progrefs of the negotiation, they not conceive, after its having been I informed him, that on all former occafions a feparate article had been agreed to, which appeared to me to anfwer every purpose they required, and which it was my intention, as the treaty advanced, to have propofed, as proper to make part of this. The article (the firft of the separate ones in the treaty of 1783) was then read; but they objected to it, as not fully meeting their views. It was to the title itself, as well as to any right which might be fuppofed to arife from it, that they objected. I could fcarcely allow myfelf to treat this mode of reafoning feriously. I endeavoured to make them feel that it was cavilling for a mere word; that it was creating difficulties where none exifted; and that if all the French monarchs in the course of three centuries had allowed this to stand in the preamble of all treaties and tranfactions between the two countries, I could however in vain. They treated it very gravely, and made fo ftrong a ftand upon it, that I could not avoid taking it for reference, which I thought it better to do, than, feeling as I did at the moment, to push the converfation farther, The fecond infulated point was a very material one indeed, and which, although it had been adverted to as a propofal that might poffibly be brought forward, I confefs came upon me unexpectedly.-It was to afk either a reftitution of the fhips taken and deftroyed at Toulon, or an equivalent for them. They grounded this claim on the preliminary declaration made by lord Hood on his taking poffeffion of Toulon; and on the eighth article of the declaration of the committee of the fections to him. They said, peace they hoped was about to be re-established; that his majefty, in acknowledging the republic, admitted that a fovereignty exifted in the French government; and of courfe that the fhips, held only as a depofit by England till this legal authority was admitted, ought now to be restored. I replied, that this claim was fo perfectly unlooked for, that it was impoffible for me to have been provided for it in my inftructions, and that I could therefore only convey my own private fenti ments l be mixed as they flows in ours; that to: Low Com caerged with al mr incumbrancer. morre could be › doubt what thette words meant, nd that is no exception was futai a the first initae non could be -made with a retro-sative efelt. The Frenc peenipotentiaries, » however, were a mous on this point as on the crew; and as I as found to every argument I ufed that they conftantly oppofed their us inftructions, I had nothing to do but to defire that they would give nt me a written paper ftating their es three claims, in order that I might ne mmediately tranfmit it to your to lordship; and on this being promifed, our conference broke up. Between four and five P. M. yef ase in terday, I received the inclosed note uch (D), and I have loft no time fince is at it is in my poffeffion in preparing mare, to fend away a meffenger, as, inde "pendent of the difagreeable fubjects and brought forward in this laft conferone ence, and which it is material fhould er be- be communicated without delay, I ere his am anxious his majefty should be informed of what has paffed in general up to this day, as it may perhaps furnish fome ideas as to the poffible event of the negotiation. erds to to any on the .uence of ⚫ov Great know if they had es charged 21ces, they . thould not wud to an en for money the purpot it them. (No. 13. A.)-Projet delivered by Projet of a Treaty of a Peace. Be it known to all those whom out replying it fhall or may in any manner coning the cafe cern: The most serene and most hey required potent prince George the Third, by their the grace of God king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, duke of ick and Lunenburgh, urer and elector of the oman empire, and the exedirectory of the French ree, being equally defirous to an end to the war, which has fome time paft fubfifted between The dominions of the two parties, have named and conftituted for their plenipotentiaries, charged with the concluding and figning of the definitive treaty of peace; viz. the king of Great Britain, the lord ba. ron of Malmesbury, a peer of the kingdom of Great Britain, knight of the most honourable order of the Bath, privy counsellor to his Britannic majefty, and the executive directory of the French republic, who, after having exchanged their refpective full powers, have agreed upon the following articles: I. As foon as this treaty fhall be figned and ratified, there shall be an univerfal peace as well by fea as by land, and a fincere and conftant friendship between the two contracting parties, and their dominions, and territories, and people, with out exception of either places or perfons; fo that the high contracting parties fhall give the greateft attention to the maintaining between themselves and their faid dominions, territories, and people, this reciprocal friendship and intercourfe, without permitting hereafter, on either part, any kind of hoftilities to be committed either by fea or by land, for any caufe, or under any pretence whatfoever, There fhall be a general oblivion and amnesty of every thing which may have been done or committed by either party towards the other before or fince the commencement of the war; and they fhall carefully avoid for the future every thing which might prejudice the union. happily re-established. Immediately after the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, orders fhall be fent to the armies and fquadrons of both parties to ftop all hoftilities; and for the execution of this article, fea-paffes fhall be given on each fide to the fhips difpatched to carry the news of peace to the poffeffions of the two, parties. II. The treaties of peace of Nimeguen of 1678 and 1679, of Ryfwick of 1697, and of Utrecht of 1713; that of Baden of 1714; that of the triple alliance of the Hague of 1717; that of the quadruple ailiance of London of 1718; the treaty of peace of Vienna of 1736; the definitive treaty of Aix la Chapelle of 1748; the definitive treaty of Paris of 1763; and that of Verfailles of 1783, ferve as a basis and foundation to the peace, and to the prefent treaty. And for this purpofe they are all renewed and confirmed in the best form, so that they are to be exactly obferved for the future in their full tenour, and religioufly executed by both parties in all the points which fhall not be derogated from by the prefent treaty of peace. III. All the prifoners taken on either fide, as well by land as by fea, and the hoftages carried away or given during the war, fhall be reftored, without ranfom, in fix weeks at lateft, to be computed from the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the prefent treaty.