710 
A send you the emperor’s speech 
to the legislative body. You will 
therein see that. our wishes are still 
for peace. I do not ask what is 
. the prevailing inclination with you; 
but if the advantages of peace are 
duly appreciated, you know upon 
what basis it may be discussed. 
No. IV. 
Extract from a Speech delivered by 
the Chief of the French Govern- 
ment to the Legislative Body on 
the 2d af March, 1806. 
(Translation. ) 
“¢T desire peace with England. On 
my part, I shall never delay it for a 
moment. J shall always be ready 
to conclude it, taking for its ba- 
sis the stipulations of the treaty of 
Amiens,” 
No. V. 
Leiter from Mr. Secretary Fox to 
M. Talleyrani, dated Downing- 
street, Mar. 26, 1806- | 
(Translation. ) 
Downing-street, Mar. 26, 1806. 
Sir, 
The information which your ex- 
cellency has given me of the pacifie 
disposition that preyails (in your 
councils), and of the basis upon 
which peace may be discussed, has 
, induoed me to lay that part of your 
private letter before the king. 
His majesty has repeatedly de- 
clared to his parliament his sincere 
desire to embrace. the first opportu- 
nity of re-establishing peace upon a 
solid basis, such as may be compati- 
ble with the interests and permanent 
security of his people: his wishes 
are uniformly pacific ; butit is a safe 
and lasting peace that his majesty 
has in view, not an uncertain truce, 
which, from its very uncertainty, 
would be the source of disquictude 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
as well to the contracting parties as 
to the other powers of Europe. 
With regard to the stipulations of 
the treaty of Amiens, which are ~~ 
proposed as the basis of the nego. — 
tiation, it has been observed here 
that this phrase has been interpret~ 
ed in three or four different ways, 
and consequently that further ex- 
planations would be _ necessary, 
which could not fail to produce 
great delay, even did no other ob- 
jections exist. 
The true basis of such a negotia- 
tion between two great powers, 
equally despising every idea of chi- 
cane, would be the reciprocal re- 
cognition of the following principle, 
viz, that the object of both parties 
should be a peace honourable for 
both, and for their respective allies ; 
and, at the same time, ofa nature to 
secure, as far as is in their power, 
the future tranquillity of Europe. 
Ingland cannot neglect the in- 
terests of any of her allies; and she 
is united to Russia by such close 
connections, that she would not 
treat, still less conclude upon any 
thing, but in concert with the em- 
peror Alexander: but whilst await- 
ing the actual intervention of a 
Russian plenipotentiary, some of 
the principal points might however 
be discussed, and even provisionally 
arranged. 
It might seem, that Russia, on 
account of her remote situation, 
should have fewer immediate inter- 
ests to discuss with France than 
other powers; but that court, so 
respectable in every point of view, 
interests herself, like England, 
warmly in every thing that concerns 
the greater or less degree of inde- 
pendence enjoyed by the different 
princes and states of Europe. 
You see, sir, how inclined we 
are 
