1800.] 
ferent civil and military authorities of the 
ifland, in which he fully recognizes the 
Republic; exhorts them to fidelity, in-” 
duftry, and brotherly love; and promifes 
a complete amnelty for all paft animofities 
‘and diforders. 
The Dutch fettlement of Curacoa, which 
was fome time fince taken poffeflion of by 
. the French, has furrendered to-the arms of 
his Britannic Majelty. 
: _ AMERICA, 
Tn the preliminary convention that has 
_ been+entered into between France and 
Americathe principle of free bottoms mak- 
ing free goods, is diftin@ly recognized ; 
and liberty of trade with nations at war 
with France (except to ports, &c. under 
blockade) is admitted. In return, the 
French are entitled to every privilege of 
the moft favoured nation in all their inter- 
courfe with America... The form of a con. 
vention feems to have been preferred to 
that of a definitive treaty, with the view 
of preventing any difpute which might 
have arifen between America and Eng- 
land, if the treaty of alliance and com- 
merce of 1778 had been {pecifically re- 
mewed. The prefent arrangement pro- 
fefles to lay down the principles of connec. 
tion, without conferring any privileges or 
forming any alliance that might be confi- 
dered as prejudicial to other nations. One 
article in this treaty, however, has been 
confidered by fome as pointedly directed by 
France againft the maritime fyftem of 
Great Britain, with a view to conciliate 
the grateful approbation of the Northern 
powers, and as an in(trument of coalition 
between the two Republics, te eftablith the 
claims, with re{pect to neutral rights, that 
have been afferted by Sweden and Defmark. 
The article alluded to, is that which fti- 
‘pulates that all neutral veflels, under con- 
voy of a fhip of war of its own nation, fhall 
pafs freely without being vifited, on the 
word of honour of the commander of the 
convoy that the faid veflels do not belong 
to the enemiies of either of the contracting 
partics. Whether there be any concealed 
meaning or fecret article on this fubje&t we 
do nut know; but by the ftipulation, as 
here verbally exprefitd, the contrafting 
parties feem to us only to wave mutually 
the exercife of a tight, without calling in 
queftion the exiftence of fuch right, or in- 
terfering with the exercife of it by any 
other power. 
GREAT BRITAIN. 
His majefty opened the feffion of parlia- 
Ment on the rath of November, by a 
MontTuex Mac. No, 66. 
State of Public Affairs in November, 1800, : 
; 
455 
Speech fromthe throne. It commences 
by ftating, that in confequence of the high 
price of provifions, his majefty had been 
induced at this early period to affemble 
parhament, for the purpole of adopting 
fuch-miéafures as in its wifdom it fhould 
think advifeable, in order to afford relief 
to the poorer clafles of the community, 
and to prevent in future a°recurrence of 
the evil. It recommends to the lords and 
_ commons alfo to embrace meafures for the 
permanent improvement of the agriculture 
of the kingdom, and for the purpole of 
immediate relief, te attend to the bet 
mode of procuring an importation of grain 
of every defcription from abroad fuch, 
aided by the example of frugality and eco- 
omy at home, his majefty conceives will 
be the beft means of contributing to the 
reduétion of the high price of corn. The 
fpeech next recommends to parliament to 
beftow due attention on the laws, by 
which the general commerce of the coun- 
try is protected. He next proceeds to re- 
mark on the indifpenfable neceffity there 
1s not to fuffer the bufinels of the markets 
to be interrupted, and points out the dan- 
ger of preventing the neceffary fapply of 
the fame, : 
To the gentlemen of the Houfe of Com- 
mons the fpeech ftates, that his majefty 
has ordered the proper eftimates to be laid 
before the houfe tor carrying on the public 
fervice ; but with refpet to the eftimate 
of the public fervice of the year, that 
could not be laid before the houfe until 
the united parliament -aflembled. The 
fpeech next proceeds to inform the lords 
and commons, that his majefty had di- 
rected copies to be laid before them of the 
communications which pafled between his 
majelty and the French government, re= 
fpecting a negociation for peace. * You 
will fee in thee (Jays the fpeech), freth and 
ftriking proofs of my earnett desire to con- 
tribute to the re-eftablithment of general 
tranquillity. That defire, on my part, 
has hitherto been uahappily fru@rated by 
the determination of the enemy to enter 
only on a feparate negociation, in which it 
was impoffible for me to engage coniiftent- 
ly either with public faith, or with a due 
regard to the permanent fecurity of En- 
rope. My anxiety for the tpeedy reftora- 
tion of peace remains unaltered ; and there 
will be no obitacle nor delay on my parts 
to the adoption of fuch meafures as may 
beft tend to promote and accelerate that 
dehrable end, confiftently with the honour 
of this country, and the true interefts of 
my people.” 
3 0 When 
4 
