Pate ee 
470 Correfpandence vetween Great Britain and France. [June ft, 
which fuch aéts may have fubfequently made 
in their relative fituation; that if there ever 
was a cafe to which-this principle might be 
applied with peculiar propriety, it was that 
of the late Treaty of Peace: for the nego- 
tiation was condu€ed on a bafis not merely 
propofed by his Majefty, but {pecially agreed 
to, in an official note, by the French Govern- 
ment, viz. that his Majefty fhould keep a con- 
penfation cut of bis conquefis for tke important 
acguifition of territory-made by France upon the 
Continent. Thatis a fufficient proof, that the 
compact was underftood to have been con- 
cluded in relation to the then exifting ftate of 
things; for the meafare of his Majefty’s 
compenfation .was to be calculated with re- 
ference to the acquifitions of France at that 
time; and if the interference of the French 
Covernment in the general affairs of Europe 
fince that period; if their interpofition with 
refpeé to Switzerland and Holland, whofe in- 
dependence was guaranteed by them at the 
time of the conclufion of the Treaty of Peace; 
if the acquifitions which have been made by 
France in various quarters, but particularly 
thofe in Italy, have extended the territory 
and incseafed the power of France, his Ma- 
jefty would be warranted, confiftently with 
the fpirit of the Treaty of Peace, in claiming 
equivalents for thefe acquifitions, as a counter- 
poife to the augmentation of the power of 
France. His Majefty, however, anxious to 
prevent all ground of mifunderftanding, and 
defirous of confolidating the general peace of 
Europe, as far as might be in his power, was 
willing to have waved the pretenfions he 
might have a right to advance of this nature ; 
and as the other articles of the Definitive 
Treaty have-been in a courfe of execution on 
his part, fo he would have been ready to have 
carried into efie& ah arrangement conformable 
to the true intent and {pirit of the tenth ar- 
ticle; the execution of that arrangement, 
according to its terms having been rendered 
impra¢ticable by circumftances which it was 
not in his Majefty’s power to controul, 
Whilit his Majedty was aétuated by thefe fen- 
timents of moderation and forbearance, and 
prepared to regulate his condu& in conformity 
to them, his attention was particularly at- 
traéted by the very extraordinary publication 
of the report of Colonel Sebaftiani to the Firft 
Coniul. This report contains the moft un- 
juftifiable infinuations and charges againft h's 
Majeity’s Government; againit the officer 
commanding his forces in Egypt; and againft 
the Britith army in that quarter: infinuations 
and charges wholly deftitute of foundation, 
and fuch as would have warranted his Majefty 
in demanding that fatisfaction which, on oc- 
cafions of this nature, independent powers in 
a fate of amity have aright to expect from 
each other. It difclofes, moreover, views in 
the higheft degree injurious to the interefts 
of his Mpiefy’s dominions, and dire@tly re- 
pugnant to, and utterly inconfiitent with, the 
{pirit and letter of the Treaty of Peace con- 
cluded between his Majefty and the French 
Government. His Majefty’s Ambaflador at 
Paris was accordingly dire@ed to make fuch 
a reprefentation to the French Government, 
as his Majefty felt to be called for by imputa- 
tions of the nature above defcribed, by the 
difclofure of purpofes inconfiftent with good 
faith, and highly injurious to the interefts of 
his people ; and as a claim had recently been 
made by. the French Government on the fub- 
ject of the evacuation of Malta, Lord Whit- 
worth was inftruéted to accompany this re- 
prefentation by a declaration, on the part of 
his Majefty, that before he could enter into 
any farther difcuffions retative to that ifland, 
it was expected that fatisfaG@tory explanations 
fhould be given upon the various points re- 
fpeGting which his Majefty had complained. 
This reprefentation and this claim, founded 
on principles inconteftibly juft, and couched 
in terms the moft temserate, appear to have 
been wholly difregarded by the French Go- 
vernment 3 no fatisfaction has been afforded, 
no explanation whatever has been given3 
but, on the contrary, his Majefty’s fufpicions 
of the views of the French Government 
with refpect to the Turkith empire have been 
confirmed and ftrengthened by fubfequent 
events. Under thefe circumftances, his Ma- 
jefty feels that he has no alternative, and 
that a juft regard to his own honour, and to 
the interefts of his people, make it neceflary 
for him to declare, that he cannot confeat 
that his troops fhould evacuate the ifland of 
Malta, until fubftantial fecurity has been 
provided for thofe objects, which, under the 
prefent circumftances, might be materia!ly 
endangered by their removal. 
With refpect to feveral of the pofitions 
ftated in the note, and grounded on the idea 
of the roth article,. being executed in its li- 
teral fenfe, they call for fome obfervations. 
By the roth article of the Treaty of Amiensy 
the ifland of Malta was to be reftored by his 
Majefty to the order of St. John, upon cer- 
tain conditions. The evacuation of the 
ifland, at a {pecified period, formed a part of 
thefe conditions ; and if the other ftipulations 
had been in a due courfe of execution, his 
Majefty would have been: bound, by the 
terms cf the Treaty, to have ordered his 
forces to evacuate the ifland: but thefe con- 
ditions muft be confidered as being all of — 
equal effect; and if any material parts of 
them fhould have been found incapable of 
execution, or if the execution of them fhould - 
from any circumftances have been retarded, 
his Majefty would be warranted in deferring 
the evacuation of the ifland until fuch time 
as the other conditions of ‘the article could 
be effected 3 or until fome new arrangement 
could be concluded which fhould be: judged 
fatisfactory by the contracting parties. The 
refufal of Ruffia to accede to the arrange= 
ment, except on condition that the Maltefe 
langue fhould be abolithed; the filence of 
the court-of Berlin, with refpect to the n= 
Vitation 
