366 Parliamentary Proceedings. Foreign Occurrences. [Apr. vinced, that, in proportion as an increase was made to the empire, the fecurity of the country for the payment of the debt of the Company decreased, because they were led into new and extraordinary expences. The Chancellor of the Exchequer denied Mr. Francis obferved, that although it Lord Caftlereagh explained; and after H. O F LORDS.. March 15. Much farther converfation took place this day on the Prince's Annuity bill the Earl of Carlile infitted that it was an inefficient and ufelefs measure; was not in any respect calculated to relieve the Prince fromhis embarralfments, but was both abfurd and improper. In the courfe of his obfervations, he adverted to the prefent critical fituation of the country, and lamented that The Lord Chancellor anfwered the Earl with much warmth; defended the conduct of himself and colleagues; and advised him to keep his opinions for his friends, as they would make no impreffion on the Houfe. In the Commons the fame day, the Hereford Election Committee reported, that J. G. Cotterell, efq. duly elected; and that Sir G. Corne ordered. was not wall was duly elected; a new writ was The Irish Customs and Excife bill was paffed. In a Committee on the Irish Militia bill, guineas per man was inadequate. The Mr. Wickbam stated that the bounty of two guineas per man. object of the prefent bill was to enable the Lord Lieutenant to pay a bounty of four place on the measure, after which the bill paffed through the Committee. A fhort debate took The Secretary at War moved to bring in five provifions; 1ft, For calling in Fielda bill for filling up vacancies in the command of the militia, which would include Officers who had ferved during the war; 2d, To call in any Captains who had ferved in the Militia during the war, though unprovide, that, when a regiment had a vaqualified in fortune; 3d, To preserve their rank to Captain-Lieutenants; 4th, To cancy in its commands for two months, officers of the Army or Marines, who were now on half pay, might be called in; and 5th, That Militia Officers, doing duty as artillery-men, should have pay as fuch. Leave given. (To be continued.) ABSTRACT OF FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. Paris, March 26. We have received from Meffina advice that the Bailli Thomafi has accepted the dignity of Grand Master of the Order of Malta, conformably to the Brief fent off to him by his Holinefs. Paris, April 5. At the grand Review on Sunday, the First Conful inspected all the troops which were then in the metropolis. He walked through all the ranks, examined the different articles of their drefs and accoutrements; and it was remarked, that he paid particular attention to those whofe faces bore the marks of honourable wounds, interrogating them with particular familiarity as to the battles in which they had been engaged: he afterwards prefented honorary rewards to different individuals who had diftinguished themselves in the late campaigns. The Review lafted above feven hours; indeed, until the fall of night put an end to the fcene. It was intimated, that fatigued to make his appearance. tended the Levee given by the First Conful Body for a new coinage. The filver pieces naparte, First Conful ;" and on the other the value of each, furrounded by two branches of olive, with the legend, "French Republic." The five franc pieces are to have the legend, "God protects France.". The following is ftated as the manner in which peace was re-established with the Regency of Algiers: The Dey of Algiers having received 80,000 Spanish dollars and very confiderable prefents from Denmark, caufed Citizen Thainville, Commiffary General of the French Republic, to be called to him; and told him, that every hody was fending him money, the First Conful alone excepted, who had not fent him any thing; and he added, that France had, at all times, made him re fents. Citizen Thainville fhewed him the article of the letter written to the First Conful, and carried to France by Adjutant General Hullin *, in virtue of which the Dey departed from the fyftem of taking prefents. This nfwer male the Dey very angry, and he beg to threaten. When this information was made known in Paris, La Cornelie and Le Roin were ordered to fail for Algiers. The officer commanding the divifion had it in orders to bring back the Commiffary General and his family; to declare to the Dey, that, fhould war be once declared, it would not be eafy to avoid its calamities; and that it was not difficult to know when war beg n, but very much fo to be acquainted with the period when it' would ceafe. As foon as the divifion ar rived at Algiers, the great people of the Regency, and the mob, ran in common crowds to the Dey's palace, for the purpose of reprefenting to him the dangers with which their country was threatened. The