The magnanimity of the king, his inviolable good faith, and his defire to reftore repose to so many nations, lead him, in this fituation of affairs, to confider the means of procuring terms of peace, juft and equitable for all the belligerent pow. ers, and calculated to enfure in future the general tranquillity.

It is on this footing, then, that he propofes to negociate, by offering to compenfate France, by proportionable reftitutions, for thofe arrangements to which fhe will be called upon to confent, in order to fatisfy the just demands of the king's allies, and to preferve the political balance of Europe.

Having made this firft overture, his majetty will, in the fequel, explan himfelf in a more extenfive manner, on the application of this principle to the different objects which may be difcuffed between the respective parties.

It is this application which will constitute the fubject of thofe difcuffions into which his majefty has authorifed his minifter to enter, as foon as the principle, to be adopted as the general bafis of the negociation, is known.

But his majefty cannot difpenfe with declaring, that if this generous and equitable offer fhall not be accepted, or if, unfortunately, the difcuffions which may enfue may fail in the defired effect, neither this general propofition, nor thofe more detailed which may refult from it, fhall be regarded, in any cafe, as points agreed upon or accorded by his majetty. (Signed)

MALMESBURY. Minifter Plenipotentiary from his Britannic Majesty.

Paris, O. 24. 1796. REPORT to the DIRECTORY, by the Minifter for Foreign Affairs.

The 4th Brumaire (Oct. 25) THE executive directory having furnifhed me with full powers to treat for peace with Great-Britain, I had yesterday (3d Brumaire) my first conference with lord Malmesbury, plenipotentiary commiffioner of his Britannic majefty. He prefented to me the original of his powers, fealed with the feal of Great Britain, and certified the copy which he had before prefented to me unfigned, and which I had laid before the directory. I reciprocally exhibited to him my powers, and gave him a certified copy. It was agreed, that the originals fhould be exchanged upon the definitive fettlement of the articles, and before the figiature.

We entered into difcuffion : - - lord Malmesbury prefented to me the memorial which I laid before the directory. I obferved to him, that, fpeaking in the name of the allies of Great-Britain, and ftipulating for their interefts, he was, doubtlefs, furnished with their powers and inftruc tions. He answered me, that he was not, but that when the directory fhould have explained itfelf upon the principle laid down in his memorial, he would expedite couriers, to give to the different courts an account of the. negociations, and to receive their orders. I demanded of him, if he could, at least, fpecify the principle of conceffion in what concerned the republic and the government of GreatBritain? He replied, that after the directory fhould have explained itself, he would fend a courier and demand inftructions on this point. I then thought it my duty to fay to lord Malmesbury, that I would lay his memorial before the directory; that I would take its orders, and impart to him its answer. CHA. DELACROIX.

(Signed)

ANSWER of the DIRECTORY. The executive directory orders the minifter for foreign affairs to make the following anfwer to lord Malmesbury.

The executive directory fee with pain, that at the moment when they had reafon to hope for the very fpeedy return of peace between the French republic and his Britannic majefty, the propofition of lord Malmesbury offers nothing but dilatory, or even diftant means of bringing the negociation to a conclufion.

The directory obferve, that if lord Malmesbury would have treated separately, tenour of his credentials, the negociation as he was formally authorifed by the might have been confiderably abridged; that the neceffity of balancing with the interefts of the two powers, thofe of the allies of Great-Britain, multiplies the combinations, increafes the difficulties, tends to the formation of a congress, the forms of which it is known are always tardy, and requires the acceffion of powers, which hitherto have difplayed no defire of accommodation, and have not given to lord Malmesbury himself, according to his own declaration, any power to ftipulate for them.

Thus, without prejudging the intertions of lord Malmesbury; without drawing any conclufion from the circumstance of his declaration not appearing to accord with his credentials; without fuppofing

that he had received any secret instructions, which would deftroy the effect of his oftenfible powers; without pretending, in fhort, to affert that the British government have had a double object in-view-to prevent, by general propofitions, the partial propofitions of other powers, and to obtain from the people of England the means of continuing the war, by throwing upon the republic the odium of a delay occafioned by themselves; the executive directory cannot but perceive that the propofition of lord Malinesbury is nothing more than a renewal, under more amicable forms, of the propofition made last year by M. Wickham, and that it prefents but a diftant hope of peace.

