that a number of veffels were at the Texel, laden with naval ftores, and particularly mafts, and large fhip-building timber, ready to fail for France, with or under a Dutch convoy. The event proved the truth of thefe informations, as feveral of thefe veffels were found even under the faid convoy, the greatest part of them efcaped, and furnished France with very efficacious fupplies, of which they ftood in great need. Whilft your High Mightineffes thus affifted the king's enemies, by favouring the tranfportation of thefe fuccours, you impofed a heavy penalty on those fubjects of the Republic who fhould fupply the garrifon of Gibraltar with provifions, although that place is comprehended in the general guarantee of all the British poffeffions in Europe, and although at that moment Spain had disturbed the trade of the Republic in an unprecedented and outrageous manner. It is not only on thefe occafions that the conduct of your High Mightineffes towards the king, and towards the enemies of his majefty, holds up a ftriking contraft to the impartial eyes of all the world. No one can be ignorant of what has paffed in Paul Jones's affair: the afylum granted to that pirate was directly contrary to the treaty of Breda in 1667, and to your High Mightineffes Placard in 1756; befides which, although your High Mightineffes have, and ftill continue to keep an abfolute filence relative to the juft reclamations of his majefty, yet, upon the fimple requeft of the king's enemies, you affured them you would obferve a ftrict and unlimited neutrality, without any exceptions of the ancient engagements of the Republic, founded on the moft folemn treaties. Notwithstanding all this, the king is willing to perfuade himfelf, that all that has paffed is lefs to be attributed to the real fentiments of your High Mightineffes than to the artifices of his enemies, who, after fowing dif cord between the members of the States, have by threats and promifes endeavoured to fet them against their ancient ally. His majefty cannot think that your High Mightineffes have refolved to abandon a fyftem that the Republic has kept to for more than a century with fo much fuccefs and fo much glory. But if fuch is the refolution of your High Mightineffes; if you are determined to break the alliance with Great Britain by refufing to fulfil your engagements, things will bear a new face; the king will fee any fuch change with a very fenfible regret, but the confequences will be neceffary and inevitable. If by an act of your High Mightineffes the Republic ceafe to be an ally of his majefty, the relations between the two nations are totally changed, and they have no other connections, no other ties, than those which fubfift between neutral powers in friendship and unity. Every treaty being reciprocal, if your High Mightineffes will not fulfil your engagements, the confe quence muff be, that those on the part of the king ceafe to be any longer binding. It is in departing from thefe incontestable principles, that his majefty has ordered the underwritten to declare to your High Mightinesses, in the moft moft amicable, but yet the moft ferious manner, that if, contrary to his just expectations, your High Mightineffes do not, in the courfe of three weeks, from the day of the prefentation of this memorial, give a fatisfactory answer relative to the fuccours reclaimed eight months ago; his majefty will look upon fuch conduct as breaking off the alliance on the part of your High Mightineffes, and will not look upon the United Provinces in any other light than on the footing of other neutral powers, unprivileged by treaty, and confequently will fufpend, till further orders, all the particular ftipulations of the treaties made in favour of the fubjects of the Republic, particularly thofe of the treaty of 1674, and will only hold to the general principles of the right of nations, which ferves as a rule for neutral and unprivileged powers. Done at the Hague, March 21, 1780. (Signed) JOSEPH YORKE. The following provifional Answer was given to the above Memo rial. THAT their High Mightineffes are very defirous to coincide with the wishes of his British majefty, by giving a pofitive answer to the memorial delivered by his ambaffador, but that their High Mightineffes foresee, that from the nature of the government of the Republic, it is impoffible to return an answer in three weeks time, as the memorial must be deliberated upon by the different provinces, and their refolutions waited for. That their High Mightineffes are affured his ma jefty would not with rigorously to keep to the before - mentioned time, that their High Mightineffes might be able to conclude upon an answer in a manner conformable to the conftitution of the Republic, in which they had no right to make any alteration, and they promife to accelerate the deliberations upon that head as much as poffible. Declaration of the Court of Great Britain, April 17th, 1780. W HEREAS fince the com mencement of the war in which Great Britain is engaged by the uprovoked aggreffion of France and Spain, repeated memorials have been prefented by his majesty's ambaffador to the States General of the United Provinces, demanding the fuccours ftipulated by treaty; to which requifition, though ftrongly called upon in the laft memorial of the 21ft of March, their High Mightineffes have given no answer, nor fignified any intention of complying therewith: and whereas by the non-performance of the clearest engagements, they defert the alliance that has fo long fubfifted between the crown of Great Britain and the Republic, and place themfelves in the condition of a neutral power, bound to this kingdom by no treaty, every principle of wifdom and juftice requires that his majefty fhould confider them henceforward as standing only in that diftant relation in which they have placed themfelves: his majesty therefore having taken this matter into his royal confideration, doth, by and with with the advice of his privy council, judge it expedient to carry into immediate execution those intentions which were formally notified in the memorial prefented by his ambaffador on the 21st of March laft, and previously fignified in an official verbal declaration, made by Lord Viscount Stormont, one of his majesty's principal fecretaries of flate, to Count Welderen, envoy extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the Republick, nearly two months before the delivery of the aforefaid memorial for thefe caufes, his majefty, by and with the advice of his privy council, doth declare, that the fubjects of the United Provinces are henceforward to be confidered