government, with the notice that these priories have agreed amongst themselves, that his holiness the pope shall select (pro hac vive), from amongst the candidates therein specified, the person who is to fill the post of grand master. His Britannic majesty on his part is willing to consider an election so made as valid, according to the stipulations of the 10th article of the treaty of Amiens. His majesty therefore is ready to acknowledge, in quality of grand master, the person whom the pope shall think proper to fix upon, from amongst the names contained in that list. His majesty has no other end in view in this than to see the 10th article of the treaty of Amiens duly fulfilled, and the arrangement it contains executed with as little difficulty as possible. It is stipulated by the 13th pa ragraph of the same article, that the Austrian, Russian, and Prussian governments, shall be solicited to accede to the said arrange ment. The British government is of opinion, that it might be proper for that of France to send without delay instructions to their ministers at Vienna, Petersburgh, and Berlin, to make, conjointly with his Britannic majesty's ministers, a communication to those powers in which they should be invited to accede to the arrangement respecting Malta, by which the independence of the island, and the other stipulations relative thereto, are placed under the protection and guarantee of those powers conjointly with their Britannic and Catholic majesties and the French republic. Note from M. Talleyrand to Mr. Merry, referred to in No. 6. The undersigned, minister for foreign affairs, has the honour to transmit to M. Merry, his Britannic majesty's minister plenipotentiary, his answer to the note verbale which he addressed to him on the eighth Prairial. He doubts not that his majesty's ministers will see in this answer a new proof of the constant dispositions of the first consul to come to an agreement with the English government, for the securing and facilitating the execution of the respective clauses of the treaty which has re-established peace between the two states. The undersigned has the honour to renew to M. Merry the assurance of his high consideration. (Signed) Cha. Mau. Talleyrand. Paris, 20th Prairial, Year 10. [The minister for foreign affairs of the French republic, has received the communication which has been made to him by his Britannic majesty's minister plenipotentiary, of the list of the candidates nominated by the votes of the different priories to the grand mastership of the order of Malta; and he has submitted to the first consul the proposal concerted between the priories of the order, and approved by his Britannic majesty, of submittng (pro hac vice) to his holiness the choice among the proposed candidates. The first consul had no other object, in whatever relates to the order of Malta, than to see the 10th artiele of the treaty of Amiens duly executed, and to remove all the obstacles which might render that execution tardy or difficult. He moreover desires equally with his Britannic majesty, that France and England England should act in concert, in order the better to secure the independence and the organization of the order of Malta. He, therefore, consents that the choice of its grand master, from the candidates proposed by the votes of the priories, should for this time be submitted to his holiness. As to the 13th paragraph of the same article, respecting the accession of the powers, the first consul thinks with his Britannic majesty, that the powers should be invited to give their consent to the arrange. ments agreed upon; and the French ministers at the courts of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, shall consequently, receive orders to take, conjointly with his Britannic majesty's ministers, the necessary steps for obtaining the accession provided by the 10th article of the treaty of Amiens.] Paris, 10th Prairial, Year 10. No. 7. Dispatch from Mr. Merry to Lord Hawkesbury, dated Paris, June 4, 1802. My lord, I had occasion to see Mr. Talleyrand yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of introducing to him, by appointment, some English gentle men, previously to their presentation to-day to the first consul. Having gone first alone into the minister's cabinet, he said, that he had been directed by general Bona parte, to represent to me several circumstances which stood very much in the way of that perfect reconciliation and good understanding between the two countries and their governments, which it was the first consul's sincere wish to see re-established, in order that such obstacles might 4 be removed before the arrival in London of the French ambassador ; because, although the circumstances in question had already produced a very disagreeable effect, whilst only M. Otto, as minister, had to witness them, they would acquire a great addition of force if they should still exist when the ambassador should be present; and since the first consul had given orders for ge neral Andreossy to proceed to his destination with as little delay as possible, he wished that I should take an early opportunity to give an account to your lordship of the observations which he was charged to make to me. After a preface to this effect, M. Talleyrand proceeded to state to me, that the accounts which M. Otto had transmitted of the disgust and inconvenience which he could not but feel and experience at meeting, frequently, at his majesty's court, and at other places, the French princes, and some French persons still decorated with the insignia of French orders which no longer existed; and, at seeing the countenance and support which continued to be given, in England, to what, he termed, the ci-devant French bishops, as well as to other persons (he here mentioned Georges) inimical to the present government of France, had affected, so strongly, the first consul, and were, in fact, so calculated to prevent that system of cordiality which he was anxious to see established, that it was incumbent upon him to express his wish, that his majesty's government might be disposed to remove out of the British dominions all the French princes and their adherents, together with the French bishops, and other French individuals, whose political principles principles and conduct must necessarily occasion great jealousy to the French government. He continued to observe, that the protection and favour which all the persons in question continued to meet with in a country so close a neighbour to France, must alone be always considered as an encouragement to the disaffected here, even without those persons themselves being guilty of any acts tending to foment fresh disturbances in his country; but that the government here possessed proofs of the abuse which they were now making of the protection which they enjoyed in England, and of the advantage they were taking of the vicinity of their situation to France, by being really guilty of such acts, since several printed papers had lately been intercepted, which it was known they had sent, and caused to be circulated in France, and which had for their object, to create an opposition to the government. I cannot, my lord, do better than refer you to what you will have read