Mr. Secretary Dundas then presented to the House, by His Majesty's command, the following Papers : (No. 1.) Official Note.-Lord Grenville to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs of the French Republic. The fignature of the preliminaries of a peace, the definitive conclufion of which is to put an end to the continental war, appears to afford to the two Governments of Great Britain and France a natural opportunity and new facilities for the renewal of pacific negotiations between them: A part of the obftacles, which might have retarded this falutary work, no longer exifting; and the interefts to be treated of being, after this event, neither fo extenfive nor fo complicated as they were before. The Court of London, always defirous of employing fuch means as are beft calculated to contribute to this object, fo interesting to the happines of the two nations, is unwilling to omit renewing to the French Govern ment the affurance of the continuance of its difpofitions on this fubject. And the undersigned is authorized to propofe to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to enter without delay, and in fuch manner as fhall be judged the most expedient, upon the difcuffion of the views and pretenfions of each party for the regulation of the preliminaries of a peace, which may be definitively arranged at the future Congrefs. As foon as the form of this negeration fhall have been agreed upon, the British Government will be ready to concur in it, by taking en its part fuch meafures as are the moft proper for accelerating the re-eítablishment of the public tranquillity. Weftminster, june 1, 1797. (Signed) (No. 2.) GRENVILLE, Official Note.-The Minifter for Foreign Affairs to Lord Grenville. The underfigned Minifter for Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, loft no time in laying before the Executive Directory the note which was tranfmitted to him on the ft of June (O.S.) by Lord Grenville, in the name of His Britannic Majefty. He is directed to answer it. The Executive Directory fees with fatisfaction the defire which the Cabinet of St. James's expreffes to put an end, at length, to the calamities of war. It will receive with eagerness the overtures and proposals which shall be made to it by the Court of England. The Executive Directory defires notwithstanding, that the negotiations fhould be fet on foot at once for a definitive treaty. This proceeding appears to the Directory preferable to a Congrefs, of which the refult muft be remote, and which does not correfpond with the ardent defire that it has to re-establish, as quickly as poffible, peace between the two powers. (Signed) CH. DELACROIX. Paris, 16 Prairial, 5th year of the (No. 3.) Official Note.-Lord Grenville to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs. The Court of London has received with the greatest fatisfaction, the affurances of the difpofitions of the Executive Directory to entertain with eagerness the pacific overtures of Great Britain, as well as of its defire to re-establish, as foon as poffible, peace between the two powers. Anxious to contribute to it in every thing which can depend upon itself, the British Government will not delay to fent to Paris, or to fuch other place upon the Continent, as may be agreed upon, a Minister, to treat and conclude with the Plenipotentiary, who fhall be appointed by the Executive Directory. The undersigned is directed to defire to know the wish of the Directory, as to the place of the negotiation, in order that a speedy determination may be taken here upon that fubject; and to request the Minifter for Foreign affairs to fend him, without delay, the neceflary passports, to enable the King's Plenipotentiary to repair immediately to his deftination. The queftion of figning preliminary or definitive articles, will neceffarily depend upon the progrefs and turn of the negotiations, to which, on the part of Great Britain, will be brought the molt fincere defire for the fpeedy re-establishment of peace. Weltminster, June 8, 1797. (Signed) (No. 4.) GRENVILLE, Official Note.-The Minister for foreign affairs to Lord Grenville. The Executive Directory of the French Republic has feen with fatisfaction, by the official note of Lord Grenville, dated June 8th (O. S.), that the Court of London fhews itself difpofed to fet on foot, without delay, the negotiation for which it has lately made an overture. Filled with the fame eagernefs, convinced that the intentions of the British Government are fuch as it defcribes them, the Directory has directed the underfigned, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to tranfmit to Lord Grenville the neceffary paffports for a Minifter furnished with full powers for the purpose of negotiating a definitive and feparate treaty of peace with the French Republic. The Executive Directory has fixed upon the Commune of Lifle as the place of meeting for the respective Plenipotentiaries. (Signed) CH. DELACROIX. Paris, 23 Prairial, 