upon the fame footing with thofe of other neutral states not privileged by treaty; and his majesty doth hereby fufpend, provifionally, and till further order, all the particular ftipulations refpecting the freedom of navigation and commerce, in time of feas, twelve days after the date hereof. From the channel, the British feas, and the North feas, as far as the Canary Islands inclufively, either in the ocean or Mediterranean, the term fhall be fix weeks from the aforefaid date. Three months from the faid Canary Islands as far as the equinoctial line or equator. And lastly, fix months beyond the faid line or equator, and in all other parts of the world, without any exception or other more particular defcription of time and place. STEPH. COTTREL. The Memorial prefented to their High Mightineffes by Prince Gallitzin, the Ruffian Minifter, on the Part of the Empress his Sovereign. High and Mighty Lords, HE underwritten envoy ex war, of the fubjects of the States Ttraordinary from the Ex prefs of all the Ruffias has the honour to communicate to you a copy of the declaration which the emprefs his fovereign has made to the belligerent powers. Your High Mightineffes may look upon this communication as a particular mark of the attention of the Emprefs for the Republick, which is equally interefted in the reasons which occafioned the declaration. He has further orders to declare to your High Mightineffes, in the name of her Imperial Majefty, that how defirous foever the may be on the one hand to maintain the strictest neutrality during the prefent war, yet her majefty is as determined determined to take the most efficacious means to fupport the honour of the Ruffian flag, the fecurity of the trade, and the navigation of her fubjects, and not fuffer either to be hurt by any of the bellige rent powers; that, in order to prevent on this occafion any mifunderstanding or falfe interpretation, fhe thought it neceffary to fpecify in the declaration the limits of a free trade, and what is called contraband. That, if the definition of the former is founded upon the cleareft notions of natural right, the latter is literally taken from the treaty of commerce between Ruffia and Great Britain, by which her Imperial Majefty means incontestably to prove her good faith and impartiality towards each party; that the confequently apprehends that the other trading powers will immediately come into her way of thinking relative to neutrality. From thefe confiderations, her Imperial Majefty has ordered the underwritten to invite your High Mightineffes to make a common caufe with her, as fuch an union may ferve to protect the trade and navigation, and at the fame time obferve a ftrict neutrality, and to communicate to your High Mightineffes the regulation fhe has in confequence taken. The fame invitation has been made to the Courts of Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Lifbon, in order that by the united endeavours of all the neutral maritime powers, a natural fyftem, founded on juftice, might be established and legalifed in favour of the trade of neutral nations, which by its real advantages might ferve for a rule for future ages. The underwritten does not doubt but your High Mightineffes will, without delay, take the invitation of her Imperial Majefty into confideration, and concur in immediately making a declaration to the belligerent powers, founded on the fame principles as that of the emprefs, explaining at the fame time the nature of a free and contraband trade, conformable to their refpective treaties with the other nations. For the reft the underwritten has the honour to affure your High Mightineffes, that if, to establish fuch a glorious and advantageous fyftem upon the most folid bafis, they wished to open a negociation with the above-mentioned neutral powers on this fubject, the emprefs, his fovereign, is ready to join you. Your Mightineffes will eafily fee the neceffity of accelerating your refolutions upon objects of fuch importance and advantage for humanity in general. underwritten begs of you to give him a fpeedy answer. The DEMETRI PRINCE GAL verfal commerce, as all Europe can witness. They are reducible to the fol This conduct, as lowing points: well as the principles of impar- regard to the rights of nations, thofe of the belligerent powers. Thefe hindrances to the liberty of trade in general, and to that of Ruffia in particular, are of a nature to excite the attention of all neutral nations. The emprefs finds herself obliged therefore to free it by all the means compatible with her dignity and the well-being of her fubjects; but, before he puts this into execution, and with a fincere intention to prevent any future infringements, The thought it but juft to publish to all Europe the principles the means to follow, which are the propereft to prevent any mifunderstanding, or any occurrences that may occafion it. Her Imperial Majefty does it with the more confidence, as fhe finds thefe principles coincident with the primitive right of nations which every people may reclaim, and which the belligerent powers cannot invalidate without violating the laws of neutrality, and without difavowing the maxims they have adopted in the different treaties and public engagements. First, That all neutral fhips may freely navigate from port to Port, and on the coafts of nations at war. Secondly, That the effects belonging to the fubjects of the faid warring powers fhall be free in all neutral veffels, except contraband merchandise. Thirdly, That the empress, as to the fpecification of the abovementioned merchandife, holds to what is mentioned in the 10th and 11th articles of her treaty of commerce with Great Britain, ex tending her obligations to all the powers at war. what is meant by a blocked-up Fourthly, That, to determine port, this is only to be understood of one which is fo well kept in by the ships of the power that attacks it, and which keep their places, that it is dangerous to enter in to it. ferve as a rule for proceedings Fifthly, That these principles and judgments upon the legality of prizes. Her Imperial Majefty, in making thefe points public, does not hefitate to declare, that to maintain them, and to protect the honour of her flag, the fecurity of the trade and navigation of her fubjects, fhe has prepared the greatest part of her maritime forces. This measure will not, however, influence the ftrict neutrality fhe does obferve, and will observe, so long as fhe is not provoked and forced to break the bounds of moderation and perfect impartiality. It will be only in this extremity that her fleet have orders to go wherever |