190] 
and consequence, was not in the 
case of requiring restitutions for it- 
self; but France having made large 
acquisitions on tbe allies of Great 
Britain, the objects of the negocia- 
tion seemed, of course, to be the 
compensations that France might 
expect, for the restitutions it would 
make. 
To this proposal of the English 
ambassador, it was replied, by the 
directory, that the accession of other 
powers to a business, which he was 
authorised to transact separately be- 
tween Great Britain and France, 
would essentially retard the progress 
of the negociation, as he had no 
commission from those allies to act 
in their behalf. But that to prove 
their readiness to embrace every 
means of reconciliation, they would 
consent, on his procuring creden- 
tials to that purpose, from those 
allies, to take into consideration any 
specific proposals he should lay be- 
fore them. 
This answer was accompanied 
with explicit insinuations, that the 
intention of the British ministry 
was, by the semblance of a general 
-negociation, to prevent other powers 
from making their particular pro- 
posals, and, at the same time, to 
induce the English nation to supply 
‘the government with the means of 
continuing the war, from a persua- 
sion thatthe French had refused to 
make a peace. 
The British minister’s reply was, 
that he had not been commissioned 
to enter upon a separate treaty ; 
that Great Britain proposed to make 
a common cause in this transaction 
with its allies, and that to wait for 
powers from these, before any dis- 
cussions on the subjeéts to be pro~ 
posed should take place, was per- 
feétly unnecessary. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
The directory rejoined, by taking 
notice, that the respective situation 
of France, and of its remaining ene- 
mies, ought to be duly considered 
in the demands of the latter for rese 
titutions. The strength of these 
had been diminished by their losses, 
and the desertion of their associates, 
who had not only abandoned the 
coalition, but were now become the 
allies of France, or observed a striét 
neutrality. These, it was insinu= 
ated, were circumstances very UDe 
favourable to the restitutions hinted 
at by the British negociator. 
After a variety of farther asser- 
tions and replications on both sides, 
the directory at length agreed to 
the principle laid down by tord 
Malmsbury, and required a specific 
mention of the compensations be 
had alluded to. He replied, by pro- 
posing the restitution of what. had 
been taken from the emperor, and 
peace to be negociated with him 
for the empire, as its constitutional 
head : the accession of Russia to the 
present treaty ; and Portugal to be 
included in it, without any demands 
of indemnity by France. In return 
for these concessions, Great Britain 
consented to restore its conquests in 
both the Indies; provided how- 
ever it received an equivalent for 
that portion of the island of His- 
paniola, ceded by Spain to France. 
The restoration of the prince of 
Orange, to the Stadtholdership of 
the Seven United Provinces, was 
also required, in consideration of 
which Great Britain would re- 
store most of its acquisitions from 
them. 
To these outlines of the pacifica- 
tion proposed, the directory answer- 
ed, by requiring the whole of his 
demands to be stated to them in 
twenty-four hours. To this peremp~ 
tory 
