1797+] 
( 309°) - 
STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 
In Odtober, 1797+ 
GREAT BRITAIN. | 
(THE rupture of the important negocia 
tion for peace between the French 
Republic and Great Britain, appears to 
have been the confequence of the ftate of _ 
affairs in France. After the arreftation of 
the deputies, and the late change in the 
Dimwctory, prompt and effective meafures 
inftead of tardy and weak ones were 
adopted by the governors of that republic; 
the negociators who had been fo long al- 
moft inaétive at Lifle, were recalled, and 
M. Treilhard was fent with pofitive in- 
ftructions to bring the important bufinefs 
on hand to a fpeedy iffue. 
On his arrival at Lifle, he waited upon 
Lord Malmefbury, and after the ufual 
falutations, told him that he was charged 
by the French government. to acquaint 
his Excellency, that the events. which 
had lately pafled in France had not al- 
tered the fncere d:fpofitions of the Execu~ 
tive Government for peace ; that it had _ 
therefore determined to conclude it on the. 
bafis delivered by M. Letourneur, at the 
commencement of the negociation, and 
that the French government had‘no ob- 
ject more at heart than to reftore ood 
harmony between France and England, 
according to fuch principles as might fe- 
cure the profperity of the two nations. 
At the fame time. M. Treilhard prefent- 
¢d a paper ro Lord Malmefbury, con- 
taining the w/timatum of the French go- 
vernment, which required Great Britain 
to deliver up tothe i rench Republic and 
her allies all the places fhe had taken 
during the war. 
Treilhard then afked his Lordfhip 
whether he had full power to treat on 
the balis propefed? to which Lord 
Malmefbury replied, that he had full 
power to treat for any terms; but his 
infiructions did nét permit bim to accept 
of the propofizions offered, without firtt 
communicating with his court. M.Treil- 
hard then informed his lordfhip that the 
>yoverninent which had fent him thi- 
ther had charged him to fignify, that if 
Ais lordthip’s inftrutiens did not allow 
him to accept the conditions he had deli- 
j yered, he muft quit Lifle within twenty- 
four hours. Lord Malmefbury complied 
with this crder, and departed for ths 
country. 
On the third of O&tober, M. Declue, 
a French courier, arrived at Dover, with 
| Montsiy Mac. XXIII. 
ha 
a. French flag of truce, from Calais. He 
was charged with difpatches from the 
French commiffioners, addreffed to Lord 
Malmefbury, purporting,“ thatthe minif- 
ters plenipotentiaries of the French Ree 
public, charged to negociate a peace with 
England, had the honour to inform Lord 
Malmefoury, that having addrefled a 
copy of his laft note, -of the 23d of Sep. 
tember, 1797, to their government, the 
Executive Dire¢étory had entrufted them 
to declare, in its name, that it had not 
ceafed to be defirous of peace; that it 
gave an unequivocal proof of the fenti- 
ment by which it was animated, when it 
ordered the minifters plenipotentiaries of 
the Republic, to demand a categorical 
explanation of the powers given by the 
Englith government to its minifter plee 
nipotentiary ; that this proceeding had 
no other objeét than that of bringing the 
negociation to a fpeedy and fuccefsful 
iffue. That the order given to the ple- 
‘nipotentiaries of the Republic to remain 
at Lifle after the departure of Lord 
Malmefbury, was a. new proof that the 
Direétory had withed for and anticipated 
his return with powers which would be 
no longer a pretext to retard the conclu- 
fion of peace. That the 16th of Oétober 
was the term fixed for the recall of. the 
minifters plenipotentiaries of the French 
Republic, provided that at that epoch 
the minifter pleniporentiary .of his Brit- 
tannic Majefty fhould not have repaired 
to Lifle. That the Executive Dire€tory 
would feel ftrong. regret if a reconcilia~ 
tory ftep already twice taken fhould not 
terminate favourably ; but. its confcience 
as wellas all Europe, would teftify that 
the Englifh government alone. would 
have caufed the fcourge of war to afflict 
the two nations.” Peatins 
On the thirteenth of O€tober, there 
appeared ina French Paper, called the 
Redagicur, a note from Lord Malmefbury 
to citizens Treilhard and Bonnier, the 
French commiffioners at Lifle, in reply 
to the note jufi mentioned. The purport of 
this anfwer was ‘‘that is was only in con- 
{equence of the formal and pofitive ize 
junétion of the Direétory, that Lord 
Malmefbury quitted Lifle; that his 
powers were neither j//u/fory nor limited, 
and that nothing was omitted on his part 
to accelerate the negociation, which was 
only retarded by the delays of the Di- 
Ss rectorya, 


