Star. — London, England, 1808-02-02 00:00:00

• w ith the Court of Denmark should be wholly the o f the Emperor of Russia ; that it should origi. in his Imperial Majesty's counsels, be conducted his auspices, and concluded under his gaa- situation of his Imperial Majesty, as the nate -tor of the North, obviously points him out S task; which even France could not refuse to him, unless France were ripe for breaking Court of Petersburgh. has u nquestionably applied to the Em for protection. How can that appli- be lo ter answered than by the Emperor of 1 , • engaging to bring Great Britain to an ar • upon such terms as are stated in the judo- And to such engagement on the part - of Russia, the Emperor is beforehand the consent of his Majesty. No. 6. Twa t of aDispatcb from the Right Honourable Lord Gran ville Levesen Gower to Mr. Secretary Canning, dated Saint y ters burgh, 9th September 1807. (Received October 7tb.) I have the honour to inform you, that on Tuesday G ene ral Budberg gave up the Portfeuille of the reign Affairs to Count Soltykoff. I too k an early opportunity after this notification see i n g Count Soltykoff, and recapitulated to him 4 passed in my last conference with General ; I reminded him of the promise made by -essor to bring under the immediate consi of the Emperor the points upon which I had _:ted to obtain an answer from this Court, I could signify the acceptance of his Majesty proposed offer of mediation. I observed, that the tardiness of this Government upon this subject ill accorded with the anxiety expressed by his Imperial Majesty for the conclusion of peace between England L ed France. Count Soltykoff answered, that he would on the following day take the Emperor's orders with t opect to the communication of the secret articles of the treaty of Tilsit ; that without seeing his Imperial Majesty, he could take upon himself to say that tk Russian Government Aas well disposed to enter ito a negotiation upon the treaty of commerce ; and it repeated what I had before heard from General kdberg, that the Projet Jr Troia transmitted by M. Alopeus must in the first instance be transmitted to consideration of the department which it peceliar. ly concerned. In the course of our conversation, he re me many general assurances of the amicable dis position of this Court towards England, and of the satisfaction he should feel in contributing to the esta tbhment of a footing of friendly and confidential in tercourse between our two Governments. Count Soltykoff being in the country yesterday, my '-avours to see him were unavailing ; but I this obtained a conference, when, after some As of regret, at his first communication with ig of an unpleasant nature, ha told me, that he authorized by the Emperor to inform me, that Majesty did not think proper to column secret articles. It is not, he said, on ac , their containing any stipulations prejudicial ;land ; but having once determined that these should not be made public, the Emperor sees - receding from his determination. No. 7. A &Dispatch from the Right Hon. Lord Granville Leve- Genet/ to Mr. Secretary Canning, dated St. Petersburgh, September 1807,--Received October 7th. St. Petersburgh, September 9th, 1807. last dispatches to you had scarcely left Peters when I received information that the Empe- I named Count Romanzow, Minister for Fo fairs. This appointment was officially made :days afterwards to the corps diplomatique circular note. thought it my duty to lose no time in seeing Count azow ; and the state of suspence in which I been so long kept with respect to the negotia - the renewal of the treaty of commerce, justified . requesting an immediate conference with the Minister. After the usual compliments upon his appointment, . to him the regret I felt at the extraordinary of his Court towards that of London, and my disappointment at the refusal which had been to me by Count Solkitoff to communicate to secret arrangements concluded at Tilsit. I that this refusal made it impossible for the my master to avail himself of his Imperial Ma offer of mediation ; for how, I said, could it be that his Majesty would accept the mediation Sovereign, between whom and Bonaparte there very appearance of intimate union and secret anding, and from whom his Majesty had not able to obtain any mark whatever of friendship confidence ? I added, that I was the more sur at this conduct, because, notwithstanding the of dissatisfaction wiktch the published articles treaty of Tilsit afforded to his Majesty, such is partiality towards his august ally, that he had disposed to look upon them as forced upon his Majesty by the unfortunate circumstances of ioment ; and I