STATE PAPERS, 



241 



tiallty and the regularity of their 

 instructions. When the papers of 

 these ships are found in strict order, 

 no farther examination can he le- 

 gally enforced ; and it is conse- 

 quently the authority of the govern- 

 ment, in whose name these docu- 

 ments have heen drawn up and is- 

 sued, that procures for the bellige- 

 rent power the required security. 



But a neutral government, in 

 escorting by the armed ships of the 

 state, the commercial ships of the 

 subject, thereby alone holds out to 

 the belligerent powers a more au- 

 thentic and positive pledge than 

 that which is furnished by the do- 

 cuments with which these ships are 

 furnished. Nor can a neutral go- 



! vernment, without incurring dis- 

 honour and disgrace, admit, in this 

 respect, the least doubt or suspicion, 



I which must be as injurious to that 

 government as they would be un- 

 just on the part of those who should 

 entertain or manifest them. 



And if it were to be admitted 

 as a principle, that the convoys 

 granted by a sovereign do not se- 

 cure ships of his subjects from being 



' visited by the state ships or priva- 

 teers of foreigners, it would follow 

 that the most formidable squadron 

 should not have the right of relie- 

 ving from a search the ships in- 

 trusted to its protection, if that 

 search was exacted by the most 

 pitiful privateer. 



But it cannot be reasonably sup- 

 posed that the English government, 

 •which has uniformly, and on the 

 most just grounds, shewn a marked 

 jealousy for the honour of its flag, 

 and who in the maritime wars, in 

 •which it has taken no part, has ne- 

 vertheless asserted with vigour the 

 rights of neutrality, would ever con- 

 sent, should such circumstances oc- 

 VoL. XLII. 



cur, to an humiliating vexation of 

 that nature ; and the king of Den- 

 mark reposes too much confidence 

 in the equity and loyalty of his Bri- 

 tannic majesty to harbour a suspi- 

 cion that it is his intention to ar- 

 rogate a right which, under similar 

 circumstances, he would not grant 

 to any other independent power. 



It seems suflicient to apply to 

 the fact in question, the natural re- 

 sult of these observations, in order 

 to make it evident, that the captain 

 of the king's frigate, by repulsing 

 a violence which he had no right 

 to expect, has done no more than 

 his duty ; and that it was on the 

 part of the English frigates, that a 

 violation of the rights of a neutral 

 sovereign, and of a power friendly 

 to his Bi-itannic majesty, has been 

 committed. 



The king had hesitated to sig- 

 nify any formal complaint on this 

 head, as long as he regarded it as 

 a misconception which might have 

 been done away by amicable expla- 

 nations between the respective 

 commanders of the naval force 

 which the two governments kept 

 up in the Mediterranean ; but see- 

 ing himself, muchtohis regret, dis- 

 appointed in that hope, he has only 

 to insist on the reparation that is 

 due to him, and which the justice 

 and the friendship of his Britannic 

 majesty seem justly to be called 

 upon to secure to him. 



(Signed) C. Bernstorff. 



]>lote delivered by Lord Grenville 

 to Count Wedel Jarlsbcrg, his 

 Danish Majesty's Minister, re- 

 spectinglhe Capture oftheFreya 

 Frigate. 



THE undersigned, his majesty's 

 principal secretary of state for 

 R 



