forming me of the numbers and situation of any Austrian corps in the neighbourhood of Switzerland, and of the probability of their advancing in any event into the Swiss territory.

As it is of great importance that his majesty's government should be regularly informed of the events which may be passing in Switzerland, and of the dispositions that may prevail there, you will endeavour to ascertain the most safe and expeditious mode of conveying your letters which will avoid their passing through any part of the French republic.

As it is possible that, previous to your arrival in Switzerland, the present state of affairs may have undergone a decided alteration, either in consequence of the submission of the Swiss cantons, or of any compromise having taken place as to their internal concerns, it will be proper that, in that case, you should take up your residence in such a situation as you may think most convenient in the neighbourhood of Switzerland, of which you will give me the earliest intelligence, and there wait for his majesty's further orders.

Schwitz, to the French arms, I lose no time in dispatching the messenger Shaw with this intelligence; from which your lordship will perceive that it only remains for me to obey that part of my instructions by which I am directed, under such circumstances, to take up my residence in the neighbourhood of Switzerland, and there to await his majesty's further orders.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Fra. Moore. The Right Hon. Lord Hawkesbury, &c. &c.

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of state, -writing, de Semonits publicaa was accordDutch official e on the 11th); Jar short of the by the French affairs in his anbassador, and in on made by him to age d'affaires at Paris a messenger to the this occasion). In Talleyrand entered into e derail on the subject no supposed to be formed against the admi, mentioned the names of , and ended by making es on the part of the first o come to the assistance ne government (should circumces render it necessary) with all

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No. 22. Dispatch from Mr. Liston to Lord Hawkesbury, dated Hague, October 29, 1802. My lord,

The recent attack made by Bonaparte upon the liberties and inde

These troops (amounting to be. tween ten and eleven thousand men) were to remain here till the conclusion of the definitive treaty with Great Britain. It was afterwards formally promised, on the part of France, that they should evacuate the territories of the republic, at the latest, on the expiration of the last French year (the 23d of September).-They accordingly began their march to the southward a few days before that period; and the government and the people rejoiced at the prospect of being finally relieved from a load which has become extremely irksome to them. But, on pretence that a great portion of the corps were to be embarked at Flushing for Louisiana, and that there was a want of shipping for their accommodation, they took up their quarters at the frontiers of the country (at Bois-leDuc, Breda, and gen-op-Zoom), where they still remain; and demands have continued to be made for their pay and maintenance.

Hopes were, however, entertained, from day to day, that their departure would take place; when, to the astonishment of the Batavian government, official notice was (last week) transmitted from France to

the

the department of war at the Hague (which has been charged with the support of these corps), that the first consul has been pleased to appoint a new commander in chief (General Montrichard), and a new staff, for the auxiliary troops in this country; and the notice was given that government might provide for the pay of the officers in question.

The administration appear resolved to oppose all the resistance in their power to this unexpected and oppressive extortion. An express has been sent off to the Dutch ambassador at Paris, charging him to claim, in the most urgent terms, the accomplishment of the treaties subsisting between the two republics, and the fullment of the repeated and recent promises made by the French government upon this subject. And in case of the failure of this application, they talk of addressing themselves to the principal powers of Europe, who had any share or influence in the conclusion of the peace, to entreat their intervention and good offices, with a view to the maintenance of the independence of the republic.

I have the honour to be, &c.

Robert Liston.

pose. It is certainly true that no warrant has been transmitted to gereral Stuart, or to his predecessor the earl of Cavan, for the evacuation of Egypt: neither was it considered to be necessary, inasmuch as his majesty's government had already expressed their intention to general Stuart, in his instructions, that, except in a case of absolute necessity, the king's troops should remain in Egypt no longer than the month of July last.

In all the instances of places which had been conquered by the king's forces, and of which possession had been taken in his majesty's name, it has been usual, when they have been restored to the French republic, or its allies, that the commanding officer should be furnished with a regular warrant under the king's sign manual, authorising him to make such restoration. But the case of Egypt is different, as that country had never been taken possession of in his majesty's name, as it had actually been restored to the Ottoman Porte, and as certain stations in it were continued to be occupied merely as military posts, until the means of removing the troops should be provided.

It is probable that, in the pre

&c. &c.

No. 23. Extract of a Dispatch from Lord Hawkesbury to Lord Whitworth, dated November 30, 1802.

