ipsis de

He requests the minister for fo. aliorum principum et statuum reign affairs to accept the assure quoruin inter es-e poterit, sufficiances of his high consideration. enti itdem auctoritate instructis, Paris, 20th December, 1796. tam singulalim ac divisim, quam

aggregatiin ac conjunctim, congres Credentials of Lord Malmesbury. diendi ei colloquendi, atque cum GEORGIUS R.

pace

firmâ et stabili, sunce. GEORGIUS Tertius, Dei gra- râque amicuiâ el concorda quan. tià Magnæ Britanniæ, Franciæ, tociès restituendis, conveniendi et et Hiberniæ Rex, Fidei Delensor; concludendi'; eaque omnia quæ ita Dux Brunavicensis et Luneburgen. conventa et conclusa fuerint, pro dosis, Sacri Romani Imperii Archi- bis, et in rostro nomine subsignano Thesaurarius ei Princeps Elector, di; superque conclusis traclatum etc. omnibus et singulis ad quos tractatusve vel al ainstrumenia quos præsentes hæ litteræ pervenerint, sa- quot et qualia necessaria fuerint, lutern :

conficiendi mutuoqué tradendi, re. Cum belli incendio jam nimis diu cipiendique omniaque alia quæ ad diversis orbis terrarum partibus fla- onus supra dictum feliciter exe. grante in id quam maxime incum. quendum pertinent transigendi, bamus, ut tranquillitas publica iam amplis modo et forma ac vi tot litibus controversiisque rité effectuque pari, ac nos si interessicompositis, reduci et stabiliri pos- mus, facere et præstare possemus, sit; cumque, eâ de causa, virum spondentes et in verbo regio proquemdam tanto negotio parem nos- mittentes nos omnia et singula, trâ ex parte plenâ auctoritate ad quæcumque a dicto nostro plenipohoc tam magnum onus conficiendum tentiario transigi et concludi conti. munire decrevimus, sciatis igitur gerint,

lag raia, et

accepta quod nos fide, industriâ, ingenio, omni meliori modo habituros, neperspicacia, et rerum usu fidelis et que passuros unquam ut in foto, dilecti consiliarii nostri Jacobi Ba- vel in parte à quoniam violentur, ronis de Malmesbury, honoratissimi aut ut iis in contrarium eatur. In ordinis Balnei equitis plurimum quorum omnium majorem fidem et conti, eundem nominavimus, feci- robur, præsentibus manu nostra mus et constiruimus nostrum verum, regiâ signatis, magnum nostrum certum, et indubitatum commis- Magnæ Britannia sigillum appendi sarium et plenipotentiarium, dan- fecimus. Quæ dabantur in palatio tes et concedentes eidem omnem et nostro Divi Jacobi die decimo teromnimodam potestatem,facultatem, tio mensis Octobris, anno Domini auctoritatemque necnon mandatum millenimo septengentesimo nonagegenerale pariter ac speciale (itu smo sexto, regnique nostri trigetamen ut generale speciali non de- simo sexto. roget nec à contra), pro nobis, et nostro nomine, cum ministro vel Translation of the Credentials giver ministris, commissariis vel pleni- to Lord Malmesbury. potentiariis Reipublicæ Gallicæ pari auctoritate sufficienter instruc- George Rex. to vel instructis, cumque ministris, GEORGE, by the grace of God, commissariis, vel plenipotentiariis king of Great Britain, France and

Ireland,

1

we

Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. or treaties, and all other acts, as to all to whom these presents shall be shall judge necessary; to deliver come, greeting.-Seeing that the and receive mutually all other obflame of war has for a long time jects relative to the fortunate exe. saged in the different parts of the cution of the above-mentioned globe ; deeply occupied with the work; to transact with the same project of terminating regularly so force and the same effect as we many quarrels and dissensions, of should be able to do if we assisted restoring and consolidating the in person ; guaranteeing, and on public tranquillity; resolved for our royal word promising that all this purpose to chu:e a man capable and each of the transactions and of a negoc'ation of this importarce, conclusions which shall be made and and to invest him with full autho, determined by our said plenipotenrity to complete so great a work, tiary shall be made and agreed be it known, that the fiJeliiy, upon, ratified, accepted, and talents, genius, perspicuity and ex. adopted with the best faith ; that we perience of our faithful and dear shall never suffer any one, either counsellor, James, Baron Malmes, in whole or in part, to infringe and bury, knight of the most honour- act contrary to them; and in order able order of the Bath, inspiring us to give to every thing more security with full confidence, have and force, we have signed ihe prenamed bim, and he is appointed sent with our royal hand, and af. and constituted our true, certain, fised to it the great seal of Great and accredited commissary and ple. Britain. nipotentiary, giving and conceding Given in our palace at St. James's bim, in all respects, full and en- 13th October, year of grace tire power, faculty, and authority; 1796, and of our reign, 37th. charging him besides with our gemeral and special order to confer Manifesto of the British Government on our part, and in our name, with

