and pretensions of the house of Orange equal to those of the house of Tuscany. From the obligations contained in those treaties, it follows that the powers interested must endeavour to regulate and to liquidate the mass of the real loss, and to bring it into proportion with the objects which are destined to produce an equivalent for the same. As the indemnification for the claimants, pointed out in the above mentioned treaties, must be complete, so must it be carefully examined beforehand, how far the mass arising and presenting itself out of the secularisation is sufficient to indemnify the parties who have sustained losses. If, after a calculation made, funds sufficient were found to raise or restore one or more of the ecclesiastical sees, to which the electoral dignity, is applicable, the king, far from opposing it, would take measures to support in this respect the wishes and views of his imperial majesty; but it would be a contradiction in principle at this time, and before the mass of the losses can be weigh ed against the mass. of the objects of indemnification, to decide beforehand, or to pre-resolve on the maintenance of the present ecclesiastical electorates.

As the king is accustomed in all his declarations against the court of Vienna, to be very free, so it is agreeable to him to strengthen anew the principles which he shows in all his transactions, and which he has invariably laid down as the ground of his conduct. His majesty has therefore authorised the undersign ed to lay them again before count Stadion in the present note. He fulfils this duty, and repeats to the count the assurance of his high consideration

(Signed) HAUGWITZ.

Declaration of the King of Prussia to the Royal and Electoral Council of Hanover, and to the Commandants of the Troops.

After the oppressions which neutral navigation and commerce have experienced since the beginning of the war on the part of the English navy, the different courts interested in it could no longer refrain, after so many useless complaints, from protecting the violated rights of their subjects with more energy.

The result was the convention entered into on the 16th of December, 1800, between Russia, Denmark, and Sweden, the just and moderate principles of which had been formerly adopted and followed by the court of London itself; and his majesty the king of Prussia, who had equally experienced this violence, prejudicial to his states and flag, did not hesitate to accede to the treaty.

The contracting courts were on the point of communicating to the belligerent powers their convention, and of adopting arrangements with them, when England, by an unexpected step, disconcerted this amicable design, by laying an embargo upon all the ships of the maritime powers of the north in her ports, and thus showing herself as an enemy.

It might be expected that his Prussian majesty could not look upon this conduct with a favourable eye and with indifference: to this end he sent soon after to the court of London the declaration of the 12th of February, avowing formally and publicly his accession to the convention of St. Petersburg, and showing, at the same time, the means by which the differences might be accommodated, and an entire rupture avoided.

But, instead of adopting the expedient proposed, England passed

"That under the present cireumstances the embargo laid upon the Swedish ships could not be taken off whilst the court of Stockholm remained attached to a coalition, which had no other object than to force his Britannic majesty to accept a new maritime law incompatible with the dignity and independence of his crown, as well as with the rights of his subjects.”

Such a declaration was soon after sent to the court of Denmark; and it was added, that she was required to abandon the northern coalition, and to enter into a separate negotiation with England.After having received a reply in the negative, the English chargé d'affaires Drummond, and the plenipotentiary extraordinary Vansittart, left Copenhagen the same day in the mean time the English fleet under the orders of admiral Parker, destined for the Baltic, had actually arrived on the coast of Zealand.

It appears from all these events, that the court of London will not absolutely desist from its insupportable demands, and accept the means proposed of an amicable approximation. His Prussian majesty therefore is forced, conformably to his obligations contracted, to adopt the most efficacious means to support the convention attacked, and to return the inimical measures adopted against him; to this end,

he will not only shut up the mouths of the Elbe, the Weser, and the Ems, but will also take possession of the states belonging to his majesty the king of England, as elector of Brunswick Lunenberg, situated in Germany.

