Star. — London, England, 1801-04-06 00:00:00

CONVENTION OF EL-ARISCH. PAPERS PRESINTED TO THE HOUSE OP COMMONS BY LORD HAMELSIIVILY, RESPECTING EGYPT. RIMIER /...-.4IICRET ORDER TOTICR.ADIAIRAL LORD REITH, DATED DEC. 15, 1799. By the Commiffinners for executing the Wee of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, tee. Whereas the Right Hon. Lord GRIN viLLE, one of his Majefty't Principal Secretaries of State, has acquainted us, by his Letter of this day's date, that a Difpatch has been received from Lord Et.- me, Majefty's Ambaffador at Conftantinople, Rating that the Commander of the French Army in Egypt had made Propofals to the Turkifh Go vernment, offering to evacuate that Ceuntry,upon condition of being fuffered to return unmokfted to France ; that the Tui kith Government appear. ed difpofed to acquiefce is this offer, and that ap plication had been made to his Lordthip, requeft mg him to grant paffports for this purpofe t And whereas, in confequence of this information, Lord Gattootte has Signified to us his Majesty's Com mands, that inftruaions Should be given to the Commander in Chief of his•Majefty's Fleet in the Mediterranean, enjoining him not to content, on any account, to the return of the French Army to France, or to their capitulating in any other manner, than jointly to the Allied Powers, whole Forces are employed agairdt them, or upon any other terms than that of giving up their arms, and furrendering as Prifoners of War to the Al. lied Forces fo employed ; your Lordfhip is hereby required and direeted, in purfuance of his Majef- ' ty's Commands as above tignified,!togovern your fell accordingly, and on no account to content to the return oldie French Army in Egypt to France, or to their capitubting, excepting on the condi tions above fpecified. In cafe of the furrender of the Army on thole tei ms, your Lorchhip is on no account to admit of the return to France of the Officers, or any part of the Army, on an engagement not to terve until exchanged ; the fallacy of all fuels engagements, and the bad faith with which they have been ob ferved by the Enemy, having been proved by re peated inftances, particularly in the cafe of the Seamen taken in the Battle of the Nile, and after wards landed in Egypt ; but in any fuch Capitu lation, to take care that a Stipulation be made for the actual detention of the Officers and Men, as Prifoners of War, in fome part of the territories of the Allied Powers, until they (hall be etc] a iged that the Vends of every defcription, belonging to . the Enemy, in the port of Alexandria, Shall alto be furrendered, and be divided amongdthe Allies, in proportion to the Naval Force which each of them may have employed at that time in the blockade of Alexandria, or in any other opera a• again(' the Enemy. It it Should In happen, that his Niajefty's Am bafrador at Conftantinople fhould have granted Patfports, before his Majelty's pleafure in this re fpea can have been Signified to him, your Lord- Ship is in filch cafe to dired the Commanders of his Maje ft y's Ships of War under your orders, who may fall in with any other Veirels having on hoard any of the Enemy's Troops, and being furniffied with loch paffports, to declare to the Comman ding Officer of Such Troop , , that the Paid Fairport* are of no validity, not he'ng g'ven as the Laws of War require, by perfons having any authority for that purpofe ; but that in this cafe they fhould not exercile any other as of Hoftility against fuch Ships, or the Tror.; s therein embarked, than what may be neceffary in order to compel the Vcf fel to return with the troops to Alexandria. Your Lorcilhip is to communicate there deter minations lay a Flag of Truce, with as little de lay as poflible, tr, the French Army in Egypt; unlefs you, or the Officer employed by you for that purpofe, (hall have certain information that the whole Negotiation has been broken off, and that there k no longer any queltion of fuch feparate and unauthorized Capitulation. Given under cur hands, the tsth December, 1799. Right Ho*. Lord Kerns. K. & 'PINCER. Vice-Adantrai of the Red. Re. 3. 