gs obtained by the possession of an 
island, which would only entail a 
very heavy expence on this coun- 
try ;—and the degree of security 
which would be provided by these 
means, would only be such as his 
majesty, under the present circyum- 
stances, is entitled to demand. 
I observe, in the note verbale of 
monsieur Talleyrand, he makes use 
of the expression, the independence 
of the order of Malta. If this is 
meant to apply to the order exclu- 
sively, his majesty would be willing, 
for the preservation of peace, that 
the civil government of the island 
should be given to the order of St, 
John; the Maltese enjoying the 
rivileges which were stipulated in 
their favour in the treaty of Ami- 
ens ; and that, conformably to prin- 
ciples which have been adopted on 
other occasions, the fortifications of 
the island should be garrisoned for 
ever by the troops of his majesty, 
In the event of cither of these 
propositions being found unattain- 
able, his majesty might be disposed 
to consent to an arrangement by 
which the island of Malta would 
remain in his possession for a li- 
mited number of years, and to wave 
in consequence his demand for a 
‘perpetual occupation, provided that 
the number of years was not less 
than ten, and that his Sicilian ma- 
jesty could be induced to cede the 
‘Soyereignty of the island of Lam. 
-pedosa for a valuable consideration. 
At the proposition is admitted, the 
island of Malta should be given up 
to the inhabitants at the end of that 
f 
Tee and it should be acknow- 
Tedged as an independent state. In 
this case, his majesty would be 
‘ready to concur in any arrange- 
ment for the establishment of the 
order of St. John in some other part 
of Europe. 
SHAPE: PAPERS 
715 
You will not refuse to listen to 
any proposition which the French 
government may be disposed to make 
te you with a view to an equivalent 
security for those objets in regard 
to which his majesty claims the pos- 
session or occupation of Malta ; but 
the three propositions to which L 
have above alluded, appear, at the 
present moment, to furnish the only 
basis for a satisfactory arrangement ; 
and you will decline receiving any 
proposition which does not appear 
to you to offer advantages to his 
majesty as substantial as that which 
I have last stated. 
It is very desirable that you should ° 
bring the negociation to an issue, if 
possible, without referring to his 
majesty’s government for further in- 
tructions, after the receipt of this 
dispatch ; and if you should be of 
opinion that there is no hopes of 
bringing it to a favourable conclu- 
sion, you may inform M. Talley- 
rand of the necessity yeu will be 
under, after a certain time, to leave 
Paris. 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
(Signed) Hawkesbury. 
His Excellency Lord Whitworth, K.B. 
Se. §¢. Se. 
No. 57. 
Dispatch from Lord Whitworth te 
Lord Huazkesbury, dated Paris, 
April 18, 1803. 
My lord, 
I did not fail to put into imme- 
diate execution the instruétions con- 
tained in your lordship’s dispatch, 
(No. 11.) on the subject of the libel 
inserted by the French minister in 
the Hamburgh gazette. I repre- 
sented the outrageous and unprece- 
dented conduét of M. Rheinhardt 
in such terms as it deserves; and 
fairly declared to M. de Talleyrand, 
that, until satisfaction shall be given 
to 
