212 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



yet that lus majesty had not inter- 

 fered to have such preliminaries 

 aimuUed, because there existed 

 previous engagements between the 

 courts of London and Vienna, not 

 to treat for peace except in concert 

 with each other, and because the 

 first intimation which his majesty 

 received of the signature of these 

 pretended preliminaries, was ac- 

 companied by the express declara- 

 tion of his ally, that they were 

 wholly unauthorised, and must be 

 considered as absolutely null. The 

 French government, at the time 

 they treated with the Austrian offi- 

 cer, knew he had no powers or in- 

 structions for such treaty: he avowed 

 such to be the fact at the time, and 

 declared it even in the paper which 

 he signed. That although his ma- 

 jesty views the proposal of a naval 

 armistice in no other light than as a 

 temporary advantage, which it is 

 proposed to him to yield to the ene- 

 my, in order to pi-event the renewal 

 of continental hostilities — yet as it 

 may contribute to the conclusion of 

 a general peace, if France will con- 

 sent that the respective position of 

 the two parties should remain during 

 the armistice, such as it was at its 

 commencement, and that neither of 

 them should, by its operation, ac- 

 quire fresh advantages, or new 

 means of annoying his enemy, such 

 as he could not otherwise obtain, 

 his majesty would consent to the 

 armistice,not withstanding the many 

 disadvantages which would result to 

 this country from such a measure; 

 that the Fiench projet professes to 

 assimilate Malta and Egypt, &c. 

 to Ulm and Ingolstadt, although the 

 termsit requiresof victualling them, 

 &c. for an unlimited period, is in 

 direct contradiction to the stipula- 

 tions of the German armistice, and 



his majesty is expected to hind him- 

 self towards the allies of France, 

 even before any reciprocal engage- 

 ment can be received from them, 

 in which all mention of the king's 

 allies is totally omitted: that the 

 principle contained in the following 

 projet is that alone on which his 

 majesty can consent to treat; and 

 although the conditions are far 

 short of what his majesty might 

 justly demand from analogy to the 

 terms of the continental armistice, 

 or from the relative situation of 

 naval force, he reposes in the good 

 faith of his enemies; andif M. Otto 

 was authorised to accede to these 

 stipulations, his majesty would au- 

 thorise a person to sign them; if not, 

 he is requested to forward them 

 without delay to his government. 



(No. XXV.) 

 Counter Projet. 



Art. 1st. Stipulates that all hosti- 

 lities, both by sea and land, between 

 the forces of the two contracting 

 parties, shall be suspended, and shall 

 not be renewed until after fourteen 

 days notice given of the termina- 

 tion of the armistice; but in case of 

 the renewal of hostilities between 

 Austria and France, the armistice 

 between Great Britain is likewise 

 to be considered as terminated. 



Art. 2d. relates to the sending 

 orders from the two governments 

 to their officers abroad to conform 

 to this agreement. 



Art. 3d. All prizes made during 

 the continuance of the armistice, 

 by any officer apprized of this mea- 

 sure, to be restored, if made in the 

 Channel or North Sea, within 

 twelve days after the ratification 

 of this convention, to be given up, 

 although the captors should be igno- 

 rant of the truce. 



i 