had, even since the knowledge of iublic articles, been authorized to give fresh ices of the desire of his Majesty to renew the • and confidence which had before subsisted the two Courts. )unt Romanzow answered, that the Emperor's 'lip for his Majesty had been proved by his , that peace should be concluded between Eng and France, and that his impartiality had been 2d by his offer of mediation ; impartiality the necessary attribute of a mediator. After giving the obvious answer to his novel mode .aning, I expressed my hope that the union of the departments of commerce and foreign affairs in le person would aceblerate the negotiation of IV of commerce. Nearly a month had elapse." Once the arrival here of a projet of a treaty trans itted by M. Alopeus, and as yet I have not been to obtain an answer whether the stipulations of project of a treaty were approved of here, or even whether the Russian Government were disposed letter at allintonegotiations upon this subject. Count itemanzow assured me that he never heard of this Project but from Sir Stephen Shairp ; that since he had received the portefeuille of the foreign affairs, he enquired' for it, but it could not be found, and at he supposed it must be among the papers of the -mperor. I proposed to send him a copy ; which he de dined to accept, saying, that he would , in the fi rst instance, acquaint the Emperor that I had requested . answer from this Government upon the question of the'rea rga i of the treaty of commerce. I took thin epporttinity of observing to him tat M Alopeus h:td asked for this projet; and that therefore unless a perfect change had taken place in the friendly dispositions of this Court, the Einperor would certainly approve of our entering into negotiation upon - it, though it might happen that some of the provision's of it might possibly be considered herbas not wholly free from objection. He said, that he was happy to hear front Sir Ste phen Shairp that the projet contained nothing Contrary to the regulations prescribed in the manifest of the Ist January, for that was a fundamental law of the cowl. try ; and after boasting of the indulgence he had shewn to the English merchants in the execution of this act, he shewed a wish to end our conference, by beginning a conversation on indifferent subjects. No. 8. Dispatch from the Right Hon. Lord Granville Leveson Gower to Mr. Secretary Canning, dated St. Petersburgh, 19th Sept. (Ist October) 1807.—Received October Vith. SIR, St. Petersburgh, Ist October 1807. I had the honour, by the last Messenger, to inform you of my having communicated to Count Roman zow a copyof the capitulation of Copenhagen, accom panied by a short note, in which I expressed my hope that this capitulation might be followed by the re establishment of peace between Great Britain and Denmark. Six days after I received the enclosed note front the Russian Minister. The pretensions set forth in this paper, and the tone in which they are urged, ap peared to me to be of a nature to call for an imme diate answer. In my reply (of which I enclose a copy), I endeavoured to satisfy the Russian Minister that his Majesty's Government had, in the communi cations which I had been authorised to make, shewn every reasonable mark of respect and consideration for his Imperial Majesty, notwithstanding his change of system and principles ; but I thought it no less ne cessary to let the Russian Minister clearly understand that his Majesty was not to be frightened out of the pursuit of such measures as he might judge expe dient for the security of his empire, by any indirect menace or intimation of the displeasure of the Empe ror of Russia. At the same time that I sent this answer, I re quested a conference with Count Romanzow, with the view of extracting from him some explanation of the expression " que l'Empereur se doit a lui meme comme aux interets de son empire de ne pas s'y mon tree insensible." Two days and a half passed with out any notice being taken of this request of a confe rence. I renewed my demand ; when on the follow ing day Count Rcmanzow wrote, that he intended passing two days at Gatschina, the palace of the Em press Mother, but that cn his return on Wednesday he would receive me. I asordingly called upon him this day. Upon my entrance he made many apologies for not having ap 'pointed an earlier day for our conference. I told him that my impatience proceeded from my wish to avoid all possible misunderstanding between our two Courts —that I was sorry to observe, that in the note which he addressed to me, he had made use of certain ex pressions which would with great reason create consi derable uneasiness in England ; that he - must be suf ficiently well acquainted with the British Government to know that whatever might be the wishes and views of this Court, no more effectual mode could have been adopted to prevent their receiving that attention which had - uniformly been given to the representa tions of this country, than the use of language which implied menace. I acknowledged that the very cur rent reports of an embargo being about to be laid upon English ships in Russian ports, which reports, I was sorry to observe, had originated with a person employed in the office for Foreign Affairs, had per haps the effect of making me attribute a more hos tile sense to some parts of the note than what was really intended by his excellency ; but that the knowledge of these reports would certainly reach England, and that it was now therefore in the highest degree essential that I should receive from him assu rances that the Emperor entertained no hostile inten- ' tions towards Great Britain. Count Romanzow answered, ti - at I must be aware how little worthy of credit weir: the frequent reports that had been raised at St. Petersburgh, of an em bargo being to be laid upon English ships ; and that he could assure me that the Russian Govern ment had not even thought of such a measure. But upon my construing his words into an assurance that no embargo would take place, and expressing the sa tisfaction I should feel in transmitting such an assu rance to my Court, he replied, that he was not autho rised to say any thing to me of the future intentions of his Sovereign—that neither he nor the Danish Mi nister had received any accounts from Kiel since the capture of Copenhagen ; that the Emperor therefore being as yet unacquainted with the sentiments or views of the Prince Royal of Denmark since that event, naturally waited for the communication of them before his Imperial Majesty could make up his own opinion upon the question.' Count Romanzow then asked me, whzther it was the intention of his Majesty's Government to restore the ships to the King of Denmark in case of peace, being concluded with France? I observed, that hos tilities having commenced, the possession of the Da nish fleet' had been obtained by force, and not by ne gociation ; : - .nd that he would see by the terms of ca pitulation that no such condition had been agreed to by the Commanders of his Majesty's Forces—but that I bad received no dispatches whatever from you since the news of the capture of Copenhagen had reached London. I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, Sir, your most obedient humhle servant, (Signed) GRANVILLE LEVESOX GOWER. To the Right Hon. George Canning, &c. &c. &c. (Fins Inclosure referred to in No. 8.) (Translation). The Undersigned has the honour to lay before the Emperor the note and the copy of the capitulation of Copenhagen, transmitted to him by his excellent' Lord G. L. Gower. His Imperial Majesty has viewed with infinite concern, all the misfortunes whick have overwhelmed a Monarch, to whom he is attached by the ties of blood, and those of a long friendship. When the British Ministry conceived the design of despoiling Denmark of her fleet—when they dis. patched for that purpose to the Baltic a numerous land force, and a considerable fleet, they gave no in timation of it to his Imperial Majesty. This silence, this extreme reserve may serve as a proof, that the Cabinet of St. James's we tbera.selver persuaded, that what tliey *lke Inaertaking was elirectly coy: trary to the interests of Russia. So in tact it is, and the Emperor owes it to himsel% and to the interests of hit Empire, not to chew him self insensible to it. His Majesty considers himself as guarantee of the security, and of the tranquillity of the Baltic Sea ; at what period have the tranquillity and security, of that sea been so molested as in this instance ? The Undersigned, having apprised his Britannic Majesty's Ambassador of the sentiments of the Em peror his Master, avails himself of this opportunity, &c, (Signed) COUNT NICHOLAS DE ROMANZOFP. St. Petersburgh, 1-23 September, 1807. (Second Inclosure referred to in No. B).