176 
though the form of the proposals 
‘ contained init, gave it an appear- 
ance of great precision and exact- 
ness, some time scems to haveybeen 
necessary to understand the mean- 
irg of the French goverament, in 
making a reference to the prelimi. 
nary forms in the administration of 
lerd Rockingham, and those which 
preceded the treaty of Amiens ; for 
they were not only dissimilar, but 
itappears from Mr. Fox’s answer, 
that by adopting the precedents of 
1782, the French would hive com- 
pietely established’ the mode of ne- 
gotiation, to which they objected, 
and admitted the principle, against 
which M. Talleyrand, in the very 
letter containing that offer, peremp- 
torily protests, Whether these 
considerations, or an expectation of 
further communications from the 
Russian cabinet, induced Mr.Fox to 
suspend the correspondence, no an- 
swer was made to this letter, till the 
14th of June, by which time a new 
channel of communication was 
opened, and a fresh overture was 
made from the French government, 
which led to all the subsequent ne- 
gotiation between the two coun. 
tries. As, however, Mr. Fox an- 
swered the letter of the 2d of June 
without any reference to this new 
negotiation, it may be right to close 
our account of the direct corres- 
‘pondence between M. ‘Talleyrand, 
and the English minister, by stating 
the substance of the last letter of 
that corresponudence.* It consists 
ef acivil bat convincing reply to 
the objections urged by M. ‘Talley- 
rand to a joint negotiation, a sim- 
ple. statement of the preliminary 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
discussions in 1782, and a compa. 
rison of the situation of England 
then with relation to the allies of 
France, with that of France to the 
allies of Great Britain, at the date 
of .the letter, and an offer of the 
same forms of treating, which 
France at that time thought proper 
to insist upon. ‘* We then treated 
with France and her allies. Let 
France now treat with us and our 
allies.” After acquiescing in the 
basis offered in the second proposi« 
tion, upon condition that the two 
powers mutually agree to abstain 
from all encroachment on the 
greater or lesser states of Europe ; 
and after expressing his hope, that 
no difficulties in form rather than 
in substance should retard the resto- 
ration of peace; he implies, that 
any mode of negotiation, to which 
Russia will assent, will be agree- 
able to Great Britain, and- takes 
that opportunity of observing, that 
an honourable peace was no less 
conformable to the wishes of Rus- 
sia, than to those of England and 
of France. 
Thus ended the direct corres- 
pondence between the two ministers 
for foreign affairs; and Mr. Fox 
had probably strong reasons from 
his communications with Russia, as 
he had undoubted!y from the assu- 
rances he had lately + received 
through lord Yarmouth, to foresee 
that the question of joint or sepa- 
rate negotiation would no longer 
be an obstacle to a more regular 
and formal discussion of the inte- 
rests and pretentions of Great Bri- 
tain and her allies. 
In the course of the above related 
* Mr. Fox to M. Talleyrand, June 14th. 
+ Communication from lord Yarmouth to Mr. Fox, June 13. 
correspondence, 
