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nim! Some overtures were dis- 
tantly thrown out by him, that 
France and England in strict union 
“night dictate the law to the rest of 
the world. In fine, he concluded 
a various and incoherent harangue, 
the language of which was evidently 
that of menace and intimidation, in 
apparent good humour, and by as- 
surances of an anxious desire to pre- 
serve inviolably the conditions of the 
peace of Amiens. A few days after 
this conversation, the French mi- 
nister, by way of obviating any dif- 
ficulty respecting the evacuation of 
Malta, which might arise from the 
first consul’s views on Egypt, noti- 
tified to lord Whitworth that ‘a 
project was in contemplation, by 
which the integrity of the Turkish 
empire would be effectually se- 
cured.” Sosoon had the first con- 
sul forgotten the indiscretion which 
had prompted him in his memora- 
ble conversation with lord Whit- 
worth, to state, that Egypt must 
sooner or later belong to Trance, 
either by the dissolution of the 
grand segnior’s dominion, or by 
some ar rangement with that power: 
or so anxious was he to obliterate 
its eflects from the mind of the 
English ambassador. 
If the intention of the English 
government was, at the period of 
the receipt of lord Whitworth’s 
dispatch containing the above par- 
ticulars, already decided, then 
would have been the moment for 
breaking off all farther discussion 
upon the subject: the first consul’s 
tone was decisive, and could not be 
mistaken. To protract, but not to 
come toa final issue, washowever the 
principal object at this moment of 
the English minister. Lord Hawkes- 
bury’s farther instructions to the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1863. 
* 
ambassador, were, again to state | 
that complete satisfaction is still 
required on the part of the British 
government for the publication of 
Sebastiani’s report; that none had 
been offered in explanation thereof 
by the first consul, in the course 
of his interview with lord Whit- 
worth, but, that on the contrary, 
many points of uneasiness and 
suspicions had been therein con- 
firmed, With respect to the eva- 
cuation of Malta, lord Whitworth 
was instructed to state, and for the 
Jirst time, that’ the difficulties at- 
tending the guaranty; the abolition 
of the priories in Spain and else- 
where; and the non-election of a 
grand master, would of themselves, 
without other special grounds, besuf- 
ficient to warrant its detention, until 
‘some new arrangement were adjust- 
ed for its security and protection: 
but that under the circumstances of 
the vast increase of power and influ- 
ence to France, his Britannic ma- 
jesty was incontestably entitled to 
demand additional securities for any 
arrangement which it might be ne- 
cessary to make, with a view of 
effecting the real objects of the 
treaty of Amiens: and that after 
all that had passed, his majesty 
would not consent to evacuate 
Malta, until substantial security 
was provided for those objects, 
which might be materially endan-_ 
gered by the removal ot his troops, 
The contents of this dispatch were 
not communicated to the French 
government till the 4th of March. 
Hitherto the conduct of Bona- 
parte had atiorded ample cause, 
first by his publication of the report 
of Sebastiani, and next by the tenor 
of his conversation with lord 
Whitworth, for the most exaspe- 
rated 
