"06 
Are we then returned to the age of 
tournaments? Motives of this na- 
ture ‘might have ‘authorised, four 
centuries ago, the combat of thirties ; 
Dut they cannot, in this age, be a 
reason for war between the two 
countries. 
It thight suffice in this respect to 
reply to his excellency, that no re- 
presentation has been made by him 
on the 5ubjeét to the government of 
the republic; and that, if it was 
‘but justice to grant satisfaction, the 
first consul had a right to expeét that 
which was required by M. Otto, in 
his note of the 22d ‘Thermidor last, 
upon grounds more serious and more 
just. 
Is it possible that the English mi- 
nistry can have been ignorant, that, 
ever since the conclusion of tthe treaty 
of Amiens, the English press has 
not ceased to spread through Enrope 
‘the rage of war, the discredit of 
peace, and shameless and boundless 
‘outrages against every thing which 
is the object of the love and vene- 
ration of the French people? 
A few days after the ratification 
of peace, one of his Britannic ma- 
jesty’s ministers declared, that the 
peace establishment must be consi- 
derable ; and the distrust excited by 
this declaration, made in parliament 
with as much bitterness as impro- 
pricty, furnished a commentary for 
the exaggeration and alarms which 
were circulated inde ‘spicable pamph- 
lets, and in newspapers, as con- 
temptible as those libels. Since that 
time, these writers have found them- 
selves invariably supported in their 
insolent observations by particelar 
phrases taken from the speeches of 
some leading members of parliament, 
These speeches, scarcely to be ex- 
ceeded by the newswriters them- 
salves, have, for these eighteen 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
months, tended to encourage iisult 
against other governments to that 
degree, that every European must 
be offended, every reasonable Eng- 
lishman must be humiliated, by such 
unheard-of licentiousness. 
What, if we conneét with these 
sallies, proceedings more offensive 
and serious ; the indulgence granted 
to French criminals, publishing daily 
outrages in the French language ; 
the still more inexcusable toleration 
extended to villains covered with 
crimes, and plotting assassinations 
incessantly, such ‘as Georges, who 
still continues to reside at London, 
protected, and having a considera- 
ble establishment ; in a word, the 
little justice which has been shewn 
to all our representations—how are 
we to account for the publicity of 
the complaint which his Britannic 
majesty has thought proper to make 
respetéting some indefinite wrongs 
which he has hitherto thought un- 
necessary to bring before the first 
consul? 
The first consul has had cause to 
be convinced that all his representa- 
tions on all these points were use- 
less, and that his Britannic majes- 
ty, regardless of the neighbouring 
powers, was resolved to authorise 
every thing within his dominions ; 
but he did not, on that account, 
entertain a doubt of the continuance 
of peace, nor alarm Kurope with 
the notification of war. He con- 
fined himself to this principle of con- 
duét, to permit or to prevent in 
France, with aespect to England, 
whatever should be permitted or 
prevented in England with regard to 
AP rance. 
He has, however, expressed, and 
he again expresses his wish, that 
means should be adopted to prevent, 
in future, any mention being made of 
what 
