STATE PAPERS. 
manding officer, as if his exact- 
ness. in doing his duty could be 
considered a crime; and having 
added to his complaints the most in- 
sulting threats to an independent 
power, threats which become the 
more insulting because it is impos- 
sible for him to realize them: and 
that, lastly, the most serene go- 
vernment, -deliberating on these 
occurrences, has not only thought 
proper to allow itself to be inti- 
midated by its menaces, but has 
even made apologies to this agent 
of the convention ; has imprisoned 
the commanding officer of the port, 
and the gunners who 4red on the 
privateers, whose conduct is not- 
withstanding justified by the posi- 
tive orders of the most serene go- 
vernment to cause the neutrality 
to be respected : 
The undersigned, &c. informed 
of all these particulars, could in 
the first instance view them in no 
other light than as calumnious re- 
ports, circulated by malevolence 
and the enemies of the most serene 
government, not being able to per- 
suade himself that it could deviate 
in a way so open and so insulting 
to the formal laws of its neutrality. 
But these reports acquiring daily 
more and more consistency, the un- 
dersigned thinks it his absolute 
duty to pray the most serene go- 
vernment to give him by an explicit 
4teply, a knowledge of the degree 
of credit these reports may deserve ; 
for it is of much consequence to his 
court, as well as to all Europe, to 
now what reliance can be placed 
on the protestations so frequently 
and solemnly repeated by the most 
serene government, that the law of 
the neutrality of this port should 
be respected. 
The undersigned profits by this 
281i 
opportunity to inform the most se. 
rene government, that privateers 
are fitting out in this port, more 
especially one between the wooden 
bridge and the arsenal, notwith. 
standing this is in manifest and 
clear contradiction -of the 7th arti. 
cle of the editt of neutrality above 
cited. ; 
C5 EE ES 
Answer of the Genoese Republic to 
Mr. Drake’s Note. 
THE under-written secretary of 
the most serene republic of Genoz 
has the honour to answer to the 
note of Mr. Francis Drake, minister 
plenipotentiary for his Britannic 
majesty, dated the 1oth instant, 
that since many days it is noto. 
rious, that on the 8th instant the - 
New Mole fired with grape shot at 
the French privateer Sibilla, which 
had sailed from this port without 
the bill of clearance, though it 
was strictly ordered to the officer 
commanding that post to enforce 
the execution of the edi& of neu- 
trality communicated to all the 
foreign ministers and consuls at 
Genoa. However, he was not 
permitted to fire with. grape shot, 
which was never used on any 
occasion, and was not prescribed 
by the regulations and instructions 
given to the commandant of the 
battery. The government, on its 
being informed of this accident, 
even before the French minister 
had brought any complaint (which 
related only to the quality of the 
shot, and not to the fact itself), 
was effected with that surprize 
which it would have felt had it 
been the case- of any other flag, 
and caused the gunner, as well as 
the officer, to be arrested, in order 
that 
