mination of the French government, 
‘to evade all discussion on the points 
of the difference between the two 
countries, that his majesty was in- 
duced to state the grounds on 
which, according to his views, an 
‘arrangement might be concluded sa- 
‘ tisfactory to both governments ; and 
he accordingly authorised your ex- 
cellency to communicate the three 
projects which, at different times, I 
had forwarded to you. 
Until the very moment when your 
excellency was about to leave Paris, 
the French government have avoided 
making any distinct proposition for 
the settlement of the differences be- 
tween the two countries ; and when, 
at the very instant of your depar- 
ture, the French government felt 
_ themselves compelled to bring for- 
ward some proposition, they con- 
fined that proposition to a part only 
_ of the subject in discussion, and, on 
' that part of it, what they have 
brought forward is wholly inadmis- 
sible. 
' The French government propose, 
that his majesty should give up the 
_ island of Malta, to a Russian, Au. 
_strian, or Prussian garrison. If his 
_ majesty could be disposed to wave 
_ his demand for a temporary occupa- 
_ tion of the island of Malta, the em- 
_peror of Russia would be the only 
_ sovereign to whom, in the present 
_ state of Kurope, he could consent 
_ that the island should be assigned ; 
_ and his majesty has certain and au- 
_ thetic information, that the empe- 
ror of Russia would on no aécount 
_ consent to garrison Malta. Under 
_ these circumstances, his majesty per- 
_severes in his determination to ad- 
_here to the substance of his third 
project as his ultimatum: as, how- 
ever, the principal objection stated 
_ by the French government to his 
_ Miajesty’s proposition is understood 
STATE PAPERS. 
729 
to be confined to the insertion of an 
article in a public treaty, by which 
his majesty shall have a right to re- 
main in possession of the island of: 
Malta for a definite number of years 
(being in no case less than ten), may 
be stated in a secret article ; andthe 
public articles may be agreed to 
conformably to the inélosed project. 
By this expedient, the supposed 
point of honour of the French go- 
vernmont might be saved. The in- 
dependence of the island of Malta 
would, in principle, be acknow- 
ledged, and the temporary occupa- 
tion of his majesty would be made 
to depend alone on the present state 
of the island of Lampedosa. 
You may propose this idea to M. 
Talleyrand, at the same time assuring 
him that his majesty is determined 
to adhere to the substance of his ul- 
timatum. And if you shall not be 
able to conclude the minute of an 
arrangement on this principle, you 
will on no account remain in Paris 
more than thirty-six hours after the 
receipt of this dispatch. 
{ observe by your dispatch, you 
did not consider yourself autho- 
rised to deliver to the French go- 
vernment any note or project in 
writing. The words of my dispatch 
were, that you were to communicate 
the terms officially, which left it at 
your own discretion to communicate 
them verbally, or in writing, as you 
might judge most expedient. You 
were certainly right in communicat. 
ing them, in the first instance, ver- 
bally ; but, as so much stress has 
been laid by M. Talleyrand on this 
distinction, it is important that I 
should inform you, that his majesty 
neither had, nor has, any objection 
to your delivering the inclosed pro- 
jeét as an ultimatum, accompanied 
by a short note in writing. 
{ cannot conclude this dispatch, 
without 