-Each party refpectively difcharging the advances which fhall have been made for the fubfiftence and maintenance of their prifoners in the country where they fhall have been detained, according to the receipts, attested accounts, and other authentic every flep has been taken by your majefty which could tend to accelerate that object; and that it is to the unwarrantable pretenfions and inordinate ambition of the enemy, and, above all, to their inveterate animofity against thefe kingdoms, that the long delay and final rupture of the negotiation are to be afcribed. We intreat your majefty to be lieve that, impreffed as we are with the neceflity and the magnitude of the contest in which we are engaged, as well as of the value of the interefts, which we have at ftake, no exertions will be wanting on our part to enable your majefty to profecute the war with vigour, until a more juft and pacific fpirit fhall prevail on the part of the enemy; and to employ, in the defence of every thing that is dearest to us, thofe means and resources which the present fituation of our country holds out. We affure your majefty that we reflect with peculiar fatisfaction on the public fpirit which has been difplayed by your majefty's fubjects, and on the conduct by which your majefty's troops, of every defcription, have aequired fresh claims to our efteem and admiration. We are particularly defirous of embracing the earlieft opportunity to offer to your majefty our warm and heartfelt congratulations on that fignal and decifive victory which has crowned the feries of fplendid fucceffes obtained by your majefty's fleets over all our different enemies in the course of the prefent war; a victory no lefs important in its confequences, than glorious in the circumftances by which it is diftinguished. We are deeply fenfible of the manner in which your majesty is pleafed to exprefs your gracious acceptance of our best endeavours to teftify by our conduct our anxious regard for the interefts of our country, and our invariable attachment to your majesty's perfon and government. Senfible of the bleffings which, under your majefty's paternal care, are derived to us from our civil and religious establishments, and which diftinguifh us from among all the nations of Europe; and perfuaded that thefe bleffings can only be preferved by inculcating and enforcing a due reverence and obedience to the laws, and by repreffing with promptitude every attempt to disturb our internal tranquillity, it fhall be the first object of our attention to contribute, by every means in our power, to the maintenance of that happy conftitution which we inherit from our ancestors, and on which the fecurity and happiness of every clafs of your majefty's fubjects essentially depend. ANSWER. My Lords, I thank you for this loyal, dutiful, and affectionate address. In a crifis of fo much import ance to the fecurity and happiness of every clafs of my fubjects, it is a great fatisfaction to me to know that you entertain a juft fenfe of the nature, magnitude, and neceffity of the conteft in which we are engaged; and that I may rely with confidence on your fupport in my fixed and unalterable determination to maintain to the utmost the laws, liberties, and religion of my people, and the dignity, honour, and independence of my kingdoms. The The humble Addrefs of the Houfe of Commons to the King, moved by Mr. Wilbraham Bootle. Moft gracious fovereign, We, your majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great Britain, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your majefty our humble thanks for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne, and for the communication of the declaration, and the other papers refpecting the negotiation with France, which your majefty has been graciously pleased to direct to be laid before us. Permit us to affure your majefty, that we shall not fail to apply our felves, with the utmoft diligence and attention, to the confideration of the measures which the present crifis requires; but we cannot refrain from expreffing, at the earliest moment, our firm determination to afford your majesty the most effectual fupport in refifting every unwarrantable pretenfion, and checking every attempt dictated by inordinate ambition on the part of thofe with whom we have to contend. We entertain a firm perfuafion that all your majefty's faithful fubjects feel as they ought the value of the bleffings which they are ftruggling to preferve, and will not fail, in every fituation, to fupport your majefty in defence of their effential interests, with the zeal, magnanimity, and courage, worthy of a great and free people: and we muft, at the prefent moment, obferve, with peculiar fatisfaction, the proofs afforded of our means and internal refources in the flourishing state of the revenue, induftry, and commerce of the country. With the utmoft gratitude we acknowledge the fenfe which your majefty expreffes of the public fpirit 1797. which has been fo eminently dif played by your people, and of the conduct of your majefty's troops of every defcription, which has juftly entitled them to the additional efteem and admiration of their country. And we moft heartily congratu late your majefty on the fignal and decifive victory with which providence has rewarded the exertions of your fleet under the command of admiral lord Duncan; an event which has crowned the repeated maritime fucceffes obtained over all our enemies, and has, indeed, afforded a brilliant addition to the numerous and heroic exploits which, in the course of the prefent war, have raised to the highest pitch the naval glory of the country. It will afford us great fatisfaction to find that any branches of our expence will admit of reduction, confiftently with the continuance of thofe vigorous efforts which must be neceffary for our fafety, and which, at all events, cannot fail to be attended with heavy expence. In confidering what may be the best mode of defraying it, we fhall, undoubtedly, bear in mind the nature of the prefent crifis; and, in eftimating the value of any temporary facrifices, we fhall not lofe fight of the infinite importance of fupporting effectually our public credit, and of convincing the enemy that, while we join in your majefty's anxious defire for the conclufion of peace, on fafe and honourable terms, we poffefs the means, as well as the determination, to fupport with vigour this arduous conteft, as long as it may be rendered neceffary, for maintaining the fafety, honour, and independence of thefe kingdoms. We beseech your majesty to believe that our loyalty and attachment to your majefty, and our anxious regard for the interefts of (Q) your |