STATE PAPERS. 
ry thing to lofe. it never, there- 
fore, can be allowed to be a quef- 
tion of any pofiible doubt, but that 
the Dire¢tory, if they really wifh 
it, muft already have obtained, or 
could at any moment obtain, the 
confent of thofe powers to fuch 
terms of peace as have been propof- 
ed by his Majefty. If, however, 
France, from any motive of inte- 
reft or engagement, is in truth de- 
firous to procure for them the refti- 
tution of poffeffions which they 
were unable to defend, and have no 
means to reconquer, the project de- 
livered by your Lordfhip afforded 
an opening for this; thofe articles 
having been fo drawn as to leave it 
to France to provide a compenfa- 
tion to his Majefty, either out of 
her own colonies, or out of thofe 
of her allies, re{peétively conquer- 
ed by his Majefty’s arms. The 
choice between thefe alternatives 
may be left to the Directory ; but 
to refufe bothis, in other words, to 
refufe all compenfation. This is 
neverthelefs exprefily declared not 
to be the intention of thofe with 
whom you treat. It is therefore 
neceflary that your Lordfhip fhould 
demand from them a ftatement. of 
the propofals which, as they in- 
formed you, they have to make, in 
order to do away this apparent con- 
tradiction, which the King’s fer- 
vants are wholly unable to recon- 
cile by any duggeftion of theirs, 
even if it were fitting and reafona- 
ble for them to bring forward any 
new propofals, immediately after 
the detailed proje&t which was de- 
livered on the part of this country 
at the outfet of the negotiation. 
Since that project is not acceded 
to, we have evidently, and on every 
ground, a right to expecta counter 
project, equally fulland explicit, on 
the part of the enemy. You will 
199 
therefore {tate to the French minif- 
ters diftin@ly, that the only hope of 
bringing this bufinefs to a favoura- 
ble conclufion, is by their ftating at 
once plainly, and without referve, 
the whole of what they have to 
afk, inftead of bringing forward fe- 
parate points one after the other, 
not only contrary to the avowed 
principle of the negotiation pro~ 
pofed by themfelves, but, as it ap- 
pears, even contrary to the expec- 
tation of the minifters themfelves 
who are employed on the part of 
France. There can be no pretence 
for refufing a compliance with this 
demand, if the Plenipotentiaries of 
France are difpofed to forward the 
object of peace. And the obtain- 
ing fuch a ftatement from them is, 
as I have before ftated’ to your 
Lordfhip, a point of fo much im- 
portance, in any courfe which this 
negotiation may take, that it is the 
King’s pleafure that your Lordfhip - 
fhould ufe every poflible endeavour 
to prevent their eluding fo juft a 
demand. 
After what has paffed, it is, I fear, 
very doubtful whether fucha coun-’ 
ter project would be framed on 
principles fuch as could be admit- 
ted here; but it would at all events 
place the bufinefs on its real iffue, 
and bring diftinétly into queftion 
the feveral points on which the 
conciufion of peace, or the prolong- 
ation of war, will really depend. 
(Signed) GRENVILLE, 
Right Hon. Lord Malmefoury. 
(No. 24.) 
Copy of @ Difjiatch from Lord Grenville 
to Lord Malméefbury, dated Downing- 
frreet, July 20, 1797... 
My Lor d, fie 
THERE are two feparate points 
on which it is negeflary for me to 
N4 di fay 
