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expediency of forming immediate arrangements for occupying such of the ceded places as actually belonged to Holland in the year 1792, and which are considered by the Allied Powers as forming an integral part of his Royal Highness's dominions.

Although the ratifications cannot be exchanged between the British and French Governments for a few days, your lordship will nevertheless enjoin, as far as it may fall within your power, his majesty's officers by sea and land to conform to the provisions therein contained; and you will also request his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange to give corresponding instructions to his naval and military authorities.

Your lordship will observe by the enclosure in my letter of this date, to Lord Bathurst, that the Prince Royal of Sweden's command in the Low Countries has ceased, and that, with the exception of one division of Swedish troops, placed under Sir Thomas Graham's immediate orders, the army of Sweden is to return home immediately.

I shall transmit this despatch under a flying seal to Sir T. Graham, in order that he may take, in concert with your lordship, the necessary arrangements for carrying the same into execution.

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Note for Lord Liverpool and Mr. Vansittart, on the subject of procuring all Supplies of Specie Abroad through one Agent. April 24.

The restoration of a free intercourse between the principal places of Exchange in Europe presents the means of applying funds for the use of the army under Lord Wellington, so long as it may remain in France, more directly and regularly through Paris, than the present circuitous mode of shipments from Holland.

It likewise opens a field for raising much larger sums without materially influencing the exchanges, whereby Great Britain may be enabled, by prudent management, to discharge the

current subsidies payable abroad more easily, and with less pressure upon the mercantile transactions of individuals, by making Paris the centre of exchange operations for that purpose.

The presence of a person confidentially entrusted with power to make arrangements to this effect, would be necessary for a short time only at Paris, after which they would proceed without difficulty, after a proper control in London only. The objects to be settled by the confidential agent would be—

1. To come to an exact understanding with the agents appointed by the Allied Courts to receive their respective subsidies, the principle of which would be to engage them not to draw, or commence any negociations of bills, for their demands, until after communication with the British agent, and a refusal on his part to supply them at the current exchange of the day.

2. To conclude an arrangement with the CommissaryGeneral of the British forces in France, so that the supplies for that quarter may pass through one channel, and not be interrupted by his drawing in a confined money market, such as Bordeaux.

3. To make arrangements for the transmission of money from Paris, where it may be indispensably necessary to forward it in specie.

4. To conclude with the Russian Commissary upon the sum of £200,000 already agreed to be paid.

The advantage of this single agency for the collection and appropriation of the sums to be paid abroad by the British Government, whether for its own armies or for subsidies, must be obvious. The effect of several different agents, some of them little solicitous for the credit of Great Britain, selling paper upon London in the markets, and at the times, which may happen to be most convenient to them, must have a greater tendency to depress the exchanges against England than the operations of an exchange agent of great power and extensive connexion, collecting funds regularly, and with con

stant regard to the interest of England through all the principal exchanges of Europe. This agent is always able and attentive to avoid pressing upon the weakest exchange. If there is much paper upon England in the Paris market, he supplies his immediate wants by drafts upon Augsburg, Vienna, or Amsterdam, and transfers the operation, if necessary, through other exchanges, till the moment is more favourable to reimburse himself from one or the other place by drafts upon London, or by remittances from thence.

In this manner, though in a more confined circle, Mr. Rothschild has hitherto realized a very large amount, and, under the direction of the Commissary-in-Chief, on the Continent, without in the least affecting the exchange; and it does not appear to admit of a reasonable doubt, but that the whole sums required by Great Britain for her expenditure abroad can be more economically secured by this system than by the scattered operations of various public agents, which are always likely to come in competition with each other, even when most secretly managed, and which are generally rendered doubly and trebly injurious, by the publicity with which they are conducted as national concerns.

Lord Castlereagh to Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham.
Copy.
Paris, April 24, 1814.

My dear Sir-My despatches to Lord Clancarty and Lord Bathurst, which go to you under flying seal, will give you all the necessary information to enable you to concert with the enemy as to the surrender of the several fortresses on the side of Holland and the Low Countries. Those anciently belonging to the Dutch you will call upon the Prince of Orange to occupy. I have requested Count Münster to arrest, by letter to the Duke of Cambridge, the advance of the Hanoverians. I shall take steps also to countermand the Danes: and I should hope you would be enabled to dispense, without delay, with the divi

VOL. IX.

K K

sion of Swedes left under your orders. As there is no tonnage sufficient at Stralsund to convey the whole army across the Baltic, in one or even two operations, no time will be lost by the division in question retarding somewhat its march.

You will be sorry to hear that Sir J. Hope has been wounded and taken. It appears that, on the night of the 14th, the garrison of Bayonne made a sortie in force: after a loss of five or six hundred men on each side, the enemy was obliged to retire; but, Hope's horse being shot under him and himself wounded, he was laid hold of near the advanced picquets. This, with the affair of the 10th, near Toulouse, has been a painful sacrifice, in consequence of the detention of the officers sent from hence. It is now, however, over; and we may worship the British army as long as we live, for what it has done for us and for the world.

Buonaparte, after exhorting his Guards to be as faithful to the King as they had been to him, set out for his island two days since. Campbell accompanies him, on our part, to see him safe. When introduced, Napoleon was very complimentary to the nation; spoke of Lord Wellington, of the campaigns in Spain and Portugal, and was pleased to pass a very high eulogium on your attack on Bergen-op-Zoom, which, though unsuccessful, he considered as doing the greatest honour to you and your troops.

I have deemed it advisable to detain Colonel Cathcart till our Convention was settled, which I hope you will approve.

Believe me, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

When you have read, and if you think fit copied, the despatches to the Hague and London, pray send them forward by the messenger. Pray also apprize the Danish Commander that he may arrest his march, and that a notice to that effect will be sent to his Court through Mr. Thornton.

Lord Castlereagh to General Sir Thomas Graham, K.B. Copy. Paris, April 24, 1814. Sir-I am to acquaint you that General Comte Kunigl has been appointed to receive, in the name of the Allied Sovereigns, possession of the several fortresses in Brabant, which are to be evacuated by the French, under the Convention signed yesterday.

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As commanding in chief the Allied troops in that quarter, will concert with the Austrian General as to the execution of this service, and make the necessary arrangements for garrisoning the same.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Lord Castlereagh to Lord William Bentinck.

Paris, April 24, 1814.

My Lord-I have the honour to forward to your lordship copy of a Convention signed yesterday with the French Government, for a suspension of hostilities by sea and land. Your lordship will regulate your proceedings in conformity to this instrument; and, in whatever may yet remain to be done to reduce the Viceroy, you will act in concert with Marshal Bellegarde.

I have this day received a despatch from Marshal Wellington, announcing that he had concluded an armistice with Marshals Soult and Suchet. The interruption of the communication for several days, gave occasion to a severe affair on the 10th, between the two armies, in the vicinity of Toulouse. The British army defeated that under Marshal Soult, with considerable loss, and obliged them to evacuate Toulouse.

On the [14th], the garrison of Bayonne made a sortie in force; they were driven back, with loss on both sides but we have to regret the fall of General Hoy, and that Sir J. Hope,

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