Dey fent for the Commiffary General, and afked him, on what errand the frigates came? Citizen Thainville answered, that he had received orders to return to France. "Will you then go to war with me?" "No," faid the Commillary General "but the Frft Conful is too powerful to be tributary to you." After fome more words, the Dey added-" Well! let him not pay me-1 will be at peace with him. Write him word that I fhall not require any thing." Thus did the matter end-the Commiffary General was brought back in triumph by the mob, and the frigates returned to Toulon. The Moniteur of the 11th contains a long official account of the diftinguished honours paid by the Sublime Porte to Gen. Brune, Ambaffador of the most great, the most powerful, and the most magnanimous Bonaparte (for fo he is ftyled by the French Minifte). France withes to imprefs a belief that she is in high favour with the Porte; but there is nothing remarkable either in the speeches of Gen. Brune, or in * See vòl. LXXII. p. 867. the replies of the Vizier and the Grand Signior. The latter expreffed a difpofition to do every thing in his power to confolidate the ties of fincere amity by which the two nations were connected. April 14. It is faid, that Lucien Bonaparte has made a prefent to M. de Luydes of a fuperb collection of pictures, which, had formerly belonged to the latter, but which, on account of circumstances, he was compelled to dispose of. The Moniteur of the 18th contained a long article relative to Malta. M. de Buzi required Commodore Ball to deliver up the ifland. Commodore Ball replied, that he was not authorized by his Court to evacuate it. M. de Buzi required a written explanation. Commodore Ball, in a letter dated the 2d of March, replied, "that it was certain that the Powers invited by the 10th Article of the Treaty of Amiens had not confented to guarantee the indepen dence of the Island." M. de Buzi, feeing the English Commandant determined not to give up the Ifland, required the good offices of the French Minifter there, to obtain the furrender of the place. He informed Commodore Ball of the ftep he had taken; to which the latter replied, that he thould always be ready to co-operate with the French Minifter upon the 10th Article of the Treaty of Amiens. The French Minifter then wrote to M. de Buzi, that justice and good faith left no doubt with refpect to the evacuation of Malta by the English, and the furrender of it to the Order. The French Minifter wrote to Commodore Ball a long letter, in which he preffed the following points: 1. That the independence of these Islands, and the arrangement refpecting them, having been put, by the fixth paragraph of the 10th Article of the Treaty of Amiens, under the protection and guarantee of the fix preponderant Powers of Europe, France and Great Britain, which contracted together, and which have invited the other Powers to guarantee this clause of their Treaty of Peace, cannot, without difgrace, he the first to refufe to execute those arrangements, to fecure that independence, and to grant that protection and that gua rantee. 2. That the invitation made by the 13th Sect. of the said roth Article to the other Powers to accede to the ftipulations contained in that Article, is only a mark of refpect or honour which those Powers are free to refufe; but it is not fo with refpect to France and Great Britain, which have promifed their protection, and accepted the guarantee, by the very act of their figning the Treaty containing the arrangements to be guaranteed, and have placed themfelves at the head of the Powers to whom the invitation is addreffed. 3. That the other non-contracting Powers may may refufe the guarantee, because it is a burden which thofe Powers have the option of not impofing on themselves; but that it would be abfurd to think that this refufal would infer the nullity of the Treaty of Peace, and discharge from their obligations the Powers that igned it, 4. That to rely on fo frivolous a pretext, and on an evident sophism, to refuse executing one's own agreements, would be an. infidelity unworthy of a great Power, and such as England would not difgrace its liftory by committing. fina for the decifion of the Cabinet of Lon don; which he promises to communicate to him as foon as it shall be received; and in the mean time, if the Grand Master choofes to come to Malta, he offers him a country-house for his refidence. "The Grand Maffer replied to the Englith Minifter, that, having difcharged the duty which the Treaty of Amiens imposed on him, by fending his Lieutenant to Malta, he fhould wait at Meffina the evacuation of the fland, or the decifion of the different Courts refpecting ite "The French Minister invited the Grand Mafer to repair to Malta without delay. The Grand Mafter anfwered him, that, having fulfilled the duty which the Treaty imposed on him, by the prefence of his 5. That this delay in the acceptance of an honourable charge, fuppofing that it exifts on the part of Powers who are not Contracting Parties, ought not to prejudice a third Power, which has been acknowledged and folemnly established by the Con-Lieutenant at Malta, he should regard any tracing Parties, unless the latter violate their own engagements, the faith of treaties, and the law of nations. 