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

STATE PAPERS. RUSSIAN PAPERS. PRESENTED EY HIS MAJESTY'S COM MAND TO DOTII MOUSES OP PARLIAMENT, FEE. 18Q8. 1 * them the woe Miserable L en t Granville Levesen Dim tiilvir; Segetarl-Chinning, dated Saint Petersburgh, September 9, 1007.--Iteeeleed September 19th. Saa, St. Petersburgh, September a, 1507. I have the hestour to inform you, that en Saturday e vening 29th August, I received by. Sir Stephen shairp, who left the fleet of Copenhagen upon the 24th of August, your dispatches No. 32 - and 33, and on Sunday the Messenger Ruff delivered to me those from No. 36 to 31 inclusive. Being thus completely put in possession of the sem timents of his Majesty's Government upon all the points which could come into discussion between this country and Great Britain, I lost no time in requesting a conference with General Bkldbergi who, though ex. tremely unwell, invited me to call upon him last night. I began the conference by observing, that his ex cellency being already apprised by the answer given by his Majesty" Secretary of State, to M. Alopeus, of the conditional acceptance by the Court of Lon don, of the proffered Mediation of Russia, I had to state to him, that I was instructed in the first instance to request the communication of the secret articles of the Treaty of Tilsit, apd a, frank disclosure of the ge neral views and intentions of the Court of St. retell burgh. That impartiality was the first requisite in the character of a mediator, and that before the Bri tish Government- agreed to avail itself of the media tion of this Coital% it was essentially necessary that •England . should be placed, with regard to the medi ating power, en an equal footing with France ; that the confidential intercourse which had taken place between the Emperor and Bonaparte at Tilsit, and by which his Imperial Majesty became acquainted with the prittaipbes open which the French Govern. meat proposed negotiating with the Court of London, had naturally excited an uneasiness in England, which could only be removed by an unreserved communi cation ; that I could net conc e al f r o m him, that the period peremptorily prescribed to dais Majesty, for the acceptance of the Russian mediation had created in London avery Unfavourable iMpretsion against the intervention of his Imperial Majesty ; that however, notwithstanding his Majesty had just reason to be of fended with the terms of the 13th Article, such was his desire to embrace any opening which afforded the prospect of the conclusion of au honourable peace, that he would not retract the conditional acceptance o the mediation, which had already been conveyed to the Russian GoVernmeot, in the note addressed by yon to M. Alopeus; that his Majesty arthe same time, looked for some mark of the good-will of tb* Emperor of Russia towards Great goo d-wilt that 14, Alopeus had before the late unfortuhate events of . yriedland and Tilsit, requested of yee a projet of a new Treaty of Commerce, and had green the assur. once of the dispositkm el his Court to proceed to the definitive conclusion of a commercial arrangement between the two countries ; that a Frio had to cam. pliant* with his wish been tomnromeated and trans. nutted to St. Petersburgh ; and flat if the good-will of his Imperial Majesty towards Lugland continued unaltered, I trusted no delay would take place itt proceeding to the negotiation of this Treaty) that thit existence of any stipulation in this projet, which was not approved of by . this CATiarnMelat, was nOtille stacle to our entering into negotiation upon it, be., cause I should take upon myself to agree to any rood. -ations which did not appear to change the basis and principles upon which it had been framed i that as France had by the 27th Article of the Tilsit Treaty secured the re-establishment of her former eoxerner., rial relations with Russia, a natural and obvious mode of proving the impartiality of the Emperor ! would be the renewal of the Commercial Treaty with Great Britain. Ger.z.ral Budberg began. his reply by acknowledg ing the existence of secret articles belonging to the Treaty of Tilsit. There were some, he said, which no way concerned the interests of England ; that ae could assure me, and as an honest man he would not say it if it were not truth, there existed no secret article whatever, which stipulated the shutting the Russian.pats against the British commerce ; that with respect to the projet of the Treaty of Commerce, he had to confess, that, from the press of other busi ness, and the bad state of his health, he had not