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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 i , I OFFICIAL PAPERS KELATITE TO TUB DISPUTE BKrWEEN THE COUllTS OF GREAT BRITAIN and SPAIN, OM THE SVBJtCT or T^HE SHIPS CAPi^URED IN NOOTKA SOUND, AND THI HEGOCIATION THAT FOLLOWED THEREOKj TOOETHER WiTrf The Proceedings in both Houfes of Parliament ON THB :* KING'S MESSAGE: To WHtCH ARK ADOIO ^The report op. M* De MlRABfiAU, AKt> THE SU^SEQ^UENT PEC OF The NATIONAL ASSEMBLY op FRANCE ON THE FAMILY COMPACT. 5, LONDON: tElNTED FOR ), DEBRETT, OPPDSItB SVAiilNGTON HOVSE* if rXCCADXI.l,T« I •• ) INTRODUCTION. ipOR a full flatement of the enterprize formed by fome Britifh merchants, of opening a trade with the North- Weft Coaft of America, for the purpofe of fupplying the Chi- nefe market with furs and ginfeng, we refer the reader to " the Memorial addrefled to the ** Right Hon. William Wyndham Grenville, " one of his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of *« State, by Lieut. John Mears, and prefented ** to the Houfe of Commons on the 13th of; «* May," and to " An Authentic Statement oftl ♦' all the Fai^s relative to Nootka Sound, by " Mr. John Cadman Etches," both publiflied for John Debrett, Piccadilly, and uniformly printed to bind herewith. The followmg is a faithful abftra^l of thefe pamphlets. in the month of March, 1786, Lieutenant Mears diipatchcd from Bengal the Sea Otter, a 3 and ( iv ) and followed himfclf in a veflel ealled the Nootka, for Prince William's Sound. The Sea Otter was loft, but the Nootka wintered there, and opened a trade with the natives.— He proceeded to China with his furs, and iti January 1788, Mr. Mears, in conjundtion with other Britifh traders, purchafed two other vef- fels, the Felice and Iphigenia. With thefe two he proceeded from China to the port of Nootka. On his arrival he purchafed from the Chief of the diftrid a fpot of ground, whereon he built a houfe for the more conve- nient purfuit of his trade, and hoifted the Bri- tifh colours. ' He buijt a vefiel there, which he called the NorthTWeft America, and having traded along the coaft within the limits of 60® and 40° 2P' North, he made formal treaties with the Chiefs of feveral diftrids, for free and pxclufive trade with the natives ; and he re? *^unjed to China with the Felice, leaving th^ other yeffels to winter at the Sandwich Iflands, In China he found Mr. John Cadnqan Etches, who had alfo come from a trading voyage to the North-Weft Coaft of America, under licences granted tq h^m and Co. by the E^ft India and South Sea Companies. They entered into co-part-; pery, and having fitted out two yeffels, the Princefs Royal and Argonaut, and equipped then^ ( V ) them with proper flores for a three years exp;- dition, they were difpatched under the command of Mr. James Colnett, in the month of April and May, 1789. The North- Weft America and Iphi- . genia returned from the Sandwich Illands to Nootka, in April 1789, where they found two American veflels, the Colombia and the Wafh- ington. The North- Weft immediately failed along the Coaft to the North, for the purpofe of trade. On the 6th of May, a Spanifli (hip of war, called the Princefla, commanded by Don Stephen Jofeph Martinez, mounting 26 guns, anchored in Nootka Sound, and was joined on the 13th by a Spanifh fnow of 16 guns, called the San Carlos. After mutual civilities had pafted, Don Martinez informed Capt. Douglas, who commanded the Iphigenia, that he had or- ders to feize all (hips and veflTels he might find on that coaft, and accordingly he feized on the Iphigenia, and the crew were carried on board the Spani(h (hips. He took pofleffion of the hou(e on (hore, and hoifting thereon the ftand- ard of Spain, took formal pofleflion alfb of the Coaft, declaring that all the liiie of Coaft be- tween Cape Horn and the 60th degree of North latitude belonged to the King of Spain. Capt. Douglas (igned a paper, which he afterw ■yvards found was an obligation to pay on de- mand ( " ) t lil irund the value of the ihip, cargo, &tf< in cafe the Viceroy of Spabi ihould adjudge her to be lawful prize. The Iphigenia was permitted to quit Nootka, which fhe did, and returned to China, leaving behind her there the two Ame- rican veffels which the Spaniards had not mo- lefted. The Iphigenia and her companion £iiled under Portuguese colours to avoid the high port (hities of China. On the return of the North- Weil to Nootka, ihe was feized by boats, and toWed into the pcM*!, her cargo and ilores laken out, and fome of the crew put in irons. The Princefs Royal arrived a few days after, hut ihe was permitted inflantly to depart. The &ins colle yith the dignity " of his Majefty 's crown, and the effential interefts " of his fubjefts. "G.R." ^ B 2 The [41 The menage was read by the Speaker^ the Mem- bers (landing uncovered. % Ordered (upon the motion of Mr, Pitt) that the meflage be taken into conikieration upon the morrowi Mr. Fox obferved that^ in. confequence of the motion which hadjuftpafled, he (hould remain filent for the prefent, though very important obfervations had occurred to him, and mufi: have arifeninthe minds of matiy gentlemen on the fubjed, comparing it with circumflances which had taken place in the courfe of the lad and the prefent feffion of Farlia^ ment. He would, however, for the reafon already alTigned, defer the obfervations he meant to offer till the next day ; not doubting, in the mean time, that there would be a common feeling in the Houfe to fupport his Majefliy in maintaining the honour of hia crown and the interefts of his people, he Ihould re- fei*ve the delivery of his fentiments until their next meeting. The Houfe adjourned. . . ■ • ' Thursday, 6/ji» May. . The order of the day being read for taking into confideration his Majefty's meifage. The Speaker read his Majelly's meflage from the chair. Mr. Chaiicellor P/// faid, that however natu- ral it might be to look with concern upon the circumftance§ Hated in his Majelly's meffage, and I 5 } and all the future poffible occurrences to whkk k might lead, he conceived that he (hould not do jui- tice to the feelings and public fpirit of that Houfe* if he entertained, for a moment, an idea that there could anfe any difference of opinion as to the met* fures which fuch circumftances would make it ne< ceifary to adopt. There was no occafion for him to enlarge upon the fadb ftated in his Majefty's meflage ; the bare mention of them, he was per- fuaded, would prove fufficient to induce the Hoiife to give their concurrence (and he (hould hope, their unanimous concurrence) to the motion with which he (hould have the honour to conclude. Thefe fads were : Firft, that fome of his Majefty's fubjeds had been forcibly interrupted in a trade which they had carried on, for years, without molef* tarion, in parts of America where they had an in- controvertible right of trading, and in places tQ which no country could claim an exclufive right of commerce and navigation. They knew that this interruption had been made by a feizure of a fliip's cargo and company without any previous notice, and in a moment of profound peace. They knew that the officers and crew had been fent as prifoners of war to a Spanilh port, without the pretence of any regular jurifdidion, or without even having gone through the forms of condemnation uniformly re- forted to in cafes of prize at a time of general hofti- lity. He wiflied to abftain firom ufrng any words of aggravation, but the bare mention of the fads which he had fUtedy muft be fufHcient to induce a Britifh m m \\ E 6 ] I .... Britifh Houfe of Commons to dethatid adequate ratij" fadtion for the injury done to their fellow-fubjedts, and to refent the indignity offered to the Britifh flag. They knew, likewife, that, on a reprefentation to the Court of Madrid, his Majefly's Minifters had been informed that one veffel had been reflored, but that no fatisfadtion had been made ; on the con- trary, the reftoration was accompanied by a claim on the part of the Court of Spain, the moft abfurd and exorbitant which could well be imagined ; a claim which they had never heard of before, which was in- definite in its extent, and which originated in no treaty, or formal eflablifhment of a colony, nor refled on any one of thofe grounds on which claims of fovereignty, navigation, and commerce, ufually refled. If that claim were given way to, it muft deprive this country of the means of extending its navigation and fifhery in the Southern Ocean, and would go towards excluding his Majefty's fubje<5ts from an infant trade, the future extenfion of which could not but prove efTentially beneficial to the com- mercial interefts of Great Britain. Material, indeed^ were the difadvantages which Great Britain would fuflain, fhould the exorbitant claim fet up by the Court of Spain be complied with ; and thence arofe the necefJity of the Houfe meeting it as they ought to do, for the purpofe of underftanding definitely and diflindfcly what they were to expert from other nations on points fo eflential to the dignity of his Majefly's crown and the interefts of Britifh fubjefts. It was, therefore, necefTary for that Houfe, bjr granting C 7 3 lemming l^is Majefty an additional forccy to enable his Majefty to aft with vigour, and eflfedtually to fccure the honour of hi$ crown« and the fafety, hap- pincfs, and profpcrity of his people. He hoped, however, that it might not be ultimately necefiaiy to vfe the force hoftile}y, but that it would enable his .Majefty's Minifters to obtain what the people would jBxpedt, fuch an honourable reparation and fatis&c* tlon as would prove aniple, on the one handy s^d, on the other, lead to fuch an explanation as (hould be mpft likely to produce an amicable termination of ^hedifpute, and render the continuance of tranquib- Tity permanent. Heartily muft they all rejoice, if^ by the moden^tion and prudence pf the Court of 'Spain a conteft fliould be avoided, Np man, h^ declared, wqul^ more regret the day of even a tem- porary interruption of peace,. than he fhould; but he muft ill deferve the iituation in which hei ftood, and muft difgrace the charadter of a Member of Par- liament and a fubje . ' '^ Thst an tumble Addrefs 'be -prcTerrtcd -to Wis 9' T9kij«fty, !© reuorn Wk Majefty the Thanks of tWfe •*'Ho«ifc, fer hismofl gracious meffage, acqwamt- ^ iwg this Houfc >6( ihok circiimftanoes rfclatwie to ^'•^ captwe oif Bridfti vefiels'on'the 'North-tweftem •^ 'Coaft irf Afnerica, and to ithe condviA of 'theOowit *^^ Bpain^on this occafion^ i^hkh have indwced *« M6iNtajc% to give orderB'for niiiking fuch prepa- -^ ^tiotys as may pot it in His Ms^ll^-s power to -aft '** with' vsgdur aitd effed in fupport of thehonout'cif *< Mk M^«ifty?s Crown, and of the interefts df ttfs -*< people ; and to affure His Majefty, that .we'fl*!! ^iMadilif proceed to enable His Majefty tottak^fuch "** imeafures, atidto mak^ fi^ch augmentation of Mis *« JMajefty'siforccs^ «s naay eventually be neceflary *< onthiaoociiiioii. *♦* That 'wettrtift that the juftice of HisMajcfty*^ ** demands-^ill enfure, 'from the wifdom and equity '** of die Catbdlic King, the 'fatkfaif^ion %hich is •' To unquiiftionably due to His Majefty ; -ahd^that *' we Ihall'linccrely rejoice in fuch a' termination df ^* die difcttffions- now jdepcnding, as may prevent f * any groutttts df niifunderftanding in future, and f*may 'continue^and coiifirm thiat harmony and '!• frienrf(hip ^U^ has 'happily fubfifted between "' Great 'Britain ^nd^pain; but that we, at the feme **!tirae, ^feel it our indifpenfable duty to affure Hh '^'Majefty of the deteroiination of his faithful Com- " mons. t 9 3 ** Commonsy toaFjrd HisMaiefty the moft jealous **and efiedtual fopport in ^h meafures at ipajr '< become requifipfc for eoaintainiDg the dignity; of *' Hi$:Mijefty'4 Ctowa, and the eflential iatereClt '^ of His! Miyefty's' domiQions." Mr. Secretary Grenville feconded the motion. Mr. Fox depUred, that no Member within the Houfe could be more fentible than he was of the dif« a^inmtagey (at the fame time that he could not refift the temptation of declaring that he heartily concur* red with the motion) bf rifing toftat^fbme obferVa- tions oii the iCltuatibn in which \Ve now (to6d; No man fek more ftrorigly the neceffity of arming than he did. No man felt a warmer refentment at the unpcov^^ied aggreffion of the Court of Spaim as ftated to die Houfe in His Majefty'i meffiige. He thought that there could not atife a doubt oi the neceffity of an immediate and a vigorous armament^ an^ he cont ceived with the right honourable gentleman* that it was probable that this armament mi^c product its effe& without proceeding to the extreme of wak'> and that the abfurd ckim of the Court of Spain (which the right honourable g^tleman had (b forcibly defcribed, that he would not weaken that defcription, by attempting to add to it) might be put an end to^ but he wilhed that the melTage had told them more than it did. They ought to have known what the (afterwards captured) (hips were do* ing, or intended to do ; whether they were about to m^e an eftablilhment, or whether Spain knew that we were about to make an eftablifhment. It was a queftion with him^ whether or not the event which C had r «<» ] had happiened^ and the fafts dated, were not fuch as' might have been forefeen or prevented. The Houie had now been given to underftand, thfit the veflels were feized without any preliminary notice ; had fuch notice however been given, it^ould have made no diiTerence in his vote on that day, convinced as he' was, that there could not b^ a fingle man in that Hpufe, or ii^ the country, bv|t mull fee the neceflity' foe A vigorous armamentw ; This country certainly could have had no leaibn to havtexpei^ed an aft of hoftjlity fronf any quarter, a few days back, when from every appearance, w^ were, led to look for a long and uninterrvipted peace ; th%t profpeA, atlealft' for the prefentj \jrasgone; and in its fleadlherewas muc|> matter of furious concern j /or however &vQur« ^Me a yar m its comrz^encement might appear, it was. jmpqllible tQ foretell its ultimate confequences. He hadnqt, in* the whole courfe of his life, beea ufed to fpe^k .with defpondency of the! Tefdurces of the country, bu^ he- did iK>t thii)k it fair, in a matter of great ferious concern, topafs it over and take 110 notice of it, at a moment when the occafion feemed necelfariJy to require that it (hould be men? |ipned. It was now fcarctly a: fortnight iince the Minifter of this country pointed out to the Houfe thie the profperity and flour ifliingflateof the finances, and in no part of his fpeech did h land advanced%'^ithout prudence. He was one of thofe, who at the mo- ment of the Minifter's exultation, had for months known the increafe of the Spanifh armament. The right honourable gentlethan had better opportuni^* ties of knowing what the extent iaf!