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profperity the induftry and commerce of thofe nations," which they state to be our rivals, which they charge us with " unjustly attacking, when we can no longer dupe," and which they throughout contemplate as their own dependencies, united in arms, and furnishing refources for our future humiliation and destruction. They refort to that well known and conftant allufion of their's to ancient hiftory, by which reprefenting "France as modern Rome, and England as modern Carthage," they accufe us of national perfidy, and hold England up, as an object to be blotted out from the face of the earth." They falfely affert that the English nation fupports with impatience the continuance of the war, and has extorted all his Majefty's overtures for peace" by complaints and reproaches;" and, above all, not only in that paffage, but throughout their official note, they fhew the most marked adherence to that infidious and intolerable policy of their fyftem, by which they, from the commencement of the revolution, fought to trouble and fubvert all the governments in Europe. They ftudioufly disjoin the English nation from its fovereign.

10th. Because, having acted throughout the course of this awful and momentous crifis upon the principles herein expreffed, and after having on the prefent occafion, not only fully reconfidered, and jealously examined their foundness and validity, but gravely attended to, and fcrupulously weighed the merits of all thofe arguments which have been offered to induce a dereliction of them, confcientiously adhering to, and

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firmly abiding by them, I thus folemnly record them, in juftificacation of my own conduc, and in difcharge of the duty I owe to my king, my country, and general interefts of civil fociety.

WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM.

Meffage from his Majefty to the Houfe of Lords, 12th Dec. 1796. George R.

HIS majefty is concerned to acquaint the houfe of lords that his endeavours to preferve peace with Spain, and to adjuft all matters in difcuffion with that court by an amicable negotiation, have been rendered ineffectual by an abrupt and unprovoked declaration of war on the part of the Catholic king.

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His majefty, at the fame time that he fincerely laments this addition to the calamities of war, already extended over fo great a part of Europe, has the fatisfaction to reflect that nothing has been omitted on his part which could contribute to the maintenance of peace, grounds confiftent with the honour of his crown, and the intereft of his dominions; and he trusts, that, under the protection of divine Providence, the firmness and wisdom. of his parliament will enable him effectually to repel this unprovoked aggreffion, and to afford to all Europe an additional proof of the fpirit and refources of the British

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order to be fully prepared for the vigorous and effectual profecution of the war, if the failure of his majefty's earneft endeavours to effect a general peace, on fecure and honourable terms, fhould unfortunately render another campaign unavoidable. And his majefty will not fail to take the first opportunity to communicate the refult of thefe difcuffions to the houfe. In the interval his majefly conceives that it may be of the greatefi importance to the common caufe, that his majefty fhould be enabled to continue fuch temporary advances for the fervice of the emperor as may be indifpenfably neceffary, with a view to military operations being profecuted with vigour and effect at an early period, and his majefty recommends it to the house to confider of making fuch provifion as may appear to them to be most expedient for this purpose.

G. R.

Meffage from his Majefty to the Houfe of Peers, 26th Dec. 1796. George R.

IT is with the utmost concern that his majefty acquaints the houfe of lords, that his earnest endeavours to effect the restoration of peace have been unhappily fruftrated, and that the negotiation in which he has been engaged has been abruptly broken off by the peremptory refufal of the French government to treat, except upon a bafis evidently inadmiffible, and by their having in confequence required his majefty's plenipotentiary to quit Paris within 48 hours.

His majefty has directed the feveral memorials and papers which have been exchanged in the courfe

of the late difcuffion, and the account tranfmitted to his majefty of its final refult, to be laid before the houfe.

From thefe papers, his majefty trufts, it will be proved to the whole world that his conduct has been guided by a fincere defire to effect the restoration of peace on principles fuited to the relative fituation of the belligerent powers, and effential for the permanent interefts of his kingdom, and the general fecurity of Europe: whilft his enemies have advanced pretenfions at once inconfiftent with thofe objects, unfupported even on the grounds on which they were profeifed to reft, and repugnant both to the fyftem established by repeated treaties, and to the principle and practice which have hitherto regulated the intercourse of independent nations.

