as obtained by the possession of an island, which would only entail a very heavy expence on this country; and the degree of security which would be provided by these means, would only be such as his majesty, under the present circumstances, is entitled to demand.

I observe, in the note verbale of monsieur Talleyrand, he makes use of the expression, the independence of the order of Malta. If this is meant to apply to the order exclusively, his majesty would be willing, for the preservation of peace, that the civil government of the island should be given to the order of St. John; the Maltese enjoying the privileges which were stipulated in their favour in the treaty of Amiens; and that, conformably to principles which have been adopted on other occasions, the fortifications of the island should be garrisoned for ever by the troops of his majesty.

In the event of either of these propositions being found unattainable, his majesty might be disposed to consent to an arrangement by which the island of Malta would remain in his possession for a limited number of years, and to wave in consequence his demand for a perpetual occupation, provided that the number of years was not less than ten, and that his Sicilian majesty could be induced to cede the sovereignty of the island of Lampedosa for a valuable consideration. If the proposition is admitted, the island of Malta should be given up to the inhabitants at the end of that period, and it should be acknowledged as an independent state. In this case, his majesty would be ready to concur in any arrangement for the establishment of the order of St. John in some other part of Europe.

You will not refuse to listen to any proposition which the French government may be disposed to make to you with a view to an equivalent security for those objects in regard to which his majesty claims the possession or occupation of Malta ; but the three propositions to which I have above alluded, appear, at the present moment, to furnish the only basis for a satisfactory arrangement; and you will decline receiving any proposition which does not appear to you to offer advantages to his majesty as substantial as that which I have last stated.

It is very desirable that you should bring the negociation to an issue, if possible, without referring to his majesty's government for further intructions, after the receipt of this dispatch; and if you should be of opinion that there is no hopes of bringing it to a favourable conclusion, you may inform M. Talleyrand of the necessity you will be under, after a certain time, to leave Paris.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Hawkesbury. His Excellency Lord Whitworth, K.B. &c. &c. &c.

No. 57. Dispatch from Lord Whitworth to Lord Hawkesbury, dated Paris, April 18, 1803.

My lord,

I did not fail to put into imme diate execution the instructions contained in your lordship's dispatch, (No. 11.) on the subject of the libel inserted by the French minister in the Hamburgh gazette. I represented the outrageous and unprecedented conduct of M. Rheinhardt in such terms as it deserves; and fairly declared to M. de Talleyrand, that, until satisfaction shall be given

to

to Is Lijst for me indipity which has been owered in by the F To a fister, in his oficia, Character, there could be as possiblity whareer of bringing the present dacusion to an amicable issue. M. de Talleyrand assured me, that the French government saw the conduct of M. de Rastaardt in the same ligit as his majesty's ministers, and that thy could not be more surprised than the first consul had been at seeing such an article inserted by authority; that an immediate ex. planation had been required of M. Rheinhardt, five days ago; and if his conduct had been such as had been represented, he would, doubt less, fell the effects of the first consul's dispicasure; and that, in the mean time, I might inform your lordship that he was completely disavowed. I told M. de Talleyrand, that, as the insult had been public, it would be necessary that the reparation should be so also. lle answered me again, that the first consul considered M. Rheinhardt's conduct as so reprehensible, that every satisfaction might be expected.

I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) Whitworth. The Right Hon. Lord Hawkesbury, &c. &c. &c.

No. 58.

Dispatch from Lord Whitworth to Lord Hawkesbury, dated April 18,

1803.

My lord,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship's dispatches of the 13th instant.

