ain ANNUWUAW REG BSE KR, 21707: 
‘tude; but that in fa& their quef- 
tion went not to the extent of my 
full powers, but to require ef me to 
declare the nature of my inftruc- 
tions; and’ on this point they cer- 
tainly would forgive me if I did not 
{peak out till fuch time as the cir- 
cumftances of the negotiation called 
upon me todo it. 
The French Minifter’ ftrove to 
rove to me, what he had before at- 
tempted, that the claiming a right 
of enquiry into the nature of the 
difcretionary authority confided in 
a minifter, by no means implied an 
intention of requiring of him to aé& 
up to its utmoft limits. I obferved 
if no fuch intention exifted, why 
inititute the enquiry? and if it did 
exift, why not fay fo at once ?——He 
faid, What we now afk is little more 
than a matter of form; when you 
have given us your anfwer, we fhall 
follow it up by another ftep, which 
we are ordered to take. I faid, my 
anfwer was given two months ago; 
that, alihougl I was ready to give 
it them again, and in writing, as 
one io their note, yet, as it could 
not be different, I did not fee why 
they fhould not proceed immediate- 
ly to the other ftep, by which I was 
told the queftion was to be followed 
up. ‘It would be premature, faid 
the French Minifter; but in draw- 
ing up your aniwer, do not forget 
the force of the arguments. I have 
ufed,, or, in your report to your 
court, the afiurances we have given 
of the earneft wifh of the Directo- 
ry to terminate the war. I replied 
that I {till muft maintain that, from 
the manner in which they thought 
proper to define full powers, I 
could fee no diftinétion between 
acknowledging the power and ad- 
muiting the principle; and that the 
queftion itfelf could not be put with 
any other intention—(Your Lord- 
fhip will obferve, from the fubfe- 
quent notes which paffed between 
us, that I was perfectly grounded in 
this affertion): that, in my reports, 
they might be fully affured I fhould 
aét up to that conciliatory fpirit, 
which, from the’ earlieft period of 
the negotiation, had always decided 
my conduét; and that, inaufpicious 
as appearances’ were, I certainly 
would be careful not to make them 
look hoftile. At the word hoftile, 
both the French Plenipotentiaries 
were moft warm in their protetta- 
tions that nothing could be lefs fo; 
that the idea of the negotiation 
breaking off was as far from their 
thoughts as from their wifhes. I 
faid, that although I heard this with 
pleafure, yet I could not avoid ad- 
verting to faéts; and that, when in- 
‘ftead of an anfwer, and the favoura- 
ble anfwer which I had every rea- 
fon to expect, I received only the 
repetition of a demand which had 
been already fatisfied two months 
ago, I certainly could not think 
this a good omen. If it did not 
bode an immediate rupture of the, 
ireaty, it affuredly did not announce 
a near and fuccefsful termination 
of it. The above-mentioned mi- 
niiter perfifted I was miftaken; that 
the bufinefs would end {peedily; 
that {peed was their with, and fpeed 
with peace for its object. On 
breaking up our conference I faid, 
that I took it for granted we fhouid 
meet again at the ufual hour on 
Sunday. He’ iaid, that it perhaps 
might not be’ neceflary, but that 
they ‘certainly would let me know 
in time; and this conveyed to me 
the firft idea of what has fince tak- 
én place. I inclofe your Lordfhip 
‘the note A, I received in this con- 
-ference from the French Plenipo-. 
tentiaries 
Ce Se 
