‘ 
More explicitly proved and eluci- 
‘dated on the arrival of the neceflary 
"papers. 
| The firft time that our ambafla- 
dor made a public notification of 
this matter to the miniftry at Lon- 
_don, on the roth of February laft 
_ many of the circumitances that are 
“now certain were then doubtful. 
| The rights and immemoria! poffef- 
_ fion of Spain to that coaft and ports, 
as well as feveral other titles proper 
_to be taken into view in a pacific 
) hegociation, were not quite certain. 
And if the court of London had 
/made an amicable return to the 
“complaints made by his majefty re- 
lative to thofe merchants whom 
“Spain regards as ufurpers and the 
bi Violaters of treaties, and had thewed 
_ any defire to terminate the affair by 
an amicable accommodation, a great 
_deal of unneceflary expence might 
have been faved. The high and 
| menacing tone and manner in which 
the anfwer of the Britifh minifter 
_ Was couched, at a time when no 
“certain information of the particu- 
“lars had arrived, made the Spanith 
cabinet entertain fome fufpicions that 
_ it was made, not fo much for the 
purpofe of the difpute in queition, 
as a pretext to break entirely with 
‘our court; for which reafon it was 
‘thought necefiary to take fome pre- 
“Cautions relative to the fubject. 
_ On a late occafion a complaint 
‘was made to the court of Ruilia as 
‘to fome fimilar points relative to the 
Wigation of the South Sea. A 
Candid anfwer being returned by 
that court, the affair was terminated 
Without the leaft difagreement. In- 
d it may be afferted with truth, 
that the manner, much more than 
_ the fubftance, has produced the dif- 
s that have taken place on this 
with Great Britain. 
: 
: S@ATECP A PE RS. 
[293 
Neverthelefs, the king does deny 
what the enemies to peace have in- 
duftrioufly circulated, that Spain ex- 
tends pretenfions and rights of fove- 
reignty over the whole of the South 
Sea, as far as China. When the 
words are made ufe of, “ In the 
name of the king, his fovereignty, 
navigation, and exclufive commerce. 
to the continent and iflands of the 
South Sea,” it is the manner in 
which Spain, in {pecking of the In-- 
dies, has always ufed thefe words— 
that is to fay, to the continent, 
iflands and feas which belong to 
his majefty, fo far as difcoveries have 
been made and fecured to him by 
treaties and immemorial poffeffion, 
and uniformly acquiefced in, not- 
withftanding fome infringements by 
individuals who have been punifhed 
upon knowledge of their offences, 
And the king jets up no pretentions 
to any poffeffions, the right to which 
he cannot prove by irrefragable ti- 
tles. ; 
Although Spain may not have 
eftablifhments or colonies planted 
upon the coaits or in the ports in 
difpute, it does not follow that fuc’s 
coait or port does not belong to her. 
If this sule were to be followed, one 
nation might eftablifh colonies oa 
the coafts of another nation, in Ame- 
rica, Afia, Africa, and Europe, by 
which means there would be no fix- 
ed boundaries—a circemitance eyi- 
dently abfurd. 
But whatever may be the iffue of 
the queftion of rizht, upon a mature 
Coniideration of the claims of both 
parties, the refult of the queition of 
fact is, that the captpre of the Ung- 
lith veffels is repaired by the reftitu- 
tion that has been made, and the con- 
dué of the viceroy; for as to the 
qualification of fuch reftitution, and 
whether the prize was lawful or no*, 
tah: that 