against France. the minister or ministers, commis- THE negociation which an anx. sioners, and plenipotentiaries, of jous desire for the restoration of the French republic, sufficiently peace had induced his majesty to invested with equal authority, as open at Paris, baving been abrupt. well as with the ministers, com- ly terminated by the French gomissioners, or plexipotentiaries of vernment, the king thinks it due the other princes and states wh to himself and to his people to state, may take part in the present nego. in this public manner, the circumciation, also invested with the same stances which have preceded and authority ; to treat either separately attended a transaction of so much or together; to confer upon the importance to the general interests means of establishing a solid and of Europe. durable peace, amity, and sincere

It is well known that early in concord; and to adopt all resolu. the present year, his majesty, laying tions and conclusions ; to sign for aside the consideration of many cirus, and in our name, all the said cumstances of difficulty and disconventions

conclusions; to couragement, determined to take make, in consequence, every treaty such steps as were best calculated

to

or

to open the way for negotiation, if nearly all her conquests, and those any corresponding desire prevailed particularly in which bis majesty was on the part of his enemies. He most concerned, both from the ties directed an overture to be made in of interest, and the sacred obligations his name, by his minister in Swis. of treaties : that she should in like serland, for the purpose of ascer- manner recover back all that bad taining the disp ,sitions of the been coi quered from ber in every French government with respect to part of the world ; and that she peace. The answer which he re- should be left at liberty to bring ceived in return was at once haugh- forward such further demands on ty and evasive; it affected to ques- all other points of negotiation, as tion the sincerity of those dispo- such unqualified submission on the sitions of wbich his majesty's con. part of those with whom she treated duct affurded so unequivocal a could not fail to produce. proof; it raised groundless objec- On such grounds as these it was tions to the mode of negotiation sufficiently evident that no negoproposed by his majesty (that of a ciation could be established: nei. general congress, by which peace ther did the answer of bis majesty's has so often been restored to Eu- enemies attord any opening for rope); but it studiously passed over continuing the discussion, since in silence his majesty's desire to the mode of negociation offered learn what other mode would by his majesty had been perempbe preferred by France. It at the torily rejected by them, and no same time asserted a principle other had been stated in which which was stated as an indispen- they were willing to concur. sible preliminary to all negociation Ilis majesty was however not -a principle under which the discouraged even by this result terms of peace must have been re- from still pursuing such measures gulated, not by the usual conside- as appeared to him most conducive rations of justice, policy, and reci- to the end of peace ; and the wishes procal convenience; but by ao im- of his ally the emperor correspond. plicii submission, on ibe part of all ing with those which his ma. the powers, to a claim founded jesty had manifested, sentiments on the internal laws and separate of a similar tendeney were constitution of France, as having pressed on the part of his Imperial full authority to supersede the trea- majesty at the time of opening ties entered into by independent the campaign ; but the continue states, to govern their interests, to ance of the saine spirit and prin. conirol their engagemenis, and to ciples, on the part of the enemy, dispose of their duminions.

rendered this fresh overture equally A pretension in itself so extra- unsuccessful. vagant could in no instance have While the goveroment of France been admitted, or even listened to thus persisted in obstructing every jor a moment. Iis appliation to measure that could even open the the present case led tv nothing way to negociation, no endeavour less than that France should, as a was omitted to mislead the public preliminary to all discussion, retain opinion throughout all Europe

ex

with respect to the real cause of motives against adopting this sugthe prolongation of the war, and gustion, until the government of 10 cast a doubt on those dispositions France had given some indication which could alone bave dictated of a spirit better calculated to prothe steps taken by bis majesty and mote the success of such a mission, his august ally.

