Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

France) might be involved in fresh hoftilities in confequence of either of them deeming it expedient to attack the allies of the other. He afterwards intimated a perfuafion, that the article might be amended by inferting a claufe which fhould fix a specific period in which the allies of Great Britain or France fhould fignify their acceffion to or diffent from the naval armistice.

regarded as fpeedy and inevitable) would afford to the French government of obtaining by force thofe objects relative to Egypt and Malta which it had expected to acquire through the naval armistice." Of thefe affertions, though frequently repeated, I judged it proper to take no notice, but to recall his attention to the fubject immediately un

der difcuffion.

I have the honour to be, &c.
G. HAMMOND.

Towards the clofe of our converfation, M Otto acquainted me that he would ftate to me in writ- The right hon. lord Grenville. ing the objections to the counterprojet which he had received from your lordthis, and his obfervations on the objections that had been made by me to the projet which he had delivered.

No. 40.

Hereford Street, 4 Vendemiaire, yearg. (Sept. 26, 1800.)

SIR,

I lofe no time in fending you the fubitance of the obfervations which I had the honour of making to you upon the principal contefted points; I moft fincerely with that your mi niftry may think them fatisfactory. I beg of you, at the fame time, to have the goodness to address to me, as was agreed upon between us, a copy of the reafonings to which thefe obfervations are in answer. I have the honour, &c. (Signed)

I have now endeavoured to give your lordship a faithful account of the fubftance of my conference with M. Otto. The very ample inftructions with which I was provided, and which (as I have mentioned in the beginning of this letter) I read to M. Otto, precluded me from adding many obfervations; and as I have promifed to communicate to that gentleman extracts of fuch part of my inftructions as relate to the 4th and 5th articles, the two Mr. Hammond. effential fubjects of difference between us, he will have the means of retracing in his recollection the precife grounds of the objections to his propofal which have occurred to his majefty's government.

Before I conclude this letter, I cannot avoid mentioning, that in the courfe of our converfation, M. Otto threw out the moft pointed affertions of the determination of France, in the event of the naval armiftice not being concluded, to purfue the courfe of her victories in Germany and in Italy, and of the facilities that the conqueft of Naples and Sicily (events which he

No. 41.

Отто.

Citizen Otto having obferved, in the remarks made to him by Mr. Hammond, three points only which appear to him to be really of a nature to retard the conclufion of the propofed armiftice, referved them for future confideration, and an anfwer in writing.

After having maturely reflected upon the object of the maritime truce, upon the actual position of France and her enemies, upon the influence which this negotiation must have with regard to a general pacification, he feels it his duty to make

the

the following obfervations upon the difputed points :

1. The fourth article, in granting 10,000 rations per diem to the gar. rifon of Malta, has not only in view the effective troops of the republic, but all the perfons attached to the garrifon; and even the inhabitants of the place. The citizen Otto does not think that it is poffible to diminish that quantity; nevertheless, in order to remove, as much as poffible, the objection which has been ftated to him, and to accommodate himself, as much as poffible, to the 'manner in which the fubject is viewed by the English government, he confents to limit that estimate to the first month-a period neceffary to afford to the respective commiffaries the means of agreeing upon the amount which may be neceflary for the fupport of the garrifon of the place. The fecond point contained in the fourth article, refpecting the liberty of dispatching fix frigates to Egypt, appears to have given ftill more uneafinefs than the preceding one, and has given rife to a more animated difcuffion. Upon this fubject citizen Otto cannot avoid again remarking, that, if the French government propofed to affimilate the places in Egypt to thofe of Ulm and Ingolftadt, it could only do fo, and has in truth only done fo, from the analogy that there is between thofe places with refpet to the blockade; for, in every other refpect, the comparifon is in exact: in fact, nobody is ignorant that the places of Egypt are not, like Ulm and Ingolstadt, in want of being victualled, fince they cannot be prevented from drawing from the furrounding countries all the fubfiftence they require; that, befides, thofe places are not blockaded in fuch a manner as to make it probable that they should fall into the 1809.

