L A W. 327 
and the reign 5 as thus: “Given at----, the-day 
of-, in the year of our Lord-, and in the- 
year of our reign after which come the fignature and 
counter-fignature. Thefe letters are fent from the chan¬ 
cery of the ftate in a large form, without envelope, and 
fealed with the great feal. The fuperfcription contains all 
the titles of the fovereign to whom it is fent. 
Cabinet-letters do not require fo fcrupulous a ceremonial 
as letters of council. Titles are often admitted in the 
former that are not in the latter. In general, i. They 
are now written in French between fovereigns where 
there are different languages. 2. The infcription is much 
fhortened, and without titles. 3. The writer ipeaks of 
himfelf in the lingular number, addreffing the fovereign 
to whom he writes, by the title of majcjly, highnefs , orfim- 
pl q you. 4. The ffyle is lefs grave, and more refpeflful. 
5. The fignature is often joined to the body of the letter 
by a phrafe adapted to the purpofe, and, between equal 1b- 
vereigns, by Sir, my Brother, Your Majcjly's, or Your's, G. 
6 . The letter has an envelope which is iealed with a privy 
or fmall feal, different from the great feal. 7. The fu¬ 
perfcription is abridged. 
Sometimes the fovereign writes letters in his own hand: 
thefe have no ceremonial at all affixed to them, either with 
refpefl to title or language. 
The choice between thefe different kinds of letters de¬ 
pends much on circuinftances, and even the pleafure of 
the fovereigns who make ufe of them ; yet it is to be ob- 
ferved, x. That, in matters of ftate-importance, and where 
much ceremonious attention is requifite, and efpecially 
between courts that are upon the referve with each other, 
letters of council are generally made ufe of, whether it be 
the cafe of equals or inferiors ; but thofe of a rank much 
inferior cannot make ufe of them in writing to crowned 
heads. 2. A letter of cabinet is not anfwered by a letter 
of council, and ftill lefs is a letter of the third order, whe¬ 
ther it comes from an inferior, an equal, or a fuperior. 
3. A prince very inferior in dignity does not often pre- 
fume to open a correfpondence with a fuperior in a letter 
of the third order, if it be poffible to fend him one of the 
fecond. 
Memorials are of two forts; thofe of the court, and 
thofe of minifters. The firff a prince generally delivers 
to foreign minifters refiding at his court, or fends to his 
own minifters refident at other courts. Of thefe memo¬ 
rials there are, 1. The circular notes fent to the diploma¬ 
tic body, and which are commonly figned by the fee re.- 
tary of ftate. 2. The anfwers given to foreign minifters, 
which are occafionally in the form of decrees, fometimes 
of fignatures, refolutions, notes, and the like. Of the 
memorials fent to minifters refident at foreign courts, fome 
are to be prefented by him ; and thefe are commonly in the 
form of notes, and frequently without fignature ; others 
are intended as inftrufiions to the minuter. The dif- 
patches however fent to inftrudt him, are much oftener in 
the form of letters, than in that of memorials or referipts. 
The memorials drawn up by foreign minifters are of 
different kinds. 1. Some are in the form of letters, with 
an infcription, a fubfeription, and a fignature; in thofe 
the minifter fpeaks of himfelf in the firff perfon, and of 
his court in the fecond perfon: this form is however out 
of practice at prefent. 2. In others the minifter fpeaks 
of himfelf in the third perfon, and of the court he ad- 
dreffes himfelf to in the fecond perfon ; thefe are always 
dated and figned, and generally have an infcription: this 
form feems to be moftly adopted at the prefent time. 3. 
There are modes in which the minifter fpeaks of himfelf, 
and alfo of the court to whom he addrefles himfelf, in the 
third perfon, without infcription, and fometimes without 
fignature. This is what is properly called a note. 
Public acts, properly fo called, run generally in the 
form of letters patent. Of this clafs are full powers, 
treaties, ratifications, guarantees, protefts, paffports, ma- 
nifeftoes, and the like: the explanations of motives, and 
other writings of that kind, intended to jultify the con¬ 
duct of one court towards another or others, have no 
preferibed form at all. 
