sion is totally false, and, is not authorized even more by the contents of the answer of the Danish Court, than the other unmerited reproach. made to it, "of having renewed an alliance of a hostile tendency against England, and of being actively employed in armaments with that view." Never were measures more evidently defensive, than the measures of the Court of Copenhagen, and their spirit will be misconceived still less, when it is considered what menacing demonstration that Court had experienced from the British Government, on occasion of the affair with the Freya frigate, before the above measures were resorted to. England's arbitrary conduct on this occasion is naturally explained by the pretensions which it had made for some time past, and which it has repeatedly renewed in the notes of Lord Carysfort, at the expense of every commercial and naval Power. The British Government has, in the present more than in any former war, usurped the sovereignty of the seas; and by arbitrarily framing a naval code, which it would be difficult to unite with the true principles of the law of nations, it exercises, over the other friendly and neutral Powers, an usurped jurisdiction, the legality of which it maintains, and which it considers as an imprescriptible right, sanctioned by all the tribunals of Europe. The sovereigns have never conceded to England the privilege of calling their subjects before its tribunals, and of subjecting them to its laws, in cases where the abuse of power has got the better of equity, and which, alas! are but too frequent. The neutral Powers have always had the precaution of addressing to it the most energetic reclamations and protests, but experience has ever proved their remonstrances fruitless; and it is not surprising, that, after so many repeated acts of oppression, they have resolved to find a remedy against it, and for that purpose to establish a well-arranged convention, which fixes their rights, and which places them on a proper level even with the powers

at war.

The naval alliance, in the manner as it has just been consolidated, was intended to lead to this salutary end, and the King hesitates not to declare to His Britannic Majesty, that he has again found in it his own principles, that he is fully convinced of its necessity and utility, and that he has formally acceded to the convention, which has been. concluded on the 16th of December, last year, between the Courts of Russia, Denmark, and Sweden. His Majesty is, therefore, among the number of the contracting parties, and has bound himself, in that quality, not only to take a direct share in all the events which interest

the cause of the neutral Powers, but also, in virtue of his engagements, to maintain that connection by such powerful measures as the impulse of circumstances may require. The note of Lord Carysfort mentions. a subject, to which His Majesty believes himself neither obliged to answer, nor even to have a right of entertaining an opinion with respect to it. There exist discussions between the Courts of Petersburg and London, which have by no means anything to do with the business which the latter has interwoven with it. But in the same measure in which the conduct of Prussia has hitherto been directed by the most blameless impartiality, the King's conduct will henceforth be directed by his regard for engagements, which in themselves are a proof of it. To stipulations which contain nothing hostile, and which the safety of his subjects required, he owes all the means which Providence has laid in his power. Unpleasant as the extremes may be to which England has proceeded, yet His Majesty doubts not the possibility of a speedy return to conciliating and peaceable dispositions, and he relies on the sentiments of equity which, on former occasions, he has had the advantage of meeting with in His Britannic Majesty.

It is only by revoking, and by entirely taking off the embargo, that affairs can be brought to their former situation; and it is for England to judge whether it ought to come to that resolution, in order to offer means to the neutral Powers for proceeding to those communications. which they intended to make.

But while those measures exist, which have been resorted to from. hatred against a common principle, and against an alliance which can no longer be shaken, the hostile resolution, which must be the consequence, will be the necessary result of the treaty; and the undersigned is ordered to declare to the Minister of His Britannic Majesty, that the King, while he expresses his concern at events of which he has not been the cause, will secretly fulfil the engagements prescribed to him by treaties. The undersigned, thus executing his orders, has the honor of assuring Lord Carysfort of his high esteem.

12th February, 1801.

(Signed) HAUGWITZ

Russian Proclamation interdicting the Transportation of Merchandise through Prussia, February 12, 18011

His Excellency the Civil Governor and Counselor of State, Chevalier von Richter, has received the following communication from the Commercial College of the empire: "That His Imperial Majesty, being convinced by experience, that the productions and merchandise of his empire were exported by Prussia into England, His said Majesty has thought proper to order, that the transportation of these productions and merchandises through Prussia, whether by land or sea, shall be severely prohibited; and that, in order to accomplish this sovereign. order, the most severe inspection shall take place, in conformity with the ukase of the 15th of December, 1800. The Commercial College has, in consequence, required all civil governors, first, to communicate. through the medium of the magistrates, this order to the body of the merchants; secondly, to order the magistrates to instruct their brokers to insert, as a stipulation in their contract, whether made with foreign or Russian merchants, that the articles bought or sold shall not, under any pretence, be sent into Prussia by any channel. The two parties shall bind themselves to this. The magistrates are also bound to suffer none of the merchandises to pass thither on any pretence; and if any one shall refuse to obey this order, they are to seize the articles, and to send advice thereof forthwith."

