270 
.duct of the French minister, at 
Hamburgh, who being refused by 
the senate, in the first ins- 
tance, permission to insert a most 
_ gross and scandalous libel upon the 
government of the king of Great 
Britain, claimed of it in his official 
_¢apacity, the privilege of so do- 
ing; with which, under this species 
_of compulsion, the senate of Ham- 
burgh thought it prudent tocomply. 
The publication in question, af- 
fected to take a review of the con- 
duct of England and France since 
the peace; in which the bad faith, 
ambition and violence of the former 
was contrasted on every occasion 
with the opposite qualities in that of 
the latter: It entered into an ela- 
borate vindication of the French 
government, during the period of 
the present negotiation; dwelt with 
the bitterest rancour on the aggres- 
sive measure, of the message to par- 
liament from the king of Great 
Britam; and concluded by detailing 
in terms of satisfaction and com- 
placency, the particulars of the 
outrage committed at the Thuille- 
ries by Bonaparte, in his paroxym of 
tury directed through the medium 
ot lord Whitworth, against the Eng- 
lsh government. 
There is little doubt of this libel 
having originated in the same source 
whence had issued so many of its 
brethren of the Moniteur, to which 
its family resemblaice in matterand 
manner, bear too great a resem- 
blance to be mistaken. Nor is it 
likely that the French minister 
would venture to use the authority, 
and act in the name of his govern- 
ment, had he not good reason to 
Know his conduct would not prove 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1805. 
displeasing at the Thuillerics. It 
will be found on perusal* to be an 
able and artful manifesto, calculat- 
ed to lessen, and depreciate the 
English government in the eyes of 
all ‘Europe ; and which could notin 
the moment of negociation appear 
in the Moniteur. 
From a similar motive Bonaparte 
thought proper, to disclaim the con- 
duct of the French minister, and to 
promise every satisfaction that the 
nature of the case would afford, in 
reply to the notification of the dis- 
pleasure of the English government. 
His end had been, completely an- 
swered by the circulation of the li- 
bel throughout the continent, and 
the pretended or real sacrifice of 
chis'agent, would have been matter 
to him of very slight consideration. 
From the date of the final propo- 
sitions of the English government to 
the second of May, no effort was 
spared to make them successively 
acceptable to the court of France : 
to the first and second, no sort of 
probability of accession was ever 
held out, and they were therefore 
akendoned’s but on the third, when 
strengthened by a declaration tnat 
if not agreed to, lord Whitworth 
would leave Paris immediately, some 
pause ensued. It is to be remarked 
that during this whole yes of 
diplomatic dexterity, the language 
of Bonaparte himself never varied 
on the subject of the evacuation of 
Malta by the English, on which 
measure he constantly and peremp- 
torily insisted. His minister Tal- 
leyrand, and his brother, Joseph 
Bonaparte, occasionally listened to 
the project for the occupation of the 
island for a limitted time, and the 
* Vide State Papers. 
fatter 
