760 
cellency the minister for foreign af- 
fairs, induce them to hope that a like 
delay will,on no occasion whatever, 
again take place. 
After having maturely considered 
the note of their excellencies the 
plenipotentiaries of the French go- 
vernment, the undersigned have to 
remark, that the British govern- 
ment, far from pretending to ‘‘ exact 
from the French government every 
restitution which may suit their 
convenience, without being bound 
to make any restitution to France,” 
never expressed any other wish than 
that of treating with the French go- 
vernment on the basis which was 
proposed to them by Trance her- 
self ; as it is expressed in the note 
of Jord Lauderdale, viz. ** to treat 
generally upon the basis of uti pos- 
sidetis, which was to be scrupulous- 
ly observed, except in the case of 
Hanover, which was proposed to be 
ceded to his Britannic majesty with 
all its dependencies.” 
They must also observe, that if it 
were possible to mistake the result 
which would necessarily follow from 
this principle, the verbal discussions 
which Look place on the 9th instant, 
between the I'rench plenipotentiaries 
and the undersigned, leave no room, 
for doubt, whether the propo-ition 
thus laid down was perfeetly un- 
derstood by those plenipotentiarics. 
The undersigned have therefore 
only to repeat, that they cannot, 
consistently with the instructions of 
their government, do otherwise than 
insist upon the previous recognition 
of this principle. It ison this con- 
dition alone that they are authorized 
to continue the negotiation. 
As soon as this principle shall be 
agreed io, the undersigned will be 
ready to precced te the discussion of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
the other points mentioned in the 
note of lord Lauderdale. 
It only remains for the under- 
signed to add, that if the French go- 
vernment expresses a disposition to 
adhere to the proposal, such as his 
Britannic majesty utderstands it to 
have been made by them, they shall 
congratulate themselves as on a most 
fortunate- event; an event which 
promises, (according to the expres- 
sion of Mr. Fox, quoted by their 
excellencies,) ‘* a peace honourable 
for the two nations, and at the same 
time of a nature to insure the future 
tranquillity of Europe.” 
(Signed) Lauderdale. 
Yarmouth, 
No. XX XVII. 
Extract from a Dispatch from. Mr. 
Secretary Fox to the Earls of Lau. 
derdale and Yarmouth, dated 
Downing -street, dugust 14, 1806. 
Downing-street, August 14, 1806. 
My Lorps, 
The messenger, Basilico, arrived 
here early this morning, with the, 
dispatches with which your lord 
ships had. charged him; and, al- 
though it appears most. probable, 
that, before he caw again reach 
Paris, your lordships will be no 
longer there, yet, as there is still a 
possibility, from the last note from 
the French  plenipotentiaries, that 
the negotiation may proceed on the 
basis pointed out for it by your in- 
structions, it has been judged pro- 
per that no time should_be lost in 
redispatching him, in order that you 
may be apprised of his majesty’s 
full approbation of the tenour of the 
different notes which have been de- 
livered on your part since the earl 
ot Lauderdale’s arrival at Paris. As 
no other point but that of the ge- 
3 neral 