13•MBIRR. Re. fee. NlLdtterrancan. W. TOO/10. By Command of their Lordfhips, karate Nsrzaw• SWAM ORDIR TO VICI-ADMIRAL LORD 11LITH, DATED MARCH 28, 1800. By the Con2ntilboners for executing the Offre of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ircland,&e. The Right Hon. Lord Guilty, lAA, one of his Majefly's Principal Secretaries of State, having, in his letter of this day's date, acquainted us, that in confequenee of the information contained in the Difpatches lately received from your Lordlhip, the Earl of Escia and Sir SIDN Er SMITH, relative to the Capitulation of the French Army in Egypt, his Msprry has been pleafed to fignify his Com mands, that Inflrueions should be tranfmitted to your iordlhip, exprefling his Majefty's difappro. bation of the terms entered into by the raid Capi. tulAtion, thole terms appearing to his Majefly to 1 1 be more advantageous to the enemy than their fi tuation entitled them to expeft, and being likely to prejudice the interefts of the Allies, by refforing to the French Government the fervices of a conk• d:rable and difciplincd body of troops ; that be files this objection to the terms, his Majefly does no: confider Captain Sir SIDNEY SMITH as having been autlwrized either to enter into or to fanCtion iinv full agieerrent in his Majefty's name, that Otter basing had no fpecial authority for that ppiirpere, and the cafe not being one in which the Captain commanding his Majefly's Ships on the coafts of Egypt, ought to have taken upon himfelf to enter into an agreement of this nature, without the Linflion of his Commandiag Officer ; but that, as the Gcr..:r.il commanding the enemy's troops 1 appears to have treated him as a perfon whom he bona fide conceived to parch filch authority, and as a part of the Treaty was immediately to be ex. ecuted by the enemy, In that by annulling this tninfaltinn (in as far as his Majefty's Officer was a party thereto), the enemy could not be replaced at the Woe &nation is which ht before flood, his. eM-ije;ty, from a fcrupolons regard to the Public Faith, has judged it proper that his Officers mould abflain from any at inconfiftent with the engage ments to which Captain SiriSioney SMITH has erroneouflygiven the fa naion of his Majefty's name. And whereas Lord Gluey:LLß has at the fame time acquainted us, that with this view he !hall tranfmit to the Earl of Ezoia his Majefty's Com mands to fettle with the Porte, the form of a Par port to be given in the name of his Majefty, not as a arty to the Capitulation, but as an Ally to the Porte; and that it is his Majefty's farther pleaihre, the Paid Paiports, as well as thofe which may have been in the interval (however informally) granted by Sir SIDNEY SMITH, are to be refpeded by his Majefty's Officers; but that although, from the confideration above mentioned, his Welly does not think proper to obftruft the execution of this Treaty by the Porte in the manner therein ftipulated, he does not feel himfelf bound to au thorize his Officers to take any attive part in it, or to furnifh any Convoy or Tranfports for its execu tion, or to take any other Share in carrying it into ea& t—yet, if any application should be made to your Lordfhip, for liberty to fend Cartel Ships from France to Egypt, for the Tranfpor: of the Army under the Capitulation, your Lordthip is to grant fuch Pafrports accordingly, under fuch re ftridions and precautions as you may judge necef fary, according to circumftances :—to prevent this liberty being Awl - cc! to any other purpofc, we do, in purfuance of his Majefty's Commands, as above fignified, hereby require and direct your Lordfhip to govern yourfelf accordingly, and to give the ne ceffary orders in confequence to the Commanders of his Majelly's (hips and yeah under your com mand, taking care at the fame time to apprize Captain Sir SIDNEY SMITH, of his Majefty's plea- Cure on the fulled of his proceedings herein; and in cafe your Lordfhip fhould fee any ground to ap prehend any intention on the part of the Turks, or of the Ruffians, to prevent the execution of the Capitulation, or to commit any ad of hoftility againft the French army, either before or after its embarkation, we do farther direct your Lordfhip, in fuch cafe, to ufe your utmoft endeavours to per fuade them to all fuch meafures as may be molt confißent with the faithful obfervance of the en. gagement contracted with the enemy. Given under our hands, the zBth March iBOO. To the Right Honoutuble Lord KEITH, K. B. Vice Admiral of the Red,&c. &c. By comm.ul, of their Lordthips, EVAN NEPSAN. No. 111. and IV. are the French Originals, and the Englifh TranfLttion of the Conveneun for the Evacuation of Egypt, figned at El-Arifch, January 24, tBOO. (0. S. No. V. are Mr. SMITH'S and Sir SIDNEY SMITH'S full Powers. NUMBER IT.