hands of the enemies. By that comparison, therefore, it could only be meant that there fhould be granted by the forces of the enemies advantages analogous to thofe which had been granted to the places in Germany, which advantages can only be afcertained by the fpecial ftipulations of the convention which it is propofed to conclude. The free paffage of fix frigates cannot add any confiderable ftrength to the army of Egypt; it will only ferve to prove to that army that the French govern ment takes an intereft in its fate, un, til it fhall be definitively fettled by a treaty of peace. In reviewing the circumftances which have followed the capitulation figned by fir Sidney Smith, citizen Otto can not perceive the impropriety of fuch an arrangement relatively to the Porte; and he fees with regret, that the obfervations made to him by Mr. Hammond do not offer any adequate motive for relinquishing that demand, the acquiefcence in which can alone establish any kind of analogy between the places of Egypt and those of Ulm and Ingolfladt.

2. The fifth article of the new projet differs in feveral respects from that of the counter-projet of the British miniftry; but it differs much more ftill from the first projet which citizen Otto had the bo nour of prefenting, inafmuch as it admits that no hip of the line now at anchor in the ports of Breft and Toulon fhall go out thereof during. the continuance of the armistice. The French government is of opinion that this conceffion, and more efpecially in the prefent feafo, goes as far as it can go, and that, by admitting that no armed veffel fhoutd go out of the faid ports, they would leave thofe ports really in the fame state in which they are at prefent; (M) indeed,

indeed, in a state even lefs favour. able, fince the time is perhaps not far off when the British forces will not prevent thofe veffels from going All that citizen Otto can concede, with regard to this article, is, that no naval stores fhall be imported by fea into the ports of Toulon and Breft; but he muftinuift upon the free egrefs of frigates and floops. If this conceffion give to France the advantage of an effectual communication with her colonies, it is an equivalent to that derived from this armistice to the commerce of England; which, under the protection of this convention, can extend itself to all parts of the world, without being molefted by French privateers.

That, befides, if a reference were made to the comparifon between the continental armistice and the maritime truce, that comparifon would be found to be entirely to the difadvantage of France. Upon the continent the French and Auftrian armies reciprocally enjoy the fame liberty of taking, within the line of demarkation, thofe pofitions. which appear moft advantageous to them by the maritime armiftice, on the contrary, England preferves alone the right of difpofing of her fquadrons, whilst the French fhips of the line remain in their ports, and cannot enter into any hoftile combinations agairti Great Britain. 3. The fixth article of the new projet, refpecting the English troops which may be allowed to land in Italy, has been confidered as a new pretenfion on the part of France, fince the had made no mention of it in her first projet ; but this pretenfion (if it can be called fo) is only the natural confequence of a conceffion alike new, made by France, in offering to include in the armiftice the allies of Great Britain.

It would indeed be impoffible to allow the king of Naples to enjoy advantages from this truce, and to leave him alfo the power of rein forcing and of preparing fresh meaus of attack against the republic.

Citizen Ötto confines himself to thefe obfervations, which he deems of most importance. Other objections which have been made, and which in great measure relate to the form of drawing up the proposed convention, might be easily ob viated.

No. 42.-NOTE. Downing-Street, Sept. 26, 1800. Mr. Hammond is directed to acquaint M. Otto, that the obfervations contained in his note this day, received by Mr. Hammond, have been laid before his majesty's government,

The king's fervants regret that M. Otto's inftructions are not futfciently extenfive to enable him to furnish the means of accommodation on thofe points which prevent the conclufion of a naval armistice.

The only object which his majefty has had in view in this difcuffion has been repeatedly stated, as well as thofe confiderations which appear to him neceffarily to limit the extent of the conceffions which it is poflible for him to make in this refpect.

It is not conceived that any advantage can arise from a new ftatement of the fame topics, efpecially as it is not doubted that M. Otto, in his report of the different arguments ftated by Mr. Hammond in their conference, will bring them in the fulleft manner under the con fideration of his government, In offering thefe conceffions, his majefty has given a ftrong proof of his willingness to make a confiderable facrifice of the particular inter

efts

effs of this country in order to facilitate thofe negotiations for gene.. ral peace in which he has expreffed his readiness to concur. He ftill perfeveres in the fame difpofitions, and will be willing to join in any proper fteps to be taken for that purpose.

M. Otto.

No. 43. Hereford-Street, 6 Vendemiaire, (Sept. 28, 1800.)