In consequence, this order, after being transmitted by his Excellency the Civil Governor in Council, in order to its being correctly executed, is, by these presents, communicated to the knowledge of all the merchants in this city.

Dated RIGA, February 12, 1801.

Note of Count Wedel-Jarlsberg to the British Minister regarding the Embargo on Danish Vessels2

LONDON, February 23, 1801. The undersigned, having informed the King his master of the official, communication of Lord Grenville, dated the 15th January, last, has

received orders to declare, that His Majesty is deeply affected at seeing the good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between Denmark and Britain, suddenly interrupted by the adoption of a measure as arbitrary as injurious on the part of Great Britain; and that he is not less afflicted and alarmed at seeing that measure justified by assertions and suppositions as unjust as ill founded. He remarks, with surprise, that, by confounding the cause of the measures taken in Russia against the interests of Great Britain, with the object of the convention relative to neutral navigation, the British Government evidently mixes two affairs which have not the least connection with each other. It is a subject of perfect notoriety, that the incident of the occupation of Malta by the troops of His Britannic Majesty, has alone been the occasion of the embargo on the British ships in the ports of Russia, and that the Ministers of the neutral Courts at Petersburg acted according to their full powers and instructions anterior to that event. The dispute relating to it is absolutely foreign to the Court of Copenhagen. It knows neither its origin nor foundation, or at least but very imperfectly, and its engagements with Petersburg have no relation whatever to it. The nature of these engagements has been solemnly declared to be only defensive; and it is inconceivable how general principles, conformable to every positive obligation, and modified according to the stipulations of treaties, could be justly considered as attacks on the rights or dignity of any State whatever. While the Powers who profess them require only their acknowledgment, the conflict of principles reciprocally maintained, can not be provoked but by those means which, operating as a denial of facts, place them in direct and inevitable opposition. The undersigned, by order of the King his master, calls the serious attention of the British Government to these reflections, and to these just and incontrovertible truths; they are analogous to the loyal sentiments of a sovereign, the ancient and faithful ally of Great Britain, who is not only incapable of offering, on his part, any injuries real or voluntary, but who has well-founded titles to a return of forbearance and justice. The prompt cessation of proceedings hostile to the interests of Denmark, is a circumstance to which His Majesty still looks forward with the confidence he has ever wished to entertain with regard to His Britannic Majesty; and it is in his name, and conformably to the instructions expressed on his part, that the undersigned insists on the embargo placed on the Danish vessels in the ports of Great Britain, being immediately taken off. By a constant series of moderation on

the part of the King, the measures to which the outrageous proceedings of the British Government authorized him to have had recourse, have been suspended, His Majesty deeming it an act of glory to give, by this means, a decisive proof of the falsehood of the suspicions. advanced against him, and of the doubts thrown on his intentions. But if, contrary to all expectation, the British Government persists in its violent resolution, he will see himself, with regret, reduced to the urgent necessity of exerting those means which his dignity and the interests of his subjects will imperiously prescribe.

(Signed) WEDel-Jarlsberg

Note of Count Wedel-Jarlsberg to the British Minister regarding the Embargo on Danish Vessels1

LONDON, March 4, 1801.

The undersigned has constantly reposed an unlimited confidence in the sentiments and moderation of His Britannic Majesty. He has consequently only endeavored, in the preliminary note of Lord Hawkesbury, dated the 25th of last month, in answer to his official note of the 23d, to discover the expression of an assurance of these sentiments which should be transmitted to Copenhagen; and he is persuaded that the effect of them on the part of His Britannic Majesty will be manifested, by calling, in the most effacious and satisfactory manner, the attention of the Government to the representations of His Danish Majesty, transmitted through the organs and offices of the undersigned. But as the adoption of conciliatory measures is constanly found suspended, and as, on the contrary, those of violence and injustice are daily accumulating, the undersigned can not acquiesce, in silence, in the continuation of this state of things, which only tends to bar the way to amicable explanations, and to compromise the dearest interests of each nation. He hastens, in consequence, to renew with earnestness, the demand made in the name of his Court, that the embargo placed on the Danish vessels should be immediately taken off. And, in ex

1Collection of State Papers, vol. 11, p. 234.