sTo ih Pip 
article (the firft of the feparate 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 itfelf, as well as to 
any right which might be fuppofed 
to arife from it, that they objected. 
I could fcarce allow myfelf to treat 
this mode of reafoning ferioufly. 
I endeavoured to make them feel 
that it was cavilling for a mere 
word; that it was creating difficul- 
ties where none exifted; and that 
if all the French monarchs in the 
courfe of three centuries had allow- 
ed this to ftand in the preamble of 
all treaties and tranfactions between 
the two countries, I could not 
conceive; after its having been ufed 
for fo long a period without any 
claim or pretenfion being fet forth 
in confequence of it, how it could 
now affert either the dignity, fecu- 
rity, or importance of the Repub- 
 lic—that in faét fuch titles have 
ever been confidered as indefeaf- 
ible, and as memorials and records 
of former greatne{s, and not as pre- 
tenfions to prefent power—and I 
quoted the titles of the Kings of 
Sardinia and Naples, &c. as ex- 
amples exactly in point. I argued 
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, feel- 
ing as I did at the moment, to pufh 
the converfation farther. 
The fecond infulated point was 
a very material one indeed, and 
which, although it has been advert- 
ed to as a propofal that might pof- 
fibly 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. 
A‘P ELR S. 
They grounded this claim on the 
preliminary declaration made by 
Lord Hood on his taking poffefion 
of Toulon; and on the etghth ar- 
ticle of the Declaration of the Com- 
mittee of the Seétions to him. 
They faid, peace, they hoped, was 
about to be re-eftablifhed; that his. 
Majefty, in acknowledging the Re- 
public, 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 reftored. I re- 
plied, that this claim was fo per- 
fe&tly unlooked for, that it was im- 
poffible for me to have been pro- 
vided for it in my inftru¢tions, and 
that I could therefore only convey 
my own private fentiments on it, 
which were, that they could not 
have devifed a ftep more likely to 
defeat the great end of our miflion, ‘ 
One of the French Plenipotentiaries 
faid, that he fincerely hoped not; 
that without a reftitution of the 
fhips, an equivalent might be found 
to effeét the purpofe defired, fince 
their great object was, that fome- 
thing fhould appear to prove that 
this juft demand had not been over- 
looked by them, and was not left 
unfatisfied bys. I told him fairly, 
I did not fee where this equivalent 
was to be found, or how it could 
be appreciated ; and that confider- 
ing the great advantages France had 
already obtained by the war, and 
thofe fhe was likely to obtain from 
the aét of condefcenfion [ had al- 
ready intimated his Majefty was 
difpofed to make in order to reftore 
peace, I was much furprifed and 
deeply concerned at what I heard. 
I trufted, therefore, that this very 
inadmiflible propofal would be with 
drawn. They faid it was not in 
their 
185 
0 