\Bhe armament wa$, than he could pretend to; and when Spain was arming, it was not very reafonable to think that we Ihould be long at peace. He owned he did not fee the neceifity for the Minifter to go outof his way in opening the ftate of the finances, to introduce aflu- ranees of continuance of peace; it mud take away from that fecuruy and happinefs into which the pub- lic were lulled, when they Were informed, from the Throne, that thofe aiTurances were grotindlefs. When the Lottery was ta&ed of in a late debate, he recolleded chat an honourable friend of his com« plained that the Minifter was an auftion^r; he complained, thau; at the moment la queftion, tfae^ -.7 - Mioifter Minifter was afting che part of an auftioMeer, throughout, by pufBng and "praifing the prdfpeft of peace, when there was in reality a great probability of a rpeedy war. He always thought it injudicious that this country, in making the laft peace, had ftipulated with one branch of the Houib of Bourbon (with France) that the two countries Ihoiild refpc6ttvdy reduce their marine force to a certain point, and noc ftipulate in like manner with Spain, becaufe it was Obvious tha'4: all the danger to be dreaded, might ftill fail upr>n us, it being competent to the other bratich of the Houfe of Bourbon to arm to Whatever extent Ihe thought proper ; and he would afk his Majefty's Miniflfers, whether Spain had not con- tinued in JAn armed ftate, and been increafing her armament ever iince that period > When the peace was in negociatioh, he had heard that the Emprefs of Ruflia folicited to have the fame favour fliewn to her which had been (hewn to France, with regard to letting the French flag give protection to property not belonging to France, (b long as we were not at War with France. It was anfWered to RulTia, that it could not be done. When it was diked, ** Why ** will you not unite with a power you call yoiir ** friehd, when you unite with your natural enemy ?" The anfwer was, ** It was for that very reafon. We ^*' think 'France moft likely to take part againft us **wlientver We ate engaged in war, but we con- <'^fider you as m' P»l, ill FiHH ' 1!! i, !t 1' t E «6 I hid been an uicoaliftency in the language. In irp fweir to which romark, he muft mice the liberty of 4fierciqgi thst.the right honourabls geittleman wa* ftiftaken in both points; he was onftaken i>Qch in t^ lav^v^ge which he' had Aippofed to haye been, holden by hinp^ and miftaken Hkewife in theciircuiti- iKA9?^ to which the right honoiifahle gentleirtn had referred. The ChanceUor of the Exchequer added, that he could with truth ^rt> that he had jy)i tittered one fjfllskbh ytoCpe^Wt\y <>n the conti> nuance of peace ^ he had faid> that our prefent proT- perous fitiiation had arifen from the natural fpiHt and yefouFces of the country in the happy inteiVal of peact; and that if, by the blefiin^ df Providence, that peace ihould continue, ourrefourcesiroiud con- tinue to increafe, and that the moft likely means to cnfure the continuance of thofe bleffin'gs was toper- fevere in the fame vigorous exertions, by which alone, when the day ihould com^, they (hould be enabled to meet the perilous exigencies of war. The light honourable gentleman was miftaken in his ftatement of the circumftances to which he had referred. The light honourable gentleman had Ikid, *♦ We knew every thing when the Budget was opened, that we know now.*' The cafe was diredly the reverfe. They knew nothing of the fads in qqeftion, but what they knew from the flatement of the Spanilh Ambaflhdor, whofe communication was extremely vague and genend, and related only to the capture of one of the vefiels, and that without the particulars. The light honourable gentleman had [ ^7 3 had faid, theylcnew the whole of the claim of Spain before. They did not know it diftindly, till at a period fubTcquent to the Budget day. Neither did tliey know the extent of the preparations of the Court of Spisin in her feveral ports, till a very few days (ince. ' But the right honourable gentleman would give; him leave in his turn, to make ai (ingle remark on what had fallen from him. The right honourable gentleman had affirmed, that he for months had knowti of the armament of Spain, and yet, in the courfe of the prefent feffion, the right honourable gentleman had argued on the propri* cty of the dinfiihution of the forces of the country, and had expreflly contended, that we had nothing to apprehend from the Court of Spain. That he had given the Houfe the aflurahce, as he was fup- pofed by the right honourable gentleman to have* given, of the profpedl of peace continuing, the Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he did diredtly deny. He took notice of what Mr. Fox had re- marked relative to the armed Neutrality, and the Mofquito (hore, which latter he declared did not appear him to be conne<5ted with that part of the difcuffion then under confideration. With regard to future arrangements, he felt no difficulty in fta* ting that he fliould thii^k any fatisfadtion inadequate which did not tend tQ prevent future difputes. \ Mr. Fox anfwered, that it Avas a maxim with* him never to difpute with a gentleman on his own words, but he could prove from fome accidental private converfation at the time, that the right ho- D nourable .r. I t8 1 nourable gehdetnan wa^ underAood tolitv^ eiprefied himfelf on the profped: of peace continuing as be had underftood him. For bis own party he had mbft undoubtedly recoitpmended a diminution of our forces, becaufe he took it for granted that When the King's Miniflers^ without explaining then* rdafons, came and afked for a certain force, the^ had no par^ ticular ground fdr fuch a demand; and as fo hi$^ hearing rumours of the Spanifh armattlent> he cer- tainly had long heard of it, but then it was merely by way of rumduf , wherfe^s the right honourable gentleman had fb much better means of coming at the fad, that he conchided that the right hohdurabie gentleman could afch'tain how far fuck nimo^rsi rhc-i -rited beKef. Mr. Pulteney laid, that if any infulc ^as given to this country, it was tht duty of the nation! to i-e^ulrc redrefs. He entertained) however, much doubt;, whether, in the fads dated in the meffage from his Majeftyj there was any infalt on the part of Spainr* The meffage ftated, that Spal had affertfed rights' on the North-weftern Coaft of AmerJeai That was clearly a queftion of right, and riot of iiifult. In ur- ging a claim, he thought Spain totally wrong;, biit as to infult, (he a|ipcared to him to Have offered hone. Poffibly the feips tiiight be employed in fomethirig iniproper, and wherever any contraband tiwdb v\^as tarried on, it was cuftomarf to feize them. Even oh our coafts, when veffels did aiiy ffiing cdn- trary to liiwj We fcized them, let thctii belong to what couhtiy they wotildi It was admitted that the Spa- refiecl as he i had rf our mthe afonsy opaN io hif le cet' ncfcly urabler ting at lurablfc vcn lo e^ulrc doubt;, om his Spsdtir^ i rights* bat was In ur- g; but offeted >yed in trabiind e them, njg cdn- lortg to that the Spa- C '9 ] Spaniards had reftored the (hip, and expreffed that they wi(hed to be on good terms with this country. That was not Hke infult. With regard to the quef- tion, whether we (houid inlift on carrying on trade on the North-weft Coaft of America^ that was an impor- tant point. The Fur Trade, he knew, had proved good at firft, and a great deal of money had been' made by it, but he underflood that it was much de- creafed in point of advantages, late adventurers ha- ving found, that they were obliged to buy their furs > dearer, and fell them cheaper. As to the Southern Whale Fiihery, that cenainly was a ferious confide- ration, and what ought by no means to be aban- doned. In refped to the (hips, how could we as yet afcenain, that our veiTels did what we might wi(h them to have done ? All thefe fads remained to be explained. In the mean time, he faw nothing like infult in the condu6b of the Court of Spain, and he conceived that we had adted prematurely in inlifting upon the reftoration of the (hips prior to a dircu(fion of any kind, becaufe it was begging the queftion, (ince if they had the right thus claimed, the feizing of the (hips was nothing but the exercifi; of that right. Mr. Grey hoped that the Houfe would concur unanimouily in the queftion. He felt, with hb right honourable friend near him, the difficulties of difputing with any gentleman on words ufed by him* felf. But he knew that the impre(!ioQ made oa him, and he believed the real impreffion on the ma- jority of that Houfe^ was, that pofitive a(rurancc hadT O 2 . been m:- i 11^ C »o ] been given by His Majcfty's Minifters, that there was a profpedt of the bleflings of peace continuing in this country. The right honourable gentleman, Mr. Grey obfcrved, had reforted to an //. If was faid to be the greateft peace-maker, and he believed that no perfon was ever more indebted to an if, than the right honourable gentleman. For his part, he thought the moment awful, and the fituation critical. As to Spain, he thought that enemy alone not able to contend with us, but he knew that a fpark of war was likely to extend to a flame, and a general con- flagration frequently arofe from a fingle fpark ; he hoped, therefore, that we (hould not light up that fpark. The addrefs was voted nemine contradicente* Mr. Fox then rofe to move for papers ; and firft he moved for an account of the amount and value of the trade to Nootka Sound. ' Mr. Secretary Grenville begged leave to guard the Houfe againft the expedlation that the motion would bring before them the value of that trade, the exports being few, and the furs all carried to the China market. It was neceflary for him to (late this, left any impreffion fhould take place that the value of the trade in queftion was flight or inconfi- derable ; an idea which, he was perfuaded, prevailed in no man's mind but in that of the honourable gen- tleman who lately intimated as much. Mr. Burke remarked, that although the mode- rate, firm, and temperate language of the addrefs, and of, the right honourable gentlemaju's fpeech,. ..,- was r " 3 was entitled to much praife, yet there was fomething in both, which left an opening for difciillion now and afterwards, and would give room for anbiguities and difficulties. The word adequate, . prefixed to fatisfadion, had better have been omitted, becaufe ^hat epithet left the matter open to a diverfity of opinion. With regard to the trade on the Norths weftern coafts of America, we Ihould find it difficult to value it properly. It might, indeed, be with propriety overvalued, for the fake of negociation, with a view to give up fomething afterwards ; but, as far as he knew of the matter, he ihould conceive that the Court of Spain had no more excluHve right to the trade on the North-weftern coafts of America, than ourfelves. The right appeared to him to lie with the natives. Mr. Burke recommended accom> modation, if pratfticable, coniiftent with national honour, declaring, that as we never ought to go to war for a, profitable wrong, fo we ought never to go to war for an unprofitable right ; and therefore, he hoped that the intended armament would be conli- dered not as a meafiire calculated to terminate the war happily, but to enable Minifters to carry on the negociation vigoroully. We were to prepare for the worft event, and even to rifque the battle, if, unfor- tunately for us, fuch rifque (hould be abfolutely ne« ceffary. He wifhed, however, ifpoffible, that the War might be avoided. He had feen three wars, and we were gainers by none of them ; for a war muft not be looked to as likely to pay its own expence ; by the firft war to which he alluded, the nation added to C " 3 to its glory, but it loil in point of (trengtli, and came out of it more weakened than it went into it. The fecond war was terminated lefs honourably; but if with lefs reputation, the war put us to lefs ex- pence ; and the third war, we loft both ways. In a great, gallant, and fpirited nation, he hoped that diere would be as much caufe for moderation, as there was ground for fatisfaftion in our ability and our refources. That was the moment when a country did itfelf moft honour, and proved its magnanimity the moft clearly, by adopting moderation in propor- tion to its power. He wiihed all nations to be as much at peace as poffible, becaufe he thought that the balance of power in Europe required, that hot any one State (hould have an unequal and an inor* dinate fuperiority. Befides, what had we to contend for ? Extent of dominion would do us no good ; on the contrary, if all the territories of Spain abroad were thrown into the fcale of England, he did not think it an object for a wife man to deiire. The effed^ would prove to us, what it was at this moment to Spain ; we Ihould be the weaker for our accumu- lation of diftant domain. Mr. Chancellor Pitt begged that when the Houfe adverted to the value of the trade to Nootka Sound, they would not lofe fight of the prefent queftion. They were confidering of an injury done, -and the necef^ty of obtaining fatisfadion ; and it would dep id on the fpirit of conciliation manifefted by the C.42rt of Spain, whether we could adhere to a ^irit of conciliation or not. It muft be defi* rable IK8IV til, and into it. urably ; lefs ex- lys. In )ed that tion, ai lity