had time to lay it before the Emperor ; that it must neces sarily be considered by the Minister of Commerce, before he could confer with me upon it ; and that as to the 27th Article of the Tilsit Treaty, it only placed the commercial relations of the two countries upon the same footing that they hasi been before the com mencement of hostilities ; 'that the Commercial Treaty with France was not renewed, and would ex pire in two years ; and that it by no means followed because Bonaparte had communicated to the Emperor of Russia, the basis upon which he was ready to con clude peace with England, that his Imperial Majesty had made any communications at Tilsit of the future views and system of the Court of Petersburgh. The General appeared to wish that I should consi der this answer as sufficiently satisfactory to authorize me to accept the mediation of his Court. I observed in reply, that it was difficult to conceive any articles of a peace between Russia and France which did not directly or indirectly concern Great Britain ; but that I asked the communication of the secret articles, not only as an object which might affect the interests of England, but as a mark of the continuance of that friendship and confidence on the part of this Court ? which could alone afford any prospect of from the acceptance of the mediatscsa of the C d p;or of , Russia ; that with the same view, I had proposed i eontinuing the negotiatioatliegun by Mons. Alopeus, and that IF his excellency had no authority at present to say any thing more satisfactoty than what I had as yet heard from him, I must request him to ask the permission of the Emperor to communicate to me without reserve the secret articles of the Treaty be tween Russia and France, and to empower him to continue the negotiation!, and conchal:le a, Treaty of Commerce with Great Britain. General Buclberg promised me, that be would lose no time in brioging these two requests under the con sideratiou of his Imperial Majesty. I have the ho nour to, be with the greatest respect, Sr, your most obedient humble servant, (Signed) LEVISON QOWEL so. e. Extract of a Disposals from the Right *pourable Lev i: Lemmas Gower to Mr. 8 •esfoolly Sept. dated in.. Pew. burgh, Sept. 2, iso7.--Iteenve; scot- te , 1 had the satisfaction of finding last night that u ' considerable thange had taken place in the tone Ito temper of General Budberg's c onversation. Instead 4 that coldness and reterve which characterised the -replies of the Russian Minister to the questions which I had thought it my duty to put to h i m in prev i o us con ferences, rfound a very mild and conciliating man ner, and an apparent anxiety to remove every diffi culty in the way of a Perfectly good understuding between the two countries. I regretted the reserve which had marked the conduct of the Russian Go vernment towards England. He .answered that Russia had just grounds of complaint against Eng. land ; be went into a long detail of the little attention that had been given to the repeated representations of the Emperor-Of Russia, and I could not be surprised, he said, that in the first moment of misfortune aris ing from the want of co-operetion , he 411QUid could tea/ s ome degree of discontent. I replied, that we not better serve the cause of Bonaparte than by In dulging in mutual recrimination on the past conduct of each Government ; that I wished our whole at tendee should be turned to the future, and that I was Persuaded if the Emperor of Russia still entertained his former opinions of the danger to be apprehended from the preponderance rance, the cause of the independence of Europe was by no m eans desperate. No: a. Eztr act of a DisPateli front the Right Honourable Lord Granville Lessem{ Gower se Mr. Scertusy Canning, dated St. Peters burgh, Sept.S, 1807.—Received t. 19. As General Budberg carefully avoided every al lusion to the late transact ions at Co p enha g en durin g the interview which took place between us on Tues day, I was somewhat surp rised on the following morn ing to receive the nate o which I haus the honour to enclose a copy. In my answer, also enclosed, I have endeavoured to follow closely those among the Tea ' tons-stated in your dispatches, which I conceive like ' ly to prove the least offensive to this Goiremment, re serving other arguments form y first forage confer ' ence with the Minister. (Pint indoors referred to in NA. sioqraisilaties. His Majesty the Emperor has just learned, with , the utmost surprise, by accounts frOtn his Minister at Copeohageo. as well as by a dispatch from his Da , ati Majesty's Minister at