—Translation). The Undersigned, his Britannic Majesty's Ambas sador, has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the note of yesterday's date, which the Count de Ro manzoff addressed to him. He will lose no time in transmitting it to his Court, but the charges which it contains against the British Government, impose on the Undersigned the duty of requesting his excel lency to submit without delay to his Imperial Ma jesty some observations, which may place in their true light the reciprocal proceedings of both powers. Although the celerity indispensable to the execution of the measures of precaution adopted with regard to Denmark, did not allow of any anterior communica tions, the . Note of the undersigned dated the 241 of September, so far from concealing the reasons which produced that expedition, declared them with frank ness, and the explanation of them was repeated and accompanied with details in the highest degree satis factory, at the first conference of the undersigned with the Ministry of that day. The secret articles of the treaty of Tilsit are more over still unknown to the Court of London ; and the undersigned has vainly required a communication of those arrangements, the execution of which daily de velopes objects in no way conformable to the spirit of the antient alliances, and absolutely prejudicial to those interests, the maintenance of which formerly constituted an essential part of the Russian system. Is it then for Russia to complain of secrecy, whilst that Court absolutely refuses the only explanation which could have been satisfactory to the Court of London, as to the intentions and the projects meditated with regard to her ? this silence, this extreme reserve, may serve as proof, that the Cabinet of St. Peters burgh were themselves persuaded that their secret arrangements were directly contrary to the interests of Great Britain. As to the tranquillity of the Baltic, England has never recogn i ze d any exclusive rights ; and - whatever may have the pretensions of Russia to the title of guatantee of the security of that sea, her silence at the period when every port from Lubeck to Memel was shut against the British flag, appears an open abandonment of those pretensions. (Signed) GRANVILLE LEVESON GOWER. September 12, (24) Mg. No. 9. Extract of a dispatch from Lord Granville Leveson Gower, to Mr. Secretary Canning, dated St. Petersburgh, Oct. 29, 1807. Sir Robert Wilson arrived here on Saturday the 17th, and delivered to me your dispatches.. • • The Emperor having returned from the inspection of his army in Poland only on Thursday last, and Count Romanzow having for some days previous to that time been waiting at Gatschina the arrival of his Im perial Majesty, it was not till Saturday night that I succeeded in obtaining a conference with the Russian Minister. My reports of the change of Ministry here, and of the unfriendly tone which has marked the commu nication I have received from this Government since that change, will have dissipated the hopes which the account of my last conversation with General Bud berg and other representations had led his Majesty's Government to entertain of the future conduct of this Court. I began my conference with Count Romanzow, by saying, that I had received instructions which were written under an impression that there existed in this Cabinet a disposition to renew its former footing of confidence with the English Government ; I explain ed to him fairly what had caused this impression ; and added that though his Majesty could regard the energy and resources of his own people as the only sure foundation of the safety and prosperity of his kingdom, yet that he was always inclined to avai 1 himself of any opening which this Court might afford, for re-establishing that union and confidence which appeared advantageous to the mutual interests of both countries, and almost essential for the recovery of the independence of Europe ; that the communications I had received from his excellency, and the conduct of this Government since the portefeuille of Foreign Affairs had been committed to his hands, had so changed the state of things, that I almost doubted whether I should be justified in executing the instruc tions I had received ; but that trusting that he would do justice to the persevering moderation of his Ma jesty, I would state to him with frankness what was the nature of these instructions. His Majesty's de claration,l .observed, sufFciently explained to Europe, that the. Court of London had no views of aggran dizing or enriching itself at the expence of Denmark. For the security of the British dominions, his Majesty had \ been forced to remove out of the reach of France the naval means of Denmark ; but this object being accomplished, the English Government were ready to forego any advantage that might be derived to Great Britain from the continuance of this war ; and his Majesty was ready to concert with Russia the means of re-establishing the tranquillity of the North of Europe. That object could be obtained only by the restoration of the neutrality of Denmark, and that neutrality could be rendered real and permanent only through the means of Russia. The Court of Peters burgh, I said, were