in the French official paper of the day before yesterday (under the article of Paris), for the exact text of M. Talleyrand's discourse upon this subject; which he concluded by saying, that he thought the residence of Louis XVIII. was now the proper place for that of the rest of the family, and that I might add this suggestion in my report to your lordship. I answered the French minister, that, without any reference to you, I could assure him, that the practices of the French residing in England, of which he complained, had not been encouraged, nor would be countenanced by his majesty's government; which was as sincerely disposed to cultivate harmony and VOL. XLV. good understanding between the two countries, as he had represented the first consul to be; but that I could by no means say how far they would be disposed to adopt the measure which he had intimated it to be general Bonaparte's wish that they should pursue, in order to remove, so effectually, every thing which might not, perhaps, be considered equally by them as giving just cause of offence or jealousy to France. M. Talleyrand did not rejoin upon the matter, but asked me when I proposed writing. Upon my replying I should lose no time, he said, that if I should write as today, he would avail himself of the opportunity to convey a letter to M. Otto. I have the honour to be, &c. No. 8. Dispatch from Lord Hawkesbury to Your dispatches of the 4th instant were received on Monday night, and have been laid before the king. The account given in that dispatch of the conversation which passed on the 3d instant, between you and M. Talleyrand, respecting the French princes and their adhe rents, would have afforded here considerable surprise, if his majesty's government had not in some degree been prepared for it by information which had been previously received; from the manner, however, in which this subject has been mentioned to you, it is important that you should take a proper opportu nity to explain, candidly and fairly, to the French government, the line U u of conduct which his majesty feels it to be his duty to pursue in this very delicate business. His majesty would certainly consider it inconsistent with both the letter and spirit of the treaty of peace, between him and the French republic, to encourage or countenance any projects that might be hostile to the present government of France. He is sincerely desirous, that the peace which has been concluded, may be permanent, and may lead to the establishment of a system of good understanding and harmony between the two countries. With these sentiments, he is disposed to employ all the means in his power to guard against any circumstance which can have the effect of disturbing the tranquillity that has been so happily restored; and he certainly expects, that all foreigners who may reside within his dominions, should not only hold a conduct conformable to the laws of the country, but should abstain from all acts which may be hostile to the government of any country with which his majesty may be at peace. As long, however, as they conduct themselves according to these principles, his majesty would feel it inconsistent with his dignity, with his honour, and with the common laws of hospitality, to deprive them of that protection which individuals, resident in his dominions, can only forfeit by their own misconduct. The greater part of the persons to whom allusion has been made in M. Talleyrand's conversation with you, are living in retirement; and his majesty has no reason whatever to suppose, that since the conclusion of peace, they have availed themselves of their residence in this country, to pro mote any designs injurious to the government of France. I have the honour to be, &c. Anthony Merry, Esq. No. 9. Dispatch from Mr. Merry to Lord Hawkesbury, dated Paris, June 17, 1802. My lord, I have the honour to acquaint your lordship, that I have executed the instructions given me by your secret and confidential dispatch, (No. 14), in consequence of the communication from M. Talleyrand, which I transmitted in my number 23, respecting the residence of the French princes, and other French persons in his majesty's dominions. In delivering my answer on this business to the French minister, I took care to express, in the strongest manner, the assurances which your lordship has authorised me to give of his majesty's sincere desire that the peace which has happily been concluded should be perma nent, and that it should lead to the establishment of a system of harmony and good understanding between the two countries; and that, as his majesty's conduct would, in every respect, be guided by those sentiments, he of course would not tolerate, much less encourage, any proceedings on the part of persons within his dominions, which might be hostile to the present government of France; which assurances might, I trusted, be sufficient to tranquillize and satisfy the first consul, with out recurring to the measures which had been intimated to me, and which could not but be considered as inconsistent consistent with his majesty's dignity M. Talleyrand expressed to me, in reply, that the first consul had solicited no more than the British government itself had, at the time, demanded of France, when the pretender was in this country, and than had been practised between other governments, under similar circumstances that he could not see any humiliation in the measure which he had intimated to me; that he could assure me it had not been suggested with any such idea; and that he could only repeat, that the adoption of it would be, in the highest degree, agreeable and satisfactory to the first consul, and be considered by him as the most convincing proof of his majesty's disposition to see a cordial good understanding established between the two countries; concluding his answer with a request that I would report it to your lordship. I rejoined upon the subject, by observing to the French minister, that even without adverting to the serious consideration of the king's dignity and honour, the feelings of the people of England were to be taken into account on the occasion; that he must be sensible the relative situation, hitherto, of the two Countries, especially in regard to trade, afforded his majesty's subjects no room to reap those advantages which were common to, and which were always expected from a state of peace; and that it, therefore, appeared to me, that the first consul would equally give a proof of his disposition to see harmony, and a friendly intercourse, re-established between the two nations, by not repeating his wish upon a matter which would operate in the strongest manner against such an approximation and reconciliation of sentiments, were it even only to come to the knowledge of his ma jesty's subjects. I am happy, my lord, to say, that M. Talleyrand shewed no warmth, or any very marked eagerness, in his manner of replying to my communication; and that our conversation on this head terminated with the last remarks I made to him, when he changed it to another subject. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Anth. Merry. Right Hon. Lord Hawkesbury, &c. &c. &c. No. 10. Letter from M. Otto to Lord I transmitted, some time ago, to |