delay, the negotiation, for which it has lately made an overture. Filled with the fame eagerness, convinced that the intentions of the British government are fuch as it defcribes them, the directory has 'directed the underfigned, minifter 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 refpective plenipotentiaries. (Signed) CH. DELACROIX. à Paris, 23 Prairial, 5th Year of the French Republic. (June 11, 1797.) (No. 5.) Form of Paport. Liberty, Equality. 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 refpected abroad. Allow to pafs freely furnished with full porvers of his Britannic majefty for the purpofe 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. (No. 6.) - Official Note. Lord Grenville to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs. The underligned has received from the minister for foreign affairs of the French republic his official note, with the paffport which ac. companied it. The court of London willingly accepts the propofal of the French government with refpect to the place of negotiation, and confents that Lifle fhall be appointed as the place of meeting for the refpective plenipotentiaries:-it being always understood, that the king's plenipotentiary fhall have liberty to difpatch his couriers directly from Lille to Dover, by way of Calais; and that the Englifli veffels, ap pointed for keeping up this com munication, 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 undersigned finds himfelf under the neceflity of remarking that the terms in which this inftrument is drawn up, differ from the ufual form, by the particular description, which is inferted in them, of the nature and extent of the powers, and of the omiffion of the king's plenipotentiary. This new form appears liable to produce, in many inftances, confiderable inconvenience; and according to the terms used in this particu. particular inftance, it would have the difadvantage of not anfwering exactly to the powers and the mif. fion of the minifter in question. His full powers, drawn up in the ufual form, will include every cafe; and without prefcribing to him any particular mode of negotiation, will give him the most unlimited authority to conclude any articles or 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 thall be found the best caculated to accelerate the conclufion of peace. The king's plenipotentiary then will be equally ready, and authorifed to begin the negotiation with"out delay, upon either footing; upon the footing of a preliminary treatyor fhould fuch continue to be the wish of the directory, upon that of a definitive treaty. As to what regards the question of a separate treaty there would be no objection to fettling, by a treaty of this kind, whatever relates to the refpective interefts 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 interests of his ally her moft Faithful majefty. And in purfuance of the fame principles, his majesty will not refuse to enter into fuch explanations with respect 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 passport for the British plenipotentiary and his fuite, in the ufual form, and fuch as was fent in the month of October last for the miffion with which lord Malmesbury was then charged. In this expectation, and for the fake of avoiding all delay, bis majefty has already made choice of the fame minifter to reprefent him on this important occafion. And the underfigned is charged to inquire on what day the French plenipotentiary will be at Lifle, in or der that lord Malmesbury may arrive there at the same time. (Signed) GRENVILLE. Westminster, June 17, 1797. (No. 7.)-Official Note.-The Minifter for Foreign Affairs to Lord Grenville. The undersigned minifter for foreign affairs has laid before the directory, immediately 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 wifhing to bring the negotiation as quickly as poffible to a happy iffue, perfifts in requir ing 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 (Q3) his his plenipotentiary, fuch propofals or ftipulations as he fhall think proper for her moft Faithful majefty, as in return the plenipotentiaries of the republic will do for their allies his Catholic majesty and the Batavian' republic. The directory confents that the negotiation flíall 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 established as a principle, that each English packet-boat, whi hall have brought over either the plenipotentiary or a courier, shall return without delay, and fhall 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 fall difpatch. The directory defires, at the fame time, that the couriers thould not be sent 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. (Signed) Paris, 2 Mfidor, (June 20, 1797.) CH. DELACROIX. ville to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs. The undersigned has laid before the king the official note of the French government, which he received the 23d of the present month." As to the two first 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 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 answer. The British government agrees to the arrangement proposed for the packet-boats, provided that a French packet-boat flhall be furnifhed regularly, and without the leaft delay, for each courier which the British plenipotentiary fhall find it neceffary to dispatch: 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 fuccefsful 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 governme t conceives it can be of any ufe to recall them to recollection. Lord Malmesbury will fet out (No.8.)-Official Note.-Lord Gren- from London on the 30th of this month month to proceed to Calais; from (No. 9.)-Official Note.-The Mi- 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 26th 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 at Life, 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 de. parture for Lifle. (Signed) CH. DELACROIx. Paris, 11th Medor, 5th Year... (June 29, 1797.) (No. 10.)-Extract of a Dispatch from Lord Malmesbury to Lord Grenville, dated Life, July 6, Thurfday, 8 P. M. 1797. My Lord, conference with the French plenipotentiaries, and having mutually exchanged our full powers, I think it my duty to dispatch a meffenger, in order that his majefty may have the earliest information of this circumftance. My difpatch, however, must be confined to this alone, as nothing whatever has yet paffed relative to the negotiation itself. (No. 11.)-Copy of the full Powers of the French Plenipotentiaries. Equality. Liberty. Extract from the Registers of the Deliberations of the Executive Directory. Paris, the 30th Prairial, 5th Year of the French Republic, one and indivifible. The executive directory, after having heard the report of the minifter for foreign affairs, decrees as follows: The citizens Le Tourneur, heretofore member of the executive di-、 rectory, Pleville le Pelley, and Maret, are authorized to negotiate with the minifter plenipotentiary of his Britannic majefty, the treaty of peace to be concluded between the French republic and Great Britain. The directory gives them the neceffary full powers for agreeing upon and figning the articles of the treaty to be made. They fhall conform themfelves to the inftructions which have been, or thall be given to them by the executive directory, to whom they fhall render an account of the progrefs and the iffue of the negotiations. They are equally authorized, and under the fame conditions, to ftipulate for the allies of the republic, his catholic majesty and the Batavian republic. The citizen Colchen, appointed fecretary general to the French le Having had this morning my first gation, is authorized to affift at the (Q4) On Friday the 7th at noon we held our fecond conference. I opened this fecond conference with the French plenipotentiaries, by faying, that I myself had no obfervations to make on their full powers, which appeared to be conformable to thofe ufually given by the directory to their plenipotentiaries, and of course must be confidered as fufficient for the purposes expreffed in them: that I, however, had tranfmitted them by a meffenger to my court, and reserved to myfelf the right of communicating any objections or remarks which I might receive by the return of my meifenger relative to them. M. Le Tourneur, to whom, as prefident of the commiffion, I addreffed myfelf, replied, that they had taken precifely the fame fteps as myfelf; that they confidefed the full powers I had given in, as in due form and fufficient; but that they also reserved to themselves the fame right, in regard to inftructions they might receive from the direc tory on this fubject, as I had claimed in regard to my court. To this, of courfe, I affented. On Saturday the 8th inftant, I gave in the projet precifely as I had received it from your lordship; a copy of which (A), as it is translated into French, I think it my duty to inclofe. Óne of the French plenipotentiaries propofed, that fome time fhould be given them to take the proposals I had made into confideration, and begged of me, merely for the fake of accuracy, and to help their memory, that I would be good enough either to let Mr. Colchen put down on paper, or myfelf fend them a note containing the words with which I wished the articles left in blank to be filled up. I readily acquiefced in the latter mode, and immediately on my return fent them the inclofed note (B). On Sunday evening I received the inclofed note (C) from the French plenipotentiaries, and in confequence of it went to the propofed conference yesterday. One of the French plenipotenti. aries informed me on the fubject of the projet I had given them, and the note with which I had accompanied it, that as these papers contain many points on which their inftructions did not enable them to answer, they had, after having given them a very ferious attention, fent them, with fuch obfervations as they had thought it their duty to make on them, to the directory, and that the moment they received an anfwer, they would communicate it to me. But that in the mean while, not to delay the progrefs |