your lordship's dispatch as would be right for them to know.-Your Idp. left it also to my discretion how to act with respect to the eventual departure of the merchants. I knew that many of them had outstanding debts to a considerable amount, and here in particular, it would be impossible to settle their accounts at a short warning. I therefore informed the Porte that I should immediately prepare our factories for their departure, which had likewise the effect of shewing that his majesty's government was really serious; and I obtained a solemn promise that, should it be necessary, the British merchants, as had been the case with the Russians, should have firmans to pass the Dardanelles.—I have since made known to the factory here the present state of things; and should his majesty's subjects be ultimately obliged to leave the country, I will take every possible care to procure for them the means of departing in safety. I am no less attentive to the factory at Smyrna, and to the British commercial establishments at the other states of this empire.

(Inclosure referred to in No. 9.)-Letter

ship that my conduct has met with his majesty's approbation. Your lordship will have the goodness, I hope, to take an opportunity of expressing to his majesty my deep sense of this distinguished favour, and you will allow me at the same time to offer my sincere thanks to yourself for the obliging manner in which you made to me so flattering a communication.-After the receipt of your lordship's dispatch I lost no time in asking for a conference. It was fixed for the 25th inst.; and on my arrival at the Porte I found Ismet Bey, the Reis Effendi, the Chiaya Bey, and the Ex-Chiaya Bey, all assembled. As the conference lasted more than four hours, it would require a length of time to set down on paper all that was said on that occasion. Being anxious to inform your lordship without delay of my having received your instructions, and having also to forward my eight preceding dispatches, which have been detained till now by a contrary wind, I shall for the present do little more than refer to the contents of the letter herewith inclosed, which was sent by me yesterday to the Reis Effendi. Indeed that letter may give a tolerable idea of what passed at the conference; for the Ottoman ministers, who of late had been displeased at what they called my personal partiality to Russia, and who all along have expressed their conviction that his majesty was not acting in concert with Russia, were now so amazed and dejected, that they did not utter a single word which is worth repeating to your lordship. They confined them-fore you; and in again pointing out the selves entirely to their usual professions of friendship for his majesty; to the complaints, which I had often heard before of the treatment they had received from Russia; and to excuses for their own conduct, grounded on the changes which have taken place in Europe. They declared, however, that they could give no official answer until the Sultan's pleasure had been known. I have only to observe, in addition to what your lordship will find in my letter to the Reis Effendi, that as it was left to my discretion, either to announce or to conceal the approaching arrival of a second squadron, I determined on the former after some deliberation.-I was convinced that the only chance of opening the eyes of the Porte would arise from its being proved that his majesty's final resolution had been taken; and for this reason, I made to the Ottoman ministers the communication in question, and read to them such parts of

from Mr. Arbuthnot to the Reis Efendi, dated Pera, 26th Jan. 1807. Sir; Your excellency expressed a desire of receiving in writing, the substance of what I had the honour of stating to you in our conference of yesterday. In compliance with this desire, I shall recall to your recollection the several topics which, by my sovereign's orders, I had to lay be

line of conduct which his maj. expects from the Porte, I shall in their very words, repeat the orders which I have now received, and which, as they admit but of one construction, it will be my duty most literally and most faithfully to obey.-That your excellency and the other ministers who assisted at the conference might understand more clearly the motives which had induced his maj. after a long enduring patience, to change his conduct towards the Porte, it was necessary for me to allude to the first conference I had after my arrival in this country. I told you that Mahmood, who was then Reis Efendi, had scarcely given me time to leave the frigate, before he invited me to a conference; that his first question was, whether I was authorized to renew the treaty; and that to give me a convincing proof of the Sultan's desire to continue that connection with his maj. which had already been productive of such

not ignorant of the joy which was expressed when it was known that my sovereign was willing to renew his connexions with the sultan. You remember well that the approach of the Ramazan alone prevented the immediate commencement of the nego ciation; an you are equally aware, that when that time of religious retirement was expired, the sentiments of the Ottoman

