le. Daaroon unter Vice-Admiral Lord Commodore Rowity, and their order of fail

Lord Shuldham's Line of Battle on his return home.

Note 120. Supplies voted by Parliament, for the year 1779. (See the end of the Appendix.)

Note 121. Manifefto which the Marquis d'Almodovar, the Spanish Ambaffador, delivered to Lord Viscount Weymouth.

"The world can bear witness to the noble impartiality of the King during the whole course of the contest between the court of London, her American colonies, and France. His Majefty moreover having learned that his powerful mediation was much wished for, generously made a tender of it ;-and the belligerent powers accepted it ;-and for this fole purpofe, his Britannic Majefty dispatched a man of war to one of the Spanish ports. The King has taken the most effectual steps to bring the contending powers to an accommodation equally honourable to all parties, and proposed fuch wife means as might remove every difficulty, and prevent the calamities of war. But though his Majesty's propofals, and particularly those contained in his ultimatum, were conformable to thofe which the court of London itself at other times feemed to think proper for an accommodation; and though they were to the full as moderate; yet they were rejected, in a manner expreffive of the little inclination the British cabinet feels to restore peace to Europe, and to preserve the friendfhip of his Majefty. And indeed the conduct of that cabinet towards his Majefty during the courfe of the negociation, was calculated merely to prolong it more than eight months, fometimes under vain pretexts, fometimes by the most inconclufive anfwers; whilst in that interval the British council were carrying to an incredible length their infults to the Spanish flag, and trefpaffing upon the King's territories: the property of his fubjects has been feized; their fhips have been fearched and plundered; many of them have been fired upon, and obliged to defend themselves: even the registers and letters belonging to the court, found on board his Majefty's packets, have been opened, and torn to pieces; the dominions of his crown in America have been threatened; and the British court has had recourfe to the dreadful extremity of raifing up the Indian nations called Chatcas, Cherokees, and Chicachas, against the innocent inhabitants of Louifiana, who would have been victims to the barbarity of these favages, if the Chatcas themselves had not felt remorfe, and revealed all the attempts of English feduction. The English have ufurped his Majefty's fovereignty over the province of Darien, and over the coaft of St Blas, the Governor of Jamaica having given to an Indian rebel, a commiffion of Captain-General of thefe provinces. His Majefty's rights have been lately violated in the Bay of Honduras, where the English have committed acts of hoftility against the Spa

niards,

niards, whofe perfons have been imprisoned, and whole property has been feized. Moreover the Court of London has neglected to fulfil the ftipulation made relative to that coaft, by the 16th article of the late treaty of Paris.

These grievances, io numerous, fo recent, and of so serious a nature, have been at different times the subject of complaints made in the King's name, and set forth minutely in memorials delivered to his Britannic Majefty's minifters in London, or communicated to them through the British ambaffador at Madrid; but though the answers given to these complaints have been hitherto expreffive of friendship, yet his Majesty has not as yet obtained any other fatisfaction, than to fee the infults complained of, reiterated to the number of one hundred.

The King, with that fincerity and candour which characterise his Majefty, formally declared to the court of London, from the beginning of their conteft with France, that the conduct of England should be the rule by which Spain should direct her councils.

His Majefty declared alfo to the British court, that as soon as their dispute with that of Versailles should be determined, it would be abfolutely neceffary to fettle thofe which had already arifen, or might hereafter arife with Spain; and in the plan transmitted to the underwritten ambaffador the 28th of last September, and which he delivered to the British minister about the beginning of October, of which plan a copy was immediately given to Lord Grantham, his Majesty declared in exprefs terms to the belligerent powers, that, confidering the infults offered to his fubjects, and his dominions, as well as the attacks made upon his rights, he would be neceffarily obliged to take a decided part, if the negotiation, instead of being carried on with fincerity, should be broken off, or should prove ineffectual.

The injuries done to his Majesty by the court of London not hav ing ceafed, and no intention appearing in that court to repair them, the King has refolved, and orders his ambassadors to declare, "That the honour of his crown, the protection which he owes his fubjects, and his own perfonal dignity, will no longer permit him to suffer a continuation of thefe infults, or to neglect any longer the reparation of those which have been already received; and that with this view, notwithstanding the pacific difpofitions of his Majesty, and even the particular inclination which he always had, and always profeffed, to cultivate the friendship of his Britannic Majefty, he finds himself under the difagreeable neceffity of making ufe of all the means that the Almighty has given him, to do himself that justice which he has in vain folicited."

Relying on the juftice of his caufe, his Majefty hopes that he will not be refponfible to either God or man for the confequences of this refolution; and that foreign nations will form a proper idea of it, by comparing it with the treatment which they themselves have experienced at the hands of the British ministry.