The executive directory further obferve, with regard to the principle of ceffion advanced by lord Malmesbury, that fuch principle, prefented in a vague and ifolated manner, cannot ferve as the basis of negociation; that the first points of confideration are, the common neceflity of a juft and folid peace, the political equilibrium which abfolute ceflions might defroy, and then, the means which the belligerent powers may poff fs-the one to retain conquefts made at a time when it was fupported by a great number of allies, now detached from the coalition; and the other, to recover them at a time when thofe who were at first its enemies, have, almoft all, either become its allies,

or neuter.

Nevertheless, the executive directory, animated with an ardent defire of putting a ftop to the fcourge of war, and to prove that they will not reject any means of reconciliation, declare, that as foon as lord Malmesbury hall exhibit to the minifter for foreign affairs fufficient powers from the allies of Great-Britain for ftipulating for their respective interefts, accompanied by a promife on their part to fubfcribe to whatever fhall be concluded in their names, the executive directory will give a Ipeedy anfwer to the fpecific propofitions which fhall be fubmitted to them; and that the difficulties fhall be removed, as far as may be confiftent with the fafety and dignity of the French republic.

(Signed)

REVEILLERE LEPEAUX, Prefident. LA GARDE, General Secretary. After receiving this anfwer, lord MalmesBury wrote to his court by an extraordinary courier, to obtain the powers_required of him; and, a few days after ward, on the return of a courier from

London, his lordship prefented to the fame minifter the following

SECOND MEMORIAL.

THE underfigned did not fail to tranfmit to his court the anfwer of the executive directory, to the propofitions which he was charged to make, as an opening to a pacific negociation.

With regard to the offenfive and injurious infinuations, contained in that paper, and which are only calculated to create new obstacles to the accommodation which the French government profeffes to defire, the king has deemed it far beneath his dignity to permit an answer to be made to them on his part, in any manner whatfoever.

The progrefs and the refult of the nego ciation will fufficiently prove the principles by which it will have been directed on either pait; and it is neither by revolting reproaches wholly unfounded, nor by reciprocal infults, that a fincere with to accomplith the great task of pacification can be evinced.

The underfigned then paffes to the first object of difcuffion brought forward in the anfwer of the executive directory ;—that of a feparate negociation, to which it admitted, without the fmalleft foundation, the fuppofition that the underligned was authorited to accede.

His full powers, made out in the ufual form, gave him all neceffary authority to negociate and to conclue the peace; but thefe powers prefcribe to him neither the form, the nature, nor the conditions of the future treaty.

Upon thefe objects, he will obey, according to the long eftablished and received cuftom of Europe, the inftructions which he fhall receive from his court; and accordingly, he did not fail to acquaint the minifter for foreign affairs, at their firft conference, that the king his mafter had exprefsly enjoined him to liften to no propofition tending to separate the interefts of his majefty from thofe of his alies.

There can be no question then, but of a negociation which fhall combine the interefts and pretenfions of all the powers who make a common cause with the king in the prefent war.

In the courfe of fuch a negociation, the intervention, or, at least, the participation of these powers will doubtless become abfolutely neceffary; and his majesty hopes to find at all times the fame difpofitions to treat, upon a just and equitable basis, of which his. majelty, the emperor and king,

gave to the French government so striking a proof, at the very moment of the opening of the prefent campaign.

But it appears, that the waiting for a formal and definitive authority on the part of the allies of the king, before Great Britain and France begin to discuss, even provifionally, the principles of the negociation, would be to create a very ufclefs delay.

A conduct wholly different has been obferved by these two powers on almost all fimilar occafions; and his majefty thinks, that the best proof which he can give, at the prefent moment, to all Europe, of their mutual defire to caufe, as foon as poffible, the calamities of war to ceafe, would be to fettle, without delay, the bafis of a combined negociation, by immediately inviting their allies to accede to it, in the most proper manner for accelerating the general pacification.

It is with this view that the undersigned was charged to propose at first, and at the very commencement of the negociation, a principle, which the generofity and good. faith of his majefty could alone dictate to him-that of recompenfing France, by proportionable reftitutions, for the arrangements to which the ought to confent, in order to fatisfy the just pretenfions of the king's allies, and to preferve the political balance of Europe.

The executive directory has not explained itself in a precife manner, either upon the acceptance of this principle, or upon the changes or modifications which it may defire to be made in it; nor has it, in fhort, propofed any other principle whatever to anfwer the fame end.

