t 
26 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
have faid fo at once (‘Je vous affure 
iv? il nous auroit fromptement renvoyé Je 
courier,”? were his words): The time 
they take to deliberate indicates 
‘beyond a doubt that they are look- 
ing for fome temperament; and it 
f{carce can be doubted that one will 
be found.—I faid I was well pleafed 
to hear him fay this; but that ftill 
he muft be aware that it would not 
be an eafy tafk for me to make my 
difpatches to-day either interefting 
or fatisfaétory. Another of the 
French Minifters faid, that he re- 
ally believed that this would be the 
only great impediment we fhould 
have to encounter, that every thing 
would go on quickly and fmoothly, 
and that I muft admit the prefent 
to be a very important and difficult 
point in the negotiation. I agreed 
‘with him entirely as to its import- 
ance, but could not, acquiefce as to 
its difficulty. | 
Iam very forry, my Lord, that 
in fuch a moment, and after wait- 
ing fo long, I fhould not be able to 
fend you more explicit and decifive 
affurances; but itis not in my pow- 
er to compel the French negotia- 
tors to move on fafter. All I can 
do is by my conduét and language 
to take care that no part whatever 
of the imputation of delay fhould 
attach to me. I have, at every con- 
ference I have held, always de- 
clared my readinefs to proceed; and * 
J fhall not fail to repeat, this every 
time we meet. 
Right Hen. Lord Grenville, Sc. 
(No. 28.) 
Note from the French Plenipotentiaries to 
Lord Malmefbury. 
THE Minifters Plenipotentiary 
of the French Republic will be 
happy to have an opportunity, of 
converfing for a few minutes with 
Lord Malmefbury ; and they have 
in confequence the honour of pro~ 
fing to him to meet them at two 
o’clock to-day, or at any other hour 
which may be more convenient to 
him, and which he will have the 
goodnefs to appoint. 
They renew, with pleafure, to 
Lord Malme‘bury the affurances of 
their high confideration. 
(Signed) Le Tourneur. 
Hucues B, Maret. 
Lifle, 17 Thermidar, 
5th year of the Republic, 
(Auguft 4, 1797.) 
CoLcHEN, 
Sec. Gen. of the Legation 
of the Republic. 
(Aug. 4, 1797.) 
(No. 29.) 
Extrad of a Difpatch from Lord Malmef- 
bury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifit, 
Auguft 14th, 1797. 
My Lord, 
IN confequence of the refolution 
we had come to, to meet on the 
days of the arrival of the poft from 
Paris, our conferences for this laft | 
week have taken. place regularly 
every other morning, except on 
Thurfday the 10th, of Auguft, 
which being the anniverfary of one 
of their national feftivals, the French 
legation could not attend. 
T have in mine, No. 17, given 
your Lordfhip an account of every 
thing which paffed in thefe con- 
ferences, up to that of the 6th. On 
the 8th nothing was faid at all 
worth, tranfmitting, ‘except an in- 
timation flung out by one of the 
French Plenipotentiaries, that it 
would be neceffary to take into 
confideration the rights of nentral 
nations 
Ee ee rhe; 
