«8G 



0(Jici\il Papers relative to the Negotiation "with France. 



1 never for an inftmit aiimittcJ the poflibiliry 

 of his Maj'-.lVy i-onfentinij to the celVions re- 

 quired. I fought, hdwcvev, to afcertain to 

 V hut extent, and in what manner, tliey could 

 be modified. 

 CoJ>y of a Diffatch from the Earl ofTarnouth 



to Mr. Hi-cictary Fox, ilatcd Furls, "July .id, 



IbOti. 



Sir, 



i bad the honour to receive your difpatch 

 ef the 2(>th inrtant hit.- Ijft night on the 

 I'lUh, and Rrxt niorninj loft no time in 

 ailcing (or bhiiilc psilVpovrs for a perfcn ruily 

 inltruiSed with (he fe.itinients of his Miiicf- 

 ty's governn.cnt, w'uim it \v,\s their iiite n- 

 tion to join with me in the im|iort.int com- 

 millioa of treating for pi.ice. M. Tallevrand 

 fold me he muil take the Empcrot'i ord»'rs. 

 I accordingly returned this day, when that 

 uilnlfter informed me, tlut the I'mperor could 

 confider this demand in no other light but 

 thit of unncfcfl!;ry dcl.iy, Ijccaufe his M.ijcf- 

 ty's Secretary of State wasaftuiiUy in poiftf- 

 lion of a blank p.illport, which would enable 

 any perfon or pcrlbns to come to Paris with- 

 out the lofs of time occafumed by this dc- 

 m.ind, but that " for lliU greater facility," 

 tlu're could 1/C no dillxulty :ibout giving more. 

 I anfwered that I hud no knowledge oi this 

 circumrtance. M. Talleyrand fwid it was 

 certain, bci-aufe he had fent two entirely in 

 blank, and tli.n one onl y had been ufed, name- 

 ly, that with which 1 returned. 



It is unneveflary for me to add any thing to 

 ivhat I have already faid in my former dif- 

 patcl-.es, relative to the fignature of thcRuf- 

 Ivan treaty ; any inaccuracy in the iUtcment 

 oi its contents, fuch as I was enabled to 

 tranfmit them, may c^fily be accounted for 

 by the circumihincc of my not having fccn 

 the treaty itfclf, and by the unwilliiigMefs 

 M. d'Oubril naturally felt to open himfel. to 

 me on that fuhjjdl ; he informed me at the 

 time that he ihouUI fend a copy to M. dc Stro- 

 gonoft, who would communicate it to his Ma- 

 jcfty's minifters. 



it is witii pain, Sir, propoitioned to my 

 real for his .Majcily's I'crvice, and to the fair 

 and honell convidbon of my having done no- 

 thing wh ch the peculiar and trying circiim- 

 ll'diices of the moment did nc^t requiie from 

 rue, lh.it 1 have learned by the fame difp.'tch 

 tije e^rciiion of a uilh that I had deliiyed 

 the production of my full powers tilll could 

 kni)w the imprriru fi which "-lus cvcnit of tite 

 Ru limn ttiiaiy mis''C orodiue in his JV5njelty\ 

 .-ouncils, and the npprchcntioa that by the 

 jifoducihf: Cherh, fo loon attcr the fi^^natut' 

 c. tne RuiUin treaty, m iinprcilion nii^ht be 

 rteajed unfavourable to ;ht Jurthcr piojieis 

 of the Re^otiAtion. 



If 'he queiiioii rfg'.rutd only niy ov.-n per- 

 >"jna feelin-s, 1 flioiild not tnink myielf.it 

 liDC'iy to allot to it fi> hugr. a po.lioii of a 

 public liip.. tell i biit It j?.i.»y r..-t, I concei\e, 

 I.C jnul'e ul, with :• view to the ,onJ*rl oi 



the negotiation, that you ihould be apprized 

 of fomr details w hich I have hitherto omit- 

 ted dwelling ui'on, partly from the urgency 

 ofniore important fuhjecls, and partly irom 

 my defirc not to trefpafs i.pon yo.ir attention 

 to fo great an extent. I trult, bir, tiiat his 

 Majefty will fee in thefe details wherewithal 

 to julHfy my conrtii'3 in the difficult fituation 

 ill which I was placed. 



The fate of Holland and Naples were fet- 

 tled before I was honoured with his Majcrtj's 

 confidence. My converfation here with M. 

 Talleyrand foon convinced me that thefe 

 were only preludes to iHll greater cliangcs in 

 the fyl^em of Europe. I fav.- at the fame time 

 a great dcfuc of negotiation, before the final 

 execution of fome of the Emperor'^, fchemcs 

 flrouUl have removed any hope of its being 

 attended with fuccefs. 



This opinion, not preconceived or lightly 

 taken up, but iiradually formjd from a variety 

 of circumlfanccs, wau confirmed by the na- 

 ture of the orters held out, unotficially in- 

 deed, but in fuch clear and unequivocal 

 terms, that it was impofiiblc to entertain 

 any doubt ut the intention of this govern- 

 ment to adhere to them. 



The point which of all others was the mod 

 efl'ential, and that on which fatisfaftion was 

 due to the national honour and to that of his 

 Majefty, Hanover v. ould, I was allured, be 

 given up without rellriftion ; for 1 did not 

 then know we Ihould be afked to allow the 

 King of rruflii to obtain the foverignty of 

 fome of the Idler principalities. 



I received fcvir.il afl'urances about Malta, 

 and the Cape of Good Hope ; nor have 1 any 

 rciifon to doubt b'jt that before Rullia had 

 made her peace fepar.itely, thefe terms might 

 have been obtained, and the treity have had 

 folcly for its balis the ut\ J",jJiAt.t is , with the 

 fole exception in our favour of Hanover re- 

 ftored, and latterly indeed of fome arrange- 

 ments tolerable to all p.irries in exchange tor 

 Sicily. 



M. Talleyrand held the fame language to 

 me, with refpeift to Ruiita, wiiich he had be- 

 fore held with regard to the afr'airs or Germa- 

 ny. " You have now been here a monlh ; 

 we have been willing to conve'-'e with you, 

 to give you an infijjiit into oi:r views, and to 

 communicate them to the Britilh Govern- 

 ment. We t(dd you, that if you had the 

 powers, and wuiiKi enter into negotiation, \\c 

 would not fign the airangement of Germany. 

 A rcafonable time was left you to contult 

 your government ; we had no .-.nfwer. The 

 arrangemei.t was f:gned, ' and we will never 

 recede from it ' VVe now afk yuu, whether 

 you will tre.it before Rullia has ligncd, which 

 V. ill not pafs t.vo d.iys." 



It cannot be neccllury to (late my anfwcT 

 to fi;ch a pivpofiiion. 1 will oiily add, that 

 the treaty with llvillia wai figncd within the 

 time mentioned, and then commenced the 

 didiculty of my fitu; tion. 



" Switicrhmd (i v.as told by the fame au- 

 thority) 



