The Underfigned feels it his Duty to add, that his Court has nevertheless made urgent Representations to the French Government against a Measure, the Principle of which it cannot but confider as a direct and manifeft Violation of its Rights: That, far from being willing or able to acquiefce in it, his Court thought that it employed the best Weapons which its Situation and the Justice of its Cause afforded, when it protested folemnly against the Subverfion of Principle and the Contempt of the Law of Nations, of which this Decree gives fo fatal an Example.

But the greater the Difguft of the Court of the Underfigned at the Spirit of the Decree of the 21ft November, and particularly at the Motive alledged for its Juftification, namely, that of Retaliation, the more profound was its Regret on seeing Great Britain, in her late Meafure, follow the Footsteps of her Enemy, and take Advantage of his Example to fanction a Doctrine, the Principle of which feems more to be feared in itself, than the more or less enlarged Scale of the Regulations which determine its Effect and Extent.

The Court of Denmark cannot diffemble her Apprehenfions, that the French Government will reckon among its Triumphs, the having engaged· England in Meafures which, while they justified its own Proceeding, neceffarily weakened the Ties of Friendship which attached the Neutral Nations to

Great Britain, and that it will find in the Order in Council of His Britannic Majesty a new Motive, or at least a Pretext, not only for perfifting in its fatal Measures, and for enforcing their dormant Rigour, but alfo for augmenting, if poffible, its original Violence, and completing the Ruin of Nations, which until the present Time had preferved. the Bleffings and the Profperity of Peace. The Underfigned abftains, but too willingly, from completing the terrible Picture which the Perspective of fuch a Contest appears to prefent.

ner,

Authorized to declare in the most precife Manthat the Court of Denmark can never acquiefce in any Degree in the Order in Council of His Britannic Majefty, which has been communicated to the Underfigned on the 10th of January, nor confent that her Veffels fhould be treated in conformity to it, and to proteft formally against its Principle and its Confequences; the Underfigned however feels Pleasure in tranfmitting to his Excellency Vifcount Howick, and in partaking, the Hopes of his Court, that His Britannic Majefty will not give Effect to the Refolution in queftion; but that,` by fuppreffing it, He will continue and cement the Relations of Amity and good Understanding which attach to his Interests the Court of Denmark, whofe conftant Efforts have been directed to the Obfervance of her Engagements and to the Prefervation of her Relations with Great Britain.

This Hope receives additional Vigour from a Knowledge of the liberal Way of thinking and acting of the enlightened Minister to whom the Underfigned has the Honour to addrefs thefe Representations in Favour of Neutral Rights, which have already more than once found in him their Advocate.

The Underfigned has the Honour to offer to His Excellency Viscount Howick the Affurances of his high and refpectful Confideration.

(Signed)

London, 9th March 1807.

J. RIST.

THE

No. 2.

NOTE from Lord Viscount Howick to
Mr. Rift, dated March 17, 1807.

Foreign Office, 17th March 1807.

HE Underfigned, His Majefty's Principal Se cretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has the Honour of informing Mr. Rift, that he has loft no Time in fubmitting to His Majefty's Government his Note of the 9th Inftant; and that it has received all the Attention which the Magnitude of the Subject, and the various and important Confiderations which it involves, certainly required.

It is much to be wifhed that the Danish Government, before it had suffered itself to indulge in the Representations contained in the above Official Paper, had confidered with more Calmness the Nature and Objects of the Decree of the French Government of the 21st of November last, and the Order in Council which, in confequence of that Decree, has been issued by His Majesty.

The Underfigned is under the Neceffity of thus calling, in the Outfet, the Attention of the Danish Minister to the original State of the Queftion; becaufe M. Rift in his Reference both to the Decree of the 21st November 1806, and to His Majefty's Order in Council, feems to have mifconceived the Tenor and Effect of both; uniformly excufing and palliating the one, and in no less a Degree heightening and aggravating the fuppofed Tendency and Confequences of the other.

By the Decree of the 21ft November, which upon the falfeft Allegations is juftified by the Principle of Retaliation, the Enemy has prefumed to declare the British Ifles in a State of Blockade, prohibiting at the fame Time all Commerce with them, and all trading in English Merchandize; and by the fame Inftrument, the Prize Courts of France are directed to enforce thefe Regulations. Neutrals are confequently interdicted from all Commercial Intercourse with Great Britain, and all trading in her Commodities.

The

The French Government, in adopting a Meafure at once fo violent in itself, and of fuch Injustice with respect to the Confequences which must neceffarily have been expected to refult from it, committed a manifest Act of hoftile Aggreffion (though immediately directed against Great Britain) against the Rights of every State not engaged in the War, which, if not refifted on their Pait, must unavoidably deprive them of the Privileges of a fair Neutrality, and muft fufpend the Operation of Treaties formed for the Protection of Neutral Rights, thus fundamentally violated in their firft and most effential Principles.

The Injury which would be sustained by Great Britain, if she suffered her Commerce with Foreign Nations to be thus interdicted, whilft that of the Enemy with them should remain unmolested, is fo manifeft, that it can require no Illuftration. It never could have been prefumed that His Majefty would fubmit to fuch an Injury, waiting in patient Acquiefcence till France might think proper to attend to the flow and feeble Remonftrances of States not engaged in the War, or that He fhould forbear to take immediate Steps to check the Violence of the Enemy, and to retort upon him the Evils of his own Injustice.

Had His Majefty at once determined to exact the full Measure of Retaliation to which He was juftly entitled, (and which nothing but the most generous