. STATE 
mouth, dated Downing-street, Ju- 
ly 26, 1806. 
~ Downing-street, July 26, 1806. 
My Lorp, 
Your lordship’s dispatches con- 
eying the mortifying intelligence 
of the signature of a separate treaty 
between Russia and France, were 
“received here yesterday ; and his 
“Majesty’s ministers have since had 
the épportunity of being acquainted 
‘with the precise terms of that trea- 
_ty,, which it appears had not in all 
respects been accurately represented 
your lordship. 
_ The king was most particularly 
struck with the great difference 
“which was perceived: between the 
actual arrangement made respecting 
Sicily, and that which had been de- 
scribed to your lordship. 
In writing to your lordship, it is 
_ not necessary to dwell onthe humi- 
_Jiating conditions to which M. d’Ou- 
_ bril has thought proper to bind his 
_ Sovereign. Of that minister’s mis- 
_ conduct your lordship appears fully 
Sensible; and I doubt not you ex- 
_ €rted yourself to the utmost to pre- 
ventit. When this was found im- 
practicable, your lordship was na. 
tnrally placed in circumstances of 
_ considerable difficulty, and for 
which every allowance is to be 
I But it is necessary for me 
to say, frankly, that it would on 
he whole have been more satisfac- 
ory to the king’s servants if your 
lordship had waited to know the 
impression which this new event 
Might create here before you had 
produced your full powers, 
_ It was originally declared by your 
lordship to M. ‘falleyrand, that 
your full powers were not to be 
produced till the French govern- 
basis of vegotiation originally pro- 
~ Vor. XLVIII. 
PAPERS. 737 
posed by themselves ; that of the ufz 
possidetis universally, with the sin. 
gle exception of Hanover. By 
subsequent instructions, your lords 
ship had indeed been acquainted 
that, in*compliance with the wish 
so strongly expressed by the Rus- 
sian negociator at Paris, his majes~ 
ty would not refuse to enter into 
the consideration of such proposals 
as might be made to him for a fair 
equivalent to be given to his Sicilian 
majesty in lieu of Sicily, with the 
full and free consent of. that mo- 
narch, The proposal of such an 
equivalent, and its acceptance by 
his majesty’s government, would 
have replaced the negotiation on its 
original footing, that of a uli posst- 
detis, to be departed from only by 
mutual consent, in those cases 
where any exchange for a reason- 
able equivalent might meet the ideas 
of both parties; and the case for 
the production of your lordship’s 
full powers would thus have arisen 
clearly and unequivocally. Even 
as the matter now stands, it does 
not certainly preclude discussion.: 
But this might have been continu- 
ed unofficially. And it is appres 
hended that, by producing your 
powers on the very day after the 
signature of the Russian treaty, an 
impression may have been created 
very unfavourable to the farther 
progress of the negotiation. 
In the situation to whieh the bu. 
siness is now brought, his majesty 
thinks it necessary to lose no time 
in taking every proper step for res 
placing the discussions between the 
two countries on their original foot. 
ing. 
The first proposals made by 
France were, that a plenipotentiary 
should be sent from hence w th ull 
powers to treat, and to conclude 
3B a separate 
