. 
740 
of the Turkish empire, and the in- 
dependence of the Jonian islands.— 
His majesty has, however, since 
learned, that the French govern- 
ment have entertained views hostile 
to both these objeéts ; and that they 
have even suggested the idea of a 
artition of the Turkish empire.— 
hese views must now be manifest 
to all the world, from the official 
publication of the report of colonel 
Sebastiani: from the conduéte of 
that officer, and of the other French 
agents in Egypt, Syria, and the 
Jonian islands, and from the distinét 
admission of the first consul himself, 
in his communication with lord 
Whitworth. His majesty was, there- 
fore, warranted in considering it to 
be the determination of the French 
government to violate those articles 
of the treaty of peace, which stipu- 
lated for the integrity and indepen- 
dence of the Turkish empire, and of 
the Ionian islands, and consequently 
he would not have been justified in 
evacuating the island of Malta, 
without receiving some other secu- 
rity, which might equally provide 
for these important objecis. His 
majesty accordingly feels that he has 
an incontestible claim, in conse. 
quence of the conduct of France 
since the treaty of peace, and with 
reference to the objects which made 
part of the stipulations of that trea- 
ty, to refuse, under the present cir- 
cumstances, to relinquish the posses-. 
sion of the island of Malta. 
Yet, notwithstanding this right, 
so clear and so unquestionable, the 
alternative presented by the French 
government to his majesty, in lan- 
guage the most peremptory and me- 
nacing, was the evacuation of Malta, 
or the renewal of war. 
If the views of ambition and ag- 
grandizement, which have thus been 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
. Sidered in no other light than as a 
1803. 
manifested by the French govern- 
ment since the conclusion of the 
treaty of peace, have in so very par- 
ticular a manner attraéted the atten- 
tion of his majesty, it. has been 
equally impossible for him not to 
feel, and not to notice, the repeated 
indignities which have been offered 
by that government to his crown 
and his people. 
The report of colonel Sebastiani 
contains the most unwarrantable in- 
sinuations and charges against his 
majesty’s government, against the 
oflicer who commanded his forces in 
Egypt, and against the British army 
in that quarter. This paper cannot 
be considered as the publication of 
a private individual; it has been 
ayowed, and indeed bears evidence 
upon the face of it, that it is the of- 
ficial report of an accredited agent, 
published by the authority of the 
government to which it was ad- 
dressed, who thereby have given it 
their express sanction. 
This report had been published a 
very short time, when another indig- 
nity was offered to this country in 
the communication of the first con- 
sul of France to the legislative body. 
In this communication, he presumes 
to aflirm, in the charaéter of chief 
magistrate of that country, ‘* That 
Great Britain cannot singly contend 
against the power of France” an 
assertion as unfounded as it is inde- 
cent, disproved by the events of 
many wars, and by none more than 
by those of the war which has been 
recently concluded. Such an asser- 
tion, advanced in the most solemn 
official aét of .a government, and 
thereby meant to be avowed to all 
the powers of Europe, can be con- 
defiance publicly offered to his ma~ 
jesty, and to a brave and powerfel 
people, 