6. That if Ruffia, Auftria, and Pruffia, have really not yet acceded (as the English Minifter pretends) to the invitation which has been made them, ftill they must be far from fuppofing that, by this delay, they prevented the re-establishment of the Order. of Malta, and the execution of the Treaty of Amiens, and that they were compromifing the tranquillity of Europe. The underfigned then asks your Excelleney, what muft thofe Powers think, when they learn that their condu& has served for a pretext for the violation of so folemn a Treaty ? The French Minitter then proceeds to anfwer the declaration of the English Minifter, that he had not received instructions from his Court to refign the government of the Ifland, by quoting an extract from his full powers, in which he is authorized by the British Government to concert with, Gen. Vial the neceffary meafures for carrying into effect the ftipulations of the 10th Article of the Treaty of Amiens. He remarks, that this refufal is a mani. feft violation of the Treaty; and, if not difapproved of by his Britannic Majesty, the First Conful would be obliged to appeal to the Tribunal of Europe, in which he would undoubtedly find as many allies as there are Powers friendly to peace, and jealous of their dignity, their independence, the right of Sovereigns, and the rigid main. tenance of the faith of treaties. He concludes with demanding the "most prompt and complete execution of the 4th Section of Article X. of the Treaty of Amiens." The narrative of the proceeding is then continued in the Moniteur, in the follow ing terms: The English and French Minifters difpatched letters of compliment to the Grand Matter. "The English Minister informed him, that he thought it would be most advifeable that the Grand Maffer should wait at Mef T other step as hazardous; and that he would await at Meffia the decifion of the different Powers." The Moniteur alfo contradicts an affertion that has appeared in most of the Eng lifh Fapers respecting the Grand Master and his Deputy acting under French in Auence. It denies that M. de Buzi is a Frenchman; but afferts, that he is of an antient Italian family, that has for feveral centu ries refided in a torum in the Papal domi=" nions. April 20. The firft part of the antique productions recovered at Naples is arrived at Paris; they were brought to town in eight boats. The Venus de Medicis, and the Pallas, of Velletri, are foon to follow. If reliance can be placed upon private intelligence from Paris, the differences between the United States of America and Spain, on the subject of New Orleans, are on the point of being adjusted. It is stated, that Bonaparte has lately explained to Mr. Livingstone, the American Minifter at Paris, that the interruption of the naviga➡ tion of the Miffiffippi had been the refult of mistake; and that measures should be adopted with the Cabinet of Madrid to remove all fubject of complaint upon that head, In conformity with Bonaparte's principle, that Great Britain shall not interfere in the affairs of the Continent, he has communicated the Act of Mediation of the 10 Swifs Cantons to every Power in Europe, except Great Britain, HAMBURGH. The following account of an alarm excited at Hamburgh, which caufed very great agitation in that eity, and materially depreffed the Courfe of Exchange on London, is given from undoubted authority: "In confequence of the arrival of a courier from France late on the night of the 28th ult. the Senate was convened, and held an extraordinary meeting, which lafted four hours. The fubject of confideration was, a threatening note from the French Minif ter ter Reinhard, relative to the following affair: A few weeks ago Reinhard applied to the Magiftrates to procure the infertion, in the Correfpondenten, of a Manifefto full of the most indecent invectives against England. This production was referred to the Syndic and Cenfor of the Prefs, who permitted it to be inferted, after ftriking out the most objectionable paffages. The Manifefto, thus modified, appeared in the Correfpondenten of the 25th inft. under the head of Paris, March 15, as an extract from the Bulletin de Paris. This, however, inftead of fatisfying the French Minifter, provoked his utmost indignation; which was not to be appeafed but by publishing it in its entire ftate. The Senate of Hamburgh, afraid to refufe a compliance with this imperious demand, agreed that it fhould be