I saw Joseph Bonaparte immediately on the receipt of your lord. ship's dispatch; and without troub. ling your lordship with a repetition

He

of the arguments I used to hasten the conclusion of the negociation, amongst which I endeavoured to convince him of the importance of preventing the ultimatum which would inevitably follow the rejec tion of what I had to propose, I will briedy state, that, on finding it perfectly impracticable to establish the principle of our keeping posses sion of Malta in perpetuity, I delivered to him, in writing, the se cond proposal I had to make. did not fail to observe, that, by this modification, the difficulty which he considered as insurmountable was not removed; that although the order was restored, it could not be considered as independent; and, in fact, Malta would belong to that power which had possession of the forts. I enforced the adoption of this plan by every reason which could serve to recommend it; but the possession in perpetuity was constantly urged as a dificulty which nothing could remove. Our conversation lasted near two hours. I confess that I gained no solid ground of hope that the project, which he assured me he would take to the first consul at St. Cloud, would be adopted. But he said that he was not without hope that he might be authorised to propose to me the occupation of the fortresses for a term of years. It was my wish, that such a proposal should come from him rather than from me. I told him that I did not well see how such a tenure would suit us; but that I wished too sincerely to avoid the fatal extramities to which I saw the discussion was tending, not to give any reasonable proposal which might be made on their part every assistance in my power. This proposal ori ginated with him, and was therefore

received

received by me merely as a matter which I would refer to your lordship. If, however, I can bring the matter to an immediate conclusion, and without further reference to your lordship, on the principle of our retaining possession of the fortresses of Malta for a term of years, not less than that pointed out by your lordship, and with the assurance that this government will not oppose the cession of the island of Lampedosa, I shall have great pleasure in announcing to your lordship such a conclusion.

I do not enter into detail of the conversation which I had the same morning with M. de Talleyrand, immediately upon my leaving Joseph Bonaparte, as it differed in nowise from what I have abovementioned. He suggested also the possibility of coming to an arrange. ment on the ground of a temporary occupation, and I made him the

same answer.

Such is the state of the discussion at this moment. I am in expectation of hearing very shortly either from Joseph or M. de Talleyrand; and I am not without hopes that I may be able to announce to your lordship that such an arrangement is made, as may answer his majesty's expectations, in a very few days. Your lordship may be assured, that I feel the necessity of expedition. Were it less urgent, I might, perhaps, hope to bring the discussion to even a more favourable issue.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Whitworth. The Right Hon. Lord Hawkesbury,

&c. &c. &c.

Inclosure referred to in No. 59. His majesty will consent, for the

sake of preserving peace, that the government of the island of Malta shall be given to the order of St. John; the Maltese enjoying those privileges which have been granted on former occasions. The fortifications of the island shall be occupied, in perpetuity, by the troops of his majesty.

No. 59.

Dispatch from Lord Whitworth to Lord Hawkesbury, dated Paris April 20, 1803.

My lord,

I had hoped that the first extraordinary messenger I should have occasion to send, would have been to announce to your lordship, that the differences between the two governments were adjusted on one of the modifications pointed out to me by my last instructions from your lordship. In this expectation I am deceived. I saw Joseph Bonaparte the night before last, before I had sealed up my dispatches of that evening to your lordship; but as all he said tended only to justify the hope I had given your lordship in those dispatches, I added nothing to them. He assured me, positively, that I should hear from M. de Talleyrand in the course of yesterday morning, and that a meeting would be appointed in order to settle the term of years for which the first consul might be induced to consent to the cession of Malta. It is true that he declared, that, in order to gain his consent, it would be necessary to hold out the advantages which the British government was willing to offer in return, meaning the acknowledgments of the new governments in Italy. I told him that this offer was made only with a view to the possession of Malta in perpetuity;

perpetuity; but after some conversation, I gave him to understand, that I would not refuse to admit the demand, sub sperati, on the condition that the cession should be made for a considerable term of years; that Holland and Switzerland should be evacuated; and that a suitable provision should be made for the king of Sardinia. He seemed to think there could be no difficulty in this arrangement; and I left him in the persuasion, that I should the next day, yesterday, or this morning, receive the summons from M. de Talleyrand, which he had given me reason to expect.

I am sorry to say, that no such summons has been received by me, neither has any further notice been taken of the business. So that I feel that I should betray the confidence your lordship may place in me, were I to delay any longer requesting, that I may be immediately furnished with the terms on which his majesty's ministers would be willing to conclude, and which probably will not differ much from those above stated, in order that I may propose them in the form of an ultimatum; and that, at the expiration of the period allowed for deliberation, I may be authorised, not only to declare that I am to leave Paris, but actually so to do, unless, in the intermediate time, the French government should accede to our demands.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Whitworth. Right Honourable Lord Hawkesbury, &c. &c. &c.