this Court, that Mr. Jack son, his - Britannic Majesty's Plenipotentiary, has Made gl'opotitiont as derogatory to es mcdnoarittble with' he - dignity of every independent power, and that, upon th e refusal of the Prince Royal of Denmark to accede to a pretension so extraordinash the English; Sett has taken a position which evidently announces intentions hostile towards Denmark. . I The ties of coosoorkiip and itiendship which unite his Imperial Majestz with the Kies of Den mark, not &Offering him tow.. with indiffereoce any danger which might menace the dominions or the in. dependence of ,that Sovereign ; the undersigned has voceived commands to invite his excellency Lord Granville Levu= Gower to acquaint him with the motives which have induced the Cabinet of St. Jaraes's to at proceedings soextraordiaary ag ainst Denmark. The undersigned, see. (Signed ) 1 A. DE SUDEERG. 1 St. Peterstragb, August SO, (Sept. I), 1207. (Second inclosure refemed to in No. 3.)—Er • Si. Petershiest. (August in!) Sept. 2. 1507. Agreeably to t h e desire of his excellency General Bodberg, the undersigned, Ambassador of his Bri j tannic Majesty, loses no time in communicat:ag to ;the Russan Government the motives which led to the 1 steps taken by the King's Minister at the Court of `Denmark, and to the subsequent operations of the British forces agaW,u, the island of Zealand. The British Ministry had been along time in posses . • sive of positive data which left no doubt as to the inten tionsoltheFrench Government respecting the maritime naeans of Denmark ; and the projects against Eog lanll from that quarter, which were matured by the continental peace, certainly cannot have escaped the penetration of his Majesty the Emperor of Russia.— The Danish fleet destined to cover a descent on the British coasts being therefore an object essential for the accomplishment of the views of France, the King found himself under the necessity of securing himaff from so imminenta danger, bytbow precautions which were adopted with regret, however indispensable for the security of his empire. The ties of relationship vrhicii united the two Courts of London and of Co penhagen would have inspired the King with the de sire of avoiding such a painful extremity, and of re. spectin , as far as depended upon himself, the inter. ests of Denmark ; but his duty called equally for measures adapted to ward off a danger which threa tened not only the welfare of his people but the ex istence of his Crown. The undersigned. having thus frankly replied to General Budberg s note, will with pleasure furnish a more detailed verbal explanation, should his excellency ' desire it; and he avails himself of the opportunity to repeat the assurances of his high consideration. (Signed) G. L. GOWER. No. 4. Extract of a dispatch from Mr. Secretary Canning to the Right Honourable Lord Granville Leveson Gower, dated, September 27, 1807. Foreign °face, September 27, 1807. Sir Robert Wilson arrived here on Saturday the 19th with your excellency's dispatches of the 24 inst. which I I eve laid before the King. Whatever may have been the motives or the causes of the c which your excellency represents to have take h r race in the tone of the Russian Councils, 1 far whatever may be the probability of the continu ance of the system now apparently adopted ; his Ma jesty hails with the most sincere satisfaction the return of those sentiments of friendship and confidence on ; the part of his august Ally, from which his Majesty on his part has never deviated, and the cultivation of which is more than ever necessary for their comm.% interests. k Your excellency will lose no opportunity of expres sing these sentiments to his Imperial Majesty and his Minister. The forbearance and moderation which your ex. cellevey has beet all along We:rudest to employ ie. all yew remonstrances with respect to transonic.; is which the personal character of his Imperial Mtesty wax so immediately concerned, and the reliance which you have not failed *express o: the e ettifus; ar t 'sense of what vas due to his Majesty's long s enced friendship and fidelity, • accord perfrettr With the language which you are now instructed' to use, ao 4 giebedte whole of his Majesty's conshact tottaisis hie bow* Majesty uniform and consistent. And excellency cannot tee On impress upon • yeqr t he 1.40 an Minister the wig which yon have so j n u t e jously emPloyed in you r la t e conferences, that i the present state of the world, retros pect and recrimi- - nation are worse than useless; and t hat the eatahlish mein of fume good understanding and itte