Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-12-02
Foreign hatellSge's


Nv lord IA great deal has iafeiy oeen
said here respecting Che measures have
been obliged to adopt, in order 70 OBJ
tain for the king Of the Netherlands his
paintings and other things out 81 the mu-
scum, and as these reports may reach
the ears Of the Prince Regent. ] COM
|municate to you the following account of
the whole affair, for bis Royal Highness'
information:
Al short time after the arrival of the
lSoyereigns at Paris, the minister Of the
king Of the Netherlands demanded the
lpicfnres, &c. belonging to his sovereign,
las did tie ministers Of the other soye-
Ireigns, and. as was informed, could not
tobtain satisfactory answer frsm the
French government. After several con-
Iyersations with me upon the subject, he
sent to your Lardship an Official note.
(which was laid before the ministers u
THE allied powers, assembled at cpnfe-
lrsace upon which the business was Sc
Iyeral times taken into consideration in
lorder to discover means 1T doing jastice
Itothe claimants Of the objects Of art in
1.-The museum, withom hurting the feelings
Iof the king Of France.-Meanwhile the
|prussians had obtained from his majesty
not univ all the pictures belonging to
Prussia Proper, bnt also all those, which
belonged to the Prassian territory on the
left bank OF the Rhine, and all sthose
which were the property Of his Prussian
Majesty; the affair now became urgent,
and your lordship wrote a mute OF the
in which the matter was fully treat
Ied.-The minister Of the king of the
Netherlands having not yet received any
satisfactory answer from the French GO
lyernment, applied to me as commander
lin chief of the army of. the King .of the
Netherlands, and asked whether had
ANY objection to employing his majesty's
troops to obtain possession vt what was
lindubitably his maiesty's property. l
Ilaid this question also before the minis
tiers of the allied monarch and rs no
objection was found, thought it my du-
lty to take The necessary steps to obtain
| what was his right. spoke in conse-
louence with Prince Talleyrand upon this
tsubiect. communicated to him what had
lpassed at the conference, and the rea-
SONS had for thinking that the king Of
the Netherlands had Alright to the paint
lings, and requested him to lay the mat
Her before the king, and entreat his ma
liesty to do me the favor to determine
tthe manner in which Knight obtain the
Iobject of the king of the Netherlands
without in any manner offending his ma
l;esty. Prince Talleyrand promised me
Ian answer by the next evening; but as !
Ibid not receiveit. | repaired to him IN the
might, had second conference with mm,
lin WHICH he gave me to understand that
1.-THE king would give no orders upon the
Subject. that / might do as ! thought pro-
Ipef, and negotiate with Mr.. Demon, the!
Eiirecte- Of the musennl. IN the norm
Iine | sent my Aid -de-Ca II. col. Free 4
mantle, to Mr.. Demon. who told him that
he had no orders to give pany paintings
|oat Of the gallery, ard that be should
suffer none to be taken away but by force,
Il then sent col. Freetnantle to Prince
|raleyrana to acquaint him with this an.
sWer. and to inform that the troops would
20 tbe next morning, at 12 O'clock, toI
AXE possession of the paintings belong
|ioa o the King Of the Netherlands, and
|te declare, that If any thing unpleasant
.houId arise from this measure, the kings
ministers, and not /, we're answerahle
flor Il. Cox Freemantle likewise inform
led MIR. Demon Of the measure that was
|to be taken. twas, however, not Ne
|cessary to send any troops, because al
|Prussian guard constantly occupied the
gallery, and the pictures were taken a
way without any assistance being re-
euired from any troops under my com
|.nand, except a few, who assisted as la
borers in the taking down and packlngl
up.
Il has been alledged, that by havingl
been the instrument of carrying away
from the gallery the pictures Of the King
ofthe.N Netherlands, ] had been guilty OIL
a breach Of treaty which / had myself
|aade |: and as there is no mention made
|of the Museum in the Treaty Of the a5fh|
March. and it seems now the treaty
|snoken Of is the military convention OF
Paris. it is necessary to show how this
convention is connected with the Mu-
scum.
/ do not want to prove that the allies