inestimable benefits to this empire, he read to me a note from his highness to the Vizir, which had been written as I was coming round the point of the Seraglio, and which, as I remember well, contained these words: I see that the ambassador of my friend the king of England is arrived; let my Reis Efendi see him immediately, and let me know whether he has brought powers to renew the Treaty.' I should not pre-ministers had entirely changed; and that, sume to quote the words of the Sultan's without frankly confessing the real truth, note, if even one of them had escaped my there was an attempt to justify delay by memory; but his highness I am sure will the most absurd pretences. You know that own the accuracy of my statement, and in the misfortunes which had happened to revolving in his mind the feelings by which Austria (instead of being considered as adhe was then influenced, he will regret per-ditional reasons for consolidating that syshaps that new counsellors soon inspiredtem which in times of danger had proved other sentiments. I then informed you of the surest bulwark of this empire,) were the answer which I had given to Mahmood; the signal on the contrary for abandoning and which, notwithstanding it contained the the principles which till then had influenced most satisfactory reasons for my not having the Ottoman councils. As if total blindbeen able to be myself the bearer of full ness had been produced by a sudden panic, powers, and was expressive of my convic- this government abandoned the security tion that they would soon arrive, was which had been derived from acting in received however by that minister with conjunction with its allies; and imaginary marks of mortification which could not but perils gave place to real ones, when a conprove that he, no less than his master, was nexion with that power was sought, whose aware that an alliance with England was professions of friendship have uniformly the only means of insuring prosperity to been more baneful than its open enmity.this empire. To save your excellency the By referring to the minutes of the controuble of reading the long details into ferences which I had at the time with your which I was obliged to enter yesterday, I immediate predecessor, your exc. will find shall pass rapidly over all that intervened that when I discovered the intention to between that conference with Mahmood, deceive me; far from insisting upon a reand the arrival at Constantinople of the newal of the treaty, I expressed no more present French ambassador. Not that I than the sense I justly entertained of the consider the events which happened during indignity which had been offered to my sothat period as of inferior importance, and vereign, and only demanded an explicit am therefore inclined to notice them but avowal of the real determination of this slightly I feel on the contrary that the government.-Such an avowal the miconduct of the Ottoman government in re- nisters of that day were not inclined to gard to those events, has been the cause of make to me; nor even did they think it all the evil which we are now witnessing; necessary to advise the Sultan to open his and as that conduct has been no less la- mind confidentially to my sovereign, though mented by your excellency than by me, some valid reasons were undoubtedly wantit would be with yourself that I ought ing, as an explanation for declining to rechiefly to discuss it. To you, indeed, I new the treaty which here and not in Engmight with peculiar propriety express my land had been so earnestly desired; though feelings of sorrow that the wise principles I as a friend had pointed out that a letter which I heard from you on your first en- to that effect ought in prudence to be trance into office, have either been forgot-written; and though, as recent facts have ten, or, what I think is more probable, have proved, there is not the same unwillingness unfortunately been opposed by superior in- to address his maj. when his powerful influence. But to save time and to save you terference is wanted, as was evinced when trouble, I shall briefly observe that con- an offence against him was to be accountsistently with what I had declared to Mah-ed for and explained.-But the advisers of mood, full powers for negotiating the treaty his highness were then otherwise engaged. did almost immediately arrive. Though They were wholly occupied in receiving, your exc. was not then in office, you are with signal marks of distinction, the perVOL. X.

2 L

through the Bosphorus, though it formed an article of a treaty but just renewed: On all these subjects, and on various others which could be enumerated, I and the Russian minister had daily to remonstrate with the Porte; and, as your excellency well knows, it was scarcely ever that we remonstrated with effect. Indeed so notorious was the disinclination of the late ministers to give us satisfaction with respect to our just demands, that your excellency at our first meeting assured me in expressions which did you honour, 'that the time of evil conduct was gone by, and that the commencement of your ministry should make an epoch more worthy of the Sultan, and more satisfactory to his allies.' Your excellency I am confident was sincere in these professions: to give them effect you wanted only that influence which I wished you to obtain; but which was still

son who had come to demand the acknow- | ledgment of Buonaparte's new imperial titles, and in preparing the answer which was to announce to that chief of the French nation, that his demand had without hesitation been agreed to.-It is true that both to M d'Italinsky and to me commuations were made of Buonaparte's overture; and as it came from the head of a government with which the Porte ought at least not to have considered herself as on terms of friendship, for treaties with G. Britain and Russia were existing by which she had expressly stipulated that their enemies should be hers, it was not unreasonable to suppose that in the communication made to us there was a desire to consult our opinion. -Our answers were not delayed, for the danger of becoming thus connected with the French government was sufficiently evident without deliberation. With a warning, and as it now appears, with a prophe-possessed by persons who had had their tic voice, we cautioned the Ottoman go- share in separating the Sultan from his alvernment against the admission of a minis- lies; and who having now to work in ter whose unceasing efforts would be to sow secret, unchecked by the responsibility atdissension between the Porte and her allies: tached to public situations, had thereby but though twenty-four hours had not elapsed the means of baffling more effectually your between the time of the communications efforts as well as ours.-I come now to the made by the Porte, and of our answers, the event which was naturally to be the consedeed had been already done; and in an quence of the acknowledgment of Buonaevil hour, a last and fatal blow had been parte's title. I allude to gen. Sebastiani's given to the system which the Sultan's ene- arrival. He found the ministers of the my, as well as ours, had so long and so allies injuriously treated by the Porte; and unceasingly been endeavouring to under- it was not to be expected that, after he mine. It was then that the triple was present, the conduct towards their goalliances may be said to have been viriu-vernments would be improved; and in efally dissolved; and then was prepared that fect his arrival was the signal for those new state of things which we are now wit- more overt acts of aggression which have nessing, and which, from the effects it has so justly excited the displeasure of our soalready produced, does not argue grea vereigns. -I shall pass by unnoticed the wisdom in its contrivers.--Tired out with attentions shewn to the new ambassador: such constant failure in our endeavours to they were irregular and unprecedented; save the Porte from the false measures she but I feel that they were more disgraceful was pursuing, the Russian minister and I to those to whose instigation they were would both of us have gladly been relieved owing, than it has been disreputable to us from long and unsuccessful labours. But not to share them. But I shall confine still it was our duty to have constant dis- myself to those two acts by which the emcussions with the Porte; and still had we bassy of M. Sebastiani has been principally to lament that all our efforts to obtain jus-marked. To the note he presented on the tice for our governments, and to inspire councils wiser for herself, were equally without avail.-On commercial subjects: -On that of Protections, in regard to which my sovereign in particular was treated with disrespect, for, to gratify the Porte, he had voluntarily abandoned long enjoyed privileges: On the right to carry the Russian flag, which my colleague had to assert : On the passage of Russian ships of war