-.. , COPY OF INSTRUCTIONS TO SIR SIDNEY SMITH ♦ND MR. SMITH. Gentlemen, Downing-ltreet, 3d Oa. 1798. Having laid before the KING the Projet tranf mitted to me by Mr. Set or os, of a Treaty of Alliance between his MAJESTY and the OTTOMAN PORTE, his MAJESTY has judged proper to furnifh you with his full Powers to treat and conclude this im portant Winds._ His MAJESTY having been informed, by the con fidential Communication made to him by his Im perial Majefty the EMPEROR of Russia, of the Litet of the Negotiation between the Court of Pc terfburgh and the OTTOMAN PORTE ' has judged that it will be better, on account b.th of the friend. (hip fublifting between his Majesty and the Era • PEROR of Russia, and of that public and oftenlible Union which fhould fublift betwhn Powers ading in concert againft the Common Enemy, to give to the new 'treaty rather the form of an acceilion on the part ofhis Majtary to the Alliance between the two Courts above.mentioned, than that of a diaind and fcparate Negotiation. Moft of the points of difference which yon will find between the Contre-projet I now fend you, and the Projet tranfmitted to me by Mr. SMITH, have reference to this refolution ; the principal objefts in framing the Contre-Projet, have been to adhere, as clofcly as pofflble, to the form, and even to the ex prellions of the Ruffian Treaty, as far as they were applicable to the local circumftances of his Ma jefty's Dominions. I have no other obfervation than this to make, on the fubjed of the Preamble and the Firit Ar ticle—the engagement to make Common Caufe in the prefent War, which was contained in the Firft Article of the Projet tranfmitted by Mr. SMITH, being the fubjed of one of the fucceeding Articles in the Contre-projet. The Second Article. as well as all the others as far as the Eighth, art framed conformably to thole in the Ru ffi an Treaty, which treat on the fame fubjeds. The variations, where there are any, are founded on principles fo evident, that his MAJESTY does not think they can meet with any difficulty. In the Ninth Article, you will obfervc the terms which are made life of, on the fubjeft of the Naval Forces which his MAJESTY has contented to employ for the defence of the coafts of the Ottoman Em pire, and to affift in offenfive operations againft the Enemy, either in Egypt, or elfewhere. From the Rate of uncertainty in which we (till remain, with refped to the details of the anion which has taken place between the Britifh and French fleets, (although the known fuperiority of his Majefty's navy, and the concurrent teftimony of fo many different reports, afford the heft hopes of a complete fnccefs,) it is as yet impoilible to take a definitive refolution with regard to the num ber and the force of the flips of the line and others, that it will be neceffary to leave in the Seas of the Levant, fir the purpofes above.mentioned. But you are authorifed to give the nsoft diftind and pofitive atfurances, that it is his Majefty's in tention to maintain the fuperiority of his Maritime Force, wherever that of the enemy may be found ; and by this means to provide, in concert with his Allies, for the defence of the coafts of the Otto man Empire, and alfofor thing offenfively againft the enemy wherever it is poffible, and particularly in Egypt. It is evident that the number of (hips of the hoe necetary for there purples, will depend SPCNCER. J. CANNIER. M. YOUNG. LONDON. MONDA' EASTVI MONDAYHOi on the force of the French Squadron ; and that if the latter is weak (as in fait there is great reafon to hope that it has been very much reduced by the event of which I have fpoken) it would be injuri ous inßead .f being beneficial to the Common Caufe, if his Majefty employed, without any object in thofe diftant Seas, a ufelefs force, which might elfewhere rem fo eifeilually in difcencerting the plans of the enemy. The explanations on this fubje& mull therefore be confined to general, though very diftant and po fitive affurances ; but you will ea fi ly be enabled to remove all uneafine& (if any could arife on this fubjea) by pointing out what his Majefty has al ready done for the Ottoman Porte, in fending a flip, like that conirnanded . by Sir SIDNEY SMITH, &flitted in all cafes to a& in concert with his Ma jetty's Allies in the Levant; and to which will al to, for the prefent, be added another fhip of the line, with a proportionable number of (mailer (hips; fuppofing even it fhould turn out that the French Squadron has been entirely defiroyed, or obliged to withdraw itfelf from thofe Seas. If, on the contrary, any confiderable French Squadron fhoui•i flill remain there, a Britifh Force, as near ly as poffible equal, if not fupelior, would, as I have already fail, be tent thither. You will ac quaint the Sublime Ottoman Porte with the nature . of the infiruetions given to Sir SIDNEY SMITH, to ; provide for the full execution of the engagements to be entered into, according . to the proposed con tre-projet, by co-operating in the defence