With this view, his majesty the king of Prussia demands, requires, and expects from the electoral college of the privy counsellors at Hanover, and of the generality, that they submit to this disposition without delay and reply, and that they follow, willingly, the orders which shall be given relative to the taking possession of the elec torate by the Prussian troops, as well as with respect to the electoral countries. His majesty demands, principally, that the Hanoverian corps, which has hitherto been in the line of demarcation of the north of Germany, be disbanded, with a proportional part of the other troops. -His majesty requires from the generals and all the officers, to vow, by writing, not to serve against his Prussian majesty; on the contrary, to follow strictly his orders till the affair be finished. The troops who shall remain with their colours shall go into quarters, one on the right bank of the Leine, one on the left bank of the Alter, and behind the Luhe to the Elbe, where they shall remain divided in the towns of Hanover, Gishorne, Uelgin, Luneburg, and in the other small towns and villages of that district. the other places, comprising the fortress of Hameln, shall be delivered up to the Prussian troops under the orders of lieutenantgeneral de Clein.

AH

His majesty, at the same time, an nounces that the maintenance of the Prussian troops shall be at the ex pense of the electoral country. It

shall

shall begin from the end of the month of April. His majesty has sent his cabinet minister Schullenburg to announce to the electoral college of privy counsellors and commandants of troops the present declaration. On this account, all connexion between the electoral college and his majesty the king of England shall cease, and the authorities are in consequence responsible to his majesty the king of Prussia for the government and the treasury. Under the hope of a voluntary submission, his majesty is induced and ready to promise solemnly, as well to the nobility as to the burghers, and to all the inhabitants of the electorate, the entire enjoyment of their tranquillity, and the security of their property. But if, on the contrary, the government and the general officers should be of advice to prevent the execution of the measures adopted, and to oppose the entrance of the Prussian troops, his majesty will be obliged to withdraw these promises, and to treat the electoral states as enemies. The civil and military magistrates are therefore responsible for the fatal effects which might result. It is on this account that his majesty advises them to submit to this summons, and to prevent the rigorous measures which would inevitably be taken in case of refusal. By order ofhis majesty, (Signed) HAUGWITZ.

Berlin, 30th March, 1801.

Note from the Hanoverian Ministry to the Royal Prussian Directorial Counsellor Von Dohm, respecting the Withdrawing of the Prussian Troops from the Electorate of Hanover. Hanover, June 14. His majesty the king of Prussia having, in the beginning of April

of the present year, unexpectedly ordered that corps of his troops hitherto acting with the army of observation, formed for the general defence, to take possession of the districts in Germany belonging to his Britannic majesty, as elector of Brunswick and Luneburg, the causes and motives which in duced his majesty the king of Prussia to resort to this extraordinary and unexpected measure were stated to the German ministry of his Britannic majesty, in a written declaration of the 30th of March of the present year, on the part of his Prussian majesty, by his minister of state, of war, and of the cabinet, count Schullenburg, sent to Hanover for that purpose. These causes and motives were founded on the differences that had arisen between his Britannic majesty and the crowns of Denmark and Sweden, on account of the Petersburg convention of the 16th of December 1800; on the proceedings of England against Denmark and Sweden; on the engagements of his Prussian majesty for his allies, agreeably to his accession to the Petersburg convention; and, particularly on the circumstance that England would not resort to means for an amicable settlement of these dif ferences.-Hence his Prussian majesty deduced his resolution "not only to shut up the mouths of the Elbe, Weser, and Ems, but also to take possession of the states of his majesty the king of the united islands of Great Britain and Ireland, situated in Germany, and belonging to him as elector of Brunswick and Luneburg." His Prussian majesty added, in his letter addressed to his Britannic majesty's German ministers at Hanover, "that the said declaration related to the dif ferences that had arisen between

England and the northern powers, and was to be considered merely as a necessary consequence of the disagreeable circumstances that had taken place." By the circumstances and causes, therefore, assigned as the reason on the part of Prussia, the agreement was relative, which his Britannic majesty's German ministry, together with the general commanding his German troops, were obliged to enter into on the 3d of April of the present year, and whereby, under the existing circumstances, the entrance of the Prussian troops and their maintenance by the king's German posessions were agreed to. It is now well known that the circumstances and causes, formerly existing, have been entirely changed and removed in the course of the month of April, and still more in the course of the month of May; so that circumstances, at present, are rather the reverse. Hostilities have ceased between England and the northern powers; and so far from rejecting means for an amicable settlement, immediate friendly missions have even taken place on both sides, and the crowns of Denmark and Sweden, imitating the wise sentiments of his majesty the present emperor of Russia, are actually engaged in amicably settling the differences with the British government. The happy issue of these peaceable negotiations not being doubted by any of the parties, the British government began rendering commerce free in the Baltic; Russia Denmark, and Sweden, have restored the commercial intercourse by public declarations; and the em. bargo formerly laid on English ships in Russia is again taken off. His majesty the king of Prussia having, during the course of these Successive changes, permitted all

