to me. After having declared that, from various reports, the bafis of which is abfolutely unknown, the French government had" abused the indulgence granted to fishermen, Mr. Dandas adds that there is every reafon to fear that the French fishermen and their veffels are now put in requifition to arm the Breft fleet, and that even the fishermen fent back on their parole, are also put in requifition."-I must be equally furprised and pained to fee a mere apprehenfion placed inftead of a proof. It is, how ever, upon this apprehenfion, that is founded a measure hoftile to the peaceable class of fishermen, most of them old men, invalids, or children, and confequently incapable of hurting the enemies of their country. I fhould think, that, to justify an aggref fion contrary to a formal convention and the ordinary ufages of war, fomething more would be neceffary than conjectures. But even admitting that the apprehenfions of the British miniftry were founded, and that they could authorize anticipated reprifals, the rigorous treatment with which all fishermen are menaced, will not reach fuch of them as could have been hoftile to England; for the fishermen who may be taken in confequence of the new orders given by the Admiralty, are not certainly those who are fuppofed in requifition-they are men who, from the fimplicity of their manners and induftrious habits, cannot give any umbrage, but the unjust perfecution of whom will exite upon the whole coaft the livelieft fenfation. It is upon these unfortunate men that will fall anew all the weight of a war in which they have taken no part. Were it otherwife, and were thefe men really difpofed and capable of bearing arms, the hoftilities ordained against them would be precifely the means of increafing the number of the failors of the Breft fleet, fince, being unable to conti nue their fishing, they would be obliged to return to port, where they would find employment and bread. The rigorous determination of the British government would be lefs furprising if it were founded upon pofitive hoftilities on the part of the fishermen, or upon a refufal of juftice on the part of the French government. But it is confolatory to me to remark, that, fince the arrangement made in May last, you have communicated to me but one folitary complaint, ftating that fome fishing veffels had been fitted out as fire-fhips at Flufhing. This complaint (indirectly connected with this difcuffion, as the question did not relate to fishermen, but only to their veffels) was immediately redreffed. I had the honour to write to you on the 7th Vendemiaire (29th Sept.), “that without ftanding upon the incontestable right which a power has to difpofe of its veffels at pleasure, the First Conful, yielding, upon that occafion, to the defire of avoiding every thing that might prove injurious to an arrangement which he wished religiously to obferve, had given orders to restore thefe fishing veffels to their original deftination." The convention relating to the neutrality of

M 2

the

the fishermen being reciprocal, would be equally juftified in expreffing its apprehenfions with refpect to the employment of the English fishermen. It might fear, with fome foundation, that these men are liable to be preffed, that they have been sent to Portfmouth or Plymouth, where their veffels have served for the purpose of carrying military ftores and provifions into those ports; and for the fame reafon it might have ordered the feizure of their perfons and property. The doctrine of treating as enemies those who might become fuch, would be as new as it would be dangerous. It would fo confound the public code of nations, that all confidence would be banished for ever from their mutual relations. More natural equity oppofes itself to the punishment of a man for what he might do. Those who have fubmitted to your Government the reports on which its late determination is founded, cannot therefore have any other view but to add to the numerous fubjects of irritation which a protracted war has produced between two nations, and to multiply the obftacles which oppofe themfelves to a reconciliation in exafperating a poor but numerous class of inhabitants of the coaft. I muft further obferve, Gentlemen, that the letter of Mr. Dundas, of the 21ft January, was not tranfmitted to me until the 30th; and that the communications which you have prayed me to make in confequence of that letter, will be very much fubfequent to the orders which appear to have been given to seize the fishermen. If the delay has had for its object to allow the British cruifers time to execute the measures of Government, before they who are the object of them could be apprized, I proteft, folemnly, against a violation fo manifeft, of the arrangement made between us touching the neutrality of fishermen, and reciprocally obferved up to the prefent day; and I shall earnestly claim the reftoration of all thofe who fhall have been taken before the refolution of the British government for exercifing hoftilities against fishermen fhall have been known on the confts of France. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed)

Отто.

The Minifter of Foreign Affairs to C. Otto, at London.

Citizen, Paris, February 16, 1801. THE First Conful, who has been informed of your letter of the 30th ult, and the pieces enclofed, has charged me to acquaint you that you must leave London and return to France.

In retiring, you will addrefs to the Britannic government a note, in which you will exprefs yourfelf as follows:

"The undersigned having communicated to his Government the declaration of the British miniftry, announcing that the fithermen will be captured, and treated like all the other veffels of the enemy, a declaration in confequence of which feveral fishing barks

and

#nd boats have already been carried off; the First Conful thinks, that if, on the one hand, this act of the British government, contrary to all the ufages of civilized nations, and to the common right by which they are guided, gives to the prefent war a character of animofity and fury, which deftroys even those relations usual in a war carried on with loyalty; it is, on the other, impoffible not to perceive that this conduct of the English government tends to exafperate more and more the two nations, and to remove to a greater diftance the term of peace; that in confequence the underfigned cannot remain longer in a country, where not only every difpofition to peace is renounced, but where the laws and ufages of war are difowned and violated.

