Sir, 
_ 
STATE 
rately, and that we will never suffer 
any person to violate the same, in 
whole, or in part, or to act contra- 
ry thereto. 
In testimony and confirmation of 
all which we have caused our great 
seal, of our united kingdom of 
~ Great Britain and Ircland to be 
_ affixed to these presents, signed with 
our royal hand. 
Givenat our coust at St. James’s, 
this first day of August, in the year 
of our Lord one thousand eight hun- 
dred and six, and of our reign the 
forty-sixth. 
No. XXXV. 
Copy of a Dispatch from the Earls of 
Lauderdale and Yarmouth, to Mr. 
Secretary Fox, dated Paris, Au- 
gust 9, 1806.—Received August 
13. 
Paris, August 9th, 1806. 
Thinking it unnecessary to send 
a courier to England with the de- 
tails of the mere matters of form 
which necessarily took place after 
lord Lauderdale’s arrival, we have 
delayed writing till there appeared 
_ something of importance to com- 
_ municate to you. 
We have now to inform you, 
y that lord Lauderdale, having exhi- 
_ bited his powers, and delivered a 
copy in the customary form, our 
first meeting with general Clarke, 
the plenipotentiary of the French 
_ government, took place at his 
¥ 
vn 
’ 
7 
. 
4 
4 
_ house, on Thursday 7th August at 
noon. 
Our conversation commenced by 
general Clarke’s observing that as 
Jord Lauderdale had just arrived 
from London, with full instructions 
from his majesty, he had probably 
something new to communicate. 
Lord Lauderdale jn substance re- 
PAPER 747 
plied, that it was his wish before 
intermeddling with the negociation 
now pending, distinctly to recal to 
the recollection of general Clarke 
what had already passed between 
his majesty and the government of 
France, and at once precisely to 
state the only footing on which his 
majesty could consent to treat. 
To effect this object, he informed 
general Clarke, that he had prepared 
a note (marked A.) which he begged 
to deliver to him as official. 
General Clarke read the note 
twice with great attention, and af- 
terwards placed it in his portfolio, 
saying that he must take it ad refe- 
rendum. 
Very little passed at this meeting 
sufficiently interesting to merit be- 
ing detailed ; the general objected 
to the practice he apprehended lord ' 
Lauderdale meant to introduce of 
conducting the negotiation by writ- 
ing; and said he was afraid the 
emperor would regard it as a means 
of endless delay, if a note was to 
be delivered upon every insignifi- 
cant question which it might be 
necessary to discuss. The reply 
consisted merely in stating the dis- 
tinction betwixt delivering a written 
note for the purpose of at once 
bringing to a point the basis on 
which the negotiation was to be 
conducted, and resorting on every 
trivial occasion to that practice. 
The first, it was contended, must 
accelerate ; the latter, it was ad- 
mitted, would delay the negotiation ; 
and it would be therefore carefully 
avoided, as it was his majesty’s wish 
that no delay should take place. 
General Clarke, with something 
like an insinuation that an unfair 
advantage was taken by the govern- 
ment of Great Bfitain, announced 
that 
