S TGATE ES PEA PiBLRS: 
No. 47. (E.) 
Note from the French Plenipotentiaries ta 
Lord Malmefoury. 
THE underfigned Minifters Ple- 
nipotentiary of the French Republic, 
commiffioned to treat of peace with 
-England, have the honeur to ‘ac- 
-knowledge the receipt of Lord 
-Malmefbury’s anfwer to the note 
which they addrefied to him this 
day. They think it right to obferve 
to him tlrat he does not appear to 
have feized the real meaning of 
their note; that it. by no means 
contains a refufal to continue the 
negotiations, but, on the conirary, 
the means for giving them activity, 
and for following them up witha 
fuccefS no lefs defirable to the two 
nations, than it would be flattering 
to the minifters charged with the 
-conduét of them. The French go- 
vernment is fo far from entertain- 
ing the intentions which the note 
of Lord Malmefbury appears to im- 
pute to them, that the Minifters 
Plenipotentiary of the French Re- 
public have received no order to 
-quit Lifle, after the departure of 
the Minifter Plenipotentiary of his 
Britannic Majefty. The Minifters 
Plenipotentiary of the French Re- 
public requeft Lord Malmeibury to 
accept the affurances of their high 
confideration. 
(Signed) TREILHARD. 
Bonnier. 
By the Minifters Plenipotenti- 
ary, the Secretary General 
of the Legation, DERCHE. 
Life, 30 Fraétidor, 5th year of the 
Republic (Sept. 16,1797.) 
ic from Lord Malme/bury to the French 
2 ve Plenipotentiaries. 
THE underfigned Minifter Ple- 
No. 48. (F.) 
219 
nipotentiary of his Britannic Ma- 
jefty has the honour to acknowledge 
the receipt of the note which the 
Minifters Plenipotentiary of the 
French Republic tranfmitted to 
him. yefterday, through the hands 
of the.Secretary General of their 
legation. He thinks he cannotan- 
fwer it better than. by fubmitting 
to them, in his turn, the following 
obfervations. 
That having already, by his note, 
dated July 24, and in obedience to 
the exprefs. orders of his court, giv- 
en an anfwer to the queftion which 
isnow fo unexpectedly renewed; a 
queftion that, in appearance, re- 
lates folely to the limits of his full 
powers, which are in the moft am- 
ple form, but which does in faét 
require a declaration of the whole 
extent of his inftructions; and not 
being authorifed to quit the place 
of his deftination without the ex- 
prefs order of the King his mafter, 
inany cafe except that of the rup- 
ture of the negotiation, he could 
not help confidering a note enjoin- 
ing him, in confequence of a decree 
of the Executive Directory, to re- 
turn to his court in the fpace of 
four-and-twenty hours, as ill calcu- 
lated to accelerate the conclufion of 
peace; neverthelefs, to anfwer the 
aflurances of the Minifters Plenipo- 
tentiary of the French Republic, 
and to teftify his defire to feize 
their real meaning, with refpeé to 
which he fhould be very forry to 
deceive himfelf, he thinks it would 
be more fatisfactory to meet once 
more; and if the Minifters Plenipo- 
tentlary of the French Republic 
fhould be of the fame opinion, Lord 
Malmefbury would propofe that this 
meeting fhould take place at an 
earlier hour than ufual, in order 
that he may have time to take fuch 
fteps as the refult of their confe- 
rences 