"The undersigned then has received orders to quit England, where his refidence is found to be entirely useless; and he is charged at the fame time to declare, that it always having been the first defire of the French government to contribute towards a general pacification, and its maxim to alleviate as much as poffible the evils of war, it cannot, on its part, entertain a thought of rendering fishermen the wretched victims of a prolongation of hoftilities; that it will abstain from all reprifals; and that it will, on the contrary, give orders that the French fhips of war and privateers fhall continue to leave fishing free and unmolefted."

(Signed)

CH. M. TALLEYRAND *.

Subftance of a Notification from Lord Keith to all the Confuls of neutral Powers refident at Leghorn; dated 1ft December 1880.

BY the exprefs command of his Britannic Majefty, all the confuls of neutral powers refident at Leghorn are ordered to fend away all the fhips of their refpective nations before the 8th inft. At the expiration of the faid term, thofe who fhall have difobeyed this order fhall be confidered and treated as enemies in the operations which will take place.

Note from the British Minifter, Mr. Vyckham, to the Prince of Condé, and iJued by his Serene Highness at his Head-quarters at Augfburgh on the 10th of February 1800.

IN anfwer to the laft notes which your Royal Highness addreffed to me from Gratz and Windtifch Feiftrifs, under the dates of the 20th, 29th, and 30th of January, I have the honour to inform you,

*The above letters will inform the public concerning the determination of the British government with respect to fishermen, and the conduct which the French government thought proper to adopt on the occafion.

I. That

I. That I am not authorized to declare the future deftination of the corps of Condé; but, in the prefent circumstances, it will be embarked and employed in the expeditions to the Mediterranean. So far as I can judge from the orders I have received, Egypt is the place of its deftination. In the mean time it will be under the orders of General Abercromby, who has the chief command of all the British troops in the Mediterranean, and the corps of Condé will be employed according to the intentions of this general, and as his plan and circumftances may require.

II. If, as is very probable, the corps fhall be immediately embarked, there will be left behind, in a place of fecurity, all the fick and wounded, and, in general, all thofe who are disabled from ferving, where they fhall remain until the return of the entire corps.

In order to prepare, without delay, the veffels necessary for their embarkation, and to acquaint General Abercromby with the exact amount of the reinforcements he will receive, it is neceffary to tranfmit to me a state of the force of the corps. For this purpose his Royal Highness is requested to make it known, that each officer or noble muft declare before the 20th of February, whether he intends to remain with the corps. Such as fhall not have done fo are not to expect any part of the gratuities granted by my King. But if, at the time of embarkation, the corps fhould be found weaker than is expected, the King my master would fcarcely be difpofed to permit the corps, and the individuals who compose it, to enjoy the fame protection which they have hitherto enjoyed.

Subftance of the Anfwer of the King of Pruffia to the Communication made to him in the End of January by the French Ambafador, relative to the Bafis of the Peace then negotiating between France and Auftria.

THE King is very well fatisfied with this proof of the confi

dence of the French government. He defires a continental peace too ardently not to contribute, by all the means in his power, to accelerate its conclufion upon folid and durable bafes.

Note tranfmitted on the 11th February 1800, from the Chancery of State, to all Ambafadors and Agents from States of the Empire refident at Vienna.

T HE French government has made it an exprefs condition of the fresh armiftice for thirty days, that, during that period, not only the negotiations for peace with Auftria fhould be finifhed, but that the Emperor, as Chief of the Empire, fhould likewife

conclude

conclude a peace for the German Empire, as the best means of obviating the prolixities infeparable from a congrefs of peace for the Empire. His Imperial Majefty could not but comply with this propofal, and finds it neceffary to inform the whole of the States of the Empire thereof. He will, on this occafion, endeavour as much as poffible to intercede for the intereft of the whole; but should the refult not entirely answer his intentions, it must be confidered as a confequence of the prefent unfavourable circumftances, and the Emperor muft leave it to the option of any State that might confider itself as having been injured thereby, to appeal to the French republic.

Subftance of a Note from the American Agent at Paris, to the American Agents at the other Ports; dated 14th February 1800.

A

CIRCULAR letter of Mr. Cathcart, the agent of the United States at Tripoli, in Barbary, dated 3d January last, informs us, that that regency has officially declared war against the United States; and that the King of Sweden, having made a treaty with the regency, can no longer, by his frigates in the Mediterranean, protect our fhips against the Tripoline corfairs. Communicate this difagreeable intelligence to our merchants and captains, and also to such American agents as you are connected with.

Meffage of the Confuls, addressed to the Legislative Body, the Tribunate, and Confervative Senate, on the 14th February 1801, in confequence of the Conclufion of Peace with the Emperor.

THE continental peace has been figned at Luneville. It is fuch

as the French people wifhed. Their firft with was the limit of the Rhine. Reverses never fhook their refolution: victory never added to their pretenfions.

After having re-established the ancient limits of Gaul, they had to give liberty to the people who were united to them by one common origin, and by the community of interests and of

manners.

The liberty of the Cifalpines and of Liguria is fecured.

After this duty, there was another, which juftice and generosity impofed.

The King of Spain had been faithful to our caufe, and had fuffered for it. Neither our reverfes, nor the perfidious infinuations. of our enemies, could detach him from our interests: he will have a juft recompenfe-a prince of his blood will fit on the throne of Tuscany.

He will remember what he owes to the fidelity of Spain, and

to