The Marquis D'ALMODOVAR.

Note

The Anfwer tranfmitted to the Marquis d'Almodovar, by Lord Vif count Weymouth, dated July 13, 1779.

The Marquis d'Almodovar, late Ambaffador of his Catholic Majefty at this court, on his fudden departure, left with Viscount Weymouth, fecretary to his Britannic Majefty, a declaration of war, founded on a detail of motives to justify fo violent a step. In this detail Spain affects to complain in general of the little defire the King fhewed towards the prefervation of peace, and, in particular, against the disrespectful treatment of the Spanish flag, and the violation of the territory belonging to his Catholic Majesty.

As nothing could be more distant from the King's intention than to break the friendship subsisting between Great Britain and Spain, it is by order of his Majefty, that the faid Viscount Weymouth offers fuch a state of the matters fet forth in the faid declaration, as, he doubts not, muft fhew the fincerity with which his Majefty hath endeavoured to maintain the general tranquillity.

The little defire for peace, as fuppofed, on the part of the King, is deducible from the conduct attributed to Great Britain during the late negociation. After the profeffions of the impartiality of his Catholic Majefty, his offers of mediation between Great Britain and France, and after the acceptance of the fame, the declaration affirms, "That every ftep had been taken neceflary to produce the best effects, in order to prepare the two powers towards an accommodation equally honourable to both parties; that to this end wife expedients had been proposed: but, notwithstanding thefe terms were conformable to fuch as the court of London, at other times, judged proper, and conducive to an accommodation; they were, however, rejected, in a manner that proves too well the reluctance on the part of the British cabinet to restore peace to Europe, and to preserve the friendship of his Catholic Majefty."

The conditions offered by France were, to the highest degree, injurious and inadmiffible; the King exprefly declared, that he confidered them as fuch; nothing can be more evident than that the expedients offered by Spain inevitably tended to enforce these very inju rious conditions, but just before declared as inadmiffible.

The pernicious confequences of the proposed expedients had been explained to the court of Spain, by order of the King, and they were, in the most amicable manner, exprefly rejected. Had it been otherwife, there could be no reason for an ultimatum; yet it is not without astonishment, that, after the firft answer, the King receives an ultimatum from the court of Spain, not only containing the very fame offers thus rejected, but announced with scarce any difference in point of form.

The declaration further fays, "That on the 28th of September, the court of Spain had notified to the belligerent powers, that in cafe the negotiation did not fucceed, fhe would then determine how to act." If the open part the court of Spain now takes, be that she se

cretly

cretly intended at that time, it would have been more confistent with her dignity then to avow it, and range herself openly under the banners of France.

Instead of fuch a conduct, the court of Madrid, affecting impartiality, hath offered to mediate, but not to dictate the terms of peace, promifing to communicate to each court the conditions claimed by either, that fo they might be modified, explained, or rejected. When the propofals made by France were rejected, and the declaration made to Spain to cease her mediation, fince her endeavours did not fucceed, it was accompanied with affurances, that the friendship subfifting between the two nations should not be interrupted.

How far this is true, appears from the actual declaration, announcing hoftilities on the part of Spain, without venturing to ftate the nonacceptance of the terms as one of the caufes of the war; but should it be otherwise infinuated, it will furnish his Majefty with an additional reason to complain of the injustice and arrogance of fuch a pretenfion.

The previous caufes which the court of Spain hath thought proper to urge, are, the infults against her flag, and the violation of her territory.

As to the first, these are the terms of her memorial: “ Prizes have been made; veffels have been fearched and plundered; many have been fired upon who were forced to defend themselves; the regifters and packets belonging to the court, and found on board his Catholic Majefty's packet-boats, have been opened, and torn to pieces."

All forts of American veffels have been received in the ports of Spain; they have been furnished with falfe documents, and fuffered to carry Spanish colours; their privateers have plundered all nations without diftinction; and fuch has been the induftry of the Spanish ministry, in order to enhance the number of grievances, that these depredations were by them reprefented as injuries committed by Great Britain. These complaints, which do not exceed the number of twenty-four, feldom fpecify the author of the fuppofed infult; and thofe which did, were frequently ill founded, and in general frivolous. However, it is granted that the answers were amicable. The King thought it worthy of himfelf, not only to ufe every precaution neceffary to prevent diforders which might offend neutral powers, but alfo to ufe every effort to punish the authors, and repair the lofs of the fufferers. Such hath been his conduct at all times when poffible to discover and convict the guilty. Among the vaft operations, fuch as in the prefent war, it is not furprifing that fome irregularities have happened; but when fuch cafes were proved, reftitution was made, with ample damages, and all charges paid.

It has been advanced," That his Catholic Majefty formally declared