Thefe negociations between fovereign powers have 
given rife to embaffies by public minifters. 
By a public minifter is intended the perfon whom tire 
ftate has charged with the fuperintendence of its public 
affairs at fome foreign court. This minifter (legates, air 
ambaflador, in a.general i'enfe) is that of which we are to 
fpeak. The fending of thefe minifters is a necefl'ary 
means of treating of ftate-aff.iirs ; and the right to fend 
them is one of the natural rights of fovereignty; and thofe, 
and thofe only, who have a right to fend minifters, have 
a right to receive them. 
Formerly there was but one clafs of public minifters, 
who were all called ampajfadors ; but, in progrefs of time, 
others have been admitted to reprefent the refpefiive 
ftates from which they are fent; and thefe are of three 
orders. 
Minifters of the firft order are, 1. The cardinal legates, 
the nuncios of the pope, ambaffadors properly fo called, 
(ambafeiatores, oratores , magnilegati, bots-chajter, embafadores,) 
the bailo of Venice and Conltantinople. At prefent 
there are perpetual ambafl'adors, who are alfo invefted 
with the more diftinguifhed character of extraordinary. 
With refpedl to precedence, the charafler of reprefenra- 
tive, which is common to them all, raifes all the minif¬ 
ters of the firft order above thofe of an inferior order, 
without refpeiff to the rank or dignity of the ftates they 
are fent from. 2. Among the minifters of the firft order, 
the cardinal legates, and nuncios of the pope, take the 
lead of all the ambaffadors of catholic ftates; but thofe 
of proteftant ftates do not yield to them in this point. 3. 
The extraordinary ambaflador takes the lead of the am¬ 
baflador in ordinary, when they are both from the fame 
ftate. 4. Among ambaffadors of different courts no re¬ 
gard is paid to this diftriftion.; they all claim a right to 
precedence, or yield it to others, as it is claimed or yielded 
by their fovereigns. 
Thefe minifters are now employed, not oniy to nego- 
ciate the affairs of the fovereign by whom they are fent, 
but on points of ceremony alfo: and fometimes the prin¬ 
cipal bufinefs of fuch a minifter is, to watch over the 
interefts of his fovereign, and give him an exafl account 
of every thing that pafi'es, and of which it imports him 
to be informed. 
Minifters of the fecond order are the envoy's, (inviati, ab- 
legatif the minifters plenipotentiary, the internunciqs of 
the pope and the emperor. With refpect to precedence, 
there is no diftindtion made between the envoys and plec 
nipotentiaries: every one claims what is due to him ac¬ 
cording to the rank of his fovereign. 
The third order of minifters is compofed of minifters 
refident, refidents, and minifters charges d'affaires. They 
claim among themfelves the rank that is due according 
to the dignity of their fovereign. Among the minifters 
of the third order ought to be reckoned, the Ample charges 
d'affaires , as well thofe who are appointed per interim as 
thofe who are permanent. They have not however the 
title of minifters, and are generally introduced and ad¬ 
mitted through a verbal prefentation of the minifter at 
his departure, or through letters of credence addreffed to 
the minifter of ftate of the court to which they are fent. 
Agents of private affairs, agents refident, counfellors 
of legation, and titulary agents, are all excluded from the 
rank, title, and privileges, of minifters. 
Deputies are thofe minifters which are fometimes fent by 
a body, or aflociation of ftates, (fuch as formerly the 
United Provinces or the Swifs Cantons,) as alfo thofe fent 
by the different courts to congreffes. This name neither 
adds to nor takes from the quality or minifter, with 
which they may be veiled at the fame time, neither does it 
of itfelf delcribe any particular order of minifters. There 
are ambaffadors and other minifters, who are at the fame 
time deputies; and there are alfo Ample deputies; but 
thefe laft cannot claim -the rights of embaffy, becaufe they 
