HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



125 



replied, agreeably to his instrnflions, 

 that that point would be determin- 

 ed bv, and depend entirely upon, its 

 extent and its permanency : — but 

 that his Britannic majesty would not 

 consider a small and temporary ad- 

 vance of money as a ground sntfici- 

 cnt for the commencement of hosti- 

 lities between the two countries. 



On the 13th day of December, in 

 the same year, ^Ir. Frerc found it 

 necessary to state, in a formal decla- 

 ration, in the name of his govern- 

 ment, that it would consider a pecu- 

 niary aid, to the amount above stat- 

 ed, as a " war subsidy," and as 

 in itself more than equivalent to 

 any species of aggressive warfare 

 Spain mi;;ht suppose herself obliged 

 to wage against Great Britain in 

 consequence of her alliance with 

 France, in reply, the Spani-^h mi- 

 nister insisted, that aiding France, 

 to the amount stipulated by treaty, 

 was perfeftly consistent with the 

 neutrality m hich his court professed 

 towards England, and that the sub- 

 sidy itself was in exaift proportion 

 to the expence which would other- 

 wise be incurred of equipping the 

 military contingent Spain was, by 

 treaty, bound to furnish France. 

 In this explanation it should seem 

 that Mr. Frcrc perfectly acquiesced, 

 as atl'airs remained upon that footing 

 for some short time, without further 

 mention of the subject, by either 

 pnrty. 



(Jthcr grounds of uneasiness hbw- 

 cver soen appeared. In the month 

 of January, 1804, Mr. Frere, felt 

 himself oblfged to protest, in the 

 strongest manner, against the par- 

 tiality and preference shewn in the 

 Spanish ports to the vessels belon-;- 

 iug to the enemy, and in the sale of 

 prizes therein. — lie also complain- 

 ed of the appearance of naval pre- 



parations and armaments on the 

 part of Spain, and upon Avhich head 

 he required an explanation. In jus- 

 tice to the Spanish gOTcrnmcnt, it 

 must be allowed, that it seemed per- 

 fectly willing to give the most per- 

 fect satisfacliou to the British mi- 

 nister on all points, with the ex- 

 ception of that of the subsidy, and - 

 totally denied the existence of ex- 

 traordinary warlike preparation. 

 And IMr. Frere then formally de- 

 clared, that his Britannic majesty 

 wished for an indefinite suspension 

 of hostiiitics on the ground of th<e 

 subsid}', provided that Spain would 

 give no cause of dissatisfaction in 

 other respcrts. 



After tliis declaration the Spanish 

 government considered itself quite 

 removed from the apprehension of 

 w;>.r with England, so long as it 

 strictly,, adhered to the condition 

 therein proscribed. It has since 

 constantly insisted, that it has, in 

 every point, held tiiem inviolably sa- 

 cred, and that the consequent war 

 was forced upon it by ur.justifiable 

 and unprovoked aggression on the 

 part of Great Britain. 



The case to be made out by the 

 British governuient for issuing 

 those orders, the execution of 

 which immediately produced the 

 Spanish declaration of war, rests 

 upon tlic ground, that there was a 

 positive infraction of these con- 

 ditions, on the part of Spain, or at 

 least sufficient grouruls of belief that 

 they were broken (hfotigh, to justify 

 Great Britain in her subsequent 

 cond'.:f"f. 



Information of the existence oU 

 hostile armaments in the Spanish 

 ports was signified to the court of 

 London, by admiral Cochrane, who 

 commanded the blockading squa- 

 dron offFcrrol. IJe asserted, in the 



most 



