$B _ATTeB oPa At PEARGS: 
eure the neceflary powers. The 
object of the conference which was 
to have taken place to-day being 
neceflarily delayed by the purport 
of the above-mentioned declaration, 
the minifters plenipotentiary of the 
Republic have to exprefs to Lord 
Malmefbury the regret they feel in 
lofing this opportunity of converf- 
ing together, which they had them- 
felves folicited :——But in cafe Lord 
Malmefbury fhould have any com- 
munication to make to them, they 
beg him to believe that they will 
always be happy to receive him, 
and to liften to him whenever he 
may think it proper. They re- 
queft him, at the fame time, to ac- 
cept anew the affurances of their 
high confideration. 
(Signed) Le Tourneur. 
PLEVILLE LE PELLEY. 
Hucvues B. Maret. 
Lifle, 27 Meffidor, 5th year of the 
Refublic, (July 15, 1797.) 
CoLcHEN, ' 
Sec. Gen. of the Legation, 
No. 21. (B.) 
A fhort note from Lord Malmef- 
bury to the French Plenipotentia- 
ries, dated July 15, in anfwer to 
the foregoing, ftating that his in- 
ftruétions by no means authorife 
him to admit that which their de- 
claration feemed intended to efta- 
blith; and requefting a conference 
with them upon the fubject. 
No. 22: (C.) 
A note from the French Plenipo- 
tentiaries in reply to the above, of 
the fame date, appointing the fol- 
lowing morning for the propofed 
conference. 
(No. 23.) 
Copy of a Difpatch from Lord Grenville 
197. 
to Lord Malmefbury, dated Downing- 
Srreet, July 20, V197. 
My Lord, 
Your Lordhhip’s difpatches by 
the meffenger Dreffins, were receiv- 
ed here on the 17th inftant, at 
night; and I loft no time in receiv- 
ing his Majefty’s commands on the 
very important fubjeét of your let- 
ter, No. 9. 
Iam much concerned to be un- 
der the neceffity of remarking, that 
the claim brought forward in the 
note tranfmitted to your Lordfhip 
by the French Plenipotentiaries, 1s 
in itfelf fo extravagant, and fo little 
to be reconciled either with the 
former profeflions of thofe minif- 
ters, or with their conduct in the 
previous ftages of the negotiation, 
that it affords the ftrongeft pre- 
fumption of a determination , to 
preclude all means of accommoda- 
tion. If fuch is really the determi- 
nation of the Directory, nothing 
can remain for this country but to 
perfevere in oppofing, with an e- 
nergy and fpirit. proportioned to 
the exigency, a fyftem which mutt ‘ 
tend to perpetuate a ftate of war 
and civil tumult in every part of 
Europe, r 
The natural ftep upon the pre- 
fent occafion would therefore have 
been to direét your Lordfhip to 
terminate at once a negotiation 
which, on the footing now propof- 
ed by the enemy, affords neither the 
hope northe means of any favoura- 
ble conclufion ; nothing being left 
for treaty where, as a preliminary, 
ftep, one party is required to con- 
cede every thing, and all compenfa- 
tion from the other is abfolutely and 
at once precluded. . His Majefty’s 
fervants have, however, obferved, 
{hatin the conclufion of your Lord- 
fhip’s conference with the French 
N 3 Plenipotentiaries 