The undersigned; then, has orders to recur to this fubject, and to demand, on that head, a frank and precife explanation, in order to abridge the delays which must neceffarily refult from the difficulty in point of form which has been fated by the executive directory.

He is authorifed to add to this demand the exprefs declaration, that his majesty.in communicating to his auguft allies all the fucceffive meafures which he has taken, relative to the object of the prefent negociation, and in fulfilling, toward thefe fovereigns, in the most efficacious manner, all the duties of a good and faithful ally, will omit nothing on his part, as well to difpofe them to join in this negociation, by the means the most proper to facilitate its progrefs and infure its fuccefs, as to induce them always to perfift in fentiments conformable to the withes which he has expreffed for the return of a general peace,

ANSWER of the French Minifter for Fo reign Affairs.

The undersigned is charged, by the executive directory, to invite you to point out, with all poffible expedition, and exprefsly, the objects of reciprocal conpenfations which you propofe.

He is, moreover, charged to demand of you, what are the difpofitions to treat, on a juft and equitable balis, of which his majeffy, the emperor and king, has given to the French government fo ftriking a proof at the commencement of the campaign. The executive directory is ignorant of them. It was the emperor and king who broke the armistice.

(Signed)

C. DELACROIX.

Paris, 22 Brumaire (Nov. 12) 5th Year of the Republic, One and Indivisible.

NOTE, addreffed by Lord MALMESBURY to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs.

The undersigned does not hesitate a moment to answer the two questions which you have been inftructed, by the executive directory, to put to him.

The memorial prefented this morning, by the undersigned, propofes, in exprefs terms, on the part of his majefty the king of Great Britain, to compenfate France, by proportionable reftitutions, for the arrangements to which he will be called upon to confent, in order to fatisfy the just pretenfions of the king's allies, and to preferve the political balance of Europe.'

Before the formal acceptation of this principle, or the annunciation, on the part of the executive directory, of any other principle whatever, which may equally ferve as the bafis of a negociation for a general peace, the undersigned could not be authorised to defignate the objects of reciprocal compenfation.

As to the proof of the pacific difpofitions given to the French government by his majefty, the emperor and king, at tho opening of the campaign, the undersigned contents himself with a repetition of the following words contained in the note of baron D'Egleman, on the 4th of June laft: The operations of the war will in no wife prevent his Imperial majefty from being ever ready to concur, agreeably to any form of negociation which shall be adopted, in concert with the belligerent powers, in the difcuffion of proper means for puts

Paris, Nov. 12, 1796.

REPLY of the Minister for Foreign Affairs

to the preceding Note.

The undersigned, in reply to your fecond note of yetlerday, is ordered, by the executive directory, to declare to you, that he has nothing to add to the answer which has been, addreffed to you. He is alfo inftructed to ask you, whether on each official communication which shall take place between you and him, it will be neceffary for you to fend a courier to receive fpecial inftructions?

C. DELACROIX.

LETTER addreffed to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs, by Lord MALMESBURY, Envoy for the British Cabinet.

The minifter plenipotentiary of his Britannic majelty requests the minitter for foreign affairs to inform him whether he is to confider the official note which he received from him, yesterday evening, as the, anfwer to that which lord Malmefbury delivered yesterday morning, to the minifter for foreign affairs, by order of

his court. He applies for this informaa tion, that the departure of his courier may not be needlessly delayed. MALMESBURY.

Paris, Nov. 13, 1796.

ANSWER of the Minifter for Foreign Affairs to the preceding Letter from Lord MALMESBURY.

The undersigned, minister for foreign affairs, declares to lord Malmesbury, minifter plenipotentiary from his Britannic majefty, that he is to confider the official note fent to him yesterday, as the answer to that which lord Malmesbury had addreffed to him, on the morning of the fame day. C. DELACROIX.

23 Brumaire, fifth year.

able to mount, for watching SaldanahBay, I received a report on the 3d inft. tranfmitted in fourteen hours, that nine fhips had appeared off that coast on the preceding afternoon, which I immediately communicated to vice-admiral fir George Keith Elphinstone. By the fame report there appeared to be the strongest probability that his majefty's brig the Hope had been captured by them; and as there was no further account of them the next day, I concluded that the information which they had received by that means, of our trength here, had induced them to continue their route, and that they would ftand far to the weftward before they doubled the Cape, to avoid fir George's fleet, which had put to fea as foon as was poffible after the receipt of the intelligence.

