ed 
HISTORY OF EUWROPE. 993 
beeged and prayed would take up- 
on itself the farther cognizance of 
the affair.” After some delay M. 
Talleyrand, previously to the 4th 
of August, acquaints Mr. Merry 
* that the case having been reported 
to the first consul, and it having 
appeared, that the cargo in question 
Was composed of prohibited goods, 
he had decided TuatT JuSTICE 
SHOULD TAKE ITS CoURSE!” 
Thus after an interval of eight 
months, was an arbitrary decree of 
Robespierre, confirmed by the first 
consul, the object of which was in 
both reigns, to impede, if it could 
not annihilate the maritime conse- 
quence of Britain. But this is not 
the only case of aggressive violence 
which occurred of the same nature ! 
onthe 20th of September follow- 
ing, Mr. Merry has again to im- 
portune M. Talleyrand to inter- 
pose the hand of power between 
the effects of a law of the French 
republic (which he acknowledges is 
in full force) and the owners of the 
brig “ Jennies,” Capt. Muckle, 
freighted in England with coals for 
Charente, and othet merchandize 
for Spain. On arriving at Roche- 
- fort, his ship was scized as convey- 
ing prohibited goods (under which 
comprehensive head every article 
of English goods or manufacture 
was comprized,) and with the cargo 
confiscated. In this application 
he was equally unsuccessful; in- 
deed in his dispatch to Lord 
Hawkesbury he-says, there is not 
the smailest ground for expecting 
any mitigation of the law, (in this 
or any other instance) which de- 
clared every vessel and cere con- 
fiscated, where British manufacture 
should be found! Another extra- 
erdinary instance, however, of im- 
Vou. XLY, 
placable and bitter hostility to Bri- 
tish commerce again occurs in the 
following detail. In the middle of 
the month of the July after the 
peace, an English vessel named 
the Nancy, sailed from England for 
Rotterdam, with a cargo composed 
of foreign goods, which had been 
made prize of during the war, and 
had been sold with the usual cau- 
tion, and condition to the purchas- 
ers, that they were to be exported. 
Tn urgent distress from hard wea- 
ther, and not being able to make 
her port, she was obliged to bear 
away for Flessingues, to scek that 
shelter and protection, which by 
the law of nations she was entitled 
to inthe harbour of a power, with 
whom her country was not then at 
war. On her arrival she was 
boarded bya party of French sol- 
diery, who possessed themselves of 
the ship and cargo! This detention 
was still continued on the 14th of 
October, when Mr. Merry made 
another useless representation on 
the subject to M.Talleyrand. And 
on the 25th of the same month he 
takes occasion to state “a new 
case” to the French government, 
with which we shall close this hu- 
miliating recital. Itis that of the 
brig George, which arrived at 
Charente, in ballast, having only 
the necessary previsions on board, 
for the parpose of taking in a cargo 
of brandy for London. ‘The cus= 
tom-house officers, however, were 
not to be disappointed in their 
prey: some plates, glasses, knives, 
and forks, the property and uten~ 
sils of the captain, of the original 
value of four pounds sterling, were 
declared contraband; and the ship 
(for there was no cargo) seized by 
those worthy and conscientious 
ministers 
