Steps were thereupon taken by his majesty for opening a regular negotiation by ministers duly authorized, in order to ascertain, in a manner the most satisfactory and authentic, whether peace could be obtained on terms honourable to the king and his allies, and consistent with the general security of Europe.

During these proceedings, a minister, sent by the emperor of Russia to treat for the same important object, in concert with his majesty's government, was induced, by the artifices of the enemy, to sign a separate treaty, on terms equally repugnant to the honour and interests of his imperial majesty. Unmoved by this unexpected event, the king continued to negotiate precisely on the same principles as before. He relied with a confidence which experience has amply justified, on the good faith and steadiness of an ally, in concert with whom he had begun to treat, and whose interests he had main tained throughout with the same firmness as his own.

The French government, on the contrary, elated with this advantage, of which it boasted as equal in importance to the most decisive victory, departed in every confer ence more and more widely from its own offers and engagements. Not only did it take upon itself to change at its own will the basis of the negotiation with Great Britain, but it violated, in points, still more important, every principle of good faith with Russia. The chief in. ducement offered to that power as the price of all the sacrifices extort ed from her minister, had been the preservation of Germany. Yet, before the decision of Russia on

this treaty could be known, France had already annihilated the whole frame and constitution of the Ger. manic empire; had reduced under her own yoke a large proportion of the states and provinces of Germany; and, not content with this open contempt of obligations so recently contracted, had at the same time instigated the Porte to measures directly subversive of her subsisting engagements with Russia.

While such conduct was pursued towards his majesty, towards his allies, and towards all independent powers, there appeared so little hope of any favourable issue to the nego tiation, that his majesty's plenipotentiaries demanded their passports to return to England.

This demand was at first eluded by an unusual and unexplained delay, and the French government, afterwards, by some material concessions, accompanied with intimations, that others of still greater consequence might be the result of further discussion, procured a re newal of the conferences, which were protracted from day to day, till at length it was announced at Paris that the emperor of Russia had indignantly rejected the unauthorised and separate treaty signed by his minister.

In consequence of this important event, the strongest assurances were given to his majesty's minister, that France was now prepared to make sacrifices to a great extent, in order, by securing peace with Great Britain, to re-establish the tranquillity of the world.

The object of these assurances appeared, however, to be that of engaging his majesty to a separate negotiation, to the exclusion of his allies; a proposal which his majesty

had

had rejected in the outset, and which he could still less admit of at a time when the conduct of Russia had imposed on him an increased obligation not to separate his interests from those of so faithful an ally. To these insidious overtures, his majesty steadily refused to listen; but he took the most effectual method to avoid all appearance of delay, and to accelerate, if possible, the favourable issue of the negotiation. The confidential in. tercourse which he had constantly maintained with Russia, enabled his majesty to specify the terms on which peace with that power might be obtained; and his minister was accordingly instructed to state to France, in addition to his own demands, those of his ally, to reduce them into distinct articles, and even to conclude on those grounds a provisional treaty, to take effect whenever Russia should signify her accession.

This form of negotiating was, after some objection, acceded to by France. Terms were now offered to his majesty more nearly approaching than before to the original basis of negotiation; but they were still far short of what his majesty had uniformly insisted on, and was now more than ever en titled to expect; and the decisive rejection of the just demands of Russia, as well as of the conditions proposed by his majesty in behalf of his other allies, left to his majesty no other course than that of ordering his minister to terminate the discussion and returu to England.

The foregoing short and simple exposition of facts stands in need of no comment. The first overtures

which led to negotiation were made by the enemy, and they were accepted by his majesty in the sincerest spirit of peace. Every opening which seemed to afford the most distant prospect of accommodation has been anxiously embraced, nor was the negotiation finally broken off while any hope of a favourable issue could be entertain. ed. His majesty's demands were uniformably just and reasonable; directed to no objects of personal aggrandizement, but to such only as were indispensibly required by the honour of his crown, his engagements to his allies, and a due consideration of the general interests of Europe.

It is with heartfelt concern that his majesty contemplates the con. tinuance of those evils always inseparable from a state of war; but it is with his enemies that this awful responsibility rests; and for the issue of the contest his majesty trusts, with confidence, to the justice of his cause; to the resources and bravery of his people; to the fidelity of his allies; and, above all, to the protection and support of the divine providence.

In contributing to the great efforts which such a contest must unavoidably require, his faithful and affectionate subjects will not forget that all their dearest interests are at stake; that no sacrifices they can be called upon to make, are to be compared with the certain disgrace and ruin of yielding to the injurious pretensions of the enemy; that with the inviolable maintenance of the good faith and public honour of their country, its prosperity, its strength, and its independence, are essentially con

nected;

nected; and that, in asserting the rights, and upholding the dignity of the British empire, they defend the most powerful bulwark of the liberties of makind.

M.D'Oubril's Treaty, signed the 8th (20th) of July, with General Clarke, appointed Plenipotentiary for that Purpose by the French Government.

1. From the present day there shall be peace and friendship for ever between his majesty the emperor of Russia, and his majesty the emperor of France and king of Italy, their heirs and successors, their empires and subjects.

2. As a consequence of the first article, all hostilities, both by sea and land, shall cease between the two nations; the necessary orders for which shall be issued within twenty-four hours after signing the present convention. All ships of war, and other vessels, belonging to either of the two powers, or their subjects, that shall be taken after the signing of this convention in any part of the world, shall be restored

to the owners.