In order, however, to omit no precaution, I fent up lieutenant M'Nab, with a few mounted men, to watch the Bay more narrowly; and from him I received a report, on Saturday night the 6th inft. at twelve o'clock, that the fame number of

hips which had formerly been reported had anchored that morning in the Bay, and that there was no doubt of their being enemies. I loft not a moment in fending directions to Simon's Town, from whence by the general willingness and activity which prevailed among all ranks, five veffels were dispatched by nine o'clock, in queft of the admiral, with the information, As it fortunately happened that the 25th and 27th light-dragoons, with part of the 19th and the whole of the 33d regiment, were in Simon's Bay, I could be under no apprehenfion for the Lafety of the colony from any force which could be landed from nine hips of war. It became, however, an object of infinite importance to the welfare of the fettlement to prevent any body of the enemy from thowing themfel es into the country. At the fame time the fecurity of the Cape town be came an object of particular attention, both from the reasonable expectation, that the enemy would not have come with fuch a force without the profpect of a junction with fome other armament, and from the poffibility of the admiral being prevented from doubling the Cape by the north-westerly winds which ufually prevail at this feafon, and which would carry the enemy in fix hours from Saldanha to Table Bay. It was therefore with particular fatisfaction that I found myfelf poffeffed of a force adequate to both thefe objects.

No time was loft in making the neceffary arrangements in a country totally unuled to a moverment of this nature. The troops began their march on Sunday morning, neceffarily by divifions, on account of fubfiftence. The burgher fenate was affembled, to whom I expofed my intentions, to which they expreffed the molt ready compliance. Waggons were every where demanded by them and furnished with cheerfulness. Cavalry was neceffary, but the appointments of the 28th were on board a hip which had failed in queft of the admiral. Thofe of the 25th were alfo on board fhip in Simon's Bay, and we had not above fifty hories. The appointments were brought up, and I did not fcruple, on fuch an occafion, to require all faddle-horfes without exception to be brought in, which were valued by two members of the court of justice, and two officers of the 28th dragoons, and paid for on the fpot, to the entire fatisfaction of the owners.

By thefe means, fir, leaving major-gene#al Doyle in the command of the troops

at and about Cape Town, amounting to near 4000 men, and brigadier-general, Campbell in the immediate command of the town, I, on the morning of the 16th inft. reached Saldanha Bay, at the head of the advanced guard, confifting of the light infantry, a body of Hottentots, and go of the 25th light dragoons, affifted by brigadier general M'Kenzie, the remainder of whofe corps, confifting of the gre-. nadiers, the 78th and 80th battalions, 50 more of the 25th, and 100, of the 28th light dragoons, in all about 2500 men, with two howitzers and nine field pieces, arrived there alfo in an hour after..

3

In the mean time the admiral had returned to Falfe Bay, and on their receiving the first accounts of the enemy being in, Saldanha Bay, had put to fea again with the utmoft expedition; and we had the fatisfaction, from the heights from whence we defcended to the fhores of the Bay, to fee him, with all his fails crowded, advancing with a fair wind directly to the mouth of the harbour, though ftill at fome diftance. One of the enemy's frigates, which lay near the fhore to cover their watering, cannonading us very brifkly as we defcended the 'heights," though without effect, and we returned their fire with as little, having at that time only three pounders with us; but a howitzer being brought up, a few fhells were thrown with great precifion by captain Robertfon, who would probably foon have destroyed her; but perceiving that our fleet was then entering the Bay, and that there was no poflibility of her ef caping, I defifted from firing, thinking it more for his majesty's intereft that the fhould fhare the fate of the remainder of the fquadron, the capture of which appeared to me to be inevitable, than that we fhould rifk the deftroying her, from a vain punctilio of obliging her to ftrike to us. We then employed ourfelves in making the neceffary difpofitions for affording fuch affiftance as might be in our power, in the event of the obftinacy of the enemy obliging the admiral to attack, them, as well as fuch as would be expedient in cafe they fhould run their fhips on fhore, neither, of which, I thought probable. I was accordingly inforined, by a letter from fir George the following morning, that the whole had furrendered themselves to him.

The means by which this event has been accomplished, fir, has not afforded any opportunity to his majefty's troops of difplaying that bravery in his fervice,