French plenipotentia❤ ries admitted this to be moft ft&tly true; that the purafe I had quoted was an ill-judged one, and mal redigee; but that it could not in any point of view whatever be conftrued as applying to England; and they were ready to fay, that when it was written, the directory alluded folely to the court of Vienna; that they could affure me they had been very faithful in their reports, and that when they faid this it was faying in other words that I had carried on the ne

gotiation with as much expedition as poffible, and that if it had proceeded flowly for this last month, the flowness arose on their fide and not on mine.

I faid I could not for an inftant call in queftion their feelings on this point; it was the infinuation conveyed in the meffage, and which had gone over Europe, that it was neceffary for me to clear us, and to know whether the directory thought and felt as they did. One of the French minifters, with very ftrong expreffions, affured me the directory certainly did think and feel like them; that no unfair or infidious allufion was meant, and adde, "Que ce meffage étoit fait pour fimuler les confeils." I went on by obferving it was very effential for me to have this fully ex

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plained, and that I fhould give them in a note to this effect: they requested I would not, it would lead to difagreeable difcuffions, and would not anfwer the end I pro pofed. They would take upon

themselves now to affure me in the name of the directory, that nothing at all fimilar to the construction I put on the phrafe was intended, and that as foon as they could receive an answer to the report they fhould make of to-day's converfation, they would fay the fame from the directory itfelt.

I hope, my lord, I have therefore, by obtaining this very precife and formal ditavowal of an intention to fix any imputation of delay on his majesty's government, fulfilled the object of my inftructions on this particular point. If, when the French plenipotentiaries fpeak from the directory, the difavowal fhould not be equally fatisfactory and complete, I then will not fail, according to your lordship's order, to give in a note.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) MALMESBURY. Right Honourable Lord Grenville.

(No. 33.)-Extract of a Letter from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifle, August 22, 1797.

The four conferences I have held with the French plenipotentiaries, fince I wrote to your lordship on the 4th inftant, will not, I fear, furnish very interefting materials for a dispatch.

Our conference of this morning was principally employed in what I have related in my other difpatch; but the French plenipoten tiaries affured me, that by Thurf

day, or at the latest by Saturday, they expected to receive their longexpected meffenger.

(No. 34.)-Extract of a Dispatch from Lora Malmefoury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifle, Aug. 29,

1797.

I am extremely forry to be for ced to announce to your lordship, that fresh delays occur in the progrefs of the negotiation.

The French plenipotentiaries informed me at our conference yefter. day, that the last antwer from Holland was fo unfatisfactory, that the directory had ordered the minifter for foreign affairs to return it to the Dutch minifters at Paris; that the Dutch minifters could not take upon themselves to alter it in the way the directory propofed, but had been obliged to refer to their government for new orders; and that therefore, fuppofing no time to be loft in the deliberation on this fubject at the Hague, it would be at least a week from to-day before any farther account could be received here.

After lamenting this unexpected procrastination of our business, I exprefled a wifh to know what the Dutch anfwer had been, what objections the directory had made to it, and the alteration they were de firous it fhould undergo.

One of the French plenipoten tiaries faid, it has not been com municated to them, but that he understood it was complexe, louche, et peu fatisfaifante.-That the direc tory expected it should be clear and distinct, and fuch an one as would enable them to send such inftructions here, as would allow us to ge on with the negotiation in a way to recover the time we had lost. (No.

(No. 35.)-Extract of a Difpatch from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifle, Sept. 5, 1797.

My Lord,

I fhould have confidered what has paffed in our conferences fince I laft had the honour of writing to your lordship by Mr. Welley, as in itself too unimportant to autho. rize me to dispatch a mellenger, but that in general I think it my duty never to leave your lordship more than a week without hearing from me; and I was alfo glad of an opportunity to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship's difpatch, No. 23, which was delivered to me by the meffenger Shaw, on the 31ft Auguit, at 10 P. M.

Nothing but common converfation paffed in our conferences of the 30th Auguft, and of the 1ft September. In that of the 3d the French pienipotentiaries confirmed what they had taken upon themfelves to affure me on the 22d Auguft, in confequence of the reprefentation I had your lordship's orders to make on the expreffions employed by the directory in their meflage of the 9th Auguft to the councils, and which expreffions appeared to fix an imputation of delay on his majesty's government in the progrefs of the negotiation. They faid that they had reported to the directory what I oblerved on this fubject, and that they were now charged to repeat what I had already heard from them, and to declare that no intention fimilar to that I fuppofed ever exifted on the part of the directory.

In our conference of this morn. ing, although I had reason to expect that the antwer from the Hague was arrived at Paris, yet it

was not admitted by the French plenipotentiaries.

(No 36.)-Extract of a Dispatch from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenville, dated Life, 9th Sept.

1797.

I need not fay that the two conferences which have been held fince I difpatched the meffenger Brooks, were not likely, under the prefent circumstances of this country, to afford any thing extremely important or interefting.

