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No. XXII.

Copy of a Dispatch from the Earl of Yarmouth to Mr. Secretary Fox, dated Paris, July 20, 1806.Received July 24.

Paris, July 20, 1806, 11 at night. Sir,

At nine this morning, having had the honour to receive your letters by Mr. Longuinoff, and written a few lines to you in addition to my dispatches of last night, I went to M. d'Oubril; and as I am happy since to find, anticipated the contents of your dispatch of the 18th instant.

I used every argument and means to obtain delay; engaged to break off if he did: and, finally, authorised him to hold out hopes that I would listen to propositions of indemnity in lieu of Sicily for his Sicilian majesty, if proposed by him. and accompanied by a joint negotiation.

I begged he would do nothing till after Basilico should have arrived, as I had learned by the telegraph, that he had landed last night.

I did not find him disposed to listen to me; and, not being willing to be too communicative towards him at that moment, I went away.

At twelve I waited upon M. Talleyrand he was not to be seen.

At four I heard from good authority that peace was signed. At six Basilico arrived. I then went to M. d'Oubril. He was said not to be at home; but, seeing his carriage, I forced my way. He admitted the fact, peace is signed; the conditions, the evacuation instanter of Germany by the French troops; the integrity, &c. of the Ottoman empire; no attempt to be made upon Swedish Pomerania; and, by a secret article,

Russia promises to obtain his Sicilian majesty's consent to an exchange of Sicily for Majorca, Minorca, and Ivica: Russia to use her good offices to restore peace between France and England.

I have not seen the treaty, but I believe it contains nothing else material.

M. d'Oubril sends a copy to count Strogonoff, and goes himself to St. Petersburgh. I had no patience to listen to M. d'Oubril's defence of his conduct, so I did not claim his good offices. I must have asked him officially to stay, which I did not choose to do. I have the honour to be, sir, &c. Yarmouth.

No. XXIII.

Extract from a Dispatch from the

Earl of Yarmouth to Mr. Secretary
Fox, dated Paris, July 21, 1806.
Received July 24.

Sir, I saw M. Talleyrand to-day. I can perceive that the terms of France are increased, but still not so much as the sudden defection of Russia had led me to apprehend. Hanover, Malta, the Cape, and India, remain pure and unsullied; and I took an opportunity in conversation to protest, that come what come might, these were points I never would suffer to be mentioned, but as points agreed upon.

Paris, July 21, 1806.

M. Talleyrand demanded my powers. I did not think myself authorized, in the present circum. stances, to withhold them.

General Clarke is named to treat with me.

No. XXIV. Full Powers given to the Earl of Yarmouth, which were communi

cated

cated to M. Talleyrand on the 21st of July, 1806, and exchanged with General Clarke, the French Plenipotentiary, on the 23d.

No. XXV.

Extract from a Dispatch from the Earl of Yarmouth to Mr. Secretary Fox, dated Paris, July 24, 1806.-Received July 28.

Sir, Paris, July 24, 1806. I had the honour to send, by M. de Longuinoff, dispatches, acquainting you, for his majesty's information, of the peace signed between the Russian and French plenipotentiaries, and with as accurate a statement of the terms as I was able to obtain. M. d'Oubril himself set out for Petersburgh carly on the morning of the 22d.

On the 22d I received the official notification of the appointment of general Clarke to treat on the part of France, (a copy of which I have the honour to inclose, marked A.) preceded by a private communication from M. Talleyrand, saying, that the Russian peace being signed, and the season of the year favourable to the accomplishment of the ulterior views of France, no arrangement, which might remove for some weeks, or even months, a definitive treaty, could now take place.

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saying, he had not yet received his final instructions on all the different points in discussion; it was therefore agreed to adjourn the conference to this day, when each should come prepared with a memorandum of the intentions of his government, founded on what had already passed; general Clarke at the same time declaring, that a separate peace with Russia was to be considered equal, or superior, in the present circumstances of the world, to any great success in war, and consequently as entitling France to terms much more advantageous than those to which she would have subscribed some days ago. This was accompanied by some animadversions on the conduct of Russia, to which I could only answer, that I felt it my duty to abstain from any remark, and should, therefore, be entirely silent upon that subject: but that I could assure him, that if any intention existed of making any change in the great points upon which we had had such positive, though certainly not official, assurances, namely, his majesty's German dominions, Malta, and the Cape, I must consider the negotiation as stopped in limine, and that there would remain only for me to return to England, and acquaint the king, that no peace, consistent with his majesty's honour, or that of the country, could be made. General Clarke reverted to his want of full instructions, and promised to meet me, properly prepared, the next day.

At three o'clock this day I again met general Clarke, when I read a paper, a copy of which I have the honour to inclose (marked D.) containing the abstract of what I had always stated to be the basis and terms on which his majesty could

alone

alone consent to treat. I did not, however, deliver it to him, considering it merely as the heads of past conversations.

General Clarke then said, that as it was impossible I could be prepared with the assent of his majesty to the arrangement proposed by Russia for his Sicilian majesty, on which the terms might much depend, I must consider the communication he made, as not strictly official in point of form, but as depending only on that eircumstance to make it so.

General Clarke proceeded to state, that, in the situation France was in at this moment, the emperor would feel authorized to withhold some of the great points; but that having repeatedly said the contrary, though not in an official manner, he would abide by it.

