610 



ANNUAL UEGISTER, 1805. 



•were confirmed by circumstances 

 which came to his majesty's know- 

 ledge from other quarters, that the 

 disposition of the Spanish govern- 

 ment would induce them to extri- 

 cate thempelves from this engage- 

 ment, if the course of events should 

 admit of tlicir doing so with safety. 

 ■ — When his majesty had first reason 

 to believe that such a convention 

 was concluded, he directed his mi- 

 nister at ISladrid to declare that his 

 forbearing to consider Spain as an 

 enemy must depend in some degree 

 upon the amount of the succours, 

 and upon her maintaining a perfect 

 neutrality in all other respects ; but 

 that it would be impossible for him 

 to consider a permanent payment, 

 to the amount of that which was 

 stated to have been in agitation, in 

 any other light tlian as a direct sub- 

 sidy of war. His majesty's envoy 

 ■was directed, therefore, first to pro- 

 test against the convention, as a vio- 

 lation of neutrality, and a justifiable 

 cause of war ; secondly, to declare, 

 that our abstaining from hostilities 

 must depend upon its being only a 

 temporary measure, and that we 

 must be at liberty to consider a 

 perseverance in it as a cause of war ; 

 thirdly, that the entrance of any 

 French troops into Spain must be 

 refused; fourthly, that any naval 

 preparation must be a great cause of 

 jealousy, and any attempt to give 

 naval assistance to France an imme- 

 diate cause of war; fifthly, that the 

 Spanish ports must remain open to 

 our commerce, and that our ships 

 •of war must have equal treatment 

 with those of France. His majesty's 

 minister was also instructed, if any 

 French troops entered Spain, or if 

 he received authentic information of 

 any naval armaments preparing for 

 the assistance of France, to leave 



Madrid, and to give immediate no-» 

 tice to our naval commanders, that 

 they might proceed to hostilities 

 without the delay that might be oc- 

 casioned by a reference home. 



The execution of these instructions 

 pio:]uccd a vaiiefy of discussions ; 

 during which his majesty's minister 

 told Mr. Cevallos, in answer to his 

 question, whether a continuance of 

 such pecuniary succours to Fiance 

 would be considered as a ground of 

 war, and Avhether he was authorised 

 to declare it? that he was so autho- 

 rised, and that war would hi the in- 

 fallible consequence. — It was, how- 

 ever, still thought desirable by his 

 majesty to protract, if possible, the 

 decision of this question ; and it was 

 therefore stated, in the instructions 

 to hi:, minister at Madrid, that as 

 the subsidy was represented by the 

 Spanish government to be merely a 

 temporary measure, his majesty 

 might still continue to ovcil'>ok it 

 for a tjmc ; but that his decision in 

 this respect must depend upon 

 knowing the precise nature of all 

 the stipulations between Spain and 

 France, and upon the Spanish go- 

 vernment being determined to cause 

 their neutrality to be respected in 

 all other particulars. That until 

 these questions Mere answered in a 

 satisfactory manner, and the con- 

 vention communicated to him, he 

 could give no positive answer whe- 

 ther he would make the pecuniary 

 succours a cause of war or not. — 

 Before the receipt of these instruc- 

 tions, dated January 21, 1804, the 

 report of some naval armaments in 

 the ports of Spain had occasioned a 

 fresh correspondence between his 

 majesty's minister and the Spanish 

 government. In owe of the notes 

 presented by the former, he de- 

 clares, that if the king was fojced 



tot 