His majesty's government have learnt, with some surprise, from the communications from general Stuart, that that officer had signided to colonel Sebastiani his inability to evacuate Egypt, until he should receive specific orders for that pur

have been misled by a doubt as to the extent of his own power, and by the opinion that he required a warrant to evacuate Egypt, similar to that which had been granted to officers who superintended the restitution of conquests of which possession had been taken in his majesty's name. In order, however, to obviate any farther difficulties, instructions have now been sent to general Stuart directing him to remove the king's troops from Egypt X x 3

with

with as little delay as possible, and information has been given to this effect to general Andreossy.

No. 24.

Extract of a Dispatch from Lord St. Helens to Lord Hawkesbury, dated St. Petersburgh, July 20,

1802.

I have since renewed my applications to this government on the business of Malta, and have some reason to hope that some impression has been made on the mind of his imperial majesty. The French minister, however, has not yet received his instructions; and, till they arrive, it will, of course, be impossible for me to take the requisite stops for bringing this affair to any satisfactory, or even positive issue.

No. 25.

Extract of a Dispatch from Lord St. Helens, to Lord Hawkesbury, dated St. Petersburgh, August 3,

1802.

I must not omit to acquaint your lordship, that although, in order to prevent any further waste of time, I have thought it right to endeavour to obtain a definitive explanation of the intentions of this court, with relation to the proposed guarantee, I have not yet been enabled to demand it officially, according to the terms of the treaty of Amiens, as the French minister here is still without instructions authorising him to join with me in that instance.

No. 26.

Extract of a Dispatch from Mr. Paget to Lord Hawkesbury, dated Vienna, July 18, 1802.

On the 15th instant, M. de Champagny and I met at a con

ference at the vice-chancellor's, to whom we presented our respective notes, copies of which I have the honour to enclose, marked A. and B.

Inclosure marked A. in No. 26. The undersigned, his Britannic majesty's envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, has the honour to transmit herewith to the vice-chancellor of court and state, a copy of the tenth article of the treaty of Amiens. He has, at the same time, the honour to acquaint his excellency that he has received orders from his court to invite his majesty the emperor and king, conformable to the 13th paragraph of that article, to give his guarantee to the arrangements stipulated therein.

He therefore requests the vicechancellor of court and state to lay this communication before his imperial majesty.

The undersigned avails himself, with pleasure, of this opportunity to reiterate to his excellency the expression of his most distinguished consideration. (Signed) Arthur Paget. Vienna, 15th July, 1802.

Inclosure referred to in No. 27. The emperor and king having been invited by his Britannic majesty and the first consul of the French republic to accede to the stipulations contained in the 10th article of the treaty concluded and signed at Amiens on the 29th of March, 1802, (4th Germinal, year 10,) respecting the order of St. John of Jerusalem; and also to take under his protection and guarantee, conjointly with the other powers cited in the sixth paragraph of the said article, whatever was therein especially stipulated on the subject of the island of Malta: and his imperial and royal apostolic majesty having been, at the same time, informed that the two above mentioned powers adopted on their part the

concert which had been entered into by the two imperial courts, previous to the exchange of the ratifications of the above-mentioned treaty of Amiens, to leave to the pope the selection of a grand master from amongst the candidates nominated for that purpose by the priories of the order: his majesty, the emperor and king, desirous, on the present occasion, of exhibiting a fresh proof of his sincere friendship for his majesty, the king of Great Britain, and for the first consul of the French republic, has empowered and instructed his grand chamberlain and cabinet minister, count Francis of Colloredo, and his vice-chancellor of court and state, count Lewis of Cobenzel, to proceed in his name to the accession and guarantee of the stipulations of the tenth article of the aforementioned treaty; who, in virtue thereof, declare that his majesty accedes, by the present act, to the stipulations contained in this article, with the clause herein-before referred to, respecting the mode of the next election of the grand master of the order; and his majesty specifically guarantees whatsoever is therein regulated, with regard to the independence of the islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino.

In witness whereof we, the plenipotentiaries of his imperial, royal,' and apostolic majesty, have signed the present act of accession and of guarantee; have thereunto affixed the scal of our arms, and have exchanged it against the acts of acceptation, delivered in the name of his majesty the king of Great Britain, and of the first consul of the French republic. Which acts of accession, of guarantee, and of acceptation, shall be ratified in the space of four X X4

weeks,