of the coatis of the Ottoman Empire, and in the very im portant objeet of carrying on offenfive operations againft the enemy in Egypt; always concerting with the Ruffian Admirals, in order to ad with all pollible vigour againft t he Navy, Commerce, and Army of the enemy. You will add to thefe explanations, that it is alto his Majefty's intention to maintain in the Mediter ranean a confiderable Fleet, to be Rationed there, and by cruifing off the coatis of Italy and France, to fulfil the double °Ned of recovering, if poflible, the important Poll of Malta, which in the hands of the French will be a conftant fource of uneafinefs to all the other Powers, and to prevent new re inforcements being fent from the Port of Toulon to the Expedition of BONAPARTE. The great im portance of the laft of thefe objeas cannot efcape attention, and it may be provided for with much greater certainty, by blocking up the port of Tou lon, than by cruifing in the Levant. There is every reafon to hope, that if this can be aceom plithed, the French General, having all his com munications cut off, mutt neceflarily yield to the united efforts of the various means of annoyance, which may eafily be employed againft him by the Ottoman Porte, Wading with energy and decition. You will obferve in the treaty between the Court of Peter(burgh and the Ottoman Porte, that, as was naturally to be expeEted, there is no provifion for fubjefting the Officers of one of the contrafting parties to ferve under the command of the other. This caution, which the circumftances of the cafe naturally called for on the part of the Court of Peterfburgh, mutt evidently apply, with at leaft equal force, to the cafe of the prefent alliance ; and indeed I hardly exiled that any claim which might be in contradidlion to it, will be brought forward. At all events you will adhere to that line which has been adopted, as I have already ob ferved to you, by the Court of Peter(burgh. N. B. 3 he Proclamation of Sir SIDNEY SMITH has not been found in any of the Public Offices. . APRIL 6. day at the Stock Exchange. PRICE OF STOCKS ON SATURDAY: Sank Stack (hut Long Ann. Brut per Cent. Bed. that Imp. 3 ptr Cent. 57/14 i pit C.Conf.s7/ ¢ Imp. Ann. 11 546 per Cent. Shut India Stock ; per C. Navy 9311 Omnium 3/ 4/ raw I.uyalty Shut Con( fur Acc. S7{ 58 57/3/ DUBLIN. APRIL r —Price of Stocks this day : Government Debentures 87—Treafury Bilis tool. The Negotiation between our Court and the French Republic continues in full ativity, not a moment being loft in conveying the fentiments of the two Governments to each other. M. Orro'b confidential mefienger, who had in the preceding wtek made the journey to Paris and back to Lon don in four days, was again difpatched on Friday night with the anfwer of our Cabinet to the lafl communications of M. TALLEYRANn. It h rumoured that a Dani(h force has taken poffeffion of Hamburgh and Lubeck. The report was circulated at Yarmouth on the arrival of the Panics or Wat.as packet, at that port. We know not what degree of credit is due to it ; but it is not improbable that Come one of the Northern Powers will take polliffion of tittle places, if not already done. A Council of the Cabinet Minifters was held on Saturday at Lord Haw It E II R v's Office, upon the fubjeft of the accounts brought from the Sound,by , Man. DR UM MON D and VANSITTART.—.-SOMC fur ther inftruftions, we underhand, were afterwards fent off for the Commander in Chief of the fleet in that quarter, for which it is fuppofed by fome, the Admiral would wait before he commenced his of. fenfive operations. Mr. DRUM MOND and Mr. VANIITThitT, with their Suite, and Mr. Fitly/Ica, who was Britifh Conful at Elfineur, landed at Leith on Wednefday laft, from the KITE cutter—the arrival of which we announced in the STAR of Saturday. Along with the above Gentlemen came Mr. TALIOT, who was Britill Minifter at Stockholm, and a Mr. Baca. There were about forty Britifh paffen gers in the above veil. The intelligence brought by the Kira is varionfly reported; but it appears to be certain, that the Court cf Denmark pofitive ly refutes to enter into any negotiation which does not recognize the legitimacy of the claim fet up by the Northern Powers. On the 25th ult. Sir HYDE PAR EFR arrived and lay about ten miles below Cronenberg, which for. trefs it is reported had been reinforced by 20433 Ruffian troops. Admiral PARK ra fent the BLAwc HE. frigate as a flag of truce to Copenhagen, but the fhortly after returned and brought with her the Gentlemen above mentioned, as the determination of the Cow t of Copenhagen precluded all further hope of ;in amicable conclufion