and country animity propor- be as rht that that hoc an inor« contend ood ; on abroad did not f. The noment .ccumu- iHoufe Sound, uefUon* md the would fted by bere to le deii* rable C »3 ] rable, if pofflble, to terminate the matter amiaiij bly, if it could be fo terminated, confidently with the dignity of His Majefty's crdwn, and the interefts of his people. Mr. Pitt recommended the with- drawing the prefent motion, and the poflponing it for the prefent, till it could be put into a fliape mote calculated to produce the information required* Mr. Fox confented to withdraw his motion, HOUSE ofLORD^. May ^th, 1790. The Duke of Leeds brought down from His M^« jefty the fatne MeiTage as was delivered to the Houfe of Commons, and it was ordered to be taken into confideration the tiext day. May 6iL t< The order of the day ^as moved for fumnioning their Lordlhips to take His Majefty's meflage into confideration. The meflage having been read by the clerk. The Duke of Leeds obferved, that he could ven- ture to declare that the whole Houfe was perfedly coiivinced that, during the courfe of a long reign^ His Miajefty had bebn no Ic^s attentive to the inte« refts of his own people, than to the general trdii- quillitjr of Europe. His Majefty, on every occalion, had not only abftained from committing any outrage gr depredation on the territories of other powers, but had 1 C *4 ] had uniformly endeavoured, by his intervention, to reconcile the animofities of every nation. The con- tents of the melTage were* highly important ; for the confcquences, to which they might lead, involved the rights of the people, as connedtcd with their com- merce, as well as the dignity and honour of the crowp. It had unfortunately happened, that an out- rage qf a very ferious naturp had been committed by an officer, ading under the authority of the King of Spain, upon veflels, the property of Britifh fub- jefts, and navigated under the proteiftion of the Britifh flag. The veflels had not only been captured, and their crews made prifoners, but their cargoes bad been confifcated, without c^en the formality of a judicial proceeding; a formality which;, ih eafe of prize> had always been obferved among civilized nations, even in the time of mutual war. It was tiue (he admitted) the two vefl!els had been releafed, upon an application from the Britifli Minifter to the Viceroy of Mexico, on the extraordinary pretence, that the Englifti were ignorant of the fovereighty of Spain in tliofe feas, and its right to hn exclufive trade on the coaft ; but, if fuch' an extraordinary claim were once admitted, he did not know where it might end. Not only their ti de, 43Ut the valuable fifliery which this country had eflabliflied theie, would either be at the difpofal of the Court of Spain, or, what was ftill more humiliating, would depend on the cle-' mency of a Spanifli officier ! It was impoffible that' fuch an idea could be tolerated. But, notwithftand- ing. the enormity of the aggrefiion, His Majefty was- more « cc ft [ «J ] mcfre deiirous of feeking jultice, than gratifying re- fcntment t and he itixioufly hoj>ed that he (hould obtain redrefs^ l^ithouc the neceflity of being obliged to refort to arms. The Duke concluded with mov- ing, " That an humble addrefs be prefented to Hid '' Majefty, thanking him for hi^ gracious mtffsLgCf " acquainting this Houfe of thofe circurtlftinccs re- «* lative to the capture of Britifli veflbls on the North ** weftern Coaft of America, and to thie condudt *' of the Court of Spain on this occalion> which " have induced His Majefty to give orders fot making fuch preparations as may put it in His Majefty*s power to adt with vigour and effeft in fupport of the honour of His Majefty's Crown, ** and of the interefts of his people ; and to affure ** His Majefty, that w imputing any blame to the noble Duke, he was of opinion that His Majefty's Miniders ought to have made a more aniple communication of the circumflances which had given rife to the important fubjcA under their confideration, than they had done. With that view he had two motions to propofe to their Lordihips* confideration ; the firfl was, " That the proper offi- ** cer be direfted to lay before the Houfe a ftatemcnt " of the trade on the coaft, and of the whale ** filhery carried on in thofe feas." The extent of which he thought it was very neceffary to know. And the fecond, " That an humble Addrefs be •* prefented to His Majefty, that he would be gra- cioufly pleafed to order fuch communications as " had « •* had been received rcfpc<5ting the capture of thd << veflels to be laid before the Houfe, and alfo the " information which had from time to time been *' given relative to the armaments which were faid " to be carrying on in the ports of Spain." The objeft which he had in view, was to give the Houfe the fulled information which the fubjedk required ; and he flattered himfelf, as it could not aflfedt the iflue of any pending negotiation, that it would not be oppofed. Lord Vifcount Stormont obferved, that the com- municadon contained in the melTage was to him a matter of painful furprife. -He had indulged the pleafing expectation of a long continuance of the public tranquillity ; he had hoped that we might have profited by the advantages of our relative fitua- tion ; he had feen, with much complacency, that we were gradually riling in the general fcale of the nations of Europe, and that, from our commenda-^ ble fpirit of induflry, we had derived new fources of wealth. All thefe hopes he had indulged from the information of His Majefty's principal Minifter of Finance in another afTembly, on the occafion of his bringing forward the datement of the national in- come and expenditure. The right honourable gentleman, to whom he alluded, had then holden out to the country the expectation of uninterrupted peace ; he had painted, in the brighted colours of the mod fplendid eloquence, the advantages of our fituation, when compared with the other nations of Europe ; and had afferted, that in no period of our E 2 hidory, [ a? ] hiftory, codld we more fanguinejly entertain the pleafing hope of permanent tranquility. AU this had been cor^^d^ntly averted, no longer, thaf^ ^ fort* n^ght ago I Perhaps, it might h^ politico^ wiijdom not prematurely to re veajl th^ dagger which threat- eiiedthe country; but, m hisjP9oi;opinipn, it was a Hngyjar kind o^ pol^tijcal refinement (npt to call i^ by a h,ar(^er t^n^) vfhich could induce th^ King's ^^ifl^rs to. hold out a profped of peace tp t;he na- tion, at the very eve of a war ; to give \i? the hope of haljcypn d^ys, a^ the moment when the ftorm >yas not only ga^ering, but was actually formed ! What he l^ad ftated was the more extr,aordinary, a;^ it muil have t^appi^npd ful^feqgent to tl^e conyerfation vi'ith^ the S.pani0i Minift|er, whiei) the cir<;umftances were ncfarly th<5 fape, asi at the prefent momjsnt. The conc^ud of iydininifjbratipn, was, fpr^ly, (;enrurab)e in, fufjferipg SgaHjfi, tp keepup.fuch large armaments in tinae of pface, under pretence pf the Court of Madrid not b^ingaparty to thenegouation with the Court of Verfailles.at, the cpncflufion of the peace. Had it not been for, the I^evolution pf^ the French Government, at this, time, we fhou)d^ frpm fuch cujpable negle(5b, l^ave felt the whole force pf die Family Cpmpaffl; of which, however, he irufled we v/ere in no dapper at prefect. No man refpefted more than he c)i4.. all communications from the. Crpwn ; and he; adipitted, that the wild and extra- vagant pretenfions off Spain could not be juftifiedin the eyes pf reafon;, yet, perhaps, we might have obtained the objed we defired more eafily by the dexterity i »9 y dexterity of Cecret ivegotiation^ than the threats of compulfion. — Men were often more tenacbus whea th^ir pride, than when their intere(ls were concent* cd, and it had been faid, that Cuch was the peculiar clpara(^er of a Spaniard, In l^s opinion, fomcching ought to have been facrl^ced to national ideas, aind Come refpe<5l might have been paid to lihe Pope'ik BmII* which gave to Spain the fovereigmy of teni.- tpries and polTeiTions already difcovered, as well an thofe not difcovered. A right of |X)ireirion, how- ever, of which the Viceroy of Mexico juftly con- cluded ogr £ngJi(h faUors were ignorant, exiftedi ia the idea of the Spaniards, and upon thac ground he had releafedthem from captivity. As to the impolicy of ceding the Mofquito SJiore to Spain , he had always been of one opinion. It was highly impolitic. He ihould, alfo, beg leave to urge the neceflity of a more ample communication, to thiQ Houfe of the circumftances which had given rife to the prefent difpute ; but, asan infulthad beeno&er« ed, i^ became neceifary that reparation (houid be obtained ; and. he hoped that the vote, of that daf would convince the world, that, in every cafe where the interefb of the people and* the honour and dig- nity of the Britifh Crown were invaded, the nation had but one heart, one fentiment, one voice. Unr. derthefe ideas, he truded, nay, he was confident, that the Houfe would meet the thotion of the noble Duke with their mofl cordial and unanimous con- qurrcncc. • • Lord' fii t 30 J Lord Hawkefbury faidjthat with regard to the mo* tions propofed by the noble Lord, he had confider- ablc doubts whether they could, with propriety, be complied with. In the iirft place, there was no trade carried on between Great Britain and the North-weft Coaft of America ; and with refpeft to the motion for laying the papers before the Houfe on the fub- jedfc of the capture of the veflels, and the informa- tion received relative to the armaments carrying on in the ports of Spain, he thought it highly improper while a negotiation v/as pending. As to what the noble Vifcount had mentioned of afTurances of peace having been given in another place, it was obvious, thefe points could not fall properly under difculfion. The Earl of Cailifle rofe to fupport the motion of Lord Rawdon ; when the Chancellor reminded th;; Houfe, that there could be no motion before them till the original queftion was difpofed of He then read the motion for the Addrefs, which was carried unanimoully. A Committee was appointed to prepare it ; and the Lords with white ftaves were ordered to prefent the fame. Some converfation then took place on the motions of Lord Rawdon, for a ftatement of the trade and fifliery carried on, and on the produiflion of papers relative to the capture of the veflels, with the ac- counts of the armaments in the ports of Spain. On the queftion being put on each, the firft mo- rion was carried with a verbal amendment propofed by Lord Hawkefl>ury. The )l I ) C $1 1 The motion for 9 produftion of the accounti and papers was negatived without a diviiion. I jtb May. Lord Hay ("Earl of Kinnoul) moved, that His Majcfty's meflage, relative to the difputes with Spain might be read. The fame having being read by the Clerk at 'iie table. Lord Hay obferved, that he flattered himfelf that no apology could be necefTary for the remarks with which he (hould beg leave to introduce his intended motion, when it was confidered how much it beho- ved every Member of the Britifh Legiilature, at a moment when the country was upon the eve of a war, to call for fuch information as he might deem necef- fary to elucidate the conduct of Adminiftration. For his own part, he (hould not hefitate to declare that he ftrongly fufpeded the Minifter of having, for pur- pofes bed known to himfelf, kept back, for a con- iiderable time, the information given to the Houfc by His Majefty*s meflage. He fufpeded Adminif- tration alfo of having negledtcd a timely prepara- tion proportioned to the armaments of Spain, and thereby induced that country to commit the infuit on the Britidi flag which had been complained of. He condemned His Majefty's fei*vants for having deluded the country by holding out a profpedt of permanent peace, when they muft have known of the probable grounds of an approaching war. He judged The [ 3» 1 judged it proper, therefore-, to move for the date of ^the fird.oiiicial information received ; he wiihed not to move for any paper that could be objefted to on the grounds of ftate (ccrecy ; but the fubftance of the information given by the nemonftrancc of the Spanilh Ambaffador had been dated in His Majef- ty's meflage ; he defired to have the date of the re- ceipt of that information, which could in no ways prove injurious to the interefts of the country, and which, if refofed, would neither be candid to the Houfe, nor honourable to the; Minifter. In con- dufion Lord Hay moved for «* An humble Addrefs to His Majefty, that he " would be graeioufly pleafed to order to be laid ** before the Houfe, the da^e of the receipt of the ** remonftrr^ce prefented by the Spanilh Ambaffa- ** dor to His Majefty's MinifterSj by order of his « Court." Lord Walfingham rofe, and faid, that the motion of tlie noble Lord could not be agreed to, unlcfs the Houfe departed from a nile which they had in- variably and wifely obferved, that of never fufFer- ing papers to be produced relative to a negotiation with a foreign power, pending fuch a negotiation, they could not poffibly agree to the prefent motion. He declared, that he had not heard a fingle reafon afligned for the produdion of the information moved for J it could be attended witM no good confequfence^ but might introduce bad confetjuences, as it would cftablilb a dangerous precedent. Lord [ 33 i Lord iPdrclieftcr wiflied for the dite of the com- munication for the purpofe of obtaining Parliamen- tary grdiind for a Parliamentary cenfure of the Mi- nifter, whoib conduct he fiifpeded in the flrongefl: manner. He was confirmed in his own mindj that the King's fervants knew of the infult offered by Spain prior to the opening of the Budget. Ht ani- madverted on the condud of the Minifter in his concealment^ which he declared he could not but view in the moil criminal and difgraceful light. He was ready to admit that Adminiftration either did, or did not know, prior to the flatement of the fi- nance? of *^he country, that Spain had not only beenj for a liaig lime, making the