1802. | 
vitation that has been made to it, in confe- 
quence of the Treaty, to become a guaran- 
teeing power; the abolition of the Spa- 
nifh priories, in defiadtice of the Treaty to 
which the King of Spain was a party; the 
declaration of the Portuguefe Government,- 
of their intention to fequeftrate the property 
of the Portuguefe priory, as forming a part 
of the Spanith langue, unleis the property of 
the Spantth priories wag reftored. to them-—— 
thefe circumftances would have been-fufii- 
cient, without any other fpecial grounds, to 
have warranted his Majefty in fufpending the 
evacuation of the ifland, The evacuation of 
‘Tarentum and Brundufium is in no. re{pect con- 
neted with that of Malta. The French Govern- 
ment were bound to evacuate the kingdom of 
Naples, by their Treaty of Peace with the King 
of Naples, at a period antecedent to that at 
which this ftipulation was carried into effeét, 
The French Government were bound, like- 
wife, by engagements with the Emperor of 
Ruiflia, to refpeét the independence of the 
: @. aa 
kingdom of, Naples; but even admitting that 
the departure of the French troops from Ta- 
rentum depended folely on the article of the 
Treaty of Amiens, their departure is, by the 
terms of the Treaty, to take place at the 
fame period as the other evacuations in Eu- 
rope; namely, one month after the ratifi- 
cation of, the Definitive, Treaty ; at which 
period both Porto Ferrajo and Minorca were 
evacuated by his Majetty’s.forces ; whereas the 
troops of his Majeity were in no cafe bound 
to evacuate theifland of Malta antecedent to 
the period of three months after the ratifica- 
tion of the Definitive Treaty ; and even in 
that event, it muft be confidered as depend- 
ing upon the other parts of the arrangement 
being in a courfe of execution. With refpect 
to the aflertion in the note, that the Neapo- 
litan troops were to form the garrifon of 
Malta until the period when the arrangements 
relative to the Order could be: carried into 
effect, it will appear, by a reference to the 
article, that by the preliminary paragraph, the 
ifland was to be reftored to the Order upon 
the condition of the fucceeding ftipulations, 
and that it was only from the period when 
the reftitution to the Order had a€tually taken 
place, that by the rath paragraph the Nea- 
politan troops were to form a part of the gar- 
rifon. 
The underfigned has thus ftated, with all 
the franknefs which the importance of the 
fubje& appears to require, the fentiments of 
his Majefty on the note delivered to him by 
General Andreofli, and on the points in dif- 
cuffion between the two countries: 
His Majeity is willing to indulge the hope, 
that the conduét of the French Government 
n this occafion may be influenced by princi- 
ples fimilar to thofe which have invariably 
influenced his own. That as far as pofiible 
all caufes of diftruft, and every impediment 
to a good underftanding between the two 
sountries, may be completely and effectually 
Correfpondence between Great Britain and France. 471 
removed, and that the peace may be confali=. 
dated on a fecure and lafting foundation. 
Downing-ftreet, March 15, 1803, 
HAWKESBURY. 
His Excellency General Andreoffi, 
No. 46. 
My Lord, Paris, March 1751803. 
I called yefterday on M. de Talleyrand, to 
converfe with him on the fubje& of what 
had pafled on Sunday laft at the Thuilleries. 
He had been fince that day fo fully occupied 
with his expeditions to different foreign 
courts, that I had no cpportunity of feeing 
him fooner. I told him, that 1 had been 
placed by the Firft Conful in a fituation 
which could neither fuit my public nor my 
private feelings; that I went to the Thuille-~ 
ries to pay my refpects to the Firft Conful, ~ 
and to prefent my countrymen, but not to 
treat of political fubjects; and that unlefs I 
had the affurance from him that I fhould not 
be expofed toa repetition of the fame difa- 
greeable circumftances, I fhould be under the 
neceility of difcontinuing my vifits to the 
Thuilleries. M.de Talleyrand affured me, 
that it was very far from the Firft Conful’s 
intention to diitrefs me; but he had felt 
himfelf perfonally infulted by the charges 
which were brought againft him by the Eng- 
lifh Government 3 and that it was incumbent 
on him to take the firft opportumty of exculpating 
himfelf in the prefence of the Munifters of the diffex 
rent powers of Europe. He atiured me that 
nothing fimilar would occur. 
WHITWORTH. 
Re. Hon, Lord Hawkefbury. 
; No. 47, 
My Lord, Paris, March 18, 1803. 
I received your Lordthip’s difpatch, with its 
inclofures, this morning early; and I learnt 
at the fame time that a meflenger had arrived 
from General Andreofli to M. de Talleyrand 5 
fhortly after, M. de Talleyrand fent to defire 
I would call upon him, which I accordingly 
did, He told me, that he had not only re- 
ceived your Lordfhip’s note to the French Am- 
baffador, but alfo the fentiments of the Firt 
Coniul upon it, which he was defirous to com- 
municate to me, before he re-difpatched the 
meffenger. This he did, and 1 refer your 
Lordfhip to. the communication which Gene- 
ral Andreosli will make, according to his ine 
ftra€tions, without lofs of time. 
From the tenour of this note, it appears 
that this Government is not defirous to pro- 
ceed to extremities; that is to fay, it is not 
prepared fo to do; and therefore it exprefies g 
willingnefs to enter on the difcuffion of the 
point, which appears, according to their con- 
ception, or rather to the interpretation they 
cheofe to give it, the moft material. This 
of courfe is the fafety of Egypt. On this the 
Firft Conful declares ia the note, as M, de 
Talleyrand did repeatedly to me, that he 
would be willing to enter into any engage- 
ment, by. which fuch a fecyrity as would 
fully quiet our apprehenfiyns, might be given 
oe om 