In this fituation his majefty has the confolation of reflecting, that the continuance of the calamities of war can be imputed only to the unjuft and exorbitant views of his enemies; and his majesty look. ing forward with anxiety to the moment when they may be difpofed to act on different principles, places in the mean time the fulleft reliance, under the protection of Providence, on the wisdom and firmness of his parliament, on the tried valour of his forces by fea and land, and on the zeal, public fpirit, and refources of his kingdoms, for vigorous and effectual fupport in the profecution of a conteft, which it does not depend on his majefty to terminate, and which involves in it the fecurity and permanent interefts of this country, and of Europe.

G. R.

Note,

Note, transmitted to M. Barthelemi, by Mr. Wickham, March 8, 1796.

THE undersigned, his Britannic majefty's minifter plenipoteniary to the Swifs Cantons, is authorized to convey to monfieur Barthelemi, the defire of his court to be made acquainted, through him, with the difpofitions of France, in regard to the object of a general pacification. He therefore requests monfieur Barthelemi to tranfmit to him in writing, (and after having made the neceffary enquiries) his anfwer to the following queftions: 1. Is there the difpofition in France to open a negotiation with his majefty and his allies for the reestablishment of a general peace, upon juft and fuitable terms, by fending, for that purpose, minifters to a congrefs, at fuch place as may hereafter be agreed upon?

2. Would there be the difpofition to communicate to the underfigned, the general grounds of a pacification, fuch as France would be willing to propofe; in order that his majefty and his allies might thereupon examine in concert, whether they are fuch as might ferve as the foundation of a negotiation for peace?

3. Or would there be a defire to propofe any other way whatever, for arriving at the fame end, that of a general pacification?

The underfigned is authorized to receive from monfieur Barthelemi, the answer to thefe questions, and to transmit to his court: but he is not authorised to enter with him into negotiation or difcuffion upon thefe fubjects.

Berne, March 8, 1796.
(Signed)

W. WICKHAM.

Nate, transmitted to Mr. Wickham, by M. Barthelemi, March 26, 1796.

The undersigned, ambaffador of the French republic to the Helvetic Body, has tranfmitted to the executive directory the note, which Mr. Wickham, his Britannic majefty's minifter plenipotentiary to the Swifs Canton, was pleased to convey to him, dated the 8th of March. He has it in command to answer it by an expofition of the fentiments and difpofitions of the executive directory.

The directory ardently defires to procure for the French republic a juft, honourable and folid peace. The step taken by Mr. Wickham would have afforded to the directory a real fatisfaction, if the declaration itself, which that minifter makes, of his not having any order, any power to negotiate, did not give room to doubt of the fincerity of the pacific intentions of his court. In fact, if it was true, that England began to know her real interefts; that the wifhed to open again for herself the fources of abundance and profperity; if the fought for peace with good faith, would the propofe a congrefs, of which the neceffary refult muft be, to render all negotiation endless? or would the confine herself to the asking, in a vague manner, that the French government should point out any other way whatever, for attaining the fame object that of a general pacification?

Is it that this ftep has had no other object than to obtain for the British government the favourable impreffion which always accompa nies the first overtures for peace? may it not have been accompanied

with the hope that they would produce no effect?

However that may be the executive directory, whofe policy has no other guides than openness and good faith, will follow, in its explanations, a conduct which fhall be wholly conformable to them. Yielding to the ardent defire by which it is animated, to procure peace for the French republic, and for all nations, it will not fear to declare itself openly. Charged by the conftitution with the execution of the laws, it cannot make, or liften to, any propofal that would be contrary to them. The conftitutional act does not permit it to confent to any alienation of that, which, according to the exifting laws, conftitutes the territory of the republic.

With refpect to the countries occupied by the French armies,andwhich have not been united to France, they, as well as other interefts, political and commercial, may become the fubject of a negotiation, which will present to the directory the means of proving how much it defires to attain ipeedily to a happy pacification

Bafle, the 6th of germinal, the 4th year of the French republic, 26th of March, 1795.

