STATE PAPERS. 



209 



the surest and speediest means for 

 the attainment of that great object. 

 But he has declared, in terms 

 equally explicit, and with the same 

 sincerity, that he entertains no de- 

 sire to prescribe to a foreign nation 

 the form of its government ; that 

 he looks only to the security of 

 his own dominions, and of Europe; 

 and that, whenever that essential 

 object can, in his judgment, be, in 

 any manner whatever, sufficiently 

 provided for, he will eagerly con- 

 cert with his allies the means of 

 immediate and joint negociation, for 

 the re-establishmentof general tran- 

 quillity. To these declarations his 

 majesty steadily adheres; and it is 

 only on the grounds thus stated, 

 that his regard to the safety of his 

 subjects will suffer him to renounce 

 that system of vigorous defence, to 

 which, under the favour of Provi- 

 dence, his kingdoms owe the secu- 

 rity of those blessings which they 

 now enjoy. 



(Signed) Grenville. 

 Downing-street, Jan. 20, 1800. 



Papers relative to the Commence- 

 ment of Negocialions for Peace 

 with France, through the Medium 

 of M. Otto, laid on the Table of 

 the House of Commons. 



THESE communications are 

 given under forty-seven num- 

 bers ; many of whicli relate to mat- 

 ters of ceremony, not materially 

 connected with the main object. 

 We therefore commence our selec- 

 tion v/ith 



(No. XV.) 

 Translation — Note. 

 The undersigned having commu- 

 nicated to his government the note 

 dated the 29th of August, forwarded 

 to him by his excellencv lord Gren- 

 Vol. XLII, 



ville, is directed to submit to him 

 the following observations: 



Preliminaries of peace had been 

 concluded and signed between his 

 imperial majesty, and the French 

 republic. The intervention of lord 

 Minto, who demanded that Eng- 

 land should be admitted to take part 

 in the negociations, prevented their 

 ratification by his imperial majesty. 



The suspension of arms, which 

 had taken place solely in the hope 

 of a speedy peace between the em- 

 peror and the republic, ought then 

 to cease, and will in fact cease on 

 the 24th Fructidor (11th Septem- 

 ber ) , since France had sacrificed to 

 that hope alone the immense ad- 

 vantages which her victories had 

 secured to her. 



The intervention of England ren- 

 ders the question of peace so com- 

 plicated, that it is impossible for the 

 French government to prolong far- 

 ther the armistice on the continent, 

 unless his Britannic majesty will 

 consent to render it common to the 

 three powers. 



If then the cabinet of St. James's 

 desires to continue to make a com- 

 mon cause with Austria, and if its 

 desire to take part in the negoci- 

 ations be sincere, his Britannic ma- 

 jesty will not hesitate to adopt the 

 proposed armistice. 



But if this armistice be not con- 

 cluded before the 24th Fructidor, 

 (11th Sept.) hostilities will be re- 

 newed with Austria, and the first 

 consul will no longer be able to 

 consent, with regard to that power, 

 to any but a separate and complete 

 peace. 



In order to ascertain the expla- 

 nations demanded relative to the 

 armistice, the undersigned is di- 

 rected to acquaint lord Grenville, 

 that the places whicli it is proposed 



