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Lord Exmouth to Lord Castlereagh.

Boyne, off Marseilles, October 9, 1815. My Lord-I have the honour to inform your lordship that Captain Bastard, of the Meander frigate, joined me this morning, from Corsica, with the report of Marshal Murat having departed from Ajaccio the night of the 28th, accompanied by three small vessels, and about one hundred persons, generals

and other officers.

I beg to enclose for your lordship's information a letter addressed to Murat by Colonel Macirone, with the reply to it. I have the honour to be, &c.,

[Enclosures.]

EXMOUTH.

T. Macirone to the King of Naples [Murat].

Gènes, Septembre 28, 1815. Sire J'ai l'honneur de mettre sous les yeux de votre Majesté une pièce officielle, munie de la signature de son Altesse le Prince de Metternich, renfermant les conditions sous lesquelles sa Majesté l'Empereur d'Autriche offre à votre Majesté un asile dans ses états. Je les propose à l'acceptation de votre Majesté, et je suis autorisé à lui notifier qu'en cas qu'elle y obtempère, j'aurais à ma disposition un officier Autrichien, qui accompagnera votre Majesté à travers la France et la Suisse; et dans le cas qu'elle se déciderait pour le voyage par mer, j'ai pour son usage un passeport achevé par les Plénipotentiaires Anglais et Autrichiens, qui la servira de saufgarde jusqu'à son arrivée à Trieste, où les autorités sont déjà prévenus pour sa réception.

Je suis autorisé aussi à prévenir votre Majesté que M. Bastard, Capitaine de la frégate de S.M.B. le Meander, se trouve dans ce moment à Bastia, prêt à se rendre à mon invitation dans le port d'Ajaccio, pour recevoir à son bord votre Majesté ainsi que moi-même, et nous conduire en toute sûreté à Toulon, lieu du rendezvous que j'ai assigné pour l'officier supérieur Au

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trichien qui devait accompagner votre Majesté jusque dans les états de sa Majesté Imperiale et Royale.

J'ai trouvé à Paris deux domestiques qui avaient appartenu à votre Majesté, tout-à-fait sans œuvre et manquant les moyens d'existence. Il m'a convenu de les prendre à mon service. Maintenant je viens d'être instruit que votre Majesté se trouve tout-à-fait dépourvu des aises et des commodités que les services de ces hommes pourraient lui apporter, étant entièrement dépourvue de valets de chambre, et quelle désirerait les reprendre à son service. Je me fais, Sire, un vrai plaisir d'assurer votre Majesté qu'ils sont tous les deux parfaitement à sa disposition, d'autant plus que je puis très bien en attendant me prévaloir des services de mon palefrenier; et si votre Majesté le désirerait ils pourront, dès ce soir même reprendre leurs fonctions auprès de la personne de votre Majesté.

Je prie votre Majesté de vouloir bien me rendre une réponse décisive sur ses intentions, et de daigner agréer les sentimens de respect et d'estime avec lesquels j'ai l'honneur d'être de votre Majesté le très humble et très obéissant serviteur.

T. MACIRONE.

The King of Naples to T. Macirone.

Ajaccio, Septembre 28, 1815. Monsieur Macirone, Envoyé des Puissances Alliées auprès du Roi Joachim, je viens de prendre connaissance des pièces dont vous êtes porteur. J'accepte le passeport, que vous êtes chargé de me remettre, et je compte m'en servir pour me rendre à la destination qui y est fixée. Quant aux conditions que sa Majesté Imperiale et Royale impose à l'offre d'un asile en Autriche, je me réserve de traiter cet article important à l'époque où je serai réuni à ma famille.

La sommation peu mesurée qui m'a été addressée par M. le Capitaine de la frégate de sa Majesté Britannique m'empêche d'accepter l'offre que vous me faites en son nom de me recevoir à son bord.

Persécuté, menacé, même en Corse, parcequ'on avait pu me supposer des vues sur cette Isle, j'avais déjà préparé mes moyens de départ. En effet je pars cette nuit. J'accepte avec plaisir les valets-de-chambre que vous voulez bien me céder. Sur ce, Monsieur Macerone, je prie Dieu qu'il vous ait en sa sainte et digne garde.

