THE King has given frequent proofs of his fincere defire for the re-establishment of fecure and permanent tranquillity to Europe.-He neither is, nor has been engaged in any conteft for a vain and falfe glory. He had no other view than that of maintaining, against all aggreffion, the rights and happiness of his fubjects.

For thefe he has contended againft an unprovoked attack; and for the fame objects he is ftill obliged to contend; nor can he hope that this neceflity could be removed by entering, at the prefent moment, into negociation with those whom a fresh revolution has fo recently placed in the exercise of power in France-fince no real advantage can arife from fuch negociation to the great and defirable object of General Peace, until it fhall diftinctly appear, that thofe caufes have ceased to operate which originally produced the war, and by which it has fince been protracted, and, in more than one in tance, renewed.

The fame fyftem, to the prevalence of which France juftly afcribes all her prefent miferies, is that which has alfo involved the reft of Europe in a long and deftructive warfare, of a nature long fince unknown to the practice of civilized nations

For the extention of this fyftem, and for the extermination of all established governments, the refources of France have from year to year, and in the midft of the most unparalleled diftrefs, been lavished and exhaufted. To this indifcriminate fpirit of deftruction the Netherlands, the United Provinces, the Swifs Cantons, (his majesty's ancient friends and allies) have fucceffively been facrificed. Germany has been ravaged: Italy, though now rescued from its invaders, has been made the fcene of unbounded rapine and anarchy. His majefty has himself been compelled to maintain an arduous and burthenfome conteft for the independence and existence of his kingdoms.

Nor have thefe calamities been confined to Europe alone: they have been extended to the moft diftant quarters of the world, and even to countries fo remote both in fituation and interefts from the prefent conteft, that the very. exiftence of fuch a war was perhaps unknown to thofe who found themfelves fuddenly involved in all its hor

rors.

While fuch a fyftem continues to prevail, and while the blood and treafure of a numerous and powerful nation can be lavished in its fupport, experience has fhewn that no defence but that of open and fteady hoftility can be availing. The most folemn treaties have only prepared the way for fresh aggreffion; and it is to a determined refiftance alone that is now due what ever remains in Europe of ftability for property, for perfonal liberty, for focial order, or for the free exercife of religion.

For the fecurity, therefore, of thefe effential objects, his majefty cannot place his reliance on the mere renewal of general profeflions of pacific difpofitions. Such profeffions have been repeatedly held out by all those who have fucceffively directed the refources of France to the deftruction of Europe. and whom the prefent rulers have declared to have been all, from the beginning, and uniformly, incapable of maintaining the relations of amity and peace,

Greatly

Greatly, indeed, will his majefty rejoice whenever it fhall appear that the danger to which his own dominions, and thofe of his allies, have been fo long expofed, has really ceafed: whenever he shall be fatisfied that the neceffity of refiftance is at an end; that after the experience of fo many years of crimes and miferics, better principles have ultimately prevailed in France; and that all the gigantic projects of ambition, and all the reftlefs fchemes of destruction which have endangered the very existence of civil society, have at length been finally relinquished :But the conviction of such a change, however agreeable to his majesty's wishes, can refult only from experience, and from the evidence of facts.

The best and most natural pledge of its reality and permanence, would be the restoration of that line of princes which for fo many centuries maintained the French nation in prosperity at home, and in confideration and respect abroad: Snch' an event would at once have removed, and will at any time remove all obftacles in the way of negociation or peace. It would confirm to France the unmolested enjoyment of its ancient territory; and it would give to all other nations in Europe, in tranquillity and peace, that fecurity which they are now compelled to feek by oth

er means.

But, defirable as fuch an event must bc, both to France and the world, it is not to this mode exclufively that his majefty limits the poffibility of secure and folid pacification. His majefty makes no claim to prefcribe to France

what fhall be the form of her gover■-. ment, or in whofe hands fhe fhall vet the authority neceffary for conducting the affairs of a great and powerful na

tion.

His majefty looks only to the feci rity of his dominions and those of his allies, and to the general fafety of Europe. Whenever he fhall judge that fuch fecurity can in any manner be at tained, as refulting either from the internal fituation of that country, from whofe internal fituation the danger has rifen, or from fuch other circumstances of whatever nature as may produce the fame end, his majesty will eagerly embrace the opportunity to concert with his allies the means of immediate and general pacification.

