694 
troops? That he concluded this 
communication was already made, 
and that he expected to learn the 
result of it in a very few days ; add- 
ing, that all the first consul wanted 
was to know precisely on what he - 
had to depend. 
I could not help Jamenting this 
precipitate measure, since it could 
answer no good purpose, and would 
only tend to introduce into the dis- 
cussion ill-humour and offended dig- 
nity, in the place of dispassionate 
reasoning. I begged him, however, 
to be prepared, aud to prepare the 
first consul, to meet with more op- 
position to his will than he had been 
accustomed to on similar occasions, 
TY told him, that his majesty was 
willing to discuss the pomt 4n dis- 
pute with fairness and candour, but 
certainly never would be intimidated 
into acquiescence ; and I repeatedly 
urged, that, if he wished well to the 
peace of the two countries, he should 
prepare the first consul for the conse- 
quences which might naturally be ex- 
pected from this step, and thus pre- 
vent the eflect of any sudden gust of 
ill-humowr. He was unwilling to ad- 
mit that there could be any chance of 
satisfying the first consul short of a 
compliance with his wishes, founded, 
as he pretended, on good faith, 
Our conversation ended here, and 
I wait the result of Gen. Andge- 
essy’s communication with the ut- 
most impatience. 
.. I have the honour to be, &c. 
(Signed) W hitworth. 
P. S. In the interval between the 
writing and the transcribing the 
above dispatch, I have taken another 
opportunity of seeing M. de Tal- 
leyrand, and I am glad to find, that 
(for what purpose I know not) he 
had represented the instructions to 
general Andreossy as much more 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 
absolute and offensive than they 
veally are. I found him to-day en- 
tirely disposed to give me another 
opinion, and to convince me, that 
the first consul, far from wishing to 
carry matters to extremity, was de- 
sirous to discuss, fairly, and with- 
out passion, a point which, he ad- 
mitted; was of importance to both 
countries. He repeatedly assured 
me, that much as the first consul 
might have the acquisition of Egypt 
at heart, he would sacrifice his own 
feelings to the preservation of peace, 
and henceforth seek to augment his 
glory, by improving and consolidat- 
ing the internal situation of the 
country, rather than by adding to 
its possessions. 
(Signed) Wie 
Right Hon, Lord Hawkesbury, 
Sc. Fc. &ec. 
_ 
No. 41. 
Note from General Andreossy to 
Lord Hawkesbury, dated March 
10, 1803. 
‘Vhe undersigned ambassador and 
minister plenipotentiary of the 
French republic to his Britannic 
majesty, had received from the first 
consul express orders to require from 
the British government some expla- 
nations respecting the protraéted 
occupation of the island of Malta, 
by the English troops. He had 
hoped that verbal communications 
would haye been suflicient to have 
produced satisfactory expositions, 
by preparing the way for the mutual 
conciliation of minds and interests, 
a conduét which has been prescribed 
to him by his ardent zeal for the 
maintenance of harmony between 
the two countries, and of the peace 
of Europe, objects of the solicitude 
of the French government: but the 
wodersigned thinks he can no longer 
delay 
