(No. 10.). NOTE. M. OTTO having apprized his Majefty's government, through Captain George, that the propofal made by the court of Vienna for fixing Luneville as the place for carrying on the propofed negotiation for a general peace has been acceded to by the French government, it only remains on that head to exprefs his Majesty's agreement to the fame propofal; and to declare, that in confequence thereof a proper perfon fhall be fent to Luneville, on his Majefty's part, to meet the plenipotentiaries of Auftria and France, as foon as the paffports for fuch minifter and his fuite fhall be received: provided that the French government is willing to enter into the neceffary engagements, that his Majefty's plenipotentiary fhall be at liberty to communicate freely, and in the ufual manner, by courier with this country, and with the dominions of his Majesty's allies. With refpect to the propofal for a general armistice by fea and land between Great Britain and France, the King would fee with great fatisfaction the moment when he could with propriety adopt any meafure, the immediate effect of which would be to put a ftop, at least for a time, to the calamities of war; but an armiftice, as applying to naval operations, has at no period ever been agreed on between Great Britain and France, during the course of their negotiations for peace, or until the preliminaries have been actually figned; fuch a step cannot therefore be confidered as neceffary to negotiation, and from the difputes to which its execution muft unavoidably be expected to give rife, there is just reason to appreheed that it might more probably tend to obftruct than to facilitate the fuccefs of thofe endeavours which the two parties might employ for the restoration of peace. Befides this it is to be confidered, that the circumftances of a naval war are obviously not fuch as to admit of fuch equal arrangements as are easily established with regard to military operations, when fufpended by fuch an agreement. It appears therefore, at all events, premature to enter even into the difcuffion of this queftion, until, from the courfe of the negotiations, it fhall more clearly appear how far they are likely to lead to a fatisfactory iffue. But in any cafe no decifion could be taken here on fuch a fubject, unlefs the French government had previously explained, in what manner it is conceived that the principles of the regulations adopted in the German armilice with refpect to blockaded towns can be applied to the naval ports and arfenals of France and her allies now blockaded by his Majefty's flcets, fo as to carry bona fide into execution, as to the refpective maritime forces, the fame objects which thofe ftipula tions have in view with refpect to the military pofitions occupied by the armies in Germany and Italy. Downing Street, Aug. 29, 1800. (Signed) GRENVILLE. (No. 11.) Milord, Hereford Street, No. 8, le 30 Août, 1800 (12 Fruct. An 8. J'AI reçu hier au foir la lettre et la note que votre Excellence m'a fait l'honneur de m'adreffer, et je me fuis empreffé de les envoyer fur le champ à Douvres par un courier extraordinaire. Je ne puis qu'être très flatté de l'approbation que le gouvernement de fa Majefté a bien voulu donner au mode que j'avois adopté pour mes communications politiques. Celui que votre Excellence me propofe a le double avantage de la célérité et du fecrèt; et je le fuivrai toutes les fois que les ordres de mon gouvernement me mettront dans le cas d'en profiter. J'ai l'honneur d'être, &c. (Signé) Отто. (No. 11.) Tranflation. No. 8, Hereford Street, Aug. 30, 1800 (12th Fruc. An 8). My Lord, I RECEIVED yesterday evening the letter and the note which, your Excellency did me the honour to addrefs to me; and I immediately tranfmitted them to Dover by an extraordinary meffenger. I cannot but be extremely flattered by the approbation which his Majelty's government has been pleafed to give to the mode which I had adopted for my political communications. That which your Excellency proposes to me combines the double advantage of difpatch and of fecrecy, and I fhall follow it as often as orders from my government fhall afford me an opportunity of profiting by it. I have the honour to be, with the moft refpectful confideration, My Lord, Your Excellency's most humble and moft obedient fervant, Отто. (Signed) (No. 12.) NOTE. SON Excellence Milord Grenville, ayant bien voulu informer le fouffigné de l'intention de fa Majefté d'envoyer un plenipotentiaire à Luneville pour prendre part aux négociations qui feront entamées, entamées, auffitôt que les paffeports neceffaires auront été expé diés par le gouvernement François, & qu'on aura donné l'affurance d'une correfpondence libre de ce plenipotentiaire avec fa cour, & avec les pays appartenants aux alliés de fa Majefté, le fouffigné a expédié fur le champ un courier extraordinaire pour communiquer ces difpofitions à fon gouvernement. Les fentiments de conciliation & d'humanité qui ont influé fur cette décifion du cabinet font un heureux préfage du rétabliffement de la bonne harmonie entre deux pays qui, par le genie, les talens, & l'induftrie de leurs peuples, font fi fortement intéreffés à chérir les arts & les jouiffances de la paix. C'eft pour atteindre plus promptement ce but fi ardemment defiré par l'Europe entière, que le fouligné avoit été chargé de foumettre au gouvernement Britannique le projet d'une trêve maritime; mais les miniftres de fa Majefté ayant jugé qu'il feroit prématuré d'entrer même en difcuffion fur cet objet, il doit refpecter les motifs qui leur paroiffent militer contre une pareille négociation, quoiqu'il ait eu tout lieu d'efperer que l'adhefion de fa Majefté à cette propofition auroit pû devenir le gage de la continuation des deux armiftices conclûs en Allemagne & en Italie, le gouvernement François ne pouvant confentir