3. The Russian troops shall give up to the French the country known by the name of Bocca di Cattaro, as also Dalmatia, which, by the fourth article of the treaty of Presburg, belongs to his French imperial majesty as king of Italy. Every faci lity shall be afforded the Russian troops for the evacuation of Cattaro, as also of the Ragusan territory, Montenegro, and Dalmatia, if the circumstances of the warshould have occasioned them to occupy those territories. Immediately after this convention shall be ratified, the

3

commanders of the two powers by land and sea shall enter into an agreement with respect to the marching out of the troops, and the surrender of the country.

4. His majesty the emperor of France and king of Italy consents. at the request of the emperor of all the Russias,

I. To restore the republic of Ragusa to its former independence,

under the condition that it shall enjoy, as heretofore, the protection of the Ottoman Porte. The French shall retain the position of Stagno, on the Peninsula Sabionello, to secure the communication with Cattaro.

II. To cease from any hostile undertakings against the Montenegrins from the day of the signing of this convention, so long as they shall remain peaceable as subjects of the Porte. They shall immediately return home, and his majesty the emperor Napoleon engages not to molest them, nor to make any enquiries relative to the part they have taken in the hostile attacks that have been made in the territory of Ragusa, and the neighbouring terri

tories.

5. The independence of the republic of the seven islands is acknowledged by both powers. The Russian troops now in the Mediterranean shall remove to the Ionian islands. His Russian imperial majesty to give a proof of his sincere disposition to peace, shall not leave more than 4,000 of his troops there, which he shall remove as soon as his imperial majesty shall judge necessary.

6. The independence of the Ottoman Porte shall be acknowledged on both sides, and both the high contracting

8. Both the high contracting powers shall employ their good offices to terminate, as speedily as possible, the war between Prussia and Sweden.

9. As the two high contracting powers wish, as much as depends upon them, to hasten the peace by sea, his French imperial majesty will willingly accept the good offers of his Russian imperial majesty for the attainment of that object.

10. The commercial relations between the subjects of the two empires shall be restored to the same Looting on which they were before the breaking out of the hostilities by which they were disturbed and separated.

11. All prisoners of both nations shall be delivered up to the agents of the respective governments, without exception, as soon as the ratifications shall be exchanged.

12. The regulations of the missions and ceremonials, between the two high contracting powers shall be placed on the same footing as before the war.

13. The ratifications of this convention shall be exchanged at St. Petersburgh within twenty-five days, by plenipotentiaries appointed on each side.

His imperial majesty has been pleased to lay this act of pacification before a council summoned specially for that purpose, that it might be compared both with the instructions given to M. d'Oubril here, and with the orders sent to him at Vienna, before his departure from that city; and it has appeared that the counsellor of state, d'Oubril, when he signed the convention, had not only departed from the instructions he had received, but had acted directly contrary to the sense and intention of the commission given him.

The imperial council, with a common feeling for the honour of the country, and abiding by the known principles of his imperial majesty, which are founded in the strictest justice, have declared as their common opinion, that this act, which is not conformable to the views of his imperial majesty, cannot receive his majesty's ratification; and his imperial majesty has ordered this to be notified to the French govern. ment. His majesty, at the same time, has signified his willingness to renew the negotiations for peace, but only on such principles as are suitable to the diguity of his majesty.

The ministry for foreign affairs has made an official communication on this subject to all the foreign ministers accredited to this court.

"Being actuated by a solicitude for the preservation of Europe in a state of calm and tranquillity, and animated by a sincere desire to put an end to misunderstanding, and reestablish peace with France on solid bases, we have considered it proper to commit this task to a person enjoying our confidence. For that purpose we have nominated, ap. pointed, and authorised our trusty and well beloved Pierre d' Oubril, counsellor of state, and knight of the orders of St. Wolodimir, of the third class, of St. Anne of the second, and of St. John of Jerusalem, whom we do nominate, appoint, and authorize by these presents, for the purpose and to the intent of enter ing into conference with the person or persons who shall be properly authorised on the part of the French government, and of concluding and signing with them an act or convention upon bases proper for the set. tlement of the peace which is to be established between Russia and France, and to lay the foundation of peace between the other belligerent powers of Europe.

"We promise on our imperial word, to take for granted, and to execute faithfully, all that shall be agreed upon and signed by our said plenipotentiary, and also to give our imperial ratification within the time which shall be agreed upon.

"In testimony of which we have signed these full powers, and have affixed thereto the seal of our empire.

"Given at St. Petersburgh, the 30th of April, 1806, and in the 6th year of our reign.

Alexander.

(Certified to be translated con. formably to the original.)

Pierre d'Oubril."

Russian Manifesto.

We, Alexander I. by the grace of God, emperor and autocrat of all Russia, &c. &c. &c.

To all our faithful subjects be it known;

While we, in pursuance of our incessant anxiety for the internal prosperity of our empire, have directed our constant attention to its external relations, it has uniformly been our wish to establish it upon the solid basis of the public interest, and to maintain it by alliances suited to the situation and circumstances of our country.

In this view we thought it proper, at the commencement of our reign, to remove the causes of the misunderstandings which then existed, and to unite ourselves in friendly intercourse with those powers whose wise and moderate principles were most consistent with your independence, and with the general tranquillity. The omnipotent fa voured our wishes, in restoring a general peace throughout Europe.

But it was not consistent with his inscrutable purposes to continue this state of things. The war broke out anew.

Although, from our situation, we took no immediate share in this war, yet, agreeably to alliances and to the fixed principles of attachment to the common interest and tranquil. lity by which we were actuated, we never ceased to wish for the restoration of peace, and to labour, by pacific negotiations, to obtain that