16th of last Sept. and to the deposition of the Hospodars, which was so equally his deed that he did not scruple to take the glory of it.-Respecting the note, I need say the less, as the Ottoman ministers had at the time my written sentiments on the snbject, as your excellency and your colleagues saw yesterday in the instructions sent to me from England, that those sentiments had met with the most decided ap

standing all that has happened, friendship, and not enmity, is their real object. Gen. Michelson marched into Moldavia, and, in the proclamation which he then issued, you will have found the terms on which the emperor has offered the renewal of his

You would have heard the same from his late minister at this court, if you had not hurried him from your country; and if, in contradiction to the solemn assurances given to me, you had not rashly committed an act of hostility by the seizure of the Russian brig, which had been the bearer of explanatory dispatches. -Of what is expected from you by my sovereign, I had the honour of informing you yesterday. You know the reasons why his maj. feels himself justified in requiring the removal of M. Sebastiani. He is convinced, as I have already told you, that the presence of that minister is incompatible with the existence of friendship between the Porte and the allies; and he thinks with the emperor, that a false and hollow peace would be worse than open war.It is therefore for the Porte to make her choice between France and her allies.Should the boastings of France continue to be credited; should faith be placed in her professions of friendship, and should the menaces which accompany those professions excite no alarm; then, most probably his maj.'s offer will be rejected, and gen. Se

probation of his maj.'s government; and as, what is far more deserving your attention, you have from the very words of his maj.'s cabinet minister learnt the effect which the conduct of the Porte with regard to that note had produced in England. You have seen that the insulting and faith-friendship. less propositions made by M. Sebastiani ought, in the opinion of my government, to have been immediately rejected with indignation; and you have perceived that little hope was entertained of preserving the relations of amity between the two powers, whilst a minister, whose influence had already been so prejudicial to the friendship subsisting between them, was suffered to remain at Constantinople.-On the other subject, that of the Hospodars I mean, it will be necessary to re-state to you as accurately as I am able, what I mentioned yesterday. It is true that you did restore them; but may I not ask, as I have done before, whether the unwillinguess manifested to repair the injury you had committed, and whether the time which was allowed to elapse before you could be persuaded to give new effect to violated engagements, were not sufficient grounds for suspicion, and sufficiently strong motives for demanding some more solid security? May I not ask, whether this suspicion has not since been fully justified, and whether in your notes and manifestoes, you have not avowed the reluctancy you felt in ful-bastiani will remain. Should there, howfilling your most solemn treaties ?-Our governments were not to be deceived. The confidence I had placed in the assurances of your excellency, and your unqualified disapprobation of that conduct towards Russia, which is now represented as perfectly justifiable, had led me to give the praise of sincerity to this government which I find to have been ill deserved. But our sovereigns did not partake of the delusion which, I must fairly own, had blinded their ministers. They had not heard the strong and repeated professions of your exc.; they had only to calculate the time which had passed in negotiation, and to observe the difficulties which we had every instant to encounter, and they had already obtained too convincing proofs, that the influence inimical to the friendship between the Sultan and his allies still prevailed. They resolved therefore on such measures as would remove all doubt as to the real designs of the Porte; and these measures were to be accompanied with such declarations as cannot but prove that, notwith

ever, be some recollection of what Russian arinies have atchieved, and of what British fleets have been known to execute, it may occur to the Porte that her late conduct has not been wise. She may, as I said yesterday, then wish to place herself in that situation in which I found her when I first arrived. She has still the means of doing it. She has only to comply with the just demands of his maj. and the emperor; and both these sovereigns will, with greater joy, concert measures for her defence, than they have now concerted those which they found essential to their interests. I might now conclude, for I have retraced to your exc. nearly the whole of what I stated in my conference, and I feel that I have fully executed all my instructions. But I cannot close the last letter which perhaps I may ever write to your exc. without exhorting you to exert that influence which belongs to your high and distinguished situation. Make those feel whose errors have caused the evil which is now impending, that, whatever changes may have taken place in