394 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[VOL. X. 



The friendship which has so long subsisted between Great Britain 

 and the States General, and which has certainly so much contributed 

 to the welfare of both, has placed me under a peculiar embarrassment, 

 from feeling the necessity of calling upon you for a decided and final 

 answer to this despatch within a limited period ; but the critical 

 situation of public affairs will not admit of delay. It is therefore 

 indispensably necessary that you should at once determine whether 

 you will accept the protection offered by the King, as the ally and 

 friend of the States General under the Constitution guaranteed to 

 them in 1787, or whether you will prefer a system fraught with every 

 distress and ruin to the liberty and property of those who are so 

 unfortunate as to exist under it. 



For this purpose, Major Agnew has directions to convey your 

 answer to the Commanding Officers of the Naval and Land Forces, as 

 no further communication can be had with me upon this point ; or 

 in the event of your wishing to despatch any person from your own 

 Government, Captain Gardner has Commodore Rainier's orders to give 

 him every suitable accommodation in His Majesty's ship IS Heroine, and 

 to land him at Trincomalee ; but it must be explicitly understood that 

 the smallest delay under existing circumstances will be considered as 

 a refusal of the offered protection. 



Major Agnew, who will have the honour of delivering these 

 despatches, is an officer upon whose integrity and discretion you 

 may place the firmest reliance, and is highly deserving of being treated 

 with the most unreserved confidence. 



I have, &c, 



Fort St. George, Hobart. 

 July 7, 1795. 



Proclamation. 



Whereas an armed force, acting under the pretended authority of 

 the persons now exercising the powers of Government in France, has 

 entered into the territories of His Britannic Majesty's ancient allies, 

 their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces, 

 and has forcibly taken possession of the seat of Government, whereby 

 the Stadtholder has been obliged to leave his own country and take 

 refuge in Great Britain — We do by this Proclamation, issued in virtue 

 of His Majesty's command, invite and require all Commanders and 

 Governors of Settlements, Plantations, Colonies, and Factories in the 

 East Indies, belonging to the said States as they respect the Sacred 

 Obligations of Honour and Allegiance and Fidelity to their lawful 

 Sovereigns (of their adherence to which they have at all times given 

 the most distinguished proofs), to deliver up the said Settlements, 

 Plantations, Colonies, and Factories into His Majesty's possession, in 

 order that the same may be preserved by His Majesty until a general 