commercial and other intercourse with his Britannic majesty's subjects, which has likewise remained undisturbed by England with respect to the Prussian states, it is evident, that his Prussian majesty has no longer any cause for allowing measures to be taken, on his part, against the crown of England. But his majesty the king of Prussia has also declared already, that the measures which had been formerly taken could now no longer be deemed applicable and expedient, so that, on the part of Prussia, the shutting up of the rivers is entirely annulled, and the navigation of the Elbe and Weser has been again declared free. His majesty the king of Prussia, from the same consideration, has likewise demanded from the crown of Denmark, and effected, the evacuation of Hamburg and Lubeck, and withdrawn the troops that had been stationed in the duchy of Oldenburg for the purpose of occupying the left banks of the Weser. It is impossible, therefore, that the occupation of his Britannic majesty's dominions, which had been connected with the shutting up of the rivers, and grounded on the same causes, can alone remain and continue. On the contrary, it appears evidently, from the whole course of the proceedings, that the causes no longer any where exist which furnished the ground for the letter addressed to the king's ministry here by the king of Prussia on the 30th of March, the declaration made by his majesty in consequence thereof, and the agreement afterwards entered into. It is impossible to consider this, agreeably to his majesty's wisdom and justice, but as something which cannot be mistaken by him, and which, in the events already stated, has already been admitted and ac knowledged

knowledged by his majesty. The sentiments which his majesty the king of Prussia entertains for his Britannic majesty, and the friendly relations subsisting between him and the crown of England, will therefore, leave no doubts on this subject, without being under the necessity of recurring to the nature of the constitution of the German empire, and the union of its states with each other, with respect to this business, which relates entirely to a foreign kingdom, and which has always been, and will ever remain, foreign to the dominions which his majesty possesses as elector, and as a state of the German empire. All this is grounded on the firm confidence which his Britannic majesty here wishes to manifest, that his majesty the king of Prussia will not hesitate to withdraw his troops from his majesty's German dominions; and that maintenance will no longer be demanded for those troops, which has been so burthensome to the country. The king's minister has, for this purpose, addressed this note to the Prussian directorial counsellor, Von Dohm, entreating him, at the same time, to forward it to his court, and to effect a speedy resolution in consequence.

(Signed)

(L.S.) By the ROYAL and ELEC

TORAL MINISTRY.

To the Royal Prussian Directorial Councellor Von Dohm, at Horneburg.

Memorial presented by his Serene High ness the Prince of Orange to Lord Hawkesbury, previous to his leaving this Country.

The prince of Orange being informed that the ratifications of the

preliminary articles of peace be tween his Britannic majesty and the French republic, signed on the 1st instant, have been exchanged on the 10th; and those articles are published by government, having thus come to his knowledge, thinks he ought not to delay any longer, in a conjuncture só important to his interests and those of his house, to express without reserve, his sentiments and his wishes to his majesty.

The unfortunate circumstances which obliged the prince of Orange and his family to repair to England in the year 1795, are too well known to make it necessary to renew the statement of them in this place.

After having been received by his majesty with the most affec tionate kindness, the prince of Orange experienced no less convincing proofs of his majesty's goodness towards him during his stay in this country, where he has constantly been treated with the most generous hospitality. On every oc casion he received unequivocal as surances and marks of the unvaried interest which his majesty and his government continued to take, not only in what related to himself and to his family, but also to the numerous and faithful adherents of the house of Orange, and the ancient constitution of the republic of the United Provinces. These marks of interest had so often been repeated, that the prince of Orange has not even conceived it to be necessary for him to make any formal demand, founded upon the solemn engagements by which Great Britain guarantied, in 1788, the stadtholderate, and the other dignities hereditary in his house.

The prince of Orange has seen with great concern the course of events lead gradually to a state of things very different from that un

der