mod formidable prepa- rations, but had adually attacked and infulted the Britifh fl'ig : if they did not know the fadt, their ignorance was a high crime : if they did know it, their deceit was a flill greater. He defired any noble Lx>rd, or the moft acute man living, to (hew the danger of giving the information moved for ; by its being made known to France, it could not extricate her frrrrj her difficulties, and enable her to fupport the t > ii/ CompaA ; nor would its be- ing made known > c Turkey, to Rufiia, or to the Houfe of Aufbia, induce them to alter their military arrangements. He faw no other reafon for refufing the date, than the confcioufnefs of detefUon by its produftion. He concluded with charging the Ad- miniftration v jsh a neglect of duty in having no Minifter at SpA: i, and ^ corrupt abufe of tlie public F trutt. j C 34 ] truft^ in making a finecure of the Spani(h Em- bafly. Vifcount Sydney faid, that he (hould not have ^rifen, but that the noble Lord, who fpoke lad, had alluded to expreflions ufed in another Houfeof Par- liament, which certainly was a very irregular and unparliamentary ground of objection ; for his own part, he thought the motion by no means founded, and he juftified the withholding the paper on the af- Icrtion of Lord Stormont. The Earl of Carlifle begged leaVe to remind the noble Vifcount (Sydney) whi juft objefted againd slllufions to what might liav . pafTed in ano- ther place, that he had not iii the lead oppofed a motit)n brought forward by the LOrd Prefident of the Council during the difciiflion of the Regiency, which was not founded in words fpoken by a Mi- nifter, but by an individual, (Mr. Fox) and which had caufed a debate of many hours. The Earl of Carlifle fupported the motion, and declared that he could not avoid obferving on the filence of His Majefty's Minifters, which was not a dignified filence, but a filence like that, of which certain perfons. in a certain Court would be glad to avail themfelves, had not the law conftrued their filence into a full confeflion of guilt. It was, he believed, a filence that His Majefty's Minifters refortcd to as a cover to ,their indifcretion, and a cloak to their criminality. He would venture a prophecy, that the prefent difpute would be terminated without a war, but that it would be terminated in a manner far Ihort of all that conceflion demanded in the JUtter [ 33 T latter part of the meflage, which was wound up with empty boaftings. ' Lord Stormont faid, that l^e confidered himfelf as free to affert, that when the noble Vifcount (Syd- ney) took the incidental obfervation of a noble Lord;, as the main groundoffupport of the motion, his condu«5t was neitker parliaihentary nor wah'ant- able. They were agreed as to the pr^mifes of the argunient, but differed as to jjie conclufion. Cer- tainly there were political fituations, refpeding which he knew that Miniilers might preierye a perfe^ filence in discharge of a painful duty, and rather cxpofe themfelves and their meafures to mifcon- (brudion and cenfure, than rifque the fafety of the country ; but how could the conclufion now infifted on be drawn from fuch premifes ? The important fads in queftion were all made known to the Houie through the medium of His Majefty's meflage : where ihen could be the danger of difclofing the date of their communication ? ' The queftion was at length put, and their Lord- (hips dividing, there appeared for the motion, Contents — — 34 Non Contents — 53 Majority 19 F2 JJ P US f .u: . C 36 3 €€ *C HOUSE OF COMMONS, May loth. The Houfe having refolved itfelfinto a Committee pf Supply, Mr. Gilbert in the chair, Mr. Chancellor Pitt rofe to move a vote of credit for a million, to enable His Majtfty to adt as the exigency of affairs might require. With the large fums already voted, and the ufe of the money which His Majefty would then have at his command, a vote of credit for a million would be fufHcient. . f ' That it is the opinion of this Committee, that a fum not exceeding one million be granted to. His Majedy, to enable His Majefty to take fuch *f measures, and to make fuqh augmentation to his f ' forces by fea and land, as the exigencies of af- feirs m^y require," The motion having been read a iirft and fecond time, on the queftion, *< That the Chairman do re- .!* port the fame to the Houfe." Mr. Sherid^^l remarked, that the right hpnou^r able gentleman, (the. Chancellor oitb^ Exchequer) when he ftated his.obfervatiqns on His Majefty's ineffage to the Houfe, had exprefled a hope, that we (hou^d dill be ab^e to accommodate the matters in queftion between the Courts of Madrid and Great Britain, without being driven to the neceffity of go- ing to war J a hope in which they muft all moft cor- dially concur. But although it was right to follow up their addrefs to His Majefty of laft week with a vote C 37 3 vote of fapply, and not leave the addrefs as a mere matter of profeffion, Mr. Sheridan faid he wifhed to know if, on the event of war being commenced^ the right honourable gentleman would find it neceflarf to have a Committee of Supply again. Mr. Chancellor Pitt anfwered^ that there were two views in the contemplation of Government. The one, a hope, and that, he believed, not altogether irrational, that the matters in difpute between us and Spain might be accommodated, without going to the extremity of a war ; and the other, that a war might be unavoidable. The vote of credit for a million was calculated to anfwer the leaft deiireable alternative of the two, ihould we be difappointed of pur expetStations. Mr. M. A. Taylor trufted, that Government would contrive that the Admiral for the Newfound- land flation did not go till rather a later period than the prefent, in order that he might prote(5t the large ileet of (hips which would fail for Newfoundland from the port of Pool. Many had already failed ; and he could have prevented all the mifchief that was poffible to happen, had he made known the fitua« tion of affairs a month, or even a fortnight ago. Mr. Rolle obferved, that there was a coniiderable deal of property embarked on board veiTels in the different ports in the weft in a fimilar predicament, but that he had not thought it right to fay any thing refpefting them in that Houfe, as he gave Govern- ment the credit of fuppofing that they would take the proper means of guarding, as much as poffible, againft t 38 •] A^iind the dagger ino^ental to the circum(lance» in which we now flood* Mr. Taylor declared that there was no fecret in what he had mentioned, nor any thing which could afford information to 3painy which the could not, with the utmofl eafe, have obtained. For his own port, he was as little defirous of betrajung the ne- ceflary myfteries of Stace as ^be honourable geptle- man ^hof poke lafl, or any other honourable Mem- ber whatfoever. Mr. Fox aiked, whether the papers which the HouTe had ordered, would give the dates of the earUeft intelligence received by His Majedy's Mi- liifler^ of the capture of the (hips in Nootka Sound > He added, that fince he had laft troubled the Houfe on «be iub^6t, a report had gom: abroad, that a coflomunication of the fad was made to Hi« Majef- ty's.Miiiiidfiters by the Spanifh Ambaiiador, fo early as the J oth of February laft. He wilked to have the ddfie^ of the communication corredly, in order to ice iwhetbor t^ 6tuationin which the nation unhap- pily floodr was a jp:^ortune not .to be avoided, or whfl^her, if a public leprefentation of it to the Houfe, and a preparation for armament had been made at m '.earUer moment, the calamity might not have |)eeik prevented. He had no doubt but this infbr- joaatton would be ^ven, when His Majefty ihould ;gracioqily be pieced to give diredions for it, in ^ompibnce wi(^ the addrefs of the Houfe ; and if it ^qiild appear that the cotnmunication had been m9/ic-fy isuily astlse loth/of February, undoubtedly :■■ the C 39 ] the furprife of the Houfe at the conduA of Mbif« tcrs would become increafed. Mr. Chancellor Pitt anfwercd, that he had not- conceived that the motion of the right honourable gentlemah extended to the communications made by the Spahifh Ambaifadbr ; if he had, he (hould have ftated his reafohs for objecting againft it. He underftood that the motion referred merely to the intelligence received from Madrid, and fo it would be found by His Majefty's anfwer, it had been ge- nerally underftood by His Majefty's Minifters. If any thing farther was wilhed for, the beft way would be for the right honourable gentleman to make a, diftinft motion for it. Mr. Fox obferved,that if the report which he had heard were founded, the Ambaflador*s communica- tion being the firft intelligence, was moft important, and he wilhed to have it, in order that they might learn whether they were likely to be plunjged into a war by accidents not to be guarded againft by hu- man forefight and precaution, or through the care- leflhefs and fupinenefs of His Majefty's Council. Mr. Chancellor Pitt declared, that whatever tem- porary triumph the right honourable gentleman or his friends might think they had obtained by goad- ing Minifters with queftions, fiich as thofe now in agitation, he (hould not, either by perfonal attack or perfonal infinuation, become provoked to do what he did not think proper or confiftent with his duty to the public. Upon any future proper day forunreferveddifcuffion, he had no doubt but that th' C 40 ] the honourable gentlemen would find that they had lefs caufe for triumph than they at prefent Teemed to imagine. Mr. Fox anfwered, that there was nothing like triumph in the matter. He had mentioned a report that a communication had been made to His MajeT- ty's Minifters on the loth of February^ but he beg- ged to have it underilood that he was by no means pledged for the truth of it. The refolution palTed. May iitL The report of the Committee of Supply was brought up, and the refolutions being read, Mr. Fox declared, that he had imagined that the general intent of the vote of credit was to provide for the uncertain expences which muft, neceffarily, be incurred, (hould the hopes of the country expe- rience a difappointment, and Spain refufe an ami- cable accommodation. But he had heard, that or- ders for an augmentation of the forces by fea and land were, already, iflued. If this was true, he faw no reafon why the eftimates of thefe augmenta- tions might not have been referred to a Committee of Supply ; ways and means voted the money necef- fary immediately ; and provifion made for paying the interefts of it. No maxim in finance could be truer, than that the means of paying any expence fhould go hand in hand with the expence itfelf. There was no end to the mifchiefs arifing from fpending money one year^ and providing for the payment C 4« 3 |)ayment the next. The public, alfo, fliould know at once the extent of the expence, as nearly as poflTthle, in order to judge of the expediency of it. Mr. Chancellor Pitt contended, that to have voted eftimates in a committee of fupply would have looked like an inference that the augmentation of the forces was to be kept up for tl^e whole year ; and money mud have been borrowedi and taxes now im- pofed to pay the intereft^ before it was known with certainty that either would be wanted. Although it was true that augmentations were already ordered, thefe augmentations might not be completed in one event, or might not be fufficient in another; and if the hopes of an amicable accommodation (hiould be difappointed, provifion might be made for the ad- ditional expence, which would then become necef- fary, by as early an application to Parliament as public convenience would admit. Mr. Fox begged leave to remind the right hononourable gentleman, that he never meant to aiTert that eftimates voted under the bare apprehen- fion of war would be fufficient, if war (hould adually enfue, but that the augmentations already ordered might have been voted and provided for in the regular way. Mr. Chancellor Pitt anfwered, that this would have been to continue, for a whole year, augmentations, which, in the event of an amicable accommodation, might not be wanted for fo long a time> or might not even be all made. The rcfolution was agreed to. G Mr. C 4» ] Mr. Sheridan faid, that he had a motion fo make, which he knew not whether he had worded properly; but the purport of it was, to obtain information whether the trade to Nootka Sound, and the fettlement forming, or intended to be formed there, was undertaken under the fandion and authority of Government, or merely as an eqter- prize of private perfons* Mr. Chancellor Pitt wilhed the motion to be poftponed till the information promifed in His Majefly's anfwer to the Addrefs could be laid before the Houfe. Licences to trade to Nootka Sound had been granted; and he knew of no authority for that, or any other purpofe, but fuch as thofe licences contained. Mr. Fox obfervcd, that it was of much im- portance, that the fituation and nature of the trade ard fettlement (hould be known. Mr. Chancellor Pitt faid, that the memorial of Captain Mears, with the very full appendix which accompanied it, would put the Houfe in pofleiTion of all that Government knew on the fubjed. Mr. Sheridan remarked, that what the Houfe had ' now heard, that the fettlement was a private ente?