246 
the English minister, at Naples, 
had not been authorized by his go- 
vernment to facilitate the transport 
of the Neapolitan troops, who were 
by the treaty to compose the future 
garrison; and concluding, by a hope 
that the latter part of the stipula- 
tion, as well as the evacuation of 
the island, should meet with no 
farther delay, hut that the respec- 
tive plenipotentiaries migzht imme- 
diately execute the conditions of 
the article respecting Malta, with- 
outfarther reference to their govern- 
ments, as the evacuation would not 
ai all prevent the subsequent concert 
on other points of the treaty. ‘Yo 
this it was replied, by lord Hawkes- 
bury, that the Neapolitan troops 
were now, most probably, on their 
passage for the island, or, if not, 
should be forwarded with all possi- 
ble dispatch; and desires the French 
government, without delay, to give 
fresh jnstructions to its ministers at 
the continental courts, for the ob- 
tainment of the concluded on gua- 
ranty ; but takes no notice of that 
part of M. Otto’s note, which claims 
the immediate evacuation, as es- 
sential to the conditions of the 
treaty; the other points being to 
be referred to future negocia- 
tion*, : 
A considerable pause again en- 
sued, in the affairs of Malta, and 
the discussion was not renewed be- 
tween England and France, till the 
commencement of the present year. 
Jn order to preserve the chain of 
narrative unintangled, we have not 
dwelt upon the extraordinary cir- 
cumstances of the consent of the 
English government to the election 
of a grand master of the order of 
J State Papers, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
St. John, in Petersburgh, at once 
illegal and unconstitutional, as well 
with respect to its own ordinances, 
as in being directly contrary to 
the letter and spint of the 10th 
article of the treaty, so often al- 
luded to; or, its still more surpris- 
ing concurrence in the permitting 
the individual choice to rest with 
the pope.—The idea of an election, 
at the court of Petersburgh, origi- 
nated in one of the chivalrous pro- 
jects of the late empercr Paul, who 
wished to be considered the re- 
storer, as he was the self-appointed 
protector, of the order; and to 
such a height did he carry this de- 
sign, that the arms of the tsland 
were emblazoned, during the ‘lat- 
ter part of his reign, with those of 
Russia.—The proceeding which we 
advert to, was not, however, car- 
ried into effect, till the reign of his 
successor, when, it may be, that 
political views encouraged the pro- 
secution of the design. The exe- 
cution of it was, however, highly 
indecorous, if not ridiculous. A 
few refugees, from Malta, were 
alone present: none of the great 
langues of the order voted: and 
even the resignation of the existing 
grand master (baron Hompesch), 
had not been legally ascertained, 
Under these circumstances, a list 
of persons, decreed by this body 
eligible to the situation, were de- 
clared, and the final nomination 
yested in the Pope. To this ar- 
rangement, the courts of London 
and Paris, gave their consent, with 
the qualification, that it should be 
for the present appointment alone, 
and not serve as a precedent in fu- 
ture, Whether this proceeding 
Nos, 26 and 27. ay 
originated 
