686: 
eommander-in-chief of the troops of 
‘his Britannic majesty, that it is only 
in case he stall think proper to ac. 
cede to this arrangement, and to 
adopt such measures as depend upon 
him for carrying it into execution, 
his Prussian majesty can possibly 
engage to guarantee the security of 
the troops of his Britannic majesty. 
in case of an attack on the part of 
the French, it will, however, 
be, necessary that the conduct 
ef the whole should center in 
ene point, and it appears natural 
that the oldest in-rank should then 
assume the chief command. It would 
consequently devolve upon general 
count Kalkreuth, both for the above 
reason, and likewise because he, 
being in the vicinity of the enemy, 
would be best able to judge what 
measures to adopt. 
I repeat to your excellency the 
assurance of the highest considera. 
tion with which, I have the honour 
to be, my lord, your excel- 
fency’s, &c. 
(Signed ), Hardenberg. 
' Swedish Declaration. 
From the moment his Swedish 
majesty had determined upon taking 
apart in the coalition against the 
usurpations of Napoleon Bona- 
parte, his majesty had fixed his at- 
tention upon the preservation of the 
electoral possessions of the king of 
Englaud upon the continent, which 
had been evacuated by the French 
troops. Ready to enter them with 
a Swedish and Russian army, united 
under his orders, his majesty has- 
tened, upon the first intelligence of 
the movement of a Prussian corps 
towards that country, to enquire 
into the intentions of his Prussian 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
majesty, and in full confidence to 
demand of him, whether the march — 
of his troops had the same object as ~ 
the combined army ; namely, that 
of restoring the electorate of Hano- \ 
ver to its legitimate possessor, and. 
in that case to concert with his 
_ Prussian majesty the joint measures 
to be taken. ‘The king of Prussia 
from that period, evaded entering 
‘into any explanation relative to this 
important object, and that in a 
manner far from friendly. », The ir- 
resolution since manifested by this 
sovereign, in joining the cause of 
the allies, could not but tend to 
augment his majesty’s suspicions ; 
and his majesty did not hesitate to 
anticipate events, in causing it to be 
publicly made known at a period 
when the intentions of the court of 
Prussia, with respect to the states 
of his Britannic majesty, could only 
be matter of conjecture, that the 
country of Lauenburg should still 
remain under the protection of the 
Swedish troops, until a convention 
for that purpose was concluded 
with the king of England. It was 
the sole right of this monarch only, 
as proprietor of the country, to de- 
cide upon the future fate of his he. 
reditary states: every arrangement, 
therefore, relative thereunto, be- 
tween-France and Prussia, was in- 
admissible, 
It was, notwithstanding, upon 
this arrangement, that the king of 
Prussia, in his proclamation of Jas 
nuary 27, which was published soon 
after, endeavoured to assert his » 
right to the complete occupation of 
the electorate of Hanover. The rei- 
terated protestations made by the 
court of Berlin on this occasion, of 
being induced to take this step 
merely to save the country from 
greater calamities, ought to have 
been . 
OO —, 