Lord Castlereagh to Lord Liverpool.

JOACHIM.

Paris, October 16, 1815.

My dear Lord-In answer to your private letter of the 2nd, enclosing one from Mr. Wilberforce, suggesting the propriety of further instructions being given to his Majesty's Minister at Madrid, to urge the Spanish Government anew to direct the cessation of the slave trade on the part of their subjects to the north of the Line, I beg to refer your lordship to the despatch enclosed, which I addressed to Mr. Vaughan, on communicating to him the unqualified abolition of the slave trade by the French Government.

You must be aware that any further representations which I might direct to be made at this moment, and under the present circumstances of the Spanish Government, would probably not produce any more satisfactory result.

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Lord Liverpool to Lord Castlereagh.

Walmer Castle, October 17, 1815.

My dear Castlereagh-Hamilton, and Fagel the Ambassador, paid me a visit here, on their way to town, and I have since received your letter of the 12th inst., with the account of the unpleasant transaction that had occurred at Naples, in consequence of Lord William Bentinck's arrival there.

I am informed by Bathurst that he had no special authority whatever to go there, for the purpose he assigned. His name

was inserted in the Order in Council, as is usual on such occasions as a trustee, but it never could be considered that this constituted him as agent. I conclude that you are aware that Lord William Bentinck has no command or public character whatever in Italy. It would be impossible to put him on the staff now in France or Flanders, without putting him over the head of Lord Hill, and I believe Lord Combermere, and of several other officers, who would naturally conclude that they had superior claims, after all that had passed, to commands in that army. I am not insensible, however, to the importance of inducing Lord William Bentinck, if possible, to retire quietly out of Italy.

I hope, if it is intended to leave the British force in the neighbourhood of Paris during the winter, as I can easily understand may be necessary, that there will be left at the same time some proportion of Prussian troops, and, if practicable, some proportion likewise of the other Allied corps.

I feel confident that the Duke of Wellington will take every due precaution to secure the force in question against any possible accident by surprise, and that you will insist on the same principle of precaution being extended to his own person. We ought never to lose sight for a moment of the consideration that, with whatever humanity and indulgence the French may have been treated by us, they hate us far more than any other nation, and that they would most willingly embark in any project for the destruction of the force which has saved them, if they only thought that it was likely to prove

successful.

The arrangement for distributing the contribution to be paid by France appears to me to be as good as could have been devised, with the exception only of the sum which it is agreed should be given to Portugal. This sum is indeed inconsiderable in amount; but, however small, I do not conceive that Portugal is in any way entitled to it-the Regency of that country being the only Government in Europe which

actually refused to co-operate not merely by their unwillingness to comply with the requisition of the Duke of Wellington, but even by declining to lend any part of their force for the other objects which were afterwards proposed to them.

I wish to suggest to you whether the engagement respecting the abolition of the Slave Trade should not be inserted in the general treaty. If this should meet with difficulties, it ought at least to form a part of the Convention by which Guadaloupe and the Saintes are to be restored to France; but I should think it much more desirable, on every account, that it should constitute a provision in the treaty to which all the Powers of Europe will be parties.

Believe me to be, &c.,

Lord Bathurst to Lord Liverpool.

LIVERPOOL.

Downing Street, October 19, 1815.

Dear Liverpool-I circulated the two despatches to Lord Sidmouth and to Vansittart. The messenger has carried them also to Pole, but he has unluckily gone to Staines; I have therefore neither received his answer nor the despatches. Lord Sidmouth and Vansittart were at Carlton House to-day; and, on talking over the despatches with them, I find we agree in approving the arrangement respecting the contributions. It does not appear to hazard their ultimate payment; and, on many accounts, it is advisable that the payment should be made as practicable as possible, provided it creates such a pressure on the resources of France as to give to Europe a reasonable prospect of permanent peace.

It is very desirable that the fortresses to be occupied, under the treaty, by the Allies, should be delivered up to us before any considerable portion of the Allied forces are withdrawn. This, it is presumed, will be provided for in the arrangements referred to in the Postscript of No.

-.

You may convey our approbation to Lord Castlereagh of the projet of alliance. We are all, however, of opinion that

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