No. 60. Dispatch from Lord Hawkesbury to Lord Whitworth, dated April 23,

1803.

My lord,

Your excellency's dispatches of the 18th and 20th instant have been received, and laid before the king.

It is necessary for me to do little more on the present occasion than to refer you to my dispatch of the 13th of April, in which I stated to you the several propositions on which alone, in the judgment of his majesty, the differences between this country and France could be satisfactorily adjusted.

If, upon the receipt of this dis. patch, it shall not have been in your power to bring the negotiation to a conclusion on any of the proposi tions to which I have above referred, it is his majesty's pleasure that you should communicate, offi cially, to the French government, that you have gone, in point of concession, to the full extent of your instructions; and that, if an arrangement, founded upon one of these propositions, cannot be concluded, without further delay, you have received his majesty's commands to return to England.

His majesty can only consent to relinquish the permanent occupation of Malta by his forces, on the conditions that the temporary possession shall not be less than ten years; that the authority, civil and military, shall, during that period, remain solely in his majesty; and that, at the expiration of that period, the island shall be given up to the inhabitants, and not to the order; and provided likewise, that his Sicilian majesty shall be induced to cede to his majesty the island of Lampedosa. It is indispensible that, as a part of this arrangement, Hol. land should be evacuated by the French troops within a short pe

riod after the conclusion of a convention, by which all those provisions are secured. His majesty will consent to acknowledge the new Italian states, upon the condition that stipulations in favour of his Sardinian majesty, and of Switzerland, form a part of this ar rangement.

It is his majesty's pleasure that, in the event of the failure of the negotiation, you should delay your departure from Paris no longer than may be indispensibly necessary for your personal convenience; and that you should, in no case, remain there, after the receipt of this dispatch, more than seven days.

I have the honour to be, &c.

Hawkesbury, His Excellency LordWhitworth, K.B. &c. &c. &c.

No. 61. Dispatch from Lord Whitworth to Lord Hawkesbury, dated Paris, April 23, 1803. My lord,

As I heard nothing from M. de Talleyrand, I called on him on Thursday, in order to learn the effect of the proposal which I had made, conformably to your lordship's instructions, on the basis of a perpetual possession of the forts of Malta, on re-establishing the order in the civil government of the island. He told me, that if I had called on him sooner, he should, two days ago, have communicated to me the first consul's answer, which was, that no consideration on earth should induce him to consent to a concession in perpetuity of Malta, in any shape whatever; and that the re-establishment of the order was not so much the point to be discussed, as that of suffering

3

Great Britain to acquire a possession in the Mediterranean. I told him that I did not call sooner because I was given to understand that he would have himself proposed it to me, for the purpose of communicating the answer of the first consul; and that it did not, in any shape, become me to put myself on the footing of a solicitor in this transaction. After some conversation, and finding (what I most sincerely believe to be the case) that the first consul's determination was fixed on the point of a possession of Malta in perpetuity; I repeated to him what I had previously suggested to Joseph Bonaparte, the modification which I had to propose, namely, that, for the sake of peace, his majesty would be willing to wave his pretensions to a possession in perpetuity, and would consent to hold Malta for a certain number of years to be agreed upon, on the condition that no opposition should be made, on the part of the French government, to any negotiation his majesty might set on foot with his Sicilian majesty, for the acquisition of the island of Lampedosa. We discussed this proposal in a conver. sation of some length; and I made use of all the arguments which have been furnished me by your lordship, or which occurred to me, in its favour. I begged him, particularly, to recollet that we were in actual possession of the object, and that, therefore, every modification tending to limit that possession was, in fact, a concession on the part of his majesty, and a proof of his desire to sacrifice, to his love of peace, the just claim which he had acquired in consequence of the conduct of France, and which had recently been admitted, of a much more considerable