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yond a doubt, the truth of their allegations. In the mean time, your petitioners acquaint this honourable houfe, that, unless a ftrong regular force be permanently establifhed in Jamaica during the war, and a con. fiderable fleet. ftationed there, they cannot think that ifland in a ftate of fecurity. This they con ceive themselves as Englishmen bound to lay before the reprefentatives of the people of Great-Britain. humbly claiming protection as their undoubted right; and looking back with horror at the dangers from which (by the fole difpofition of the Divine Providence) they have efcaped, whilft fundry of their fellow-fubjects are now obliged to proftrate themfelves at the foot of the throne of the French king, to implore the mercy of that monarch, inftead of the protection of their natural fovereign.

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of public tranquillity, and the prefervation of that juft equilibrium which has been fo often troubled by the ambitious policy of the Houfe of Bourbon.

When the Court of Verfailles, in direct violation of public faith, and the common right of all fo vereigns, broke the peace by a league made with his Majesty's rebellious fubjects, which was avowed and formally declared by the Marquis de Noailles, when France, by immenfe preparations, manifefted a defign to annihilate the maritime power of England, the king thought your High Mightineffes too fenfible not to fee that the welfare of the Republic was fo clofely connected with that of Great Britain, as to induce you to haften to its fuccour. One of his Majefty's first cares was to inform your High Mightineffes of all the circumftances of that unjust war, and in the critical fituation in which the king found himself he did not forget the interefts of his ancient allies, but, on the contrary, thewed the fincereft defire to favour the trade and free navigation of the Republic as much as the welfare of bis people would permit; he even refrained a long time to reclaim the fuccours ftipulated by treaty, and though he fulfilled his own engagements, did not require the fame from your High Mighti neffes; the reclamation in quef tion was not made till the united forces of France and Spain were ready to fall upon England at once, and attempt a landing, with the affiftance of a formidable fleet. Although they were fruftrated in that enterprize, the king's enemies are till meditating the fame projects; and it is by the express

order

Order of his Majefty, that the underwritten again renews, in the moft formal manner, the demand of the fuccours ftipulated by different treaties, and particularly that of 1-16.

Hitherto your High Mightineffes have been filent upon this effential article, whilft you infifted upon a forced interpretation of the treaty of commerce of the year 1674, against the abuse of which Great Britain at all times protefted. This interpretation cannot be reconciled with the clear and particular ftipulation of the fecret article of the treaty of peace of the fame year. An article of a treaty of commerce cannot annul fo effential an article of a treaty of peace, and both are exprefsly comprehended in the principal treaty of alliance of 1678, by which your High Mightinelles are obliged to furnish his Majefty with the required fuccours. You are too wife and too juft not to feel that all the engagements between powers ought to be mutually and reciprocally obferved, and although they were agreed upon at different periods, do alike bind the contracting parties. This inconteftable principle is the more applicable here, the treaty of 1716 renews all the anterior engagements between the Crown of England- and the Republic, and in a manner includes them in one.

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The underwritten had further orders to declare to your High Mightineffes, that he was ready to enter into conference with you to regulate, in an amicable manner, all that was neceffary to prevent a misunderstanding, and every other difagreeable event, by con.

certing measures which fhould be both equitable and advantageous to the fubjects of both countries; but this amicable overture was refufed in a manner as unexpected, and extraordinary as unufual between two friendly powers: and without paying any attention either to the repeated public and private reprefentations relative to convoys, your High Mightineffes not only granted thefe convoys to different forts of naval ftores, but more particularly ordered that a certain number of men of war fhould be ready for the future to convoy naval ammunition of all forts to the ports of France, and that at a time when the subjects of the republic enjoyed by treaty a liberty and extent of commerce far beyond what the right of nations grants to neutral powers.

This refolution, and the orders given to Rear-admiral Count Byland, to oppofe by force the fearching of the merchant-fhips, brought on an incident which the friendfhip of the king defired much to prevent; but it is notorious, that that admiral, in confequence of his inftructions, fired first at the boats under English colours, which were fent to examine the fhips in the manner prescribed by the treaty of 1674.

This then is a manifeft ag, greffion, a direct violation of that fame treaty which your High Mightineffes feem to look upon as the most facred of all. His Majefty had before - hand made reiterated representations upon the neceffity and juftice of the exa. mination, which had taken place in all analogous circumftances, and is fully authorized by the treaty. They were apprized in London,

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that a number of veffels were at the Texel, laden with naval ftores, and particularly mafts, and large thip-building timber, ready to fail for France, with or under a Dutch convoy. The event proved the truth of these informations, as feveral of these vetfels were found even under the faid convoy, the greatest part of them escaped, 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 transportation of thefe fuccours, you impofed a heavy penalty on thofe 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 poffeflions in Europe, and although at that moment Spain had difturbed 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 majesty, holds up a ftriking contrait 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 Mightinefies have, and ftill continue to keep an abfolute filence relative to the juft reclamations of his majefty, yet, upon the fimple requeit of the king's enemies, you affured them you would obferve a frict and unlimited neutrality, without any

exceptions of the ancient engage ments 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 Mightinefes than to the artifices of his enemies, who, after fowing difcord 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 Mightinefies will not fulfil your

engagements, the confequence muft be, that those on the part of the king ceafe to be any longer binding. It is in departing from thefe inconteftable principles, that his majefty has or dered the underwritten to declare to your High Mightineffes, in the

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moft amicable, but yet the most ferious manner, that if, contrary to his juft expectations, your High Mightineffes do not, in the courfe of three weeks, from the day of the presentation of this memorial, give a fatisfactory anfwer 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 confe

jefty would not with rigorously to keep to the before - mentioned time, that their High Might ineffes 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 1; th, 1780.

WHEREAS fince the com

quently will fufpend, till further W mencement of the war in

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 provisional Anfwer 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 forefee, 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

which Great Britain is engaged by the unprovoked aggreffion of France and Spain, repeated memorials have been prefented by his majefty'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 21st of March, their High Mightincffes have given no anfwer, nor fignified any intention of complying therewith: and whereas by the non-performance of the cleareft engagements, they defert the alliance that has fo long fubfifted between the crown of Great Britain and the Republic, and place themselves 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 majefty therefore having taken this matter into his royal confideration, dotů, by and

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 thall be fix weeks from the aforefaid date.

Three months from the faid Canary Ilands as far as the equinoctial line or equator.

And laftly, 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.

with the advice of his privy coun- feas, twelve days after the date cil, judge it expedient to carry into immediate execution thofe intentions which were formally notified in the memorial prefented by his ambaffador on the zitt of March laft, and previously fignified in an official verbal declaration, made by Lord Viscount Stormont, one of his majefty's principal fecretaries of ftate, 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 ftates not privileged by treaty; and his majefty doth hereby fufpend, provifionally, and till further order, all the particular ftipulations, refpecting the freedom of navigation and commerce, in time of war, of the fubjects of the States General, contained in the feveral treaties now fubfifting between his majefty and the Republick, and more particularly thofe contained in the marine treaty between Great Britain and the United Provinces, concluded at London, December, 1674.

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The Memorial prefented to their High Mightinelles by Prince Gallitzin, the Ruffian Minifter, on the Part of the Empress his So❤ vereign.

High and Mighty Lords,

HE underwritten envoy ex

Your

traordinary from the Emprefs 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. High Mightineffes may look upon this communication as a particular mark of the attention of the Emprefs for the Republick, which is equally interested 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 fhe may be on the one hand to maintain the ftricteft neutrality during the prefent war, yet her majefty is as

determined

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