and to meet these advances on In order to deprive his enemies the part of Great Britain. The of all possibility of subterfuge or king's desire for the restoration of evasion, and in the hope that a general peace on just and honour. just sense of the continued cala. able terms, his concern for the inmities of war, and of the increas. terests of his subjects, and his deing distresses of France herself, termination to leave to his ene. might at length have led to more mies no pretext for imputing to just and pacific dispositions, his bim the consequences of their own majesty renewed, in another form, ambition, induced him to overlook and through the intervention of every such consideration, and to friendly powers, a proposal for take a step which these reasons opening negotiations for peace. alone could justify. The manner in which this inter- The repeated endeavours of the vention was received indicated the French government to defeat this most hostile dispositions towards mission in iis outset, and to break Great Britain, and at the same, off the intercourse thus opened, time afforded to all Europe a strike even before the first steps towards ing instance of that injurious and negotiation could be taken; the offensive conduct which is observed indecent and injurious language on the part of the French go- employed with a view to irritate, vernment towards all other coun- the captious and frivolous objectries. The repeated overture's made tions raised for the purpose of obin his majesty's name were never- structing the progress of the distheless of such a nature, that it cussion; all these have sulficiently was at last found impossible to per- appeared from the official papers sist in the absolute rejection of which passed on both sides, and them, without the direct and un- which are known to all Europe. disguised avowal of a determina- But above all, the abrupt tertion to refuse to Europe all hope mination of the negotiation has of the restoration of tranquillity. afforded the most conclusive proof, A channel was therefore at lengin that at no period of it was any real indicated, through which the go- wish for peace entertained on the vernment of France professed itself part of the French government. willing to carry on a negotiation, After repeated evasion and de and a readiness was

expressed lay, the government had at lengih (though in terms far remote from consented to establish, as the basis any spirit of conciliation) to receive of the negotiation, a principle proa minister authorised by his ma- posed by his majesty, liberal in its jesty to proceed to Paris for that own nature, equitable towards his

enemies, and calculated to provide Many circumstances might have for the interests of his allies, and been urged as affording powerful of Europe. It had been agreed

purpose.

1

that compensation should be made hours deliver in a statement of the to France, by proportionable resti. final terms to which his court would tutions from his majesty's con- in any case accede-a demand quests on that power, for those tending evidently to shut the door arrangements to which she should to all negotiation, to preclude all be called upon to consent in order discussion, all explanation, all posto satisfy the just pretentions of his sibility of the amicablc adjustment allies, and to preserve the political of points of difference-a demand balance of Europe. At the desire in its nature preposterous, in its of the French government itself execution impracticable, since it is memorials were presented by his plain that no such ultimate resolu. majesty's minister, which contain- tion respecting a general plan of ed the outlines of the terms of peace ever can be rationally formed, peace grounded on the basis so es- much less declared, without knowtablished, and in which his majesty ing what points are principally obproposed to carry to the utmost jected to by the enemy, and what possible extent the application of a facilities he may be willing to principle so equitable with respect offer in retura for concession in to France, and so liberal on his those respects. Having declined majesty's part. The delivery of compliance with this demand, and these papers was accompanied by explained the reasons which rena declaration expressly and re- dered it inadmissible, but having, peatedly made, both verbally and at the same time, expressly renew. in writing, that his majesty's mied the declaration of his readiness nister was willing and prepared to to enter into the discussion of the enter, with a spirit of conciliation proposal he had conveyed, or of and fairness, into the discussion of any other which might be comthe different points there contain: municated to him, the king's mied, or into that of any other pro- nister received no other answer posal or scheme of peace which the than an abrupt command to quit French government might wish to Paris in forty-eight hours. If, in substitute in its place,

additions to such an insult, any fur. In reply to this communication, ther proof were necessary of the he received a demand, in form the dispositions of those by whom it most offensive, and in substance was offered, such proof would be the most extravagant, that ever abundantly supplied from the con. was made in the course of any ne- tents of the note in which this gotiation. It was peremptorily re. order was conveyed. The mode quired of him that in the very out. of negotiation on which the French set of the business, when no answer government had itself insisted, is had been given by the French go- there rejected, and no practicable vernment to his first proposal, means left open for treating with when he had not even learnt, in effect. The basis of negotiation, any regular shape, the nature or so recently established by mutual extent of the objections to it, and consent, is there disclaimed, and, much less received from that go. in its room, a principle clearly in. vernment any other offer or plan admissible is reasserted as the only of peace, he should in twenty-four ground on which France can con