long tems à facrifier les avantages que lui donne fa pofition militaire fur le continent, fans être affuré d'un facrifice analogue de la part de la Grande Bretagne. Si par la force impérieufe des circonftances, le refultât des négociations de Luneville étoit foumis aux nouvelles chances de la guerre, il eft à prefumer que les inftructions & déliberations refpectives n'auroient plus pour bafe un état de chofe connu & apprécié de toutes partes, et que Jes difpofitions pacifiques manifeftées par les puiffances belligerentes ne produiroient pas des effets auffi prompts & auffi falutaires, qu'on auroit pû en efperer d'une trêve générale. Les appréhenfions du foufligné touchant le renouvellement probable des hoftilités en Allemagne & en Italie, nonobftant les né gociations qui de concert avec fa Majefté feront entamées à Luneville, font confirmées par l'ordre qu'il a reçu de folliciter une réponfe avant le 3 Septembre. Hereford Street, le 12 Fruct. An 8 (30 Août 1800). (Signé) (No. 12.) Tranflation. Отто. NOTE. HIS Excellency Lord Grenville having been pleafed to inform the underfigned of the intention of his Majefty to fend a plenipotentiary to Luneville, in order to take a fhare in the negotiations which thall be entered upon, as foon as the neceffary paffports fhalk fhall have been tranfmitted by the French government, and as foon as affurance fhall have been given refpecting the free correspondence of this plenipotentiary with his court, and with the countries belonging to the allies of his Majefty, the undersigned immediately dispatched an extraordinary meffenger in order to communicate thefe difpofitions to his government. The conciliatory and humane fentiments which have had an inAuence in producing this decifion of the cabinet, are a happy prefage of the re-establishment of good harmony between two countries which, from the genius, the talents, and the industry of their people, are fo ftrongly interested in cherishing the arts and the enjoyments of peace. It is with a view to attain more fpeedily this end fo ardently defired by all Europe, that the undersigned was directed to fubmit to the British government the projet for a maritime trace; but the minifters of his Majefty having judged that it would be premature to enter even upon the difcuffion of this object, it is his duty to refpect the motives which appear to them to militate against fuch a negotiation, although he may have had every reason to hope that the adherence of his Majesty to that propofal might have become the pledge of the continuance of the two armistices concluded in Germany and Italy; the French government not being able to confent, for any length of time, to facrifice the advantages afforded to it by its military pofition upon the continent, without the affurance of an analogous facrifice on the part of Great Britain. If, through the imperious force of circumstances, the refult of the negotiations of Luneville fhould be fubjected to the future. fortune of war, it is to be prefumed that the refpective inftructions and deliberations would no longer have for a bafis a ftate of things known and appreciated on all fides; and that the pacific difpofitions manifefted by the belligerent powers would not produce effects as prompt and falutary as might have been hoped for from a general truce. The apprehenfions of the undersigned, relative to the probable renewal of hostilities in Germany and in Italy, notwithstanding the negotiations which, in concert with his Majefty, fhall be commenced at Luneville, are confirmed by the order which he has received to folicit an aufwer before the 3d of September. Hereford Street, the 12th Fruct. Отто. (Signed) Year 8 (30th Aug, 1800). (No. 13.) Sir, Downing Street, Sept. 2, 1800. I AM to defire that you will apprize M. Otto, that the King has been pleafed eventually to make choice of Mt. Grenville to reprefent his Majefty at Luneville, and of Mr. Garlike, now his Majesty's fecretary of legation at Berlin, to act as his Majesty's fecretary to Mr. Grenville's million. It will therefore be neceffary that a feparate paliport for Mr. Garlike fhould be furnished by the French government, fuch as will enable him to proceed directly from Berlin to Luneville. You will add, that it will be a matter of convenience to his Majefty's government, and to Mr. Garlike perfonally, if that paffport, inftead of being fent through London, were tranfmitted, through the French miniter at Berlin, to the Earl of Carysfort, his Majesty's minifter at that court. I wish you farther to remark to M. Otto, that it is ufual in the opening of negotiations for peace, that fuch previous explanations fhould take place as may enable the refpective minifters to arrive nearly at the fame time at the place of negotiation; and that as the communication on this point may be received here fo much fooner from Paris than from Vienna, his Majefty's government would with to be informed through you of the period which may be fixed for the arrival of the Auftrian and French plenipotentiaries at Luneville, in order that no delay may take place on his Majefty's part in the opening of the negotiation. I am, &c. To Captain George. (No. 14.) GRENVILLE. Milord, Hereford Street, 4 Sept. (17 Fruc.). M. GEORGE n'étant pas encore revenu de Margate, où il a conduit fa famille, j'espère que votre Excellence ne defapprou vera pas que je vous falle paffer directement les communications. très importantes que j'ai reçues ce matin par un courier extraordinaire. Je dois ajouter que fi fa Majetté confent à l'armittice propofé, je fuis chargé de remettre le palleport, et de donner toutes les affurances demandées pour le plénipotentiaire qui pourra être nommé. J'ai l'honneur d'être, avec la plus haute confidération, Milord, De votre Excellence Le très humble et très obéiffant ferviteur, (Signé) Отто. (No. |