- prize, was very material. Mr. Chancellor Pitt contended, that whether the fettlement was or was not a private enterprize, there could be no doubt that it was incumbent on the honour of the country to demand fatisfaftion for any infult or injury offered to its fubjeds^^ whether in C 43 ] in their private capacity of traders, or ar L 49 ] text to break entirely with our Court ; foV which reafon it was thought ncceffary to take fome precau* tions relative to the fubjedt. "On a late occafion a complaint was made to the Court of Ruflia, as to fome (imilar points rela- t've to tlie navigation of the South Sea. A candid anfwer being returned by that Court, the affair was terminated without the leaft difagreement. Indeed it may be afferted with truth, that the manner, much more than the fubftance of the fads, has produced the difputes that have taken place on this head with Great Britain. " Neverthelefs the King does deny what the ene- mies to peace hav^ induftrioufly circulated, that Spain extends pretenfions and rights of fovereignty over the whole of the South Sea, as far as China. When the words arc made ufe of, " In the name of the King, his fovereignty, navigation, and exclu- five commerce to the continent and iflands of the South Sea," it is the manner in which Spain, in fpeaking of the Indies, has always ufed thefe words that is to fay, to the continent, iflands, and feas which belong to his Majefty, fo far as difcove- ries have been made and fecured to him by treaties and immemorial poffeffion,and uniformly acquiefced in, notwithftanding fome infringements by indivi* duals, who have been punilhed upon a knowledge of their offences. And the King fets up no preten- fions to any poffefllons, the right to which he cannot prove by irrefragable titles. H *• Al- ^ C 50 *' Although Spain may not have eftablUhmentt or colonies planted upon the coafts or in the ports in difpuce, it does not follow that fuch coaft or port does not belong to her. If this rule was to be fol* lowed, one nation might eftabliQi colonics on the coafts of another nation, in America, Afia, Africa, and Europe, by which means there would be no * fixed boundaries— a circumftance evidently abfurd. ) <* But whatever may be the iflue of the queftion of right, upon a mature confideration of the claims of both parties, the refult of the queftion of fa^ is, that the capture of the Englifh vefTels is repaired by the reftitution that has been made, and the conduct of the Viceroy ji for as to the qualification of fuch reftitution, and whether the prize was lawflil or not, that refpeds the queftion of right yet to be invefti-r gated ; that is to fay, if it has been made agreeably to, or in contradidtion of treaties relative to the rights and pofteflions of Spain. Laftly, the King will rea- dily enter into any plan by which future difputes on this fubjed^ may be obviated, that no reproach may be upon him as having refufed any means of reconr ciliaticn ; and for the eftablifhment of a folid and permanent peace, not only between Spain and Great Britain, but alfo between all nations ; for the accomplilhment of which objed, his Majefty has made the greateft efforts in all the Courts of Europe; which he certainly would not have done if he had any deiign to involve England and the other Euron C 5« ] European powers in a calamitous and dedrudtive war. Given at Aranjuez, the 4th day of June^ 1 790* (Signed) Le Comte de Florida Blanca. On the 13th day of June the following Memorial was delivered by the Count de Florida Blanca, to Mr. FiT£HER&ERT at Madrid^ and by him to the Britiih Court : MEMORIAL OP Count de F LO RI D A BL A N C A. Aranjuer, 13th June, X790« *' BY every treaty upon record betwixt Spain and the other natipns of Europe, for upwards of two centuries, an exclufive right of property, navigation, and commerce to the Spanilh Weft Indies, has been uniformly fecured to Spain, England having always .ftood forth in a particular manner in fupport of fuch right. ** By article 8th of the treaty of Utrecht (a treaty in which all the European nations may be faid to. have taken a part) Spain and England ^ profefs to ' eftablilh it as a fundamental principle of agreement, * that the navigation and commerce of the Weft- * Indies, under the dominion of Spain, (hall remain * in the precife fltuation in which they ftood in the ' reign of his Catholic Majefty, Charles IL and that H that C s» ] * that rule (hall be inviolably adhered to, and bo * incapable of infringement.* ** Aftei- this maxim, the two powers ftipulated— * That Spain (hould never grant liberty or permiffion * to any nation to trade to or introduce their merchan- * dizes into the Spanifli American dominions, nor to * fell, cede, or give up, to any other nation, its lands, * domii^ions, or territories, or any part thefeof.* On thf contTi^ry, and in order that its territories ihould be pj-efervjcd whole and entire, England of&rs. ^ to ' aid and aflift the Spaniard^ in re-c(lablifliing the * limits of their American dominions, and placing * them in t}if e^adt iituatiofi they ftoqd in at the timer * of his faid Catholic Majefty Charles lid. if by ac- * cident it (hall be difcovered that they have under- * gone any alteration to the prejudice of Spain; in * wl^tevq: qiapner qr pretext fuch alteration may *' haViC been brought aboijt.- - . '* Th^ vaft extent of the Spapifli territories, navi- gation, and dominion pn |he> Continent of America, illes and feas coi^tiguous tp t^e South Sea, are clearly, laid down, and authenticated by a variety of docu- meniLS, laws, -^nd formi^l adls of poiTeflion in the reign of King Charles lid. It is alfo clearly afcer- tained, ^hat notwithflanding the repeated attempts made by i adventurers and pirates on the Spanifti coaHis pf the South Sea and adjacent iilandsji :Spain has ftill preferved her poffeffipns entire, and opppfed, with iiicc^fs, thofe ufurpations, by conftantly fend- ing her fliips and veffels to take pofleflion of fuch fettlements. By tliefe meafures, and reiterated adts of poflelTion, Spain has preferved her dominion, ** which ■^.' r 53 1 which (he has extended tpthebprdcrspftJieRuflUa cftablifliments in that part of the world. . , . . " The Viceroys of. Peru fend New Spain, having been informed, that thcGj feas had been for fomc years paft more frequented than formerly ; that fmuggling had increafed ; that fevera! ufurpations prejudicial to Spain and the general tntnquillity Hod been fuffered to be made ; they gave orders that the weflern coads of Spanilh America, and iilands and feas adjacent, (hould be more frequently navigated and explored. ** They were alfo informed, that fcveral Ruflian vefTels were upon the point of making commercial eftablidiments upon that coafl. At the tipie that Spain^ demonftrated to Ruffia the inconveniences at-» tendantupon fuch incroachments, (he entered upoi\ the negociation .with Ruffia, upon the fuppofition that the Ruffian navigators of the Pacific Ocean had no orders to make eftablilhments within the limits of SpaniQi America, of which the Spaniards were the firft poffeffi3rs, (limits fituated within Prince WiU liam*s Screight) purpofely to avoid all dilTentions, ?.r»u in order to maintain the harmony and amity which Spain wifhed to preferve. " The Court of Ruffia replied, it had already given orders, that its fubjeds (hould make no fettle- ments in places belonging to other Powers, and that if thofe orders had been violated, and any had been made in Spanifli America, they defired the King would put a flop to them in a friendly manner. To this pacific language on the part of Ruffia, Spain oblerved, that (he could not be anfwerable for what her It- ■^ K C 54 I Ker Officers might do at that diftance, whoCe gene^ ral orders and indrudlions were not to permit any fettlements to be made by other nations on the con- tinent of Spanifh America* '< Though trefpafles had been made by theEnglilh on fome of the iilands of thofe coafts, which had given rife to iimilar complaints having been made to the Court of London, Spain did not know that the £ngli(h had endeavoured to make any fettlements on the northern part of the Southern Ocean, till the commanding officer of a Spanifh (hip, in the ufual tour of the coafls of California, found two American velTels in St. Laurence, or Nootka harbour, where he was going for provifions and ftores. Thefe vef- fels he permitted to proceed on their voyage, it ap- pearing from their papers, that they were driven there by diftrefs, and only came in to refit. ** He alfo found there, the Iphigenia from Macao, under Portuguefe colours, which had a paffport from the Governor ^ and though he came manifefUy with a view to trade there, yet the Spanifh Admiral, when he faw his inflruclions, gave him leave to depart, upon his figning an engagement to pay the value of the veflel, fhould the Government of Mexico de- clare it a lawful prize. ** With this vefTel there came a fecond, which the Admiral detained ; and a few days after a third, named the Argonaut, from the above-mentioned place. The Captain of this latter was an Englifh- man. He came not only to trade, but brought every thing with him proper to form afettlement there, and to fortify it. This> notwithfbindipg the remon- (Irances I t ss ) tlrances of the Spanifli Admiral, he perfevered bt and was detained^ together with his veflel. ** After him came a fourth Englifli veflel» named the Princefs Royal, and evidently for the fame pur« pofes. She lilcewife was detained, and fent to Fort St. Bias, where the pilot of the Argonaut made away with himfelf, " The Viceroy, on being informed of thcfe par* ticulars, gave orders, that the Captain and the veflels piould be relieved, and that they Ihould have leave to refit, without declaring them a lawful prize ; and this he did, on account of the ignorance of the pro- prietors, and the friendfliip which fubfifted between the two Courts of London and Madrid, ** He alfo gave them leave to return to Macao with their cargo, after capitulating with them in the fame manner as with the Portuguefe Captain, and leaving the affair to be finally determined by the Count de Revillagigedo^ his fucceflbrj who aUQ gave them their liberty. '^ As foon as the Court of Madrid had received an account of the det( iion of the firil Englilh veflel at Nootka Sound, and before that of the fecond ar* rived, it ordered its AmbaiTador at London to make a report thereof to the EngUfh Minifter, which he did, on the loth February lait, and to require that (he parties who had planned thefe ei^peditions (hould be punilhed, in order to deter others from making fettlements on territories occupied and frequented by the Spaniards for a number of years. '' In ■ I' C 5« 3 •' In the Ambaflaidor's memorial, mention was only made of the Spartifh Admiral that commanded the prefeht armament, having vifited Nootka Sound in 1774, though that harbour had been frequently vifited both before and fince, with the ufual forms of taking poflcflion, Thefe forms were repeated more particularly in the years 1755 and 1779, all along thb coafts as far as Prince William's Sound, and it was thefe a6ls that gave occaHon to the me- morial made by the Court of RufTia^ as has been already noticed. *' The Spanifli Ambaflador at London did not rc- prefent in this memorial at that time, that the right . of Spain to thefe coafts was conforniablc to ancient boundaries, which had been guaranteed by England at the treaty of Utrecht, in the reign of Charles II. deeming it to be unneceflary : as orders had been given and veffcls had actually been feized on thofe coafts, fo far back as 1692. *« The anfwer tliat the Englilh Miniftry gave, on the 26th of February, was, that they had not as yet been informed of the fafts ftated by the Ambaflador, and that the aft of violence, mentioned in his memo- rial, neceflarily fufpended any difcuflion of the claims therein, till an adequate atonement had been made for a proceeding fo injurious to Great Britain. ** In addition to this haughty language of the British Minifter, he farther added, that the fliip muft in the firft place be reftored, and that with re- fpeft to any future ftipulations, it would be neceflTary to C 57 3 to wait for a more full detail of all the circumdances of this affair. ** The harfli and laconic (lile in which this an- fwer was given, made the Court of Madrid farpe(ft that the King of Great Britain's Miniders were form- ing other plans ; and they were the more induced to tliink fo, as there were reports that they were going to fit out two fleets, one for the Mediterranean, and another for the Baltic. This of courfe obliged Spain to increafe the fmall fquadron (he was getting ready to exercife her marine. ** The Court of Spain then ordered her Ambafla- dor at London to prefent a memorial to the Britifli Miniftry, fetting forth, that though the Crown of Spain had an indubitable right to the continent, iflands, harbours, and coads of that part of the world, founded on trca*. -es and immemorial pofTeffion, yet, as the Viceroy ^>l Mexico had releafed the veffels that were detained, the King looked upon the affair as concluded, without entering into any difputes or difcuffions on the undoubted rights of Spain, and defiring to give a proof of his friendfliip for Great Britain, he Ihould reil fatisHed if ihc ordered that her fubjefts, in future, refpedcd thofe rights. ** As if Spain, in this anfwer, had laid claim to the Empire of that Ocean, though ihe only fpoke of what belonged to her by treaties, and as if it had been fo grievous an offence to terminate this affair by reflitution of the only veffel which was then known to have been taken, it excited fuch clamour and agitation in the Parliament of England^ that the I moft [ 58 ] moft vigorous preparations for war have been com- menced ; and thofe powers difinclined to peace charge Spain with deilgns contrary to her known principles of honour and probity, as well as to the tranquillity of Europe, which the Spani(h Monarch and his Minites have always had in view. ** While Eriglartd was employed in rrtaking the gi-eateft artttaments and preparations, tuAt Court made anfwer to the Spaniih AmbaiTiClor (upon the 5th of May) that the a£ts of violerici* comihittcd againft the BritiCi flag " rendered it ne ' A ' Great -Britain with regard to the infult offered ta her flag. " 3. That the faid fatisfadion (hall be given on condition that no inference be drawn therefrom to affed the lights of Spain, nor of the right of exacting from Great Britain an equivalent fatis- fadion, if it (hall be found, in the courfe of ne- gotiation, that the King has a right to demand fatisfadtion for the aggre(fion and ufurpation made on the Spanilh territory, contrary to fubfifting treaties. " Your Excellency will ht pleafed to make choice of either of thefe three explanations to the decla- ration your Excellency propofes, or all the three to- gether, — and to point out any difficulty that occurs 10 you, that it may be obviated ;'— or any other mode that may tend to promote the peace which we defirc to ettablilh. I have the honour to be, With the greatell fefpctft, M Sir, Your mod humble and mod obedient fervant, (Signed) Le Comte d£ Florida Blakca. K On. C 66 J On tlic 5th of Auguft about half pad one o'clock, the following Letter was fent by the right hon. W. Wyndham Grenville, one of His Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, to the Lord Mayor of London, and was immediately by his Lordfliip made known at the Bank, Exchange, and Lloyd's. IVhitehall, Auguft ^, 1790. i\tv LorU, ** I have the honour to inform your Lordfhip, that a Meflenger is arrived from His Majefty*s Am- baflador Extraordinary at Madrid, with the account, that, in compliance with His Majefty's demand of jatisfaction for the capture of the Britilh veffels at Nootka, a Declaration was figned on the 24th of July, by Count Florida Blanca, in the name of his Catholic Majefty ; and that the fame was accepted in His Majefty 's name, by His Majefty's Ambaflador, who was thereupon to proceed to the difcuffion of the matters depending between the two Courts, with a view to a Definitive Arrangement. " The Declaration above referred to, will b^ iniihediately publiflied in a Gazette Extraordinary, which will be forwarded to your Lordfhip as foon as it is printed. I am, my Lord, Your Lordfhip's moft obedient And moft humble Servant, W. W. Grenville." 