Unhappily no fuch fecurity hitherto exifts no fufficient evidence of the principles by which the new government will be directed; no reasonable ground by which to judge of its stability. In this fituation it can for the prefent only remain for his majesty to purfue, in conjunction with other powers, thofe exertions of just and defenfive war, which his regard to the happiness of his fubjects will never permit him either to continue beyond the neceffity in which they originated, or to terminate on any other grounds, than fuch as may beft contribute to the fecure enjoyment of their tranquillity, their conftitution, and their independ

TRANSLATION OF THE NOTE

REFERRED TO IN NO. I. THE official Note, under the date of the 14th Nivofe, the 8th year, addreffed by the Minister of his Britan nic Majefty, having been laid before the First Conful of the French Republic, he obferved with furptife, that it refted upon an opinion, which is not exact, respecting the origin and confequences of the prefent war. Very far from its being France which provoked it, he had, it must be remembered, from the commencement of her Revolution, folemnly proclaimed her love of peace, and her difinclination to conquefts, her refpect for the independ ence of all governments; and it is not to be doubted, that, occupied at that time entirely with her own internal af fairs, he would have avoided taking part in thofe of Europe, and would have remained faithful to her declarations.

But from an oppofite difpofition, as foon as the French Revolution had broken out, almost all Europe entered into a league for its deftruction. The aggreffion was real long time before it was public; internal refiftance was exeited; its opponents were favourably received; their extravagant declamations were fupported; the French Nasion was infulted in the person of its Agents; and England fet particularly this example by the difmiffal of the Minifter accredited to her. Finally, France was, in fact, attacked in her independence, in her honour, and in her fafety, long time before the war was declared.

Thus it is to the projects of fubjection, diffolution, and dismemberment, which were prepared against her, and the execution of which was feveral times attempted and pursued, that France has a right to impute the evils which she has fuffered, and those which have afflicted Europe. Such projects, for a long time without example, with refpect to fo powerful a nation, could not fail to bring on the most fatal confequences.

Affailed on all fides, the Republic could not but extend univerfally the efforts of her defence; and it is only for the maintenance of her own independence that fhe has made ufe of those means which the poffeffed, in her

own ftrength, and the courage of our citizens. As long as fhe faw her enemies obftinately refufed to recognize her rights, the counted only upon the energy of her refiftance: but as foon as they were obliged to abandon the hope of invasion, the fought for means of conciliation, and manifefted pacific intentions; and if thefe have not always been efficacious: if, in the midft of the critical circumftances of her internal fituation, which the Revolution and the War have fucceffively brought on, the former depofitories of the Executive Authority in France have not always fhewn as much moderation as the Nation itself has fhewn courage, it maft, above all, be imputed to the fatal and perfevering animofity with which the refources of England have been lavished to accomplish the ruin of France.

But if the wishes of his Britannic Majefty (in conformity with his affurances) are in unifon with thofe of the French Republic, for the re-establishment of peace, why, inftead of attempting the apology of the war, fhould not attention be rather paid to the means of terminating it? And what obstacle can prevent a mutual understanding, of which the utility is reciprocal and is felt, especially when the First Conful of the French Republic has perfonally given fo many proofs of his eagerness to put an end to the calamities of war, and of his difpofition to maintain the rigid eb fervance of all Treaties concluded?

The First Conful of the French Republic could not doubt that his Britannic Majefty recognized the right of Nations to choose the form of their Government, fince it is from the exercife of this right that he holds his Crown; but he has been unable to comprehend how to this fundamental principle, upon which refts the existence of Political Societies, the Minifter of his Majefty could annex infinuations which tend to an interference in the internal affairs of the Republic, and which are no lefs injurious to the French Nation, and to its Government, than it would be to England, and to his Majesty, if a fort of invitation were held out in favour of that Republican Government of which England adoptcd the forma in the middle of the laft Century

Century; or an exhortation to recall to the throne that family whom their birth had placed there, and whom a Revolution compelled to defcend from it.

If at periods not far diftant, when the Constitutional Syftem of the Republic prefented neither the ftrength nor the folidity which it contains at prefent, his Britannic Majesty thought himself enabled to invite a negociation and pacific conferences, how is it poffible that he fhould not be eager to re new negociations to which the prefent and reciprocal fituation of affairs, promifes a rapid progrefs. On every fide, the voice of Nations and of Humanity implores the conclufion of a war, marked already by fuch great calamities, and the prolongation of which threatens Europe with an univerfal convulfion and irremediable evils. It is, therefore, to put a stop to the course of thefe calamities, or in order that their tertible confequences may be reproached to thofe only who fhall have provoked them, that the First Conful of the French Republic proposes to put an immediate end to hoftilities, by agreeing to a fufpenfion of arms, and naming Plenipotentiaries on each fide, who fhould repair to Dunkirk, or any other town as advantageoufly fituated for the quickness of the refpective communications, and who fhould apply themselves without any delay to effec the re-establishment of Peace and good understanding between the French Republic and England.

