iS TA MEOR AP EURYS 
and as it militated directly against 
the principle which both his ma- 
jesty and the Emperor laid down 
so distinctly asthe basis of the 
peace to be made for the empire, 
I contented myself with reminding 
him of this circumstance, parti- 
cularly as itis impossible to discuss 
this point with any propriety tll his 
Imperial majesty becomes a party 
to the negociation. I took this op- 
portunity of hinting, that if on all 
the other points France agreed to 
the proposals now made, it would 
not be impossible that some in- 
crease of. territory might be ceded 
to her on the Germanic side of her 
frontiers, and that this, in addition 
to the duchy of Savoy, Nice, and 
Avignon, would be a very great 
acquisition of strength and power. 
M. Delacroix here again reverted 
to the constitution, and said that 
these countries were already con- 
stitutionally annexed to France. I 
replied, that it was impossible, 
in the negotiation which we were 
beginning, forthe other powers to 
take it up from any period but 
that which immediately preceded 
the war, and that any acquisition 
or diminution of territory which 
had taken place among the belli- 
gerent powers since it first broke 
Out, must necessarily become sub- 
ject matter for negotiation, and be 
balanced against each other in the 
final arrangement of a _ general 
peace. You then persist, said M. 
Delacroix, in applying this prin- 
ciple to Belgium ? I answered, most 
certainly; and1 should not deal 
fairly with you if I hesitated to de- 
clare, in the outset of our negotia~ 
tion, that on this point you must 
entertain no expectation that his 
majesty will relax or ever consent 
to see the Netherlands remain a 
- part of France. 
upon 
[165 
M. Delacroix replied, he saw no 
prospect in this case of our ideas 
ever meeting, and he despaired of 
the success of our negotiation. He 
returned again, however, to his 
idea of a possible equivalent to be 
found for the Emperor ; but as all 
he proposed was the alienation or 
the dismemberment of couptries 
not belonging to France even by 
conquest, 1 did not consider it as 
deserving attention, and it is cer- 
tainly not worth repeating to your 
lordship. 
T need not observe that all the 
equivalents proposed, however in- 
adequate 10 the exchange, were 
offered us a return for our Consent 
that the Netherlands should remain 
a part of France, of course the ad- 
mitting them in any shape would 
bave been in direct contradiction to 
my instructions. 
M. Delacroix touched — very 
slightly on Italy ; and in the course 
‘of our conversation did not bring - 
this part of the subject more into 
discussion. 
I must add, that whenever I 
mentioned the restoration. of the 
Netherlands to the Emperor; I 
always took care it should be 
understood that these were to 
be accompanied by such further 
cessions as should form a competent 
line of defence, and that France 
could not be permitted to keep 
possession of all the intermediate 
country to the Rhine ; and. I par. 
ticularly dwelt on this point, when 
I held out the possibility of admit. 
ting an extension Of the limits of 
France onthe side. of Germany, 
But as the French minister no less 
strenuously opposed the restitution 
of the Netherlands to the Em- 
peror than I tepaCiously insisted 
it, the further extension 
of 
M3 