(Signed) BARTHELEMI.

Note of obfervation.-The court of London has received from its minifter in Switzerland, the answer made to the questions which he had been charged to address to monfieur Barthelemi, in refpect to the opening of a negotiation for the re-establishment of general tranquillity.

This court has feen, with regret," how far the tone and spirit of that anfwer, the nature and extent of

the demands which it contains, and the manner of announcing them, are remote from any difpofition for peace.

The inadmiffible pretenfion is there avowed of appropriating to France all that the laws actually exifting there may have comprized under the denomination of French territory. To a demand fuch as this is added an exprefs declaration, that no propofal contrary to it will be made, or even liftened to: And this, under the pretence of an internal regulation, the provifions of which are wholly foreign to all other nations.

While thefe difpofitions fhall be perfisted in, nothing is left for the king but to profecute a war equally juft and neceffary.

Whenever his enemies fhall manifeft more pacific fentiments, his majefty will at all times be eager to concur in them, by lending himself, in concert with his allies, to all fuch measures as fhall be beft calculated to re-establish general tranquillity, on conditions juft, honourable and permanent, either by the establishment of a congrefs, which has been fo often, and fo happily, the means of reftoring peace to Europe; or by a preliminary difcuflion of the principles which may be proposed, on eithe fide, as a foundation of a general pacification; or, laftly, by an impartial examination of any other way which may be pointed out to him for arriving at the fame falutary end.

Downing-Street, April 19, 1796.

Explanatory Article, framed by the Commiffioners for carrying into ef fect the Treaty between Great Bri tain and America,

WHEREAS

WHEREAS by the third article of the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, concluded at London on the nineteenth day of November, one thousand seven hun dred and ninety-four, between his Britannic majesty and the United States of America, it was agreed that it should at all times be free to his majesty's fubjects, and to the citizens of the United States, and also to the Indians dwelling on either fide of the boundary line affigned by the treaty of peace to the United States, freely to pass and repafs, by land or inland navigation, into the refpective territories and countries of the two contracting parties on the continent of America (the country within the limits of the Hudson Bay Company only excepted), and to navigate all the lakes, rivers, and waters thereof, and freely to carry on trade and commerce with each other, fubject to the provifions and limitations contained in the faid article: And whereas, by the eighth article of the treaty of peace and friendship concluded at Grenville, on the third day of Auguft, one thousand feven hundred and ninety-five, between the United States, and the nations or tribes of Indians called the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoes, Ottawas, Chippewas, Putawatimies, Miamis, Eel River, Weeas, Kickapoos, Piankafhaws, and Kafkatkias, it was ftipulated that no perfon. fhould be permitted to refide at any of the towns.or hunting camps of the faid Indian tribes as a trader, who is not fur nifhed with a license for that purpose, under the authority of the United States; which latter ftipulation has excited doubts whether

in its operation it may not interfere with the due execution of the faid third article of the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation: and it being the fincere defire of his Britannic majefty, and of the United States, that this point should be fo explained as to remove all doubts, and promote mutual fatisfaction and friendship: and for this purpofe his Britannic majefty having named for his commiffioner, Phineas Bond, efq. his majesty's conful general for the middle and fouthern ftates of America (and now his majesty's charge d'affaires to the United States); and the prefident of the United States having named for their commiflioner Timothy Pickering, efq. fecretary of ftate of the United States, to whom, agreeable to the laws of the United States, he has entrusted this negotiation: they, the said commiffioners, having communicated to each other their full powers, have, in virtue of the fame, and conformably to the fpirit of the laft article of the faid treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, entered into this explanatory article, and do by these prefents explicitly agree and declare, that no ftipulations in any treaty fubfequently concluded by either of the contracting parties with any other ftate or nation, or with any Indian tribe, can be understood to derogate in any manner from the rights of free intercourfe and commerce fecured by the aforefaid third article of treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, to the fubje&s.of his majefty, and to the citizens of the United States, and to the Indians dwelling on either fide of the boundary line aforefaid; but that all the faid perfons fhall remain at

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