even more interested than the Court of London in the success of this•negociation. Count Romanzow answered; " How can Russia recommend to Denmark to submit. to the affront she had received, and to endure with patience all her losses ?" I replied, " If by the continuance of the war„ Denmark could hope to recover her fleet, she might with reason be indisposed to listen to such ad vice ; but when it was evident to every perton who reflected for a moment on the actual state of things, that the Court of Copenhagen, by the continuance of the war, could gain nothing but the entrance of a French army into the body of its territory, I could not but think that a friendly representation from a Amaral power, of a danger which tlteatened the very edstonce ofDeumark, might real the Prince in a mote dispassionate conilderation of the reel in terests of his country. Count Romanzow repeated to me, that he did not see how the Court of Petersburgh could interfere ;—:- bat added, that he could give trig no positive ansWer to what I had represented to him, till he had'made hii report of my comt'r►unication to his IMperial Majesty. No. 10. Sztract of a Dispatcit, front the Might Honourable Lotd Granting Leveaon Cuwer to Mr. Secretary Canning, dated Saba Pews. barth, October E9.—Reeeived November 28, 1107. St. Peteraburgh, October*. I have the honour to encicise a copy of an official Note, which, in consequence of the instructions con tained in your dispatch of the 27th of September, I immediately addressed to Count Romanzow, upon the question of the proferred mediation of Russia. It is now nearly ten days since I sent it, and have as yst received no answer. Inclosure referred to in No.lo.—(Trarsl Von.) Notwithstanding his Excellency Cie Minister for Foreign Affairs has announced his Imperial Majesty's determination not to make any confidential commu nication of the secret articles contained in the treaty of peace between Russia and France, a determination which the Russian Minister has been apprised must render fruitless the offer of mediation proposed by the Court of St. Petersbnrgh, the undersigned, his Bri tannic Majesty's Ambassador, cannot nevertheless en tirely abandon his solicitations without requesting his Excellency Count Romanzow to furnish him with a statement of the reasons which may have produced this reserve. His Excellency will see moreover, that discussions in which the destinies of so many nations are involved, and which have had for their object the re-establish ment of general tranquility, cannot with propriety be terminated by an avowal purely verbal. The under sired therefore hastens to communicate in an official shape to the Imperial Ministry, the wishes of his So= vereign, and he cherishes the hope that the Russian Government, agreeably to the desire uniformly tes tified by the British Ministry to preserve the ancient relations or confidence between the Courts of London and Saint Petersburgh, will no longer hesitate to furnish him with the communication he requires, ac companied by the specification of the principles of ho nour and equity which his Imperial Majesty had reason to be convinced the French Government was desirous of establishing as the basis of a Illbgociation of peace between England and France. October 11, (22) 1807. (Signed) No. 11. Extract of a Dispatch from the Right Honourable Lord Granville Leveson Gower i to Mr. Secretary Canning, dated ' Saint Peters burgh,ilovember 4th, 1807.—Reeeived December 2d. St. Petersburgh, Nov. 4th, 1807. On Saturday morning, the 31st ultimo, no notice having been taken by Count Romanzow, either of my note of the 23d, or of my verbal overtures res pecting Denmark, I requested of his Excellency an early conference. On Monday I wrote a second note to the Russian Minister, in which I expressed my re gret at being under the necessity of reminding him that I had two days before requested a conference. I yesterday afternoon received an answer, in which he informs me, that he is by order of the Emperor going to Gatschina, and that he cannot, till his return to St. Peter.burgh, mention the time when he can re ceive me. This derail of the difficulties I have et perienced in obtaining an interview with Count Ro manzow will I trust acquit me in the opinion of his Majesty of any dilatoriness in the execution of your instructions. I confess that lamat a loss to find any satisfactory explanation of this wish to avoid commu nication with me. I have been informed that some members of the Council, who have been consulted in the present very critical state of affairs, had advised the Emperor not to reject the present opportunity of re-establishing the tranquility of the North of Europe ; that their opinion has been adopted ; and that a note has been written to General Savary, with a view of engaging the French Government to consent to the restoration of the neutrality of Denmark. The French General has remonstrated violently against this mea sure ; and the Russian Cabinet alarmed by the vio lence of his language, is undecided what answer to return to the overture received from England. But the fear of Bonaparte's displeasure will no doubt pre vail. 0. L. COWL& No. 12. Extract of aDispetch from the Right Honourable Lord S GranvEle Leveson Gower to Mr. Secretary Canning, dated t. Petal.