5th year of the French Republic, June 11, 1797. Liberty, Equality. (No. 5.) Fraternity, Union. In the name of the French Republic. To all officers, civil and military, charged to maintain public order in the different departments of France, and to make the French name respected abroad. Allow to pass freely furnished with the full powers of His Britannic Majefty for the purpose of negotiating, concluding, and figning a definitive and feparate treaty of peace with the French Republic, Native of, &c. &c. going to Lifle, Department of the North, the place appointed for the negotiation, without giving or fuffering any hindrance to be given to him. This paffport fhall be in force for Decades only. Given at Paris, the 23 Prairial, 5th year of the Republic, one and indivifible. CH. DELACROIX. T. GUIARDET. (No. 6.) Official Note.-Lord Grenville to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs. The underfigned has received from the Minifter for Foreign Affairs of the French Republic his official note, with the paffport which accompanied it. The Court of London willingly accepts the propofal of the French Government with refpect to the place of n gotiation, and confents that Lifle fhall be appointed as the place of meeting for the refp êtive Plenipotentiaries: it being always understood that the King's Plenipotentiary fhall have liberty to dispatch his couriers directly from Lifle to Dover, by way of Calais; and that the English vetes, appointed for keeping up this communication, fhall be allowed freely to go into, and come out of, the port of Calais, and to pafs in perfect fafety between that city and Dover. With refpect to the paffport, the underfigned finds himself under the neceffity of remarking that the terms in which this inftrument is drawn up, differ from the ufual form, by the particular defcription, which is inferted in them, of the nature and extent of the powers, and of the miffion of the King's Plenipotentiary. This new form appears liable to produce, in many inftances, confiderable inconvenience; and, according to the terms ufed in this particular inftance, it would have the difadvantage of not answering exactly to the powers and the million of the Minister in queftion. His full powers, drawn up in the ufual form, will include every cafe; and without prefcribing to him any particular mode or negotiation, will give him the moft unlimited authority to conclude any articles of treaties, whether preliminary or definitive, as might beft conduce to the speedy re-establishment of peace, which is the fole object of his miffion. But the Court of London does not by any means make a point of concluding a preliminary treaty, and would prefer only that mode, whatever it may be, which fhall be found the best calculated to accelerate the conclufion of peace. The King's Plenipotentiary then will be equally ready, and authorized to begin the negotiation without delay, upon either footing; upon the footing of a preliminary treaty-or, fhould fuch continue to be the with of the Directory, upon that of a definitive treaty. As to what regards the queftion of a feparate treaty-there would be no objection to fettling, by a treaty of this kind, whatever relates to the refpective interests of France and of Great Britain, as has been ufually the practice in fimilar cafes: But the King cannot allow any doubt to fubfift as to his intention of providing for what is due to the interefts of his ally Her Moft Faithful Majefty. And in purfuance of the fame principles, His Majefty will not refufe to enter into fuch explanations with refpect to the interefts of Spain and Holland as may appear neceffary for the re-eftablishment of peace. After this frank and precife explanation, the British Government is perfuaded that the Directory will not delay to tranfmit to them a paffport for the British Plenipotentiary and his fuite, in the ufual form, and fuch as was fent in the month of October laft for the miffion with which Lord Malmesbury was then charged, In this expectation, and for the fake of avoiding all delay, His Majefty has already made choice of the fame Minister to represent him on this important occafion. And the underfigned is charged to inquire on what day the French Flenipotentiary will be at Lifle, in order that Lord Malmesbury may arrive there at the fame time. Weftminiter, June 17, 1797. (Signed) (No. 7.) GRENVILLE. Official Note. The Minifter for Foreign Affairs to Lord Grenville. The undersigned Minifter for Foreign Affairs has laid before the Directory, immediatly upon its receipt, the official note addreffed to him by Lord Grenville, dated June 17, 1797 (O.S.) He lofes no time in replying to it, according to the orders which he has received. The Directory, partaking moft fincerely in the pacific fentiments which His Britannic Majefty announces, and wishing to bring the negotiations as quickly as poffible to a happy iffue, perfifts in requiring that the refpective Plenipotentiaries fhall begin immediately