there six weeks, but will stay longer if any wish is shown to detain him. The Prince Wrede accompanies his Majesty, and will remain about a fortnight. He has been invited by a letter from Prince Metternich, independent of the verbal invitation which was given to him in common with M. de Montgelas.

In consequence of this, and from other reasons, M. de Montgelas appears determined not to go to Vienna. I shall be sorry if he perseveres in this intention, as I am convinced of the permanence of his influence here, and think that the cordiality of his attachment to the Austrian Government would be much increased, if he could be persuaded that the part he has formerly played was really forgiven; while it will necessarily be much diminished by any distinction that is made between him and Marshal Wrede.

I am, my dear lord, &c.,

Sir Charles Stuart to Lord Castlereagh.

F. LAMB.

Paris, December 2, 1816.

My dear Lord-The Baron de Vincent some time since read to me a communication which he had received from his Court, instructing him to place on the Protocol of our Conferences a declaration recognizing the principle that, whenever the Legislative Bodies in France shall, in unison with the Government, act upon a principle likely to conciliate public opinion, and to contribute to the re-establishment of tranquillity throughout the kingdom, it will be expedient for the Allies to support the moral force of the Government, by carrying into effect the article of the treaty which provides for the gradual reduction of the Army of Occupation.

Having answered this communication by making known to Baron Vincent the substance of the instructions I had received from your lordship upon this question, he was induced to suspend the execution of his instructions until he had written to Vienna. The result of this reference having con

VOL. XI.

Y

firmed the former orders of his Court, Baron Vincent again brought me the declaration, in the accompanying form. I requested, however, that the question might not be brought forward until I had consulted the Duke of Wellington.

The accompanying correspondence having passed, Baron Vincent expressed so much apprehension lest the Russian Minister should take the lead in bringing the subject under discussion, if he should delay any longer to execute his orders, that I have determined to suggest to the Duke of Wellington the expediency of an immediate journey to Paris, for the purpose of giving an opinion in the meeting, when this Declaration shall be read.

Believe me, my dear lord, very truly yours,

[Enclosures.]

CHARLES STuart.

The Duke of Wellington to Sir Charles Stuart.

Cambray, November 23, 1816.

My dear Sir-I have received your letter of the 26th, regarding the directions recently received by Baron Vincent from Prince Metternich, regarding the question of the reduction of the Allied forces in France, respecting which I can form no judgment without seeing them. In my opinion, the time is approaching when that question ought to be discussed by the Ministers of the Allied Courts residing at Paris. The course which it ought regularly to take is as follows: It should be discussed by the Ministers in Conference, and I will either attend them, or send them my opinion in writing. They should then inform their Courts of the result of this discussion, and each obtain orders for their guidance. If the result of the discussion should be an early diminution of the forces, each Court will of course give its own orders to its own general, apprising me of the same.

As this measure has long been in contemplation, it is very possible that the Ministers of each of the four Courts have instructions for their guidance, as I know you have, and as it

appears Baron Vincent has. But as these instructions can be only conditional, and depending upon the state of affairs and opinions in France, and upon the result of the discussion among yourselves and with me, which must take place upon this question, I don't conceive that any benefit will be derived from placing on the Protocol prematurely the instructions to any Minister, or the opinion of any Court. On the contrary, it will serve only to cramp and fetter discussion on a question on which it ought to be most free. This, however, is a matter of private opinion, which, of course, must be subordinate to the instructions which Baron Vincent will have received.

The next point to be considered is the period at which the Ministers of the Allied Courts will take this question into consideration. Do they consider the measures and intentions of the Legislature to be sufficiently clearly manifested, to enable them now to reckon upon them as certain in this discussion? Would it not be advisable to allow more time, and, before the question is discussed, to see what will be the nature of the discussions in the Chambers, and what their conduct and decisions on the several questions brought before them by the Government?

I throw out these points for consideration, and shall be glad to hear from the Ministers of the Allied Courts upon them. WELLINGTON.

Ever yours, &c.,

The Duke of Wellington to Sir Charles Stuart.

Cambray, November 27, 1816.

My dear Sir-I received your letter of the 25th, yesterday afternoon. I have nothing farther to say upon the insertion upon the Protocol of the Austrian Declaration, which appears to me very decisive of the question to be discussed.

The Ministers of the Allied Courts must be the best judges of the period to be fixed for discussing the question, and I will either attend them at that period, or will send them my

opinion in writing, if I should not have it in my power to attend them.

Mr. Edward Thornton to Lord Bathurst.

Stockholm, December 5, 1816.

My Lord-I had the honour of receiving, about a week ago, your lordship's letter marked Private, of the 11th ult., by which your lordship was pleased to communicate to me, for the information of the Prince Royal of Sweden, the pleasure with which his Royal Highness the Prince Regent would see any arrangement with regard to the residence of Madame Joseph Bonaparte, which might be agreeable to the feelings of the Prince Royal, and conformable to the ideas which he had expressed to me.

I lost no time in communicating this letter to the Prince Royal: his Royal Highness received this communication with the most unfeigned pleasure, and desired me, in offering to your lordship his personal thanks for this great mark of attention, to express through your lordship his acknowledgments for it to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent. There have been few occasions on which I have witnessed in the Prince a more natural and unmixed expression of satisfaction than on the present.

The Prince will, I believe, make use of this communication to the Governments both of Russia and France; and I hope your lordship will not disapprove of my having furnished him with a copy of your lordship's letter, if he should think proper to make use of it for that purpose.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

EDWARD THORNTON.

Mr. G. W. Chad to Lord Castlereagh.

Brussels, December 9, 1816.

My Lord-The Baron de Nagell has communicated to me

the answer which the King has directed him to transmit to

morrow to the Austrian, Russian, and Prussian Ministers. He states that General Vandamme has been conveyed out of the kingdom by the northern frontier; alludes to the incorrectness of the intelligence contained on this subject in the newspapers, and remarks the propriety of viewing such information in future with distrust.

The Baron de Nagell has been induced, by the repeated and daily attacks of Prince Hatzfeld, to tender his resignation to the King. It is much to be feared that, if his Excellency were to retire, he would not be replaced by a Minister equally firm in his attachment to the system which it is the object of the Allied Powers to uphold.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

G. W. CHAD.

Sir Charles Stuart to Lord Castlereagh.

Paris, December 16, 1816.

My dear Lord-I send your lordship the copy of a letter which Mr. Jefferson, of the United States, has lately addressed to Madame de Staël, respecting the affairs of Spanish America. This letter was translated from the original English into French, by her son, Baron Auguste de Staël.'

Believe me, &c.,

[Enclosure.]

CHARLES STUART.

Mr. Jefferson to Madame de Staël.

Monticello, September 6, 1816.

A request, dear Madam, in your letter of January the 6th, gives you the trouble of reading this. You therein ask information of the state of things in South America. This is difficult to be understood, even to us who have some stolen

It was a copy of the French translation that Sir C. Stuart transmitted with this letter. In a very brief communication of December the 30th, he says:-"I send you the original letter from Mr. Jefferson to Madame de Staël, of which I forwarded a translation some time since."