718 
just and moderate dispositions which 
he has the satisfaction of observing 
in the tone and the language of the 
ministers of his Britannic majesty, 
seconding, im conformity to his 
desires, the pacific sentiments of 
which he is more than ever deter- 
mined to afford proofs to his allies, 
and even to his enemies, the nations 
exhausted by the efforts of a war, 
the interest of which it is as difficult 
to perceive as its real object is diffi. 
cult to discover, will thus see a 
peace, whichis called for by all their 
wants and all their wishes, result 
from the proposed negotiation. 
Irequest, sir, you will accept the 
assurance of my high consideration. 
(Signed) Ch, Mau. Talleyrand, 
No. IX. 
Letter from Mr. Secretary Fox to 
M. Tulleyrand, dated Downing- 
Street, April 20, 1806. 
(Translation.) 
Downing Street, April 20, 1806. 
Sir, 
¥ reeeived the day before yester- 
day, your excellency’s dispatch of 
the 16th instant. 
After haying repeatedly read it 
with all possible attention, 1 do not 
find in it any argument sufficient to 
induce our government to change 
the opinion which it has already de- 
clared, namely, that any negoliation 
in which Russia is not included as a 
party, is absolutely inadmissible. 
We wish for peace: but we can- 
not wish for any thing which may 
be injurious either to the dignity of 
our sovereign, or to the honour and 
the interests of the nation. But if 
“we negotiate without Russia, consi. 
dering the intimate ties by which we 
are united with’ that power, we 
should conceive ourselyes open to 
the reproach of having failed in that 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
& 
scrupulous fidelity to our engaze- 
ments on which we pride ourselves; 
‘whilst, on the other hand, by persist-_ 
ing in our demand that Russia be — 
admitted, we do not conceive that — 
we do any thing contrary to that 
principle of equality to which both 
of us lay claim. When the three 
plenipotentiaries are assembled, 
how can it be thought that any 
question could be carried by the 
majority of voices; or even that 
such an assembly could have any 
thing in common with a general 
congress? There would be in fact 
but two parties in it; on one side, 
France, on the other, the two allied 
powers. Moreover, if it is thought 
so advantageous in an affair of this 
rature, to have two against one, no 
objection would be made to your 
introducing whichever of your allies 
you may judge most expedient. - 
Sincerely desirous of avoiding 
useless disputes, 1 do not allow my- 
self te enter into a discussion of the 
consequences which your excellency 
draws from the events of the last 
campaign. 
1 will only remark, that I do not 
see any reason why an_ alliance 
should be considered as null with 
regard to the powers who adhere to 
it, because a power who formerly 
belonged to it has been detached 
from it by the misfortunes of war. 
With regard to the overture 
which Russia has made you, we 
have no knowledge of it; but, 
whatever may be the nature of it, 
we are persuaded that that court 
will never conduct itself so as to 
commit the acknowledged honour of 
its character, or to weaken the ties 
of friendship and of confidence 
which subsist between England and 
Russia. : 
To return to the point; your 
excellency 