- burgh, Nov. 8, 1807.—Received Dec. 2. I had the honour of apprizing you by the last mes senger, of the difficulty I had experienced in obtain ing a conference with Count Romanzow. I yester day wrote a letter to him. of which the inclosed is a copy, and I this morning received the inclosed note. The contents of this paper are so extremely impor tant, that I will not detain Sir Robert Wilson, by making any observations upon the unfounded asser tions and misrepresentations with which it abounds. This violent measure has been produced by a pe remptory demand (brought by the last messenger from Paris) of the• immediate execution of all the secret articles of Tilsit ; and the French mission have boasted, that after some difficulties they have gained a complete triumph, and have carried not only this act of hostility against England, but also every other point essential to the success of Bonaparte's views. • I intend asking for passports to-morrow, and shall set,put in the course of a few days. p. IL I inclose a copy of a printed declaration, which has been sent by the-Russian Government to all the loreign Ministers residing at this Court. Phut Indosure referred to in No 12.--(Translation.) The Ambassador Obis Britannic Majesty has v..- peatedly signified for more than a week his desire to converse with his excellency the Count Romanzow his solicitaticns have been hitherto fruitless, but the Ambassador deems it his duty to renew once more his ,application, previous to his announcing to his Court the apparent determination of his excellency to avoid the customary communications. 26 Oct. (Nov. 7.) 1807. Second Judo:tore referred to in No. 14.-{Translation.) The Emperor, who in the course of the war which he has just terminated, had to complain of the con duct of England towards him, suppr2ssed his just re sentment in the consoling hope, that thepeace he had so lately concluded would lead to a general peace. He had constituted himself Imitator, he Lad sub sequently offered his mediation, in acquainting his Britannic Majesty that his desire wr.s to obtain for him an honour*, peace.—England rejected his of. ices. ITtern *vier. wit h t he Cour ork of th e Em P! . ie in his Impep; , ,der his auspic; .tee. The situ ati°n 1 protector of thi s uch S task; 2ss ign to him, 1 • E i t t he Court of Detunark has 1 ; .r of Russia fc • e n be better ai i ng agin; • ~.i ne nt upon a ri b - n papers the ElnPer °r ° I'etured of t he COI t• t. twat o f a Dis Pat vale Ltsfewn 4 ,? l ,' p et ersbuis“u, -- is I I Gen e ral h°n If Bud 11' Foreign AffaiTS 2.! "A an earl ▪ sce ; ng count 'e hat had passed ; adherg ; I ren ,is predecessor t a e ration of the I lig been instructed t .fore I could to the proposed; endeavours to L !, e . 'morning obtai Co.F. repressions of me being of an ns authorized • his Imperial 'N e ska te the sect • fe t e nce count of t h e ir to England ; 1 62 articles should L P r°- no reason for tins istract of ID's; 5414 1 an Gower to likell sib Septembe ce. l ssin My last di tlx burgh, when co rot lad flan n i at reign Affairs it known three i ie fi by a circular cost I thought i Fo. Romanzow ; 4 and have been so tion of the r( d er me in reque ` rat i os new Ministe After the :e,as I expressed I cosi- reserve of hi tat extreme disa ;hat ~ signified to s demi, me the secs vps. „ observed chi King my er se a jesty's offer It „; expected the 7 ~•., of a Soverei was every want e i nnderstandi -_ OlO been able tr " 4 d o and confide ts prized at f anon d grounds of sit , tfthe trea _ vov > was his pai tad been dispo in a Imperial Is the momes e i these publi assurances intimacy a eid between tl d . , Count 1 h i m friendship .., anxiety th eat lend and mailifestei usia being the e After g se of reason urv - .. d ie 3 dcpai ▪ 1 0 , the same b , the treaty "Z it since th e 5 ' vs mined b w et ,able to ei enss-" that proj even v. , h; ww ":' to enter a aces D .omanz project b had rece r be had ert q ald that he OW' Empera declined I " instance doe ate ansv r. the'reni kit las situ Vl' WI FOI, rni: )d