to the object of their miffion. By a letter from Leith, from a Gentleman w 149 left Ellincur the 24th ultimo, it appears that no accommodation was expetled to take place with the Danes, who, contrary to former conjetluic, feemed determined on refinance, and all tht Englifh had notice to quit Copenhagen within 12 hours. It does not appear that the British fleet had funained any lots in the dangerous navigation of the Cattegat : at that time it was a few mile , below the Cattle of Cronenberg, fo that we may foon expert to hear of the aattal commencement of hoftilities. RETRACT OF A LETTER taut., AN OFFICIF, OF HIC:4 RANK IN ADMIRAL PARKSIL'S FLEET, DA re.o Seagerif, (the entrance of the Sound), March 21 " After cruifing for two days off the Naze of Noway, we failed from thence on the 18th init. and working ever fince againft adverfe and heavy gales, arrived this day at the entrance of the Sound, where we are now at anchor, within fight of the. Koll-Cape, on the Swedifh fide. Here we are col. feeling our forces; for almoft the whole of our flo tilla, gun-velrels, fire-(hips, &c. have been difper. fed in the ftorm. Meanwhile, the Admiral in Chief, Sir HYDE PARKER, has difpatched the BLANCHE frigate with a flag of truce, to Elfineur, for whofe return we now molt anxiouily wait. "MONDAY, MARCH 23. g 4 The BLANCHE, our flag of truce, is returned. She brings from the enemy the molt inveterate hoftility and bpen defiance; and our Miniflas (Mars. DRUMMOND and VANSITTART) have of courfe been obliged to take their departure from Copenhagen, and are now on their return to Eng• land. " We have, I allure you, the molt formidable obftacles to encounter. There is an army of ten thoufand menlat prefent Rationed in the neighbour. hood of Elfineur. Frefh batteries have been erec• ted on the Swedilh and Danifh fides of the Sound, on every point where it is poflible for them to bear upon our Chips. They have alfo fire-rafts of im menfe magnitude, furnithed with heavy cannon and furnaces for heating thot, moored all along the coati ; and finally, they have 14 fail of the line, completely equipped, drawn up in line of battle acrofs the narroweft part of the Sound.• This patrage is fcarcely three miles acrofs, and we can have but one good wind, (namely N. W.) to aftift us in forcing through it. " Perhaps we may ultimately fuccced in this at. tempt; but admitting the certainty of our fuccefs in effecting a forcible patrage, how are we to get back ? Where are we to fend our crippled (hips ? Where are we to water ? Where are we to be tup plied with provifions ? We have not a tingle port in thefe feas, always inconvenient to ftranger., and, at this feafon, abfolutely tempeftuous. " We arc Rill at anchor at the entrance of the Sound, eight miles N. N. W. of the Koll, and twenty North of the Cattle of Cronenburg, which we can plainly fee with our glaftes. " Such is the very awful nature of our prefent fituation, compared with which (lay the people who were there) the fcene at Aboukir, in the fira inftance, prefented nothing of equal magnitude or difficulty. How it will end, Hsavam only knows ! —I like not avid*, but on this occafion, I allure you. we have all become ravel,: A number of our miffing flotilla have joined, Out there are towel of which, as yet, we have no account. " The following is the Older of Battle of the Baltic Fleet, including two Blips which are not yet arrived, viz : aunt. cols alt. • 74 Caps. O. Moaamr. - 74 IL Tr I Vlre-Adotbsi Lard Nmow, 98 Cpt. T. M. HARDT. • 74 —• Intact. - 74 .•—•• *. LlM**. 64 41.AWIORD. 4 BLOOD. CENTS& DIVISION. - 74 Critr. T. FoLtir. - 74 --- R.Laamar. cAdawiral Sir Hymn Palma. 7 " /Capt. W. orwar. - 74 —T. F.FaazarAUTLII. ▪ 64 T. lisnyis. • 74 —••••• Lord H. PAVIST. NEAR DIVISION. 74 Carr. J. R. Moist. I Rear-Admiral T. GIISAVSS. ' 4 Leapt. R. ksracies. - 7 4 -- R. Baill.c.W. • . 74 Sir F. LAMM , . - 64 •—• A. C. Duces. - 74 W. Callan**. 64 R. D. FA INCoUIT. • 74 Sir T. 11. Talcum*. • • So Net in *AO liar. RIPIATINO FRIOATES. Blanche - - 76 Cipt. HAMMOND. Define I NUM.. [The other frigates, fire.fhips, bombs, gun.. ve,Tels, /cc. have already been Elated in this Paper.] •N. B. The intelligence of the melancholy fate of the lariscilL st, of 74 guns, had not reached the Fleet at the date of our Correfpondent's letter. He mentions that (hip as intended to be placed in the Van-di vifion. The Silva :narked tbua (*), hate not 772101**1l the bear ' slips. Edgar - Warrior - St. George ikaifonable 'Zealous Polyphemus - Glattou - . Elephant Saturn - London - Gansca Ardent . lkfuncs Monarch - Ddlance - Ram Wet - 'Powerful Veteran • . Agamcmnon &Loma - Ma - .