In that of Thurfday the 7th, one of the French plenipotentiaries began, on my entering the room, by announcing a wish that the great event which had taken place at Paris, thould not interrupt for a long time our negotiation, or detoy the pleafing profpect we had of its foon terminating fuccefsfully; and from his manner I clearly faw he meant to convey the idea that it was his opinion it would not I endeavoured to difcover whether he spoke in confequence of any private intelligence he had received from Paris, or fimply from his own private judgment, and I found it was entirely from the lat

ter.

meffenger Shaw were received here this morning.

It would be premature, in the prefent moment, to enter into any reasoning on the effect which the extraordinary events at Paris may De expected to have on the important negotiation with which your lordship is charged. A very few days must now probably fhow, in the most unequivocal manner, what are the views which are entertained by the now predominant party at Paris, refpecting the question of peace or war with Great Britain: and it becomes his majesty's government to wait the event with the fame defire for accommodation on reasonable terms, and the fame firmneis, with respect to undue and infulting demands, which has actuated every part of the conduct held by your lordship.

(No. 38.) Copy of a Dispatch from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifle, Monday, September 11, 1797.

My Lord,

On my going to the conference this morning, the French plenipotentiaries informed me that the whole French legation was recalled, and that Meirs. Treilhard and Bonnier d'Alco were appointed in their room. They faid, their orders were to communicate this event to me immediately, and at the fame time to add, in the name of the French government, that this alteration in the choice of the negotiators, would not produce any whatever in the difpofition of the directory, to bring the negotiation to a happy iffue.

I affured them I was extremely forry to hear that they were recalled. That we had hitherto acted to

gether fo cordially, that it was to be lamented any circumftances had arifen which made the French government think it advisable to put the negotiation into other hands.

That 1 received with satisfaction what they told me as to the fentiments manifefted by the directory, relative to the negotiation, and that I could affure them, they were fuch as certainly existed in the breast of my royal mafter.

I then fuggefted to them, whether it would not be proper to give me an official note on this occafion, fince it made a very marked period in the negotiation; and as they perfectly agreed with me on the propriety of this, they fent me that I now enclose.

I confider this event as fo material, that I do not lose a moment in difpatching one of my fervants to England, as I have at prefent no meffenger with me.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) MALMESBURY. Right Hon. Lord Grenville.

(No. 39.)-Note from the French Plenipotentiaries to Lord Malmefbury.

The minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic have the honour to inform Lord Malmesbury that they have received by this day's poft, a decree of the executive directory, fignifying their recall, and the nomination of citizens Treilhard and Bonnier to fucceed them, and to continue the negotiations entered upon with England.

The minifter for foreign affairs, in fending to the undersigned minifters plenipotentiary this decree of the directory, of the 22d of this month, orders them to wait the arrival of their fucceffors. It also di

rects

The minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic have the honour to renew to Lord Malmesbury the affurances of their high confideration.

(Signed) LE TOURNEUR.

HUGUES B. MARET.

Lifle, 25th Fructidor, 5th Year of the Republic. (September 11, 1797.)

affurances of his high confideration.

(Signed) MALMESBURY. Lifle, September 12, 1797.

(No. 41.)-Extract of a Dispatch from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifle, 17th September, 1797.

My Lord,

The new French plenipotentiaries, Meffrs. Treilhard and Bonnier d'Alco, with their principal fecretary, M. Derché, and two private fecretaries, arrived here at five o'clock, A. M. on Wednesday the

legation.

The minifter plenipotentiary of his Britannic majefty has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the note which the minifters pleni potentiary of the French republic have addreffed him, communicating the decree of the executive directory, which fignifies their recall, and the nomination of the minifters destined to fucceed them, and to continue the negotiations already commenced. He receives at the fame time with fatisfaction, and will tranfmit without delay to his court, the affurance that this change of the negotiators does not bring with it any change in the difpofition of the directory as to the negotiation.

Lord Malmesbury, in thanking the minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic for this communication, begs them to be perfuaded of his perfonal regret on account of their departure, and to accept the

they fent M. Derché to acquaint me with their arrival, and to inquire at what hour I would receive their vifit. In confequence of my faying whenever it was convenient to them, they came immediately, attended by Meffrs. Le Tourneur, Maret, and Colchen.

On taking leave, M. Le Tourneur came forward and faid to me, in his name and that of his colleagues, that they could not terminate their miffion without expreffing the fatisfaction they had felt from the opennefs and candour (loyauté et franchife) with which I had acted during the whole of the negotiation, or take leave of me, without expreffing their fincere perfonal regrets; that the recollection of my conduct would always be agreeable to them, and that it had given me the strongest title to their efteem and good withes.

After giving the new plenipotentiaries as much time as was neceffary to return to their own houfe, I fent Mr.Rofs to afk at what hour I might return their vifit; and in confequence of their anfwer, I went to them, attended by lord Morpeth and Mr. Ellis.

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I took