My Lord,

(No. 14.) Tranflation.

Hereford Street, 4th Sept. (17 Fruct.).

MR. George not being yet returned from Margate, whither he has conveyed his family, I hope that your Excellency will not difapprove of my tranfmitting to you directly the very important communications which I received this morning by an extraordinary courier. I fhould add, that, if his Majefty confent to the propofed armistice, I am directed to deliver the passport, and to give all the affurances demanded for the plenipotentiary who shall be appointed.

I have the honour to be, with the highest confideration, &c.

LE fouffigné ayant communiqué à fon gouvernement la note en date du 29 Août, que fon Excellence Milord Grenville lui a fait remettre, fe trouve chargé de lui prefenter les obfervations fuivantes.

Des preliminaires de paix avoient été conclus et fignés entre fa Majefté Imperiale et la republique Françoife, l'intervention de Lord Minto, qui a demandé que l'Angleterre fût admife dans les négociations, a empeché la ratification de fa Majesté Imperiale. La fufpenfion d'armes, qui n'avoit eu lieu fur le continent, que dans l'efpoir d'une prompte paix entre l'Empereur et la republique, devra donc ceffer et ceffera en effet au 24 Fructidor (11 Sept.), puifque la France n'avoit facrifié qu'à cette efperance les immenfes avantages que lui avoit affurés la victoire.

L'intervention de l'Angleterre complique tellement la question de la paix, qu'il eft impoffible au gouvernement François de prolonger plus long tems l'armistice fur le continent, à moins que fa Majefté Britannique ne le rende commun entre les trois puiffances,

Si donc le cabinet de St. James veut continuer de faire cause commune avec l'Autriche, et fi fon defir d'intervenir dans les negociations eft fincère, fa Majefté Britannique n'hefitera point à adopter l'armistice proposé.

Mais fi cet armiftice n'eft point conclû avant le 24 Fructidor (11 Sept.), les hoftilités auront été récommencées avec l'Autriche; et le Premier Conful ne pourra plus confentir à l'egard de cette puiffance qu'à une paix feparée et complette.

Pour fatisfaire aux explications demandées relativement à l'arVOL. X. miflice,

A a

miftice, le fouffigné eft chargé de faire connoitre à fon Excellence Milord Grenville, que les places qu'il s'agit d'affimiler à celles d'Allemagne font Malthe et les villes maritimes de l'Egypte.

S'il eft vrai, qu'une longue suspension d'armes entre la France et l'Angleterre pourroit paroitre defavorable à sa Majefté Britan nique, il ne l'eft pas moins qu'un armiftice prolongé fur le continent eft effentiellement defavantageux à la republique Françoife; deforte qu'en même tems que l'armiftice maritime feroit pour le gouvernement François une garantie du zêle que mettroit l'Angleterre à concourir au retabliffement de la paix, l'armiftice continental en feroit une pour le gouvernement Britannique de la fincerité des efforts de la France; et comme la pofition de l'Autriche ne lui permettroit plus alors de ne pas rechercher une prompte conclufion, les trois puiffances auroient dans leurs intérêts propres des raisons determinantes pour confentir fans delai aux facrifices, qui peuvent être reciproquement néceffaires pour operer la prochaine conclufion d'une paix générale et folide, telle qu'elle eft le vœu et l'espoir du monde entier. Hereford Street, 17 Fruct. An 8

(4 Sept. 1800).

(No. 15.) Translation.

NOTE.

(Signé)

Отто.

THE undersigned having communicated to his government the note dated the 29th of August, forwarded to him by his Excellency Lord Grenville, is directed to fubmit to him the following obfer vations:

Preliminaries of peace had been concluded and figned between his Imperial Majesty and the French republic. The intervention of Lord Minto, who demanded that England fhould be admitted to take part in the negotiations, prevented their ratification by his Imperial Majefty.

The fufpenfion of arms, which had taken place folely in the hope of a speedy peace between the Emperor and the republic, ought then to ceafe, and will in fact ceafe on the 24 Fructidor (11th Sept.), fince France had facrificed to that hope alone the immenfe advantages which victory had fecured to her.

The intervention of England renders the queftion of peace fo complicated, that it is impoffible for the French government to prolong farther the armistice upon the continent, unless his Britannic Majefty will confent to render it common to the three powers.

If then the cabinet of St. James's defires to continue to make a

2

common

common caufe with Austria, and if its defire to take part in the negotiations be fincere, his Britannic Majefty will not hesitate to adopt the propofed armistice.

But if this armistice be not concluded before the 24 Fructidor (11th Sept.), hoftilities will have been renewed with Austria, and the First Conful will no longer be able to confent, with regard to that power, to any but a separate and complete peace.

In order to fatisfy the explanations demanded relative to the armistice, the underfigned is directed to acquaint Lord Grenville, that the places which it is propofed to affimilate to thofe of Germany, are Malta and the maritime towns of Egypt.

