2088 ANNUAL! REGIS TER,* 1797. 
fumption, that it is intended, on 
the part of France to brin g forward 
fome propofal about the navigation 
of neutral powers in time of war. 
Your Lordfhip will beft judge of 
the proper opportunity of expreff- 
ing his Majetty’s decided and un- 
altcrable refolution on this point, 
not to admit of any propofal for 
treating with his enemies on the 
fubjeét of the rights or claims of 
neutral powers. 
The only other remark with 
which I have to trouble your Lord- 
fhip by this meflenger, relates to 
~an expreffion in the late meflage of 
the Directory to the Council of 
Five Hundred, which, if literally 
taken, conveys an accufationagainft 
his Majefty’s government, that 
fome delay has arifen on the part 
of this country in the negotiations 
at Lifle. This is fo avowedly con- 
trary to the fact, that it maft be 
confidered as impoffible that fuch a 
charge could be intended to be 
made by a government which had 
at that moment delayed for three 
weeks making any anfwer to his 
Majefty’s difting and liberal pro- 
pofals of peace, and whofe Plenipo- 
tentiaries were daily apologizing to 
your Lordfhip for this unbecoming, 
and, as they almoft confefs, unac- 
eountable delay; but as the point is 
too-important to be left unnoticed, 
it is the King’s pleafure that your 
Lordfhip fhould prefent a note re- 
marking upon the fenfe to which 
thefe words are liable, exprefling 
your perfuafion that fuch cannot be 
the intention with which they were 
ufed, but afking on the part of your 
court an explanation to that effed, 
which cannot be refufed without a 
violation of every thing which truth 
and juflice require on fuch an oc- 
eaficn. 
é 
(Not Sid)! 0/9 Heine 
Extrad from the Meffage of the Frenck 
Direétory to the Council of Five Hund- 
red, Aug.9, 1797. 
IN fhort, this caufe is in the fame 
defpondency in which all good ci- 
tizens, and particularly the defend- 
ers of the country are, at feeing 
deferred, at the very moment when 
its conclufion was thought to be 
near at hand; and after having 
bought it with fo much blood and 
fo much fuffering —a_ definitive 
peace, which the heads of the-van- 
quifhed coalition at length folicited 
in good earneft, when its conclufion 
was expected, and whicha govern- 
ment friendly to humanity were 
ftill more earneft to conclude: 
When, all ona fudden, buoyed up 
with new hopes, reckoning upon a 
general diffolution of the govern- 
ment by the failing of its finances, 
upon its deftruction, upon the death 
or banifhment of its braveft gene- 
rals, and upon the difperfion and 
lofs of its armies, thefe very fame 
coalefced, powers have thrown as 
much delay into the negotiations 
as they had fhewn anxisty to bring 
them to an end. 
(No. 32.) 
Copy of a Difpatch from Lord Malmef- 
bury to Lord Grenville, dated Lifle, 
~ Auguft 22, 1797. 
My Lord, a 
IN my conference of this morn- 
ing I took an opportunity of re- 
marking to the French Plenipoten- 
tiaries on the very unfair and extra- 
ordinary affertion which had ap- 
peared in the meflage of the 9th 
inftant, from the Direétory to the 
Council of Five Hundred; viz. que 
hes puiffances coalifecs ong mis eutant de 
lenteus 
> 
