18 03.) Corre/pondence between Great Britain ond France. 
ment to make a full and early explanation 
of their views, and to afford to his Majeity 
that fatisfaétion and fecurity to which he 
confideed himfelf to be entitled. It was in 
confequence of the apparent determination 
of the French Government to evade ali dif- 
cufiion on the points of difference between 
the two countries, that his Majefty was in- 
duced to ftate the grounds on which, accord- 
ing to his views, an arrangement might be 
concluded fatisfaétory to both Governments; 
and he accordingly authorized your Excel- 
Jency to communicate the three projects 
which at different times I had forwarded to 
ou. 
Until the very moment when your Excellency 
was about to leave Paris, the French Go- 
vernment have avoided making any dilting& 
propofition for the fettlement of the differ- 
ences between the twocountries ; and when, 
at the very inftant of your departure, the 
French Government felt themfelves compel- 
led to bring forward fome propofition, they 
confined that propofition to a part only of 
the fubject in difcuffien; and on that part of 
it, what they have brought forward is wholly 
inaAmiflible. 
The French Government propofe that his 
Majefty fhould give up the ifland of Malta 
toa Ruffian. Auftrian, or Pruffian garrifon 
If his Majefty could be difpofed to wave his 
demand fora temporary occupation of the 
ifland of Malta, the Emperor of Ruflia would 
be the only fovereign to whom, in the pre- 
fent ftate of Europe, he could confent that 
the ifland fhould be affigned; and his Ma- 
jeity has certain and authentic information, 
that the Emperor of Ruflia would on no ac- 
count confent to pgarrifon Malta. Under 
thefe circumftances his Majefty perfeveres in 
his determination to adhere to the fubftance 
of his third projet as his ultimatum. As, 
however, the principal objeétion flated by 
the French Government to his Majeity’s 
propofition is underftood to’ be contined 
to the infertion of an article in a pub- 
lic treaty by which his Majefty fhall have 
a right to remain in the poffeffion of the 
ifland of Malta for a definite number of 
years, his Majefty will confent that the num- 
ber of years (being in no cafe lefs than ten) 
may be ftated in a fecret article; and the 
public articles may be agreed to confermably 
to the inclofed proje@. By this expedient, 
the fuppofed point of honour of the French 
Government might be faved. The inde- 
pendence of the ifland of Malta would in 
principle be acknowledged, and the tempo- 
rary accupation of his Majefty would be 
made to depend alone on the prefent flate of 
the tfand of Lampedofa. 
You may propofe this ideato M de Tal- 
leyrand, at the fame time affuring him, that 
his Majefty is determined to adhere to the 
fobftance of his ultimatum. And if you 
fhall not be able to conclude the minute of 
an arrangement on this principle, you will, 
Montury Mac. No, tor. 
a 
& 
‘tion to accompany the communication, 
485 
on no account, remain io Paris more than 
thirty-fix hours after the receipt of this dtf- 
patch. 
I obferve, by yourdifpatch, you did not 
confider yourfelf as authorized to deliver 
to the French Government any note or pro- 
jet in writing. The words of my difpatch 
were, that you were to cominunicate the 
terms officially, which left it at your own 
difcretion to communicate them verbally or 
in writing, as you might judge moit expe- 
dient. You were certainly right'in commu- 
nicating them, in the firft inttance, verbally 5 
but as fo much ftrefs has been laid by M. de 
Talleyrand on this diftinétion, it is import- 
ant that { fhould intorm you, that his Ma- 
jefty neither had nor has any objection 
to your delivering the inclofed projeét as an 
ultimatum, accompanied by a fhort note in 
Writing. 
I cannot conclude this difpatch without 
recalling again your attention to the conduét 
of the French Minilter at Hamburgh, and 
referring you to my initruétions, by which’- 
you fhould abftain from coneluding the ar- 
rangement, unlefs you have received trom 
M. Talleyrand an afiurance that his conduét 
would be publicly difavowed. : 
_ HAWKESBURY, 
To his Excellency Lord Whitworth. 
No. 69. 
Extra& of a Difpatch from Lord Whitworth to 
Lord Hawh:fhury, dated Paris, May 9, 1803. 
The meffenger Sylvefter is arrived with 
your Lordfhip’s difpatch, No. 68, of the 
7th of May. 
As foon as I received your Lordfhip’s in- 
{truétions, I prepared a tranflated copy of 
the projeét furnifhed me by your Lordthip, 
and a fhort note with which tt is my inten- 
I 
then feat a perfon to Monfieur de Talleyrand, 
to know when I could fee him, and [ was 
informed that he was at St. Cloud. I foon 
after Jearnt, that he was gone there in con- 
fequence of the accident which happened 
yeiterday to the Firft Confu!. I underftand 
that no bad confequences are likely to enfue, 
and that he is able to tranfact bufinefs. I 
cannot, however, expceét to fee M.Talleyrand 
before to-morrow morning, Although this 
circumf{tance may caufe a delay of a few 
hours, vour Lordfhip may be affured, that 
the execution of thole inftructions with 
which you haye furnifhed me, fhall not be 
protraéted. I {hall leave Paris moft affured- 
ly, or have concluded a fatisfattory arrange- 
ment, within the time fpecified by your 
Lordfhip, reckoning from the moment of 
my being able to make an official communi- 
cation, rather than: fram that of the receipt 
of your Lordfhip’s letter. 
No. 70. 
Extrafl of a Difpatch from Lord Whitworth to 
Lord Hawk«foury, dated Paris, May 12, 1803. 
The. meflenger Sylvefter, as I mentioned 
in my laft difpatch, returned on the gth, at 
3R ' twelve 