General Clarke first conversed about his majesty's German dominions. On this subject, by secret articles, any thing his majesty thinks right may be stipulated: by the public article, the promise not to object to some acquisition of territory to be made by Prussia. I stopped general Clarke here to say, that his majesty never could consent to the king of Prussia's obtaining the Hanse Towns. General Clarke said, that it was Fulda, Hoya, and some other trifling principalities, over which it was proposed to extend the sovereignty of his Prussian majesty, but that the independence and present state of the Hanse Towns should not be meddled with.

On the subject of Malta-Malta, Gozo, and Connio, in full sovereignty to his majesty, with a clause

in the article declaratory of the dis solution of the order, and the two powers, "* n'en connoissent plus l'existance." Some pensions for the chevaliers and others, having " + des droits reels dans l'isle."This not to extend to foreign commanderies of the order, or to any claim not local.

The Cape in equal full sovereignty; as a condition it is desired, "qu'il y soit établi un port franc" to all nations: either the port itself declared so, or a part appropriated to that purpose.

On the subject of the maintenance of the integrity of the territories and possessions of the Sublime Porte, general Clarke proposed an article, a copy of which I have the honour to send (marked E.) I told him the usual full clause would be sufficient; he persisted that I should send it for his majesty's consideration.

To the usual full clause of the integrity of the territories and possession of his most faithful majesty, general Clarke weighed upon a proposed addition of the word " § partout," and when asked for explanation, said, he thought his Britannic majesty might occupy some of his most faithful majesty's foreign possessions.

The integrity of his Swedish majesty's dominions in the usual manner.

Having dismissed these points, general Clarke stated the demands of France:

Pondicherry, St. Lucie, Tobago, Surinam,

No longer recognize the existence of it.

+ Real rights in the island.

That there should be established there a free port. § In every part of the world.

Goree,

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The situation in which the two belligerent powers are now placed, by the course of the events of the war, leaving few points of immediate contact between them, or on which they may not, according to all appearance, come now to an understanding, his Britannic majesty, animated no less than the emperor of the French, with a desire to put an end to the calamities of war, has authorized the undersigned (fur nished with the full powers of his majesty) to discuss the basis, and to give full effect to this reciprocal desire.

The immense acquisitions made

by France since the commencement of hostilities, and the direct and immediate influence which she has ob tained, having entirely changed the political system of Europe, his Britannic majesty finds himself obliged to seek in the conquests he has made, and in the possession of Malta, a just and reasonable counterpoise. His majesty would consequently treat generally on the basis of the uti possidetis.

It is at the same time understood, that the German possessions of his Britannic majesty, of which he was deprived from motives foreign to the war between the two powers, shall be restored to him entire.

It is likewise understood, that the peace shall secure the integrity of the territories and possessions of the Sublime Porte, of his most faithful majesty, of, his majesty the king of Sweden, and the present state of Switzerland.

Fifth Inclosure (E.) Copy of an Article proposed by General Clarke to the Earl of Yarmouth, for the Maintenance of the Integrity of the Ottoman Empire. (Translation.)

The two contracting powers reciprocally guarantee the entire and absolute integrity and independence of the Ottoman empire. They will mutually oppose the pretensions of any power to any thing contrary to the usages, the rights of sovereignty, and the possessions of the Sublime Porte.

No. XXVI.

Extract from a Dispatch from Mr. Secretary Fox to the Earl of Yar

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mouth, dated Downing-street, Ju-
ly 26, 1806.

Downing-street, July 26, 1806.
MY LORD,

Your lordship's dispatches conveying the mortifying intelligence of the signature of a separate treaty between Russia and France, were received here yesterday; and his majesty's ministers have since had the opportunity of being acquainted with the precise terms of that treaty, which it appears had not in all respects been accurately represented to your lordship.

The king was most particularly struck with the great difference which was perceived between the actual arrangement made respecting Sicily, and that which had been de scribed to your lordship.

In writing to your lordship, it is not necessary to dwell on the humiliating conditions to which M. d'Oubril has thought proper to bind his sovereign. Of that minister's misconduct your lordship appears fully sensible; and I doubt not you exerted yourself to the utmost to prevent it. When this was found impracticable, your lordship was naturally placed in circumstances of considerable difficulty, and for which every allowance is to be made. But it is necessary for me to say, frankly, that it would on the whole have been more satisfactory to the king's servants if your lordship had waited to know the impression which this new event might create here before you had produced your full powers.

It was originally declared by your lordship to M. Talleyrand, that your full powers were not to be produced till the French government should have reverted to the basis of negotiation originally proVOL. XLVIII.

posed by themselves; that of the uti possidetis universally, with the single exception of Hanover. By subsequent instructions, your lordship had indeed been acquainted that, in compliance with the wish so strongly expressed by the Russian negociator at Paris, his majesty would not refuse to enter into the consideration of such proposals as might be made to him for a fair equivalent to be given to his Sicilian majesty in lieu of Sicily, with the full and free consent of that monarch. The proposal of such an equivalent, and its acceptance by his majesty's government, would have replaced the negotiation on its original footing, that of a uti possidetis, to be departed from only by mutual consent, in those cases where any exchange for a reasonable equivalent might meet the ideas of both parties; and the case for the production of your lordship's full powers would thus have arisen clearly and unequivocally. Even as the matter now stands, it does not certainly preclude discussion, But this might have been continued unofficially. And it is appre hended that, by producing your powers on the very day after the signature of the Russian treaty, an impression may have been created very unfavourable to the further progress of the negotiation.

In the situation to which the bu siness is now brought, his majesty thinks it necessary to lose no time in taking every proper step for replacing the discussions between the two countries on their original footing.

The first proposals made by France were, that a plenipotentiary should be sent from hence with full powers to treat, and to conclude

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