HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
rent, was a pledge that the cabi- 
France, and thus—although ‘ the 
discussions had, according to Mr. 
Fox’s dispatch of the eighteenth of 
July,* been prolonged solely for the 
purpose of temporizing in compli- 
ance with the wishes of M. D’On- 
bril, Jord Yarmouth was actually 
exchanging notes, and holding con- 
ferences with a French commissioner 
after that genfleman had signed a 
separate peace and left Paris, and 
before his court was apprized of 
either of those events. The circum. 
stances in which his lordship was 
_placed were undoubtedly very em- 
barrassing, and it is but just to ob. 
Serve, that it would have required 
great address and experience to have 
withheld his full powers without 
bringing the discussions to an abrupt 
_ and unsuccessful termination. 
as his instructions had been peremp- 
tory, it is not any matter of wonder 
that the English cabinet was+ not 
Satisfied with the step which he had 
taken. ‘The necessity of some other 
negotiator ‘¢ fully instructed in the 
sentiments of his majesty’s govern- 
ment on all the various points of 
discussion that might arise,’ + was 
immediately felt; and the important 
charge was entrusted to lord Lau- 
derdale, a nobleman whose dis- 
_cermment and talents ~ eminently 
qualified him for the task, and 
whose uniform disposition to a 
pacific system of policy was a 
strong earnest of the sincerity of 
the British cabinet in their endea- 
yours to obtain peace. Nor were 
these the only recommendations of 
lord Lauderdale. ‘he health of 
Mr. Fox began at this period to de- 
cline, and the nomination of his per- 
sonal friend and tried political adhe- 
* Papers, (No. 20). 
But 
+ Papers, (No: 26). 
§ Papers, pai E, in No, 35.) 
“ 
181 
net continued to promote his views, 
and te consult the spirit of his po. 
licy- 
The first endeavour of lord Lau- 
derdale on his arrival at Paris, was 
to bring back the French govern- 
ment to the basis of the uti posside- 
tis, and to the application of that 
principle to the island of Sicily. 
lord Yarmouth after having for 
that purpose concurred with his 
colleague in representing § formally 
and officially the substance and ten- 
dency of Talleyrand’s original over- 
tures, left the subsequent part of 
the negotiation exclusively in his 
hands. The French negotiators, 
(for M. Champagny, minister of 
the interior, was soon appointed 
joint plenipotentiary with general 
Clarke), never actually admitted 
the basis of the uti posszdetis, after 
the arrival of lord Lauderdale, and 
censtantly evaded the acknowledg- 
ment of having in the first instance 
proposed it. They contrived how. 
ever, under yarious pretences, and in 
one instance by an actual delay of 
the passports for amessenger, to de- 
tain lord Lauderdale at Paris, ‘till 
it became the policy of Great Bri- 
tain, as wellas France, to await the 
decision of the coyrt of Petersburgh 
upon the treaty which M. D’Ou- 
bril had carried thither for ratifica- 
tion. 
On the 3rd of September a cou- 
rier brought the intelligence to 
Paris, that the emperor had refused 
to ratify M. D’Oubril’s treaty, and 
this refusal was not the conse- 
quence of any representation from 
the court of London, for it was de- 
clared before any messenger arrived 
{ Papers, (No. 26), 
from 