cOntert of tnesarts toll), taken with a view to future exertion, are Aind tho prc mbiects of diwAleiatt bfitw.ook the two Governments• tour excellency did perfectly right in declining to consider the communicatton of General Budberg as sufficiently satisfactory to authorise your acceptance, on the part of his Majesty, of tholnediatioa of the Emperor of Russia. The points upon which the question of this accep tance turns, are, lst, The frank c omnitmicatiott of the articles of the Treaty of Tilsit, secret as well as avowed. A distinct explanation of the basis upon which France proposes to treat, and which appeared to his Imperial Majesty at Tilsit so just and honour- able. These are the conditions directly stipulated in my Note to,M. Alopmen and without which an accep tance of any mediation by his Majesty could be no- 1 thing else than a conspleee euetender ef his honour and - his interest into the hands of the mediator, if not .a b th u e t en to eiri the Y se . are reasonably to be added, if not as conditions without which it would be impossible to consent to treat under the auspices of Russia, at least as those which his Majesty has a right to require from a friendly, power, !Wore he Continits himself to its guidance in a question affecting the immediate safety and the future welfare of bit dorninious lit, A disclosure of the general view& of policy of the Emperor of Russia ; and of any engagements different which he may have entered with respect te the different Powers in whom fortnnes his Majesty takes an interest ; and dly, Some plain and decisive proef of the good' watierstandleg subsisting between his Majesty a nd his august Ally ; such as 6311 satisfy, not ajesty only, but Europe and the world, of the impartiality with which his Imperial Majesty has undertaken, and ProPoe* 4) noktialiateri th e duties of his office as me diator. With respect to the first of the two points which I have stated, as absolutely indispensable, General Bud berg appears as yet to have gone no farther than to give a verbal assurance that there is not ally article, among the secret articles of the Treaty of Tilsit, sti pulating for the shutting of the Russian ports against i Great Britair. But it will immediately have occurred to your ex cellency that a distinction might probably be taken in M. de Budberg's mind between a stipulatum for the immediate and unconditional execution of a purport and the agreement to resort to it ~stud* under et:- cunt-stances which may not yet have occurred ; and that, supposing the former only to be the sense of M. de Budberg's assurance, that assurance might be liter tleity true, without in feet conveying any thmg essen . satisfactory. . The inference to be drawn• from this circumstance is, that the Russian Minister should be called upon by your excellency in an aficialnote, not for a simple disavowal only of any single article, but for the com munication of the secret articles themselves, or at least of any agreement actual or eventual, in which the interests of this country or its allies are in any de gree concerted. In the same formal manner a communication should be required of the , basis of peace proposed by France ; upon which the Kussian Minister does not appear to have offered any expLae.aion. The other two points are not so strictly connected with the question of mediation. But it is nevertheless perfectly reasonable that his Majesty should require some ostensible proof of the good will of his august ally, to counteract the general impression which must have been created•by late events, of a difference and disunion between them ; before his Majesty can with a good grace accept those offices at the Emperor of Russia's hands, of which impartiality should be the essential character. No proof could be selected, at once so easy for his Imperial Majesty to give, so grateful to his Majesty to receive, so natural in the eyes of the world, and so little liable to exception on the part of France, as the renewal of the Treaty of Commerce. With respect to the remaining point, which your excellency is instructed to urge—a communication on the part of the Russian Government of its general views and policy for the future—you will observe that his Imperial Majesty hinnelf annexed to his condi tional acceptance of the mediation of the Emperor of Austria, a similar demand of the communication of the general views of the Court of Vienna respecting the future state of Europe. In the Treaty of Beatensetin, concluded between his Imperial Majesty and the King of Prussia, and offered by them to the acceptance of other Powers as the lbasis