614 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



the sequel) of the final rupture of 



the negociation at Madrid. On 



the twenty-sixth of October, one 

 thousand eight hundred and four, 

 his majcsly's charge d'ailaircs pre- 

 sented a note to the Spanish mini- 

 ster, in Avhich the following condi- 

 tions were insisted upon, as preli- 

 minary to the appointment of a mi- 

 nister from Great Britain, who 

 might treat of the adjustment of 

 other matters which remained for 

 discussion. The conditions were 

 three : first, that the orders given at 

 Ferrol, Cadiz, and Carthagcna, 

 should be countermanded, as well 

 for the equipment of ships of war in 

 any of those ports, as for their re- 

 moval from one of tliose ports to 

 another. Secondly, that not only 

 the present armaments should be 

 discontinued, but that the establish- 

 ment of ships of war in the diil'ercnt 

 ports should be replaced on the 

 footing on which they stood at the 

 commencement of hostilities between 

 England and France. Thirdly, that 

 a full disclosure should be made of 

 the existing engagements, and of 

 the future intentions of Spain with 

 respect to France. From the pe- 

 riod above-mentioned to the second 

 of November, several oiTicial notes 

 passed between his majesty's charge 

 d'afi'aires and the Spanish minister, 

 consisting, with little variation in 

 their tciiour, of urgent demands of 

 satislaction on the one side, and of 

 evasive and unsatislactory replies on 

 the other. After repeated delays 

 and reiterated applications, his ma- 

 jesty's charge d'allaires received his 

 pabsports on the seventh of Novem- 

 ber, and departed from Madrid on 

 the fourteenth of that month.— 

 J>uring the whole of this negotia- 

 tion, no mention was made of the 

 detention of the Spanish treasure. 



ships, nor does it any where appear 

 tJiat an account had been received 

 at jlailrid of that transaction. It is 

 evident, therefore, notwithstanding 

 the attempt made by the Spanish 

 court to avail itself of tliat; event, in 

 the manifesto whicii has been since 

 published, that tiio state of war 

 must equally have arisen between 

 Great Britain and Spain, had the 

 detention never falvcn place, and 

 that, in point of fact, tne rupture 

 ultimately took place upon grounds 

 distinct from, and totally unconnect- 

 ed will), that measure. — Ihe lead- 

 itig circumstances which characte- 

 rise the reiterated abuse of his ma- 

 jesty's moderation, were each of 

 them of a nature to have exhausted 

 any less settled sj'stem of lenity and 

 forbearance. Su(C(Jurs afi'ordcd to 

 his enemies ; explanations refused or 

 evaded, after re|)eatod demands ; 

 conditions violated, after distinct 

 notice that on theui depended the 

 continuance of peace. Such has 

 been the conduct of the Spanish 

 court ; and it is under these circum- 

 stances that his majesty finds the 

 domineering inllnence of France 

 exerted, and the Spanish nation in 

 a state of declared and open war. — 

 His majesty appeals with confidence 

 to all Europe for the acknowleiig- 

 nicnt of his exemplary moderation 

 in the whole course of these traijsac- 

 tions. His m<ajesty feels «ith re- 

 gret the necessity which places him 

 in a state of hostility with Spain ; 

 and would with heart-felt satisfac- 

 tion observe, on the part of that 

 country, the assumption of a more 

 dignified sense of national import- 

 ance, and a more independent exer- 

 cise of sovereign rights. — His ma- 

 jesty would indeed be most happy 

 to discover in the councils of Spain 

 a reviving sense of those ancient 



feelings 



