222 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797: 
(No. 52.) 
Note from ihe French Plenifotentiaries. to 
~ Lord Malmefbury. 
THE Minifters Plenipotentiaries 
of the French Republic, commif- 
fioned to treat of peace with Eng- 
land, have received the note, dated 
from London; .which has been 
brought, to them by an extraordj- 
nary meflenger, from Lord Malmef- 
bury. They have the honour to 
anfwer to hira, that their note of 
the 29th Fruétidor, to which they 
refer, offered the double affurance 
of the fettled intention of the 
French government to continue 
the negotiations for peace, and of 
its conftant determination not to 
agree to any other conditions than 
fuch as are compatible with the 
dignity of the French Republic. 
A peace, of which the bafis fhould 
be contrary to the laws, or to the 
engagements taken with its allies, 
would never fatisfy the hopes of 
the nation. It is a point from 
which the Executive Directory has 
never departed, and upon which 
its fentiments have never varied. 
Lord Malmefbury having formal- 
ly declared in his notes of the 15th 
and 24th of July, and in the laft in- 
fiance in that of the 17th of Sep- 
tember, that he had not the pow- 
ers neceffary for reftoring the 
Dutch and Spanifh poffeffions oc- 
eupied by the troops of his Britan- 
nic Majefiy, the Executive Direc- 
tory has given.a new proof of its 
epennefs, and of its defire to acce- 
lerate the conchifion of peace, in 
requiring Lord Malmefbury to re- 
turn to his court, for the purpofe 
of obtaining the authority, without 
which-he cannot conclude: a mea- 
fure rendered neceflary. by the de- 
claration of the Minifter Plenipo- 
tentiary of his Britannic Majefty,, 
and upon which it is impoflible to 
give a wrong impreffion to any 
thinking.and impartial mind. ._., 
The Minifters Plenipotentiaries of 
the French Republic requeft Lord. 
Malmefbury to accept the affurances 
of their high confideration. 
(Signed) TREILHARD. 
Bonnier. 
DERCHE. 
Lifle, 4th Vendemiaive, 5thyear of 
the Republie (Sept. 25,1797.) 
(No: 53.) 
Note from the French Plenipotentiaries te 
Lord M. almefoury. 
Lifle, OF. 1, 1.797. 
THE Minifters Plenipotentiaries 
of the French Republic, charged 
to negotiate a peace with England, 
have the honour to communicate to 
Lord, Malmetbury, that having ad- 
dreffed a copy of his laft note, of 
the: 23d_ of September, 1797, to 
their government, the Executive 
Directory has inftruéted them. to 
declare, in its name, that it has not 
ceafed to be defirous of peace: that. 
it gave an unequivocal proof of the 
fentiment by which it is animated, 
when it ordered the Minifters Ple- 
nipotentiaries of the Republic to 
demand. a categorical explanation 
of the powers given by the Englifh 
government to its Minifter Pleni- 
potentiary; and that this proceed- 
ing neither had nor could have any 
other objeét than that of bringing 
at length the negotiation toa {pee~ 
dy and fuccefsful iffue. 
That the order given to the Mi- 
nifters Plenipotentiaries of the 
French Republic to remain at Lifle, 
after the departure of Lord Malmef- 
bury, is a new proof that the Di- 
rectory had wilhed for and antici- 
pated’ 