The First Conful offers to give the Paffports which may be neceffary for this purpofe. (Signed)

CH. MAU. TALLEYRAND. Paris, 24th Nivose (14th Jan. 1800,) 8th year of the French Republic.

LETTER FROM LORD GRENVILLE TO THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AT PARIS. Downing-ftreet, Jan. 20, 1800.

NOTE REFERRED TO IN THE PRES CEDING.

THE official Note tranfmitted by the Minifter for Foreign Affairs in France, and received by the underfigned on the 18th inftant, has been laid before the King.

His Majefty cannot forbear expreffing the concern with which he obferves in that Note, that the unprovoked aggreffions of France, the fole caufe and origin of the war, are fyftematically defended by her prefent Rulers, under the fame injurious pretences by which they were originally attempted to be difguifed. His Majefty will not enter into the refutation of allegations now universally exploded, and (in fo far as they respect his majesty's conduct) not only in themselves utterly groundleis, but contradicted both by

the internal evidence of the transaction to which they relate, and also by the exprefs teftimony given at the time of the government of France itself.

With refpect to the object of the Note, his Majefty can only refer to the answer which he has already given.

He has explained, without referve, the obftacles which, in his judgment, preclude at the prefent moment all hope of advantage from negociation. All the inducements to treat, which are relied upon in the French official Note; the perfonal difpofitions which are faid to prevail for the conclusion,

of

peace, and for the future obfervance of Treaties; the power of infuring the effect of thofe difpofitions, fuppofing them to exist; and the solidity of the fyftem newly established, after so rapid a fuccefiion of Revolutions-all these are points which can be known only from that test to which his Majefty has already referred them--the refuit of experience and the evidence of facts.

With that fincerity and plainnefs which his anxiety for the re-establishment of Peace indifpenfably required, his Majesty has pointed out to France the fureft and speedieft means for the attainment of that great object. But he has declared in terms equally explicit, and with the fame fincerity, that he entertains no defire to prescribe to a foreign nation the form of its government; that he looks only to the fecurity of his own dominions and of Europe; and that whenever that effential object can, in his judgment, be,

in

in any manner whatever, fufficiently provided for, he will eagerly concert with his Allies the means of immediate and joint negociations for the re-estab lishment of general tranquillity.

To thefe declarations his Majefty fteadily adheres: and it is only on the grounds thus ftated that his regard to the fafety of his fubjects will fuffer him to renounce that system of vigorous dcfence, to which, under the favour of Providence, his kingdoms owe the fecurity of thofe bleflings which they now enjoy.

(Signed) GRENVILLE. Dorning-street, Jan. 20, 1800.

"The Supplies granted in the commencement of the prefent Seffion having been calculated to provide only for the first months of the year, His Majefty now recommends it to the Houfe to make fuch further provifion as they may judge neceffary under the prefent circumftances for the feveral branches of the public fervice, and for the vigorous profecution of the war; and His Majefty has given directions that the proper Eftimates for this purpose fhould be laid before the House.

"His Majefty has thought proper on this occafion to direct that there

fhould be laid before the Houfe copies of communications recently received from the enemy, and of the answers which have been returned thereto by his Majefty's command.

"His Majefty entertains the fullest confidence that thofe anfwers will appear to this Houfe to have been conformable to that line of conduct which was required from his Majefty on this occafion, by his regard to all the most important interefts of his Dominions; and his Majefty having no object more at heart than that of contributing, as foon as the fituation of affairs fhall render it practicable, to the establishment of the general tranquillity of Europe, on a fure and folid foundation; and of providing effectually for the fecurity and permanent profperity of his faithful People, places a firm reliance on the continued fupport of his Parliament, and on the zeal and perfeverance of his Subjects, in fuch measures as may beft tend to confirm the fignal advantages which have been obtained to the common caufe in the courfe of the laft campaign, and to conduct the great conteft in which his Majefty is engag ed to a fafe and honorable conclufion, "G. R."

Mr. Pitt moved, that the Meffage thould be taken into confideration on Monday next.

BUONAPARTE has caufed a letter, fimilar to the first he wrote to the King of England, to be written to the Emperor of Germany, expreffive of his defire for a general peace. The reception of that overture to the Emperor, we have not heard.

mainmaft: the French fhip was bound to France, and had one million of dollars on board.

Thomas Truxton, who feems to monopolize the glory of the national flag ; and it is to be lamented, that he was prevented from taking poffeffion of the enemy's fhip, by the lofs of the

A a

The Bill, entitled, "An Act to eftablish an uniform System of Bankruptcy throughout the United States," was paffed; as also the following Bills, viz.

An

15