of a co-operation few the purpose of producing a general pacific arrangement, a distinct and detailed exposition was entered into with respect not only to the Powers intended to be comprehended as parties to the treaty, but to all the other Powers of Europe in whose fate any one of the principal Powers could be supposed to be interested. These examples of what his Imperial Majesty has done, and what he has required, would sufficiently authorize his Majesty's solicitude to obtain a similar explanation on the present occasion. But there axe other grounds for it in the very state and circumstance, of Europe, as arising out of the Treaty of Tilsit, and the stipulations =sexed to it ; some of which stipriztions are already carrying into execution in a vine to excite his Majesty's apprehen sionsa not far his own interests, for those of his allies. Is it possible that his Majesty should not, think it essential to be informed whether the public article of the Treaty of Tilsit, which recognizes the French King of Naples Orly as King of Naples, is, in effect, , contradicted by a secret article, which adds to this ' title that of the Two Seines The moverleksin , the Mediterranean, and the sur- I reader of Coda, naturally give rise to a variety of apprehensioas, which it seosi ha for the interest of • both countaies to quiet, er at least reduce within the boo truth. Bakiipc laic Mejeste . the el* na eenaise some ex planation or the intentions of Rusejnazzith aspect to Turkey—a Power with whom his Majesty finds him. self at war, and left alone in the Vrar, than Russian interests, and from a tir by his Majesty for the sake of his ally These topics your exceleacy will conferences with M. de Budberg w i t h ness winch their importance requires, ' time, carefully avoiding a strain of even when you are obliged to confess engagements having . been entered 107esty cannot but disapprove, condi qury in su — Chatianner as shall lead to believe that his Majesty is anxious the means Of preventing or remedyin; `to discover the grounds of complaint Upon the whole, your Excellency these instructions, that his Majesty rows as ever to cultivate the friendshi the Emperor of Russia ; that he c( chance of safety for what remains pend upon the renewal of a good tween them ; that his Majesty has i. appearances the most unfavourable, spatted of such a recurrence, on the peror, to the Counsels which are bi.! , no a w ild h f o o pe r ti d le ha se s cur take ity n ( n as t o r i y s h ni s o ons w , his Majesty, upon such a change, all that has passed of a nature corn counsels, or inconsistent with them. NO. 5. Extraet of a disliateli from "Mr. Sccrtt try Honourable Lord Grauville Le% two C. 88, 1807. Foreign Ok His Majesty entirely approves of ed by your Excellency to Genera) on the subject of the operations at ' I inclose to your Excellency a Co) ration which his Majesty has cause, en that subject, in which your the principles upon which his clearly laid down ; and in which his Majesty to limit the measures he has unfortunately found himsel recourse, is announced with that ration which characterise his Mai( In conversing upon this subject Minister, your excellency, in add' ments so correctly stated in your with which his Majesty's declarat will not hesitate to appeal to the ent itself for reasons in justificat. to which his Majesty has been undo resorting. You will remind General Budberg, of reproach, but as matter of fact - the conclusion of the peace of hour at which your excellencl Robert Wilson were received ht vernment were without one word the amicable intentions of Re Britain. • The offer of mediatii cumstances which belonged to excite any other fee l ing :ic rather in the Emperor's will ; and was received here of the temper posal was made, and of the lir viewed by the enemy, justified intended by Russia rather as prepa. consequent upon his Majesty's refusal, to lead to a pacific result throw In the mean time, the public peace, and the concealment of intelligence of the plan brought ferences of Tilsit for a general this country, in which the and Portugal were destined gence since confirmed by a fran. munlt%ttion from Portugal hersei posal having been actually enforced with threats of instant lity in case of her declining to circumstances, coupled with for the reception of a large burgh, formed together such only of thz designs of Bonaparte, vance, if not of the participa. Majesty would have been wan\ owed to his own dignity and tot) nions, if he had not taken the r breaking through the combinal round him : and it would hal circumstances, to have waited