upon their meeting to treat of a definitive treaty. The Directory accepts, with fatisfaction, the confent of His Britannic Majefty upon this fubject, expreffed in the note of Lord Grenville. The Directory confents that His Britannic Majefty fhall make, by his Plenipotentiary, fuch proposals or ftipulations as he shall think proper for Her Moft Faithful Majefty, as in return the Plenipotentiaries of the Republic will do for their allies His Catholic Majefty and the Batavian Republic. The Directory confents that the negotiation fhall be opened with Lord Malmesbury. Another choice would, however, have appeared to the Directory to augur more favourably for the fpeedy conclufion of peace. The Directory requires that it fhall be eftablifhed as a principle, that each English packet boat, which fhall have brought over either the Plenipotentiary or a Courier, fhall return without delay, and shall not be allowed to make any ftay. The Directory will give orders that a French packet boat fhall be furnished, without delay, to each of the Couriers whom the Plenipotentiary of His Britannic Majefty fhall dispatch. The Directory defires, at the fame time, that the Couriers fhould not be fent too frequently; the frequent fending of them having been one of the principal caufes of the rupture of the former negotiation. After the above explanation, it becomes unneceffary to tranfmit to Lord Grenville a new paffport, the reftrictions which he apprehended were to be found in that which has been addreffed to him being entirely done away. The French Plenipotentiaries will have arrived at Lifle by the time at which Lord Malmesbury can himself be there. CH. DELACROIX. Official Note.-Lord Grenville to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The underfigned has laid before the King the official note of the French Government, which he received the 23d of the prefent month. As to the two firft articles of this note, both parties are agreed. On this point, therefore, there is nothing to be added to the explanations already given; in confequence of which explanations Lord Malmesbury will, without delay, proceed to Lifle to enter into a negotiation with the French Plenipotentiaries for the completion of a definitive treaty. The VOL. IV. F remark of the Directory upon the choice which His Majefty has thought fit to make of his Plenipotentiary, being certainly of a nature not to require any anfwer. The British Government agrees to the arrangement propofed for the packet boats; provided that a French packet boat fhall be furnished regularly, and without the leaft delay, for each courier which the British Plenipotentiary fhall find it ne effary to difpatch: the exercife of his inconteftable right in this refpect being to be governed by his own difcretion only, with a view to bringing the negotiation with which he is charged to a fpeedy and fuccessful end. With regard to the rupture of the laft negotiation, the circumftances and the motives of it are known to all Europe; and it is not at the moment of entering into a new pacific difcuffion that the British Government conceives it can be of any ufe to recall them to recollection. Lord Malmesbury will fet out from London on the 30th of this month to proceed to Calais; from whence he will arrange his departure according to the notification he may receive of the day on which the French Minifter may reach Lifle. Westminster, June 26, 1797 (Signed) (No. 9.) GRENVILLE. Official Note.-The Minifter for Foreign Affairs to Lord Grenville. The underfigned Minifter for Foreign Affairs loft no time in laying before the Executive Directory the official note addreffed to him by Lord Grenville, dated the 21ft of June, (O. S.) 8th of the prefent month Meffidor. In answer to this note, he has the honour to declare to Lord Grenville, that the Plenipotentiaries charged by the Directory with the negotiation, are already affembled in Lifle, and that the conferences may be fet on foot as foon as the Plenipotentiary of His Britannic Majefty fhall have arrived there. Provifion has been made that there fhall never be a want of packet boats for the couriers which he fhall think proper to fend to London. The undersigned at the fame time apprizes Lord Grenville, that a copy of this note will be delivered to Lord Malmesbury on his arrival at Calais, in order that there may be nothing to hinder his immediate departure for Lifle. Paris, 11 Meffidor, 5th year. (Signed) CH. DELACROIX. (June 29, 1797.) (No. 10.) Extract of a dispatch from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifle, July 6th, Thursday, 8 P. M. 1797. My Lord, Having had this morning my first conference with the French Plenipotentiaries, and having mutually exchanged our full powers, I think it my duty to difpatch a meffenger, in order that His Majefty may have the carlieft information of this circumftance. My difpatch, however, muft be confined to this alone, as nothing whatever has yet paffed relative to the negotiation itself. |