868 
bassador from Paris, should have 
been the result of this impertinent 
and unprovoked attack. We have 
still before us to detail the abortive 
proceedings of nearly two months 
ineffectual discussion ; which, while 
it left the dignity antl credit of the 
English nation impeached, neither 
forwarded its interests, or termi- 
nated to its honor. 
In consequence of the first con- 
sul’s instruction to general An- 
dreossi, in London, on the subject 
of the king’s message, an elaborate 
official note. was presented to the 
English minister in the foreign de- 
partment, and is the next impor- 
tant step in this extraordinarily pro- 
tracted negociation. It is the more 
worthy of remark, as tts tone and 
language was of the most imperious 
an insulting nature*, It states, 
that the assertions on which his ma-. 
jesty’s message was grounded, were 
all without foundation in fact.— 
That the king was deceived—that 
’ there were, at that moment, but 
two frigates in the roads of Holland, 
and three corvettes in that of Dun- 
kirk—that every other information 
was false—that his Britannic ma- 
jesty’s message mentions discussions, 
the success of which was doubtful 
—that no such discussions existed, 
there being no point to be discussed 
—the treaty of Amiens-had pro- 
vided for every thing—had foreseen 
every thing — lord Hawkesbury’s 
note, which asserts that the power 
of the French republic was increas- 
ed since the peace of Amiens, was 
a decided error—in fine, that if his 
Britannic majesty was determined 
to go to war, he might allege what 
pretexts he pleases. It then en- 
* No. 49, Official Correspondence, 
ANNUAL; RE 
GIS TER, 1803. 
deavours to affix on the English So 
vernment, the charges of falsehood, 
and ignorance, and credulity,—; 
This insolent. notification next de+ 
clares, with the most confident as- 
sertion, that the peace of, Furope 
was disturbed, by the shameless 
licence of the British press, ;and by 
the speeches of some of the leading 
members of parliament, scarcely 
exceeded by the news-writers them- 
selyes! And that France in parti- 
cular had a right to complain of the 
toleration, protection, and even 
establishment afforded in London, 
to villains covered with crimes, plot- 
ting assassinators, and French cri- 
minals, the sworn enemies of the 
republic and the person of the first 
consul, It concludes by stating, 
that there remains but one object 
worthy of fixing the attention ef the 
two nations—the execution of the 
treaty of Amiens, as far as con- 
cerns Malta; on which point his 
majesty should reject all sophistry, 
distinction, and mental reserva- 
tion; and that there remains no 
farther subject for discussion on that 
point. ' 
Neither the insolence of the man- 
ner, ner the peremptory tone and 
decision, on the subject of Malta, 
(the only point in debate of this no- 
tification) could rouse the English 
government to decide on termi¢ 
nating the negociation. The date 
of general Andreossi’s note, is the 
29th of March; on the 4th of the 
follewing month, lord Hawkesbury, 
in a dispatch to lord Whitworth, 
authorizes the latter. not only to 
continue it, but dictates different 
modes of arrangement, which might 
be proposed, if the French govern- 
. ment 
