SES 
$26 
an adjournment of the two houfes was 
agreed upon, till the 28th of November. 
The following are the moft interefting 
particulars which have lately fallen under 
our notice, relative to the important ne- 
gociation for peace carrying on in Paris 
between lord Malmfbury, on the part of 
Great Britain, and Charles Delacroix, on 
the part of the French republic. 
In the firft inftance, his lordthip deliver- 
ed to M. Delacroix afmemorial, dated 
Paris, the 24th of October, 1796. This 
memorial preffed the efablithment of a 
general principle, as a bafis for definitive 
arrangements. It fated, that the frft 
objects of negociations for peace generally 
related to reftitutions and ceffions of con- 
quefts; declared Great Britain to be mn a 
Gituation not to demand reftituticn from 
France ; reminded the French govern- 
ment of the valuable colonies and eftablifh - 
ments of which fhe had obtained poffef- 
fion; alluded to the conquefts which the 
French had made upon the continent of 
Europe, conquefts to which Ins Britannic 
majefty could not be indifferent ; and ex- 
reffed his with to reftore peace to all the 
belligerent powers. 
In the firft conference, after the de- 
livery of this memorial, it was demanded 
of the Englith negociator, whether he 
was furnifhed with powers and inftruc- 
tions from the other belligerent powers to 
ftipulate in their name °° He anfwered no; 
put, he added, that when the Directory 
fhould have explained themifelves relative 
to the principle laid down in his memerial, 
he would difpatch courters to inftruét the 
diferent courts im the ftate of the nego- 
ciation, and to receive their orders. It 
was then alked the ambaffadcr, whether 
he could not, at leaft, fpecify the principle 
of retroceffiens which concerned the 
French republic and Great Britain ? He 
anfwered, that after the Direétory thould 
have explained itfelf, he would likewtle 
expedite couriers to requeft inftructions on 
- this point. 
fer this conference was finifhed, De- 
lacroix prefented lord Malmfoury’s memo- 
rial to the Directory, with the recital of 
gheir converiation on the fubjeét. 
In this ftage of the negociation, the 
Executive Direétory ordered the minifter 
for fcrcign affairs to give an anfwer to 
Jord Malmfbury, purporting, that they 
were difpofed to commence a negociation ; 
but that they confidered lord Malmibury's 
propofitions as offering nothing but dila- 
tary or Very diftant méans of bringing lt to 
Public Affairse—Great Britain. 
a conclufion ; they objefted to the forma- 
tion of a congrefs, whofe proceedings are 
always tardy; they noticed the circum’ 
ftance of his lordfhip’s declaration mot’ 
agrecing with his credentials; they ex- 
prefied their belief, that the Britifh go-' 
vernment meant by the prefent propofitions 
only arenewal, under more amicable forms, 
of Mr. Wickham’s propofals- laft year ; 
they difagreed with the memorial refpect-— 
ing the fubjeét of the bafis of negociation, 
which ought not to relate to the principle . 
of ceffion, but to the common neceffity of - 
a juft and folid peace. Neverthelefs, they 
declared, that they would not reject any 
means of reconciliation, and that as foon 
as lord Malmfbury fhould produce to the 
minifter for foreign affairs tufficient pow- 
ers from the allies of Great Britain to 
ftipulate for their refpeétive interefts, they 
would give a fpeedy anfwer to the propoti- 
tions which might be fubmitted to them. 
As foon as lord Malmfbury received this 
anfwer, he wrote to his court by an extra- 
ordinary courier, to obtain the powers re- 
quired of him. 
Having received fome farther inftruc- 
tions from his court, lord Malmfbury, on 
the 12th of November, prefenzed ancther 
note of confiderable Jength to the French” 
minifter, Delacroix, importing, that with 
regard to the injurious and ofenfive inff 
nuations contained in the laft anfwer of 
the direCtory, the king had thought it far 
beneath his dignity to allow any reply 
whatever to be returned on his part.— 
That the Executive Dire€tory appeared, 
without the leaf&t foundation, to fuppefe 
that he was authorifed to accede to a fepa- 
rate peace—That the-beft pledge which 
the Dire€tory could give of their defire of 
putting a period to the war, would be with- 
out delay to fettle a bafis to accelerate a ge- 
neral peace. 
The French minifter, Delacroix, in the 
name of the Directory, returned an an- 
{wer the fame day, the brevity of which 
may eafily be conftrued into abruptnefs. 
This anfwer defired lord Malmfbury te 
point out diftinétly, and as foon as poffible, 
the obje@ts of reciprocal compenfation 
which he had to propofe, and reminded 
him, that the breaking of the armiftice by 
the emperor and king was no fign of a dif- 
pofition in him to conclude a peace upon 
equitable terms. ‘ 
Some correfpondence enfued fubfequent 
to this, which, perhaps, was beneath the 
dignity and importance of the negocia- 
tion. Lord Malmfbury, upon receiving 
a Yeritten 
[Nov, 