'I'he Right Hon, thehoKD Mayor of London, tc 5 [ 67 3 \ ne LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. Thursday, August 5, 1790. Whitehall, Auguft 5. This morning one of His Majefty*s Meflengers arrived from Madrid, at the office of his Grace the Duke of Leeds, His Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with difpatches from the right honourable Alleyne Fitz- herbert, His Majefty's Ambaffador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at that Court, containing an ac- count of th^ following Declaration and Counter- Declaration having been figned and exchanged, on the twenty-fourth of July laft, by his Excellency on the part of His Majefty, and by his Excellency Count Florida Blanca, His Catholic Majefty's Minif- ter and Principal Secretary of State, on the part of the Catholic King. v4 ■1 I Sir, DECLARATION. [COPIE.] Sa Majefte Britannique ' s'etant plainte de la cap- ture de certains vaiffeaux appartenants a fes fujets, fait dans la Baye de Nootka, fituee fur la Cote du Nord-Oueftde PAmerique, par un of- ficier au fervice du Roi j le fous-figne, Counfeil- ler, DECLARATION, [Translation.] • His Britannic Majefty having complained of the capture of certain veflels belonging to his fubjefts in the Port of Nootka, fituated on the North-Weft coaft of A- merica, by an officer in the fervice of the King; the uoder-figned Coun- K z fellor, I [ 68 Icr ct Premier Secretaire d'Etat dc fa Majefte, etant h. cc duement autorifc, declare, au nom et par ordre de fa ditc Majefte qu*elle eft difpofee k donner fa- tisfadtion a fa Majefte Britanniquc pour I'in- jure dont elle s'cft plainte; bien aiTuree que fa dite Majefte Britannique en uferoic de meme a Tgard du Roi, dans de pareil- les circonftances : et fa Majefte s*engage en ou- tre dc raire reftitution en- tiere de tous les vaif- feaux Britanneiques qui furent captures a Noot- ka, et d'indemnifer les parties intercflees dans ces vaiflcaux des pertes qu*elles auront efluyees auflitot que le montant en aura pCi etre eftime : Bicn entendu que cette Declaration ne pourra point ex< lure, ni rr-j"- dicier 3 fellor and Principal Sc- cretary of State to His Majcfty, being thereto duly authorifed, de- clares, in the name and by the order of his faid Majefty, that he is wil- ling to give fatisfadtion to His Britannic Majefty for the injury of which he has complained; fully perfuaded that his faid Britannic Majefty would aa in the fame manner towards the King, under fimilar circumftances ; and His Majefty furthei* engages to make full ref- titution of all the Britiili veflels which were cap- tured at Nootka, and to indemnify the parties in- terefted in thofe veflels, for the lofles which they fliall have fuftained, as foon as the amount there- of Ihall have been afcer- tained : It being underftood that this Declaration is not to preclude or pre- judice ' f I 69 1 dicier a la difcuflfion ul- tcricurc dcs droits que fa Majcfte pourra pretendre a la fonnation d'un cta- bliflemenc exclufif au port dc Nootka. £n foi de quoi j*ai figne cettc Decla- ration, et y appofe le cachet de mes Armes. A Madrid, ce24 Juillet, 1790. (L. S.) Signe Le Comte de Florida Blanca, jiidicc the tilterior dif- cuffion of any right which His Majcfty may claim to form an cxclu- five edabliihment at the port of Nootki. In witnefs whereof I have figned this Declaration, and fealed it with the Seal of my Arms. At Madrid, the 24th of July, 1790- (L. S,) Signed Le Comte de Florida Blanca, CONTRE-DECLA- RATION. [CoPIE.l Sa Majefte Catholique ayant declare qu'elle e- toit difpofee ^ donner fatisfadtion pour Tinjure faite au Roi, par la cap- ture des certains vaif- feaux appartenants a fes fujets a la Baye de Noot- ka, etMonfieurle Comte de Florida Blanca ayant figne, au nom et par or- dre COUNTER.DECLA. RATION. fTRANSLATION.] His Catholic Majefty having declared that he was willing to give fatis- fadtion for the injury done to the King, by the capture of certain veflels belonging to his fubjeds, in the bay of Nootka, and the Count de Florida Blanca hav- ing figned, in the name and r 70 1 ilrc clc fa Majcfte Catho- liqiic, line Declaration a cet cffet; ct par la- quclle fa dite Majcftc s'engage pareillement ^ faire reftirution entiere des vaiflcaux ainfi cap- tures, ct d'indemnifer Ics parties intcreflee?dans tes vaifleaux des pcrtes qn'ellcs auront cfluyces, le fons-figne Ambafla- deiir Extraordinarie et Plcnipotentiare de Sa Majefte pres Ic Roi Ca- tholique, etant ^ ce duce- menc et expreflement aiitorife, accepte la dite Declaration au Nom dii Roi, et declare que fa Majefte regardera cette Declaration, avec i'ac- compliflement des en- gagemens qu'elle ren- ferme, comme une fa- lisfadtion pleine et entiere de rinjure dont fa Ma- jefte s*cft plainte. Le and by the order of his Catholic Majefty, a De- claration to this effedl; and by which his faid Majefty likewife engages to make full reftitu- tion of the veflels fo captured, and to in- demnify the parties in- ter efted in thofe vef- fels for the lofles they (hall have fuftained ; the underfigned Ambaflador Extraordinary and Ple- nipotentiary of His Ma- jefty to the Catholic King, being thereto duly and exprefsly autho- fifed, accepts the faid Declaration in the name of the King; and de- clares that His Ma- jefty will confider this Declaration, together with the performance of the engagements con- tained therein, as a full and entire fatisfadion for the injury of which his Majefty has com- plained. Tho E 7' ] Lc fous-figne declare, en m^me terns, qu'il iloit ctre cntendu que ni la dite Declaration fign6e par Monfieur le Comtede Florida Blanca, ri I'acceptation que la foijs-figne vient d'en faire au nom du Roi, ne doit cxclure ni prejudicier en rien aux droits que fa Majefte pourra preten- dre a tout etabliflcment que fes fujets pourroient avoir forme, ou vou- d'Vient former a Tavenir, ^ la dite Baye de Noot- ka. En foi de quoi, j'ai fign6 cette Contre- Declaration, et y ai appofe le Cachet de mes Armes.— A Madrid, le 24 Juillet, 1790. (L. S.) Signe JJlejne Fitzherbert, The undcrfigncil de- clares, at the fame time, that it is to be under- flood, that neither the fald Declaration figned by Count Florida Blan- ca, nor the accepuncc thereof by the undcr- figned, in the name of > the King, is to preclude or prejudice, in any refpedj the right which His Majefty may claim to any eflablilhment which his fubjedts may have formed, or fli&uld be defirous of forming in Riture, at the faid Bay of Nootka. In witnefs whereof I have (igned this Counter - Declara- tion, and fealed it with the Seal of my Arms. At Ma- drid, the 2 4th of ' July, 1790- (L. S.) Signed Allepie Fitzherbert, Ni LETTER t 7* 3 * • f ^ ^t. LETTER J ' OF M. Be M O N T M O R I N, Secretary for the Foreign Departmeat of France^ T O T H E President of the Nat.onal Assembly. Mr. President, P^m, Augufi I, 1790. TH E King ordered me, about the middle of May laft, to make known to the National Affembly the motives that had induced him to think an armament of fourteen (hips of the line ncceflary, and the difpofitions that were made in the portb for increafing this armament if circumftances fhould re- quire it. The Affembly applauded rliemeafure at the time, and paffed a vote of thanks to His Ma- jefty. The armament is on the eve of being complete, and Kis Majefty in ordering me to communica':c this to the Affembly ;^ has commanded me alfo to inform them, that from that time His Britanic Majefty has continued, and continues ftill to augment his marine with the greateft poffible adivity. la C 73 ] In thefe circuinftances, although the language of the Court of London has been all along equally pacific with our own — although (he has announce^ that her intentions are amicable towards us, and al' tliough in a word, the correfpondence between the two natioiis has been fuch as we would defire for the maintenance of good underftandihg and harmony between them, the King thinks that it is equally be-* coming the prudence and dignity of the n^ion to augment our armaments proportionably widi thof^ npw preparing in the ports of England^ To thefe general ccnfiderations of prudence and dignity, another muil be added not lefs important. The King of Spain claims in the mdil pofitiVe mar« ner an affurance of the execution of the conditions ftipulatcd by the Treaty of Alliance fubfifting be- tween the two nations, in cafe that the negotiation now going on with England ihould not have the fuccefs which he expefts and defires. The King has ordered me tc 'ay before the Af*- fembly the Minifterial Letter of the Ambaffador of Spain i together with all the pieces which accom- pany it, and which explain the origin and progrefs of the difficulty that has arifen between Spain ind Englandi I alfo join a paper, No. 3, wln^ h expofes the lad ftate of the negotiadon between ^e two powers, as It has come to our Joiowiedge* This negotiation appears to have taken the mbft: favourable turn fmce the conciliating prbpoiitions made by the Court of Madrid, and the manner in which they were received *t London. In this ftate I0 of C 74 3 bf things, His Mi^efty thinks he may flatter himfclf that the two Courts will come to a good underftand- kg. In this hope which he yei entertains, after ex- plaining himfelf dirediy to the King, his Coufin, he thought proper in his wifdom to defer provoking a deliberation in the National Aflembly on the official demand of the Ainbaflador of Spain. But as the iwftivity with which the Court of London augments her armaments, may infpire doubts of thefuccefs of the negotiation, the King has not thought it proper to delay longer the communication of this official^ paper. * This Letter has dierefore two objcds — ^the firft, to inform the Aflembly of the propriety of augmenting^ our marine force — the fecond, to fubmit to their wif- dom what anfwer (hould be made to the demand of the Court of Madrid. I believe it will be fuperfluous to fay any thing on the importance of thefe objefts. They are fo im- portant in the eyes of the King, that he thinks he ought to invite the Aflembly to authorife a Commit- tee to confer with the Minifter for Foreign Affairs, arid fuch other Members of the Council as His Ma- jefty fliall think proper to delegate. By this means the National Afi'embly will receive all the ecclair- ciflemehts which may enable them to deliberate with a perfed knowledge of the fubjeft. I . (Signed) De MONTMORIN. fj h d V r< I ti The r IS 1 The official papers referred to in the Letter of M. Montmorin, were the preceding Letters that pafled between M. de Florida Blanca and Mr. Fitzherberc. And the following is the copy of the Minifterial Letter of the Count de Iceman Nunez, the Spa- ni(h AmbalTador at the Court of Paris, to M. de Montmorin. L E T T E R OP COUNT DE FERNAN NONE^, TO M. MONTMORIN. Paris, June i6, 1790. « Sir, ** I have the honour to addref? to you with this, a faithful extract of all the tranfadtlons which have hitherto paffed between my Court and that of Lon- don, on the fubjed of the detention of two Englifli veflels, which were feized in the Bay of St. Law- rence, or Nootka, fituated in the 50th degree to the North of California, and which were afterwards taken to the port of St. Bias. ** You will obfcrve by this relation, I. ** That by the treaties, demarcations, takings of pofleffion, ^nd the mofl decided ads of Sove- L 2 reignty t 7« ] reig ty exf rcifed by the Spaniards in thefe (lations, from the reign of Charles II. and authorifed by chat Monarch in 1692, the original vouchers for which (hall be brought forward in the courfe of the negotia- tion, all the coaft to the North of the Weftern An>erica> on the iide of th? Soyth Sea, as far as beyond what is called Prince William's Sound, which is in the iixty-firn: degree, is acknowledged to belong excluiively to Spain. Tif ** That the Court of Ruflia having been in- formed of this extent of our boundary, aifured the King my Matter, without the leaft delay, of the purity of its intentions in this refpe^t, and added, *' TJiat it was extremely forry that the repeated *^ orders ifTucd to prevent the fubjedts of Ruflia ** from violating in the fmalleft degree the territory ** belonging to another power, (l^ould {lave been ^* difobeyed. 