SIR,

I have received the note which you did me the honour to address to me on the 26th, and I loft no time in forwarding the contents to my government: and alfo the obfervations contained in the piece which I have now the honour to return enclosed.

His majefty's miniftry have done juftice to my intentions, in being perfuaded that I would fend to France a detailed and exact account of the conversation which I had the honour of having with you. I have done every thing in my power to make the first conful acquainted I with the whole extent of the obfervations which you were directed to communicate to me.

Whatever may be the refult of this attempt of the two governments to re-establish the general tranquil lity of Europe, I ought to congratulate myself for having been, to the miniftry of his majefty, the organ of the pacific difpofitions of France; and for having been charged to tranfmit to my government the affurance of the equally conciliato. ry difpofitions of his majefty.

I have the honour to be, with the highest confideration, (Signed)

OTTO.

To Mr. Hammond,
Under-fecretary of State,

[blocks in formation]

In endeavouring to make, for the information of his majesty's minifters, as accurate a reprefentation as I could of the purport of the communication which you yefterday made to me verbally, I have felt fo much anxiety left, in an affair of fuch importance, there fhould be any mis-ftatement on my part of what you faid, that I cannot help expreffing to you my earnest defire that you would fend me a written minute of the fubftance of this anfwer in the fame manner as has been done in all the other stages of this difcuffion. I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) GEORGE HAMMOND. M. Otto. No. 46. Hereford-Street, 16 Vendemiaire, Year 9. (O. 8, 1800.) SIR,

I have received the letter which you did me the honour to address to me this morning, requesting that I would acquaint you in writing with the fubftance of the communication which I have been directed to make to you, the importance of the object to which it relates rendering you apprehenfive left you (M2) fhould

fhould not completely have feized the meaning of the communication, 1 haften therefore to tranfmit the fubftance of it to you.

The laft notes which were ex. changed, and feveral important events which have completely changed the bafis upon which the propofed armiftice was to have been eftablished, having put an end to the negotiation on foot, I had the honour to inform you, that notwithstanding the circumftances which are opposed to the conclufion of a maritime truce, the first conful is invariably difpofed to receive any overtures relative to a separate negotiation between France and Great Britain, and that the mode of fuch overture entirely depends upon the option of his majefty. That when the king fhall think proper to fend for that purpose a plenipotentiary to Paris, I am authorifed not only to confent to it, but to deliver to him the neceffary paffport. That if, on the contrary, his majesty fhould prefer that the preliminary negotiations fhould be begun at London, fpecial powers will be fent to me for that purpose. I have the honour, &c. (Signed) OTTO. Mr. Hammond.

No. 47:
Downing-Street, Oct. 9, 1800.
Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yetlerday's date; and I am directed in return to acquaint you,

That his majefty's government entirely agrees in the opinion there, expreffed, that all further difcuffion of the terms of a naval armistice would be fuperfluous, as the only object which it was propofed to his majefty to fecure by fuch an arrangement has in the mean time been

made the ground of feparate facris fices required from his ally.

With refpect to the propofal of opening negotiations for a feparatę peace, his majesty, retaining always the fincere defire which he has uniformly expreffed for the reftoration of general tranquillity in Europe, mult at the fame time renew his former declarations of an invariable determination to execute with punctuality and good faith his engagements with his allies; and muft therefore fteadily decline to enter into any measures tending to feparate his interefts from thofe of the powers who fhall continue to make common, caufe with him in the profecution of the war. I am, &c. (Signed)

M. Otto.

GEORGE HAMMOND.

APPENDIX. Extract of a Note from Baron Thugut to M. Talleyrand, dated Vienna, the 11th of Auguft, 1800.

to convey to the firft conful, through The emperor has ordered me, fir, your channel, the invitation for the immediate meeting of the refpective plenipotentiaries, who with good faith and zeal are occupied in concerting, with as little delay as poffible, the means of re-establishing fuffering Europe has long fighed in general tranquillity, after which vain. His majefty flatters himself, that through that measure his pacific wishes will be fpeedily accomplifhed with the more certainty, becaufe the king of Great Britain, his ally, has juft caused it to be de clared to him, that he is ready, on his part, to concur in the fame nes gotiations; as it appears by the inclofed copy of the official note delivered here by lord Minto, his Bri

« AnteriorContinua »