. 80 
to treat, which are relied upon inthe French 
Official Note; the perfonal difpdfitions which 
are faid to prevail forthe conclufion of Peace, 
and for the future obfervance of treaties ; the 
power of enfuring the effet of thofe difpofi- 
ions, fuppofing them to-exift; and the fo- 
lidity of the fyftem newly eftablifhed, after 
fo rapid a fuccefiion of revolutions—Al! thefe 
are points which can be known only from 
that teft to which his Majefty has already re- 
terred them—the refult of experience, and 
the evidence of facts. 
With that fincerity and plainnefs which 
his anxiety for the re-eftablifhment of peace 
indifpenfably required, his Majefty has point- 
ed out to France the fureft and fpeedieft 
means for the attainment of that great ob- 
jeét. But he has declared in terms equally 
explicit, and with the fame fincerity, that 
he entertains no defire to preferibe toa fo- 
reign nation the form of its Government.— 
That he looks only to the fecurity of his own 
dominions and of Europe; and’that when- 
ever that effential obje&t can in his judgment 
be, in any manner whatever, fufficiently pro- 
vided for, he will eagerly concert with his 
Allies the means of immediate and joint ne- 
gotiation, for the re-eftablifhment of general 
tranquillity. 
To thefe declarations his _Majefty fteadily 
adheres; and it is only on the grcunds thus 
fiated, that his regard to the fafety of his 
fubje&ts will fuffer him to renounce that 
fyftem of vigorous defence, to which, under 
the favour of Providence, his kingdoms owe 
the fecurity of thofe bleflings which they now 
enjoy. 
(Signed) GRENVILLE. 
Downing-ftreet, Fan. 20, 1800. 

The military affairs of France, notwith- 
ftanding the late brilliant aétions on the 
part of Generals Brune, Maffena, and St. 
Cyr, do not wear a very favourable af- 
pect. 
‘The army of the Rhine appears to be in 
a deplorable fituation; that of Italy is now 
confined to Genoa and the adjacent coun- 
try, where it maintains itfelf by the odious 
fyftem of requifitions; while, if we were to 
credit pretended letters from Egypt, the 
troops there are reduced to a ftate of inex- 
preffible diftrefs and defpondency.  Pofte- 
rior accounts, however, announce no lefs 
than three great victories in that quarter. 
Tn refpect to internal affairs, it appears from 
the laft mails that the embargo on neutral 
veffeis has been taken off, and that Bona- 
parte has fuppreffed a prodigious number 
of new/papers by a new effort of authority, 
and only permitted thofe under his own im- 
mediate influence to be publifhed ! ! 
No lefs than two of her allies have 
imitated France in herlate revolution, and 
State of Public Affairs 12 Great Britain. 
[Feb. Ty 
both Switzerland and Genoa have given 
themfelves new rulers, and in fome re- 
{peéts, a new form of government. 
GREAT=BRITAIN. 
One of the chief objeéts of the Britith 
cabinet, for fome time paft, appears to 
have been an union with Ireland; and it 
feems extremely probable, from fome re- 
cent debates in the fifter kingdom, that 
this event will {peedily take place, and 
that too with far greater facility than was 
at firft fufpected. 
The Chouans are faid to have lately re- 
ceived a fupply of arms, money, and mi- 
litary ftores from this country, fo that, in 
cafe of a renewal of hoftilities, which the 
laft mails confider as inevitable, the infur- 
gents are likely to make a more fturdy de- 
fence than before. soa 
The late gallant action performed by, - 
Capt. Hamilton, can fearcely be paralleled - 
even in the naval annals of this kingdom. 
‘* The honour of my country, and the 
glory of the Britifh navy,” fays he, ** were 
firong inducements for me to make an at- 
tempt to cut out, by the boats of his Ma- 
jefty’s fhip under my command, his Ma- 
jefty’s late fhip Hermoine, from the harbour 
of ‘Porto Cavallo, where there are about 
200 pieces of cannon mounted on the bat- 
teries.”” This brave officer accordingly 
boarded her with a body of chofen men to 
the number of 50, while the remainder in. 
the boats cut the cables, the Englifh fri- 
gate coming down at the fame time. The 
_ forecaftle was carried without much dif_h- 
culty; the quarter-deck, however, dif- 
puted the point during a quarter of an 
hour; but the main deck held out much 
longer, and a moft dreadful carnage en- 
fued; nor was it before both cables had 
been cut, fail made on the fhip, and the 
boats fent a-head to fow, that the main 
deck couldbe fecured. Laftly, the enemy 
retreated between decks, and continued 
firing till their ammunition was all ex- 
pended ; and it was then, and then only 
that they demanded quarter ! : 
~On the other hand two of our frigates, 
forming part of Commodere Blanket’s . 
{quadron in the Red Sea, have failed in an 
attempt on E/ Cofr. : 
We have already mentioned under the 
head “‘ France,”’ the diplomatic intercourfe 
that has taken place between the new Go- 
vernment of that country and our own, 
relative to a peace. It is confidently af- 
ferted, that a frefh fubfidiary treaty has 
been concluded between the courts of Sr. 
James’s, Vienna, and Peterfburg; that_ 
a large body of Suabians is to be taken 
into our pay, and that the war will be 
renewed 