3. " That the ftat^ of the ppfleffions and exclu- five commerce on the fea coaft of the Southern Ocean, as it exifted in the tin^e pf Charles II. had been acknowledged and defined anew by all the pa? tions of Europe, and more particularly by England, in the eighth article of the Treaty of Utrecht, 4, " That nptwithftanding the juft ^itle he has to a prefcrvatipn of his ancient rights, the King, my Mafter, has approve4 of the condud of the Viceroy of Mexico ; who in confequence of his general orr dcrs and inftrudlipns for the prefervation of peace with every power, took upon himself to releafe the yeffcls feized in the port of Nootka, upon a fuppo- fition L 77 ] fiuon that the condu(5t of their Captains was a con(e«' quence of their total ignorance with refped to the legitimacy of the rights of Spain on thofe coads. " Tt is in confequence of the defire of his Catho- lic Majcfly to preferve peace to himfelf, and to efta- bHih the general tranquillity of Europe, that he has taken the fteps you will obferve in the faid extract, and that he has commenced an amicable and direct negotiation with England, which he will finilh with Mr. Fitzherbert, the new AmbaiTador fent from that Court to the Court of Madrid. We are in hopes that the confequences of this negotiation will be fa- vourable, but at the fame time we mud employ all the necefTary means to make it fo. ** An immediate and exad accomplifliment of the Treaty Qgned at Paris the 1 5th of Augnft 1 761, un- der the title of the Family Compact, becomes an indifpenfable preliminary to a fuccefsful negotiation. It is in confequence of the abfolute neceffity which Spain finds of having recourfe to the fuccour of France, that the King, my Mafter, orders me to demand exprefsly what France can do in the prcfent circumftances to affift Spain, according to the mu- tual engagements (lipulated by the Treaties ; his Ca- tholic Majefty defii '«^ that the armaments, as well as other pro|>er meafures to fulfil and realize thefe fa- cred engager- ems^, te immediately put in execu- tion. He cnarges me to add farther, that the pre- fent (late of thjs urforefeen bufinefs requires a very fpecdy determination, and that the meafures which |the Court of France (Jiall take for his afliftance, ihall C 78 3 be Co aftive, fo clear, and fo pofitivCi as to prevent even the fmallefl; ground for fufpicion* Otherwiftt his Moft Chriftian Majefty muft not b: furprifed that Spain fliould feck other friends and different Allies, among all the Powers of Europe, without excepting any one, upon whofe aflidance (he can rely in cafe of need. The ties of blood and perfonal fri^ndlhip which unite our two Sovereigns, and particularly the reciprocal intereft which exifts between two nations united by nature, (hall be refpe of London and Madrid, we can hardly fuppofe that the peace will be interrupted- The territory in queftion between the two powers, in fad, belongs to neither ; it is unqueftionably the property of the independent inhabitants whom na- ture originally placed there. This line of diftinc- tion appears a little more confonant to truth, than that marked out by the Pope ; and thefe people, diftant from us as they are, if they are opprelfed, are they not our allies ? Shall we do fo much injuf- cice to the character of two enlightened nations, ai to fuppofe they would lavifh their blood and trea- fure for the acquifition of fo diftant, fo barren a fpot of ground ? Thefe fimple truths, odr impartiality has compelled us to lay down ; we will confifiri tnem by farther argument if necefTary, but this fir(% view is not decilive of the queftion. If r 8i ] If on the other hand, we fliall be determined in oiir condudt by the urgent prefliire of our circum- llances, not merely to avoid a war, but even the cxpence of armaments, can we conceal the flate of our finances, not yet regenerated, or the (late of our army and navy not yet organized ? Can we conceal, that amidft the innumerable misfortunes of war, cvenajuftone, the greateft for us would be, the diftradion of the attention of our citizens from the conftitution, the fole objedt which ought to pngage their mod ardent hopes and wiflies. Public opinion would be divided, and additional obflacles would intervene, which the utmoft energy of the public would hardly be able to furmount ; but even the ca- lamities of war, great as they are, and the inconve- niences refulting from our aftual fituation, are not fufficient to decide the important queftion of alli- ance. In fine, if we were to conduft ourfelves this day on the principles by which we mean in fu- ture to be regulated — if overleaping the interval of time betwixt the prefent ftate of Europe, and what it will be at a more diftant period, we were to give at this moment a proof of univerfal good will, fuch as may pave the way for a declaration of the rights of nations, we fhouH not have occafion to deliberate long upon alliances, nor war. Will there be any ne- ceffity for politics, when defpots and Haves are no more ? Shall France want allies when (he has no longer enemies? Perhaps the moment is ap- proaching, when liberty triumphant in both he- mifpheres, fliall accomplilh the wiftv of philofophy, M by f4 ii '\ ., [ 8i ] by delivering the human fpccies from the ncccflfuy of war. Then the happinefs of the people will be the fole objedts of legiflators, the fole objeft of the laws^ and the fup^eme glory of iiations ; tl^en the pafllons of individuals, being changed into public virtues, will no more by fanguinary quarrels rend afundo: the bonds of friendfliip which ought to unite all go* vernments and all men : then will be accompliihed a compad of confederation among mankind. But we confefs with regret, that thefe conliderations, ilrong and powerful as they are, are not the only arguments which ought to determine our condudt in the prefent crifis of affairs. The French nation, ^hen changing its laws and manners, ought doubt- lefs at the fame time to change its politics; but from the prejudices that ftill prevail in Europe, France is compelled in the prefent inftance to ad- here to the ancient fyftem, which cannot without danger be at once abandoned, Wifdom fuggeds to us, not to throw down one pillar of the public fe- curity, till another (hall be reared in its room : alas! who does not know, that in external as in internal politics, intervals are awful and dangerous ? That the interregnum of princes is the ^^ra of commo-* tions ; that the interregnum of the laws is the reiga of anarchy and confution ; and if I dare freely ex- prefs myfelf, that the interregnum of treaties may be a truly dangerous crifis to natinoal profperity and happinefs. The gradual, but irrefiftibje influence of a brave nation, confifting of twenty-four miUions cf men, fpeaking the fame language, and governed by r 8j 1 by the fame laws, and drawing back the principles of fociety to the primatval notions of liberty, fimpli« city, and truth, and greatly endued with the irrcfif- tible charm of pleafing the human nature ; I fay, fuch a nation will find, in all countries of the world, miflionaries and profelytes to its dodrines. The in- fluence of fuch a people will furely win the hearts of every European nation to tread the path of truth, moderation, and jufticc ; but not at once, not ia one day, nor in one year ; too many prejudices en- flave the mind, too many paflfions inflame the heart, and too many tyrants rule with defpotic fway. Fur- thier. Does our geographical fituation fugged to us to feparate ourfelves from our allies? Are notour remote poiTcflions, fcattered as they are on all parts of the globe, eXpofed to attacks which we are inca- pable in all parts fingly ^^ repel, while at the fame time we know that knowledge and inftrUdion are not fo generally difFufedj that every people will be wil- ling ro believe that one common political intereft ought to bind the human race by the cui ''vation of peace, mutual kindnefs, and reciprocal love ; ought we not to oppofe the affedion of one nation, to the reftlefsnefs of another, and at leaft rcilrain by an affumed appearance thofe who would be tempted to take advantage of our troubles, with a view to the advancement of their own profperity ? So long as we ihall have rivals,, prudence enjoins Us to place beyond the poffibiiity of an attack, the J)articular property of every individual in the nation; to watch with caution the ambitious enterprizes of M % fo- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) .V ^o 1.0 I.I ■ttlM 125 150 "^^ .^..^ ^ 2.0 IL25 inii 1.4 I — 6" Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 73 WeST MAIN STREiT WEBSTER, N.Y. UStO «7I«) «/ 2-4503 »> ^ t 84 3 £ofeign Courts, and to proportion our public force to tlie armaments of the power which threatens our territories. So long as our neighbours (hall not im- plicitly adopt our principles, we (hall be conftrained, while purfuing a more liberal fyftem of politics, not to forget thofe precautions which prudence requires. " If our Ambafladors at foreign Courts ihall have no more occafion to plead the caufe of our paffions, ihey will have to defend the caufe of reafon, a more excellent fundion. Is it not true, that a people lyhofe wifti is to preferve peace over all, undertake an enterprize more difficult and noble than a nation which inflames its ambition, by the eager purfuit of t)bje«fts to gratify its lull of dominion, and conquefts to fatisfy its thirft of glory. Thefe, gentlemen, are the moft important reflec- tions which have ftruck your Committee ; they lea4 to two principles which they have adopted, and wliich it is my duty to fubmit to you, before 1 enter upon a longer detail on the particular affair of Spain. V . • Thefe two principles are, -. , t... .... lit. That all treaties heretofore concluded by the King of the French, ought to be ftridly obferved by the French nation, fubjeA, however, to fuch altera- tions and modifications, as (hall be made therein by an inveftigation of ihis A(rembly and its Commit- tees, and agreeable to inftrudions which the King ihall be requefted to give on that head to his agents at tlie different Courts of Europe. 2d- ,i t I 85 1 : 2d^ That the King fliall be immediately addrcITed to intimate to all the foreign powers, with whom we have connexion, that the unalterable defire of peace, and the renunciation of every defire of con- » . The refult of our inquiries are thefe : The Spa-^ niards were long our enemies ; after the lapfe of more than a century, in which many fanguinary battles were fought, the peace of the Pyrenees put an end to the wars of two nations, equally haughty and warlike, who ruined and tore themfelves to pieces to gratify the pride or vanity of particular men, to the misfortune of the two people; the tranquillity of Europe was, however^ of fliort du- ration ; the pallions of princes take but a flight re* pofe ; Lewis XIV. united in his family the fcep- tres of France arid Spain ; this union was a pretext for the furrounding powers to unite againft us; and had half their projeds of vengeance fucceeded, if we had not fallen Tinder the ftrokes of fo many enc-* mies, we could not have efcapcd that languor and internal deftrudion, which are the never-failing con- fequences of a long war. It was foon perceived, however^ that this fuccef* (ibn which had coft fo much blood, did not yet fe« cure the repofe of the two nations ; the Kings Were relations ; the people were ftill difunited ; the Mi-' nifters were rivals ; and England profiting df their divifions and weaknefs, feized with impunity the em- pire of the fea, and the commerce of the world. After that fatal, that calamitous War, which coft the French nation its (hips, its riches, and its fineft colonies, our misfortunes afforded to thcT Spa- [ 87 } Spanifli charafter^ a glorious occaHon to difplay itfelf, and which they have fince repeated. That generous people whofe good faith is proverbial, ac- knowledged us for friends when we were ready to fall J they participated in our misfortunes, theyxe- aniroated our hopes, they weakened our rivals, and their Minifters iigned in 1 76 1 , a treaty of alliance with us when our arms were broken in pieces, our cre- dit loft, and our navy deftroyed. What was the con- fequence of this union ? Sixteen years of peace and tranquillity, which would not have been then inter- rupted, if England had reverenced in her colonies the facred principles of liberty which (he herfelf adores ; and if the French, the protedors of the li- berties of others, before (he acquired her own, had not urged their King to make war in defence of the Americans* . - * ;. ; This quarrel, abfolutely foreign to the Court of Spain, might difturb its colonies, and involve its deareft interefts ; but the Englifli having been the firft violators of the peace, the Spaniards faithful to their engagements, run to arms, joined us with their fleets, their treafures, and their foldiers, and with them we acquired the immortal honour, of re- ftoring to liberty a confiderable part of the human tSLCC. Since the memorable peace which crowned our efforts, war was again on the point of being re- kindled between France and England ; no fooner had the King of the French notified to his ally that h^ was arming, than a powerful fleet tilled the ports of ?i' C 88 ] ' of Spain ,• flie did not even w^t for intimation, but flew iina/kcd to our affiftance ; and England agreed with us to difarm. But let us draw a treil over that ihameful period, when the unfkilfulnefe of our Mi- nifters robbed us of an ally, .whom we had gained^ by our favouts, and wHc^m we had Sufficiently pro- tedled by fliowing ourfelves at all times ready to de- fend her ; a Ipfrwhich v^^ll deprive uViri future of the means ©fading as the arbiters of peace in Europe ; * in recalling to your remembrance the conduct of Spain, and the fef vices (he has rendered to us^ we demand if France ought to break a treaty, gene- roufly entered into', frequently ufefiil, and religi- oully obferved; we demand if it would be honour- able to annul fo folemn ^n engagement, at the in- ftant that Spain is threatened with the fame dangers, which fhe thre^ (different times warded off from us. We will liot argue with thofe who are afraid that one of the two nations. (hall exceed in generofity ; but does our intereft in the prefent cafe prefcribe to us other laws than gratitude ? Some ifhen there are of bold charaders, .and proud of their Country, who believe France invincible, though ftanding by her- , felf. Some of thefe have the honour to fit among ns ; and this opinion is fo much the more hdnour- able, as it blends the public flrength with the energy