to measures calculated to repo Russia herself formed S 3 large It cannot be disguised, therei communication on the part meat has been in no small degree very mischief which that Gov , - -- Confident as his Majesty the vigorous and decisive step' of self preservation obliged yet more willingly have been of acting upon that necessity. state to offer her guarantee of mark, instead of affording suspicion, that she was prep, not to instigate her hostility. But it is useless as well as what might have been the Emperor of Russia had not self over to the counsels of ri it was of all others the most derstanding should be kept Great Britain. Your excellency will thcref no longer than may be necessary mind of the Russian Ministt - supposed ur.friendliness of prevented his Majesty from Imperial Majesty on the sub he proceeded to those stront_ the result of which has dispel danger from that quarter. It remains now, according established in your excellent- General Budberg, to lcok ccussequences of what has taken your to turn them to such ac beneficial both to Russia end that cause which their re-ui hope of conducting to a fay After the perusal of the 71ar excellency will be fall ; situation of affairs withrespe I His Majesty is perfectly • Ton to time, 14 Emper A.lopet Friedla ,TltWfi ance o deftniti betwee plianct mined of his , tuxaltt pocee existen was 114 stacle canse ficatio rincii • t rant' secur eial r mode would Great Ge ing th Treat in no he cot not sa artict Russi with he ha ness, time sarily befor to the • the c the s• men( Trea ,ptre . beCal of R • elude had I view dee me • in rt of a • dire I as EnF frie whi the Ru eon to • yet pei v. 41 twi col Cc no .id AO et • ;Tar, for no quarrelespy w ith ts ? rk of the ill Urge in in his th a ll d ie : !el . e r his S, but at the, . tee. 31t reproach he si te ss the sus,,i,L4i protectt into su ch such a: adu c ti o , 11 4 * sign t . the ( td Qs , r a th er to7l Dersmf2 ing th e tit ,1 .r of F Traizt D 'on be 1 Ywill collec t • is's e is as Ttrati pa per ;hip and a l:* conceives ..47.1 the En of Europ e to§ d o understandi ng h Estrus c never, even ux.1.4 vine )lc', anogetLet Fedi le part of th e I ts 4 best calculated I have Yof his own d pi .t Gen, en place ; .reign is eager t o i took ntradictory to d 9 seeing n. .41 a t hat dbeq s prod Lry c umin: , • c'v.cr, o ttds,t, • . u • tson ins D , ffi ce , scpt. as,ta, fore l 5 r the answer, the pi ral &a eri e s 'e tar , d t Copenh a o tt . co met Copy of j 1,. .ajesty ;sea to he paw d Fr y Excdtonoy . ss am , the Majesty ha s ct :h the di sposition ,e trea sof hostility to sehi. - ajesty elf comp e n t a to In • Rus frankness and to a n tjesty's cond uc t. rePe zct with t h e R • dber ar Note, and te • • con! ation will furnish ease , • rid tuifd a l b d t e T i e i d o t re n i'° a ß grs u , of u itht s n ts eo ti oi do a. tut s thninactelsiti, .ties_L'isfaptieorr; 'nomi cow act merely, this Cou cy's dispatches to .oaearni; here, the B r iti s h , ben rd of assu.aate, a at kussia towuds at Lion, under aline ' o it, was ealettot te than that demi . En and every accost ' per in which that sci light in which it the belief tha t it at preparatory to her, tru ; refusal, than as lie: , fis h sough his acceptance. z. licatton of the Preis sM f the Russian; alla ght forward in the ca ral confederacy agics e navies of Demi •os to co-operate ('si s a rank and friendly I ' herself of such apr on nade her by Frmai' •vo alt and desmxtileksi en to comply with it) • e the actual , ;. w French force at liar A a body of evident:v., s ea carte, hut of the can ation of Russia, thus tr vanting alike in whati gr to the securityof his ?rn ' ' e e most effectual stepi cation that was colleet r l ye been idle, witless st :d the consent of ' " P repel a danger, of a ge a part. erefore, that the wan: " of the Russian degree the cause $ pvernment now I ..••• r is in the justifuatio. cps to which the • him to resort ; he en spared the painfi ty, had Russiabus i of the neutrality ssl such strong groli neared to coupteordi as painful to dara .t i course of evettS, it unwarily delivered le France, at a moue.* st essential that a good ,t up between Ruso refore dwell on these • essary to impress uPs ;ter the ccavicnoutla Russia roust of itsff, n commun i ca ting 'lt . übject of Denmark. w ng_but neceysarY se # l paled all apprehe nii ling to the prindlig ncy's late conference; : forward tei the taken place, 26 1 63 account as rag be' .a 7!: d u o n u i o r G a n i„ r eematiisgßilet7yet' W;2PIL: Whia I i * le papers tie elky informed of !epect to Denrarke .y willing that the • •