700 
plied with peculiar propriety, it was 
that of the late treaty of peace; for 
the negociation was conduéted on a 
basis not merely proposed by his 
majesty, but specially agreed to, in 
an official note, by the French go- 
~ yernment, namely, That his ma- 
gesty should keep @ compensation out 
of his conquests for the important 
acquisition of territory made by 
France upon the continent. That is a 
suflicient proof that the compaét was 
understood to have been concluded 
in relation to the then existing state 
of things; for the measure of his 
majesty’s compensation was to be 
calculated with reference to the ac- 
quisitions of France at that time ; 
and if the interference of the French 
government in the general affairs of 
Europe since that period ; if their 
interposition with respect to Swit- 
zerland and Holland, whose mde- 
pendence was guaranteed by them 
at the time of the conclusion of the 
treaty of peace; if the acquisitions 
which have been made by France in 
varions quarters, but particularly 
those’ in Italy, have extended the 
territory and increased the power 
of France, his majesty would be 
warranted, consistently with the 
spirit of the treaty of peace, in 
claiming equivalents for these ac- 
quisitions, as a counterpoise to the 
augmentation of the power of France. 
His majesty, however, anxious ,to 
prevent: all ground of misunder- 
standing, and desirous of consoli- 
dating the general peace of Europe, 
as far as might ‘be in his power, 
was willing to have waved the pre- 
tensions he might have a right to 
advance of this nature; and as the 
other articles of the definitive treaty 
have been in a course of execution 
on his part, so he would have been 
ready to have carried into effeét an 
ANNUAL REGISTER, (1803. 
arrangement conformable to the tru¢ 
intent and spirit of the tenth article ; 
the execution of that arrangement, 
according to its terms, having been 
rendered impra¢ticable by circum- 
stances which it was not in his ma- 
jesty’s power to control. Whilst 
his majesty was aétuated by these 
sentiments of moderation and for- 
bearance, and prepared to regulate 
his conduét in conformity to them, 
his attention’ was particularly at- 
tracted by the very extraordinary 
publication of the report of colonel 
Sebastiani to the first consul. This 
report contains the most unjustifi- 
able insinuations and charges against 
his majesty’s government; against 
the officer commanding his forces in 
Egypt, and against the British army 
in that quarter: insinuations and 
charges wholly destitute of founda- 
tion, and such as would have war- 
ranted his majesty in demanding 
that satisfaétion which, on occasions 
of this nature, independent powers, 
in a state of amity, have a right to 
expect from each other. It dis- 
closes, moreover, views in the high- 
est degree injurious to the interests 
of his majesty’s dominions, and di- 
rectly repugnant to, and utterly in- 
consistent with, the spirit and letter 
of the treaty of peace concluded be- 
tween his majesty and the French 
government. His majesty’s ambas- 
sador at Paris was accordingly di- 
re¢ted to make such a representation 
to the French government as his 
majesty felt to be called for by im- 
putations of the nature above de- 
scribed, by the disclosure of pur- 
poses inconsistent with good faith, 
and highly injurious to the interests 
of his people; and as a claim had 
recently been made by the French 
government on the subjeét of the 
evacuation of Malta, lord Whit- 
worth 
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