of liberty. But public liberty is not in itfelf tl^e great ftrength of empires, which have long been ilrangers to juftice : nations, on the contrary, apply ) themfelves folely to the increafe of their internal : v/eakb, oiid advancement ^f their true profpeiity, ' Bmc i "■■*. o C 89 ] Biit France may perceive in her annals, triumpUs which prompt revenge. She has colonies which excite ambition, a commerce which excites defirc of pofleifion ; and if (lie may be able one day to de-^ fend herfelf without allies, and which I believe as ftrongly as any man, this is no reafon why (he Ihould expofe herfelf fingly to a war with powers whofe adual forces are fuperior to her own ; for we are not con(idering the cafe in point of neceflTity, but prudence. We are not deliberating, if we (hall make a difplay of our laft refources, but confidering the moft efFe(5tual means to preferve peace. :. r We con(ider no nation nor people as our enemy. What is it but an infidious fyftem of politics that has hitherto reprefented as our rival, a nation whofe fteps we have followed, whofe brilliant example has been a light to direct us in the attainment of our li- berties, and with whom fo many new motives lead us to be on a good underftanding ; a new fpecies of rival(hip, the emulation of good laws, ought to take place of an emulation foftered by politics and ambi** tion. Let us not then, for a moment, believe that a free and enlightened people will take advantage of our tran(ient commotions to renew unjuftly the calamities of war, to attack our riling liberties, to check the happy developement of the principles which (he has taught us. In her, the bare attempt would be facrilege ; in us, it would be facrilege tp believe her capable of it. Does not the fame polir tical religion now unite France and Great Britain ? U not defpotifm and its agent the common ener :. N niies r 90 ] mies of both ? Will not the Englifli be more ccn tain of preferving their liberties, while a nation of free Frenchmen (hall be ready to aft as their auxili- aries ? But while we do homage to the philofophy of this people, our elder brother in liberty, let us at the fame time attend to the maxims of prudence. It is the duty of politicians to reafon on fuppoii- tions which they do not believe, and in order to preferve the happinefs of nations, CJ^re muft be ta- ken to watch the confeq^uences of the moft ibrtu-« nate as well as the mod uncertain events ; Ics^us fup- pofe then, that E^ngland anticipates with a jealous eye, the improvements which a free conftitution muft one day give to our forces, our commerce and credit; that (he reads in her own hiftory the ad- vancement of our profperity, and that by a falfe fyf~ tern of politics, (he (hall watch circumftances, and profit by every opportunity to break a formidable alliance, of which (he has often felt the full weight. What are the meafures which fuch fuppo(ition ought to fuggeft to us? We cannot counterbalance the number of Engli(h (hips, but by a jundtion with our ^lly ; our natural interefts diftate to us to confirm our alliance with Spain ; and the fole means of ac^ complin:)ing this objedt is to ful(il our treaties with fidelity. Perhaps it may be faid, that this Qdelity will bring on more quickly a foreign war, may put a flop to our regeneration, m^y impoveri(h our fi- nances, annihilate our armies ; Does fuch an ai'gu- mw require an anfwer ? England either wiflies to go to war, or (h^ does not n if (he docs not wi(h it ; 1 t t 1, , r 9^ r if (he arms, that (he may negotiate with greater fuc* cefs, the conduft which we propofe to follow, can iiever be conlidered by her as a provocation, and you will fulfil your engagements without endanger- ing your tranquillity ; if on the cohtraryj England defigns to go to war, then you can no longer truft to juftice or generofity; your inadlivity will increafe your danger in place of averting iti If Spain finks in the conteft, Ihall we not then be an objeft of the fame ambition and vengeance ? Shall not the fame calamities which are dreaded as the refult of adhe- ring to our alliance then threaten our finances and Our armies> and many other difafters not eafy to forefee? The nation who hath made thoice of lis, a§ thd framers of their laws, have a demand upon us foi* the fecurity Of their pofreffions and their eorhmierce* ReftlelTnefs will, perhaps^ weaken public ifpiritj and will certainly lefTen the refpedt due to your decrees j your forefight will be called in queftidn; if yout loyalty is applauded, yoiir Wifdom will be doubted 5 it is to be dreaded too^ that thofe citizens whofe for- tunes will be affeded by the firft ftroke of an lihisjck pefted war, will be exafperated by the difafien That the regret of having loft an ally, may not be oppofcd by particular lolfeSi-^That we may not reproaclk ourfelves-^And as we are to decide upon cafes eqllal-* ly dangerous — it is our duty to prefer that determina- tion which will eventually fupply us with the beft ineans of furmountlnoi; the dangers to which we are in either cafe expofed. - * - N 2 It vf t 9* 3 It will be faid, perhaps, that Spain, confiding in our affiftance, will not yield in any point in a negotiation for peace ; whereas if we take no concern in the quarrel, the accommodation we defire will neither be tedious nor difficult.— We have already anfwered this objedion; the principles which we propofe to you to decree, (hall leave no doubt of our intentions to Great Britain, and will evidently point out to Spain, that our con- llitution only regards as obligatory engagements of a defcnfive nature ; our condud fhall have no hoftilc afped, which is not warranted by neceffity. It can- not appear hoftile to the Englilb, unlefs they wifli to be the aggreirors ; bcfides, if it is true that by aban- ddning ouf engagements, Spain will be forced to negotiate a peace more readily witli England, is it pot eafy to forefee, (whatever may be the nature of fuch accommodation) the irreparable injury which 6ur credit and our commerce will fuftain by fuch a ne- gotiation. It is not abfolutely the Family Compa Thefe obfervations are the refult of the inveftiga* ion of your Committee. — They comprehend three points diftind from each other, although indivinble^ as you may obferve. The developement of two principles, which ought to be the ba(is of your political fyftem, a deciiion which preferves a ufeful alliance, by declaring to the King of Spain, that we will fulfill our engagements ; the demand of the Decree to dired your Committee to make fuch modifications in the renewal of this alliance as cir^: cumftances may require. But this determination, if adopted by you, neceffarily points to other nieafuresi The maintenance of our alliance with Spain would be illufory and vain* if, at the fame time that wd gave all the ftrength of our influence to negotiations forthcrepofe of a part of Europe, we negleded to augment our armaments, in a (imitar proportion to thofe of our neighbouring dates. It is not merely for the fake of our didant pofiefiions, and the wealth they may contain, that obliges us to arnl before the moment of aggreflion— our commerce (hould bcf guaranteed, not only from real dangers, but thof apprehefl* C 95 3 apprehenfion of dangers ; and nothing can be of more importance, than to convince our Colonies that they will be protedcd. Behold the confequencts of this dangerous confidence, in the cafe of a neigh- bouring people, who overlooked and difregarded their enemies. Why is it neceffaiy that nations, in order to preferve peace, (hould ruin therafelves in preparations of defence ? Let this dreadful policy be reprobated by every country ! ' ■' It is for the purpofe of embracing the various objefts announced in their Report, that your Com- mittee propofes a Decree, as th? moft proper to fulfil your engagements without imprudence, to change the ancient fyftem without danger, and to avoid a war witliout exhibiting any fymptoms of weaknefs, ' i I \ \^ The Decree propofed by M. Mirabeau, underwent confiderable difcuffion and change. It was finally decreed on Thurfday the a6th of Auguft, and h ^s fbllpws; . . • . ,. „ DECREE ) t 9« } 'i > ' \'l ) ■ i I) E C R E E :> OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY of FRANCE, O N T E E FAMILY COMPACT. *' The National Aflembly deliberating on the formal propofition of the King, contained in the letter of the Minifter, dated the ift of Auguft, . : : : *' Decree, That the King be fupplicated to make known to his Catholic Majefty, that the French nation, in taking all proper meafures %o maintain peace, will obferve the defenfive and com- mercial engagements which the French Government have previoufly contrafted with Spain. " They further decree. That His Majefty (hall be requefted immediately to charge his Ambaflkdor in Spain to negotiate with the Minifter of His Catholic Majefty to the effe<5t of perpetuating and renewing, by a National Treaty, the ties fb ufeful to the two nations, and to fix with precifion and clearnefs every ftipulation which (hall be ftridtly conformable to the views of general peace, and to the principles of juftice, which will be for ever thQ policy of the French. " The National Aflembly farther taking into con- lideration the armz^mcnts of the diflferent nations of ...... ..^ Europe '^ [ 97 ] - Europe — their progreffive increafe, and the fafety of the French colonies, and commerce, decree. That the King fhall be prayed to give orders, that the French marine force in commiflion (hall be in- creafed to forry-five (hips of the hne, with a pro- portionate number of frigates, and other vefTels." ;, On the I ft of September M. Montmorin addrefled the following Letter to the Prelident of the National AlTembly : t " ^' Mr. President, , , t. i il i [ 98 ] Creed, and he has prefented the table of the expencp. they will require. I fhould add to you, that to fulfil gradually the views of the Aflenibly, His Majefty has determined to begin by equipping fixteen (hips, which, added to thofe already armed, will increafe the number to thirty. His Majefty has given orders at the lame time, that the neceflary meafures be x taken to enable him to complete the number of forty- five fhips voted by the Aflembly, with all the dif- patch which any poffible turn of affairs may require. " This difpofition, fubje6t to events, will not make any change in the table of expence prefented by M. de la Luzerne for the current year. His Majefty will take care only to give orders for the iffuing of the fums voted by the Affembly for the marine department, in proportion as the armaments ftiall require. .:: ; ; / ^.t 7 ' j. . : 1 '' ** The King believes, by thefe difpofitions of wifdom, prudence, and, at the fame time, of occo- nomy, that he has entered fully into the views of the Affembly, and thus reconciled their pacific in- tentions with the precautions that circumftances render neceffaiy. ' ^" ^ - . I have the honour to be, &c. < (Signed) MONTMORIN. >► The Marine Minifter laid before the Affembly ?he eftimates of the additional fums required for the marine fervice on account of this refolution. The eftimates were fubmitted to the Committee of Finances ! < C 9° ] Finances and Marine, and on their Report, thci National Aflembly pafled the following Decree for the naval fervice of the year 1790. I ft. Thatfroni the ift. Sept. inft. the Minifterof the Marine (hall be bound to give an account, monthly, of the expences dilburfed in the ports and arfenals.— That he (hall alfo give in fummary ftates of every fpecies of payments, certified by the ad- miniftrators, that the fame may be fubmitted to the examination of the Committee, and reported to the National Aflembly. , . 2d. That from the ift. Jan. 2791, the expences of marine affairs in the colonies fliall be prefented to che Aflembly by the Minifter, in the fame manner as thofe relative to the ports and arfenals.— Extraor-r dinaries to be accounted for at the fame time. 3d. With regard to the arrears due on the ma- rine and colonial eftablifhments, the Minifter fliall be bound without delay, to give an exadt ftate of the receipts and diftjurfements, ordinary and extra- ordinary, from the fettlement of tlie laft account, to the ift Jan. 1790, alfo a flate of the fums recove- red or recoverable from the debtors on the marine and colonial departments, that the whole may be laid before the Committee on Marine Affairs as foon as poflible. • • >■ 4th. And the National Aflembly being defirous of fecuring the marine fervice for the year 1790, DECREE, that without prejudging the diftribution of the funds provided in the month of December laft, the 30,000,000 livres, afligned for the ordinary ©f i [ 100 3 • of the mai'ine; the 10,500,000 tor the ordinary of the colonics ; and 7,162,850 Hvres, appropriated to the extraordinary expences^ amounting in all to 47,662^850 hvres, (hall continue to be iflued at the difpofition of the Marine Minifterj at the rate of a tvvelfth part of the wliole for each month to the end of the year 1790, he being always refponfible for the fame. , Oct. 10/^. M. Fveteau, ftated that 30 fhips of the 45 voted by the Affembly on the 25th of Augufl:, were equip- ped ; and that the Committee were of opinion, from the CQfitinued armaments of England^ that the re- maining 15 fliould be equipped with all pofTible ex- j^edition ; in this opinion the Affembly coincided. M. Malouet reported from the Marine Committee, that they, had received a letter from the Marine Mi- niiter, defirmg the farther fum of 4,958,2 1 8 livres., on account of the armament. The Affembly decreed,- ift. That the fum of 4^958,218 livres be placed under the controul of the Marine Department, to the account of the expence of fitting out forty-five Jail of the line, decreed by the Affembly. . 2d. That the account of payments for provi- fions for the fupply of the fleet fliall be prefented to the Affembly monthly. 3d. That on the itt of January next, an account Ihall be given in of the funis received and expend- ■ed on account of provifions for the fleet, and from the ifl:of January 1791, a contract lliall be entered into for fuch fupply. •^■a > I .^ uin .4