If it be true that a long suspension of arms between France and England would appear unfavourable to his Britannic Majesty; it is not lefs fo, that an armiftice prolonged upon the continent would be effentially difadvantageous to the French republic; fo that at the fame time that the naval armiftice would be to the French government a pledge of the zeal which would be employed by England in promoting the re-establishment of peace, the continental armistice would be one alfo to the British government of the fincerity of the efforts of France; and as the position of Austria would no longer admit of her not diligently feeking for a conclufion, the three powers would have, in their own private interests, decifive reafons for confenting, without delay, to the facrifices which may be reciprocally neceffary in order to bring about an early conclufion of a general and folid pace, fuch as may answer the wifh and the hope of the whole world. Hereford Street, 17 Fruct, Year & (4th Sept. 1800),

(Signed)

Отто.

(No. 16.)

Sir,

Downing Street, Sept. 4, 180a. IT appearing by a note received this day from M. Otto, that the French government has determined to make the continuance of the armistice between' Auftria and France, and the commencement of the negotiations for peace, dependant on the conclufion of an armistice with this country; it is judged proper, in order that the ultimate decifion on fo important and extensive a question may be taken with the fulleft knowledge of all the confiderations by which it ought to be governed, that you thould fee M. Otto, and inquire of him, Whether (as his note of the 30th ultimo appears to intimate) he is furnished with a projet of a treaty of naval truce and in that cafe, Whether he is willing to communicate it to you for the information of his Majefty's government? You will further inquire, Whether he is empowered and inftructed to include in fuch treaty his Majesty's allies ?

A a 2

And,

And, laftly, if his projet fhould contain no article applicable to the question of moving the French and Spanish ships now in Breft to any other ftation in or out of Europe, you will inquire, Whether M. Otto is authorized to enter into negotiation for the purpose of including proper ftipulations on that fubject in any treaty of the nature which his government has propofed?

I am, &c.

Evan Nepean, Efq.

My Lord,

London, Sept. 4, 1800. SINCE I had the honour of communicating to your Lordship the converfation that had paffed between me and M. Otto on the fubject of the propofal for a naval armistice, and the readiness he had expreffed of furnishing me with a copy of the projet, I have received from him the enclofed note and the projet therein referred to. I have the honour to be, &c.

IL y aura fufpenfion d'hoftilités entre les flottes et armées de la république Françoife et celles de la Grande Bretagne.

II.

Les batimens de guerre et de commerce de l'une et de l'autre nation pourront librement naviguer fans être foumis à aucune vifite et en fuivant l'ufage établi avant la guerre.

A dater du

III.

Fructidor, tous les batimens de l'une et de l'au tre nation, qui feroient pris, feront rendus.

IV.

Les places de Malthe, Alexandrie, Belleifle, feront affimilées aux places d'Ulm, de Philipfbourg, et d'Ingolstadt, c'est à dire que tous les batimens neutres ou François pourront y entrer librement pour y porter des vivres.

V.

Les efcadres qui bloquent Breft, Cadiz, Toulon, Fleffingue, retourneront dans leurs ports, ou du moins fe tiendront hors de vue de la terre.

VI.

Trois officiers Anglois feront expédiés, l'un directement à Tamiral qui commande dans la Mediterranée, l'autre au com

mandant

mandant de l'efcadre devant Malthe, le troifième au commandant du blocus d'Alexandrie, pour leur donner connoiffance du prefent armistice, et leur porter l'ordre de s'y conformer. Les dits officiers traverferont la France pour arriver plutôt à leur destination.

VII.

Sa Majefté Catholique et la république Batave font comprises dans le prefent armistice.

(No. 18.) Tranflation.

PROJET.

I.

THERE fhall be a fufpenfion of hoftilities between the fleets and armies of the French republic and thofe of Great Britain.

II.

The hips of war and merchant-veffels of each nation fhall enjoy a free navigation without being fubject to any search, and fhall obferve the ufage eftablished previous to the war.

III.

All veffels, of either nation, captured after the tidor, fhall be restored.

IV.

of Fruc

The places of Malta, Alexandria, Belleifle, fhall be affimilated to the places of Ulm, of Philipfburgh, and of Ingolstadt; that is to fay, all neutral or French veifels fhall have permiffion freely to enter them in order to furnish them with provifions.

V.

The fquadrons which blockade Brest, Cadiz, Toulon, Flushing, fhall return into their own harbours, or at leaft fhall keep out of fight of the coaft.

VI.

Three English officers fhall be difpatched, one directly to the admiral ccmmanding in the Mediterranean, another to the commander of the fquadron before Malta, the third to the commander of the blockade of Alexandria, to notify to them the prefent armiftice, and to convey to them orders to conform themselves thereunto. The faid officers fhall pafs through France, in order the more expeditiously to arrive at their destination.

VII.

His Catholic Majesty and the Batavian republic are included in the prefent armiftice.

(No.