inferted in the Correfpondenten of the 30th ult.; in which Paper it accordingly made its appearance. Of all the Manifeftoes that have been fent into the world by the French Government, whether openly and avowed, or inA directly and without a name, this (which was thus first attempted to be (muggled, and was afterwards thrust by menace and intimidation into the Hamburgh Correfpondenten) is most confpicuous for its impu dence and fallehood. A few of the principal paffages of this foul libel, of this rare inftance of contraband trade in diplomatics, will be fufficient to fhew the malignity of mind with which it has been drawn up, and the weaknefs of the caufe which it vainly endeavours to fupport. After noticing the King's Meffage to Parliament, refpecting the differences fubfifting between the two Powers, it remarks, "From the fodden appearance of this Meffage, people doubted whether it was the effect of treachery, of lunacy, or of weakness. In short, no rational motives remain to which it can be afcribed, except bad faith-except a fworn enmity to the French nation-except perfidy, and the defire of openly breaking a folemn Treaty, for the fake of advantages which will be maintained, and the facrifice of which the bonour of France and the faith of Treaties forbid. When a man reads this Meffage, he thinks himself tranfported to the times of thofe Treaties which the Vandals made with the degenerate Romans, when force ufurped the place of right, and when, with a hafty appeal to arms, they infulted the antagonist they meant to attack. In the prefent ftate of civilization, there is a refpect which a great Monarch, which a polifted people, owe to thenilelves, were that refpect no more than to feek a plaufible pretext for an unjust war: but in this inftance every thing is precipitate, and repugnant to decency and to justice. An eternal war would fucceed a dreadful conGENT. MAG. April, 1803. teft; and the more unjust the attack, the more irreconcileable would be its animofity. The French are lefs intimidated than irritated by the threats of England. They have neither been difpirited by their reverfes, nor elated by their victories: in a war to which there appeared no termination, they faw all Europe confederated against them. Their conftancy, their conrage, and the prompt aclivity of their Government, brought it to a conclufion. This war would have a different object France would contend for the liberty of the States of Europe, and the facredorfs of their Treaties; and if the English Government be determined to make it a national war, perhaps her boated formidable naval ftrength would not be fofficient to decide the refult, and fecure the victory." From this Manifefto, no lefs extraordinary in its fentiments, than in the manner of its publication, we alfo extract the fol lowing, which would feem to be given as the genuine language used by the Firit Conful at Madame Bonaparte's affembly *: "The First Conful made his appearance, and faid, on his entrance, to the EngJifh Ambaffador, who was tanding befide M. Markoff, "We have been at war for 12 years. The King of England fays, that France is making immenfe naval prepacations. He has been led into an error; in the French ports there are no preparations of any magnitude. The whole fleet is gone to St Domingo and the Colonies. With regard to the ports of Holland, to which the Meffage likew fe alludes, there are only the preparations for the expeition under Gen. Victor; and all Europe knows its deftination is for Louisiana. The King fays farther, that between the Cabinets of Paris and London differences continue. I know of none. It is true that England ought to have evacuated Malta, and Malta is not evacuated; and as his Britannic Majetty has bound himself by the most folemn Treaty ever entered into, it is impoffible to doubt of the fpeedy evacuation of that inland. "And," added the First Confol, "those who would attempt to frighten the French people should know, that it is poffible to kill, but not to intimidate them." "Daring the courfe of the evening, when the First Conful happened to be near M. Markoff, he faid to him, half aloud, "that the British Miniftry withed to keep Malta for five years more. Such a propofil was infulting; and no Treaties fhould be entered into which it was not refolved to obferve." At the conclufion of the Affembly, when the Engl th Ambassador was about to retire, the First Conful faid to him, "Madame the Duchefs of Dorfet has spent the nopleafant part of the year at Paris. It is my fincere with that she may alfo spend the agreeable feason. But if it fhould happen that we really must go to war, the refponfibility is exclufively with those who deny the validity of their own contracts, fince they refufe to obferve Treaties which they ad concluded." An attempt was, we understand, made at Altona, fimilar to that which was fo fuccefsfully made at Hamburgh by the French Government, to procure the infection in the Gazette of the former place of the above Manifefto; but it was anfwered by the Magiftrates, that fuch an article could not be inferred without the permition of the King of Denmark. Letters from Hamburgh itate, that a paragraph has been inferted in the Hamburgb Correfpondenten, by order of the Firth Conful, declaring, what he was before reported to have stated, that in the event of a war between this country and France, he will recognize no Power in Europe otherwife than as an ally or an enemy. It is ftated, upon the fame authority, that Gen. Bournonville, the French Ambaffador at Madrid, has demanded fupplies of me and money from lus Catholic Majefty, in cafe hoft lities should commence. It has been remarked at Hamburgh, that on the day when the Poet Klopttack (the Milton of Germany) was interred, most of the Diplomatic Corps refident in that city followed the Bard's remains to the grave, except Sir George Rumbold, the British Char, é d'Affaires, who fent his equipage empty, to follow the funeral proceffion. Citizen Reinhard, who refides there as Bon patte's Minifter, afked, at a meeting of fome Diplomatic perfonages (at which fever. Members of the Senate were allo prefent), what foreign Mimfter fhould be the firt to follow the hearfe? The Danish Minifter, Baron Von Elben, who, as Reprefentative of his Sovereign, and on Danish grend where the Poet's remains were in. terred, had an indifputable right to prece dence perceiving the Frenchman's drift, very discreetly and liberally faid to Reinhard, "I certainly will not difpute the rank of precedence with your Excellency; for 1 flow the deceafed not as Minitter of the King my mafler, to whole royal bounty he ewd his fortune, but only as his friend." The French Minifter felt the reproof, and made no reply. 1.LAND. Hemuc, March 29. The Batavian Gɔvernment has received official intelag nce 1.om its Ambaffador in Loudon, tha, although a Cab net order of the 14th of Octobras ditpatched to the commanding officer at the Cape of Good Hope, to fujend the evacuation of that lace all farther orders, and which had he, the confequences dhe dy known; another had been made up t The 17th of November fucceeding, contam og definitive orders for the evacuation of the Cape; which order went from Eng. land on the 20th; fo that the Cape has now been for fome time in the hands of the Batavian Government. Pushing, April 5. This evening, at fix o'clock, the whole garrifon came under arms in the Great Market; and Gen. Monnet, Commander of the troops in the town of Flushing and the Isle of Walcheren, accompanied by Gen. Often and fome other officers, appeared in the front, and deli vered to the Commandant of the place a writing, which was lead by the fame Commandant, and contained as follows: EQUALITY. LIBERTY. Extract from the Register of the Deliberations of the Confuls of the Republic Paris, 10th of Germinal, 11th Year of the Republic. Bonaparte, First Conful of the Republic, decrees, Art. 1. The town of Flushing is placed in a state of fiege, under the command of the General of Brigade Monnet, who, for this purpofe, is invefted with all the neceliary powers, and who will correfpond directly with the Minister at War. 2. The Minifter at War is charged with the execution of the prefent Decree. (Signed) The Fuft Conful, BONAPARTE. The Secretary of State, HUGUES H. MARET, The Minifter at War, ALEX. BERTHIER. A true Copy. The Commandant-General of the town of Flushing and lfle of Walcheren. (Signed) MoNNET. French troops are marching in great nam bers to Holland. Several corps of cavalry and infantry, which it is fuppofed were defigned to form part of the camp in the neighbourhood of Bruffels, have been on a fudden fent forwards to the Batavian Republic. Thofe which were fent from Malines and Louvain, made forced marches to arrive at their deftination. They were followed by others, who took the direction of Nimeguen, and other parts of the Bata vian frontiers. A line of telegraphs is to be established between Holland and Paris, by the way of Bruffels. Every thing feems to indicate that, in the event of a war, Ho!land will be made a grand military depot for the use of France. A letter from Helvoetflys, of April 8, fays, "The Fre ch troops destined for the Louisiana expeditions were debarked here this day from their transports. One divifion, confitting of about 700 men, have taken poft at Gorce; another, of nearly the fame force, have marched into Brill, and a third have poffeffed themfelves of tys garrison. The Dutch troops were previ cufly directed by the French Gonnal to withdraw from the places: the Batavian Commandants being affered by kìm, that be bad it in exprefs change to take upon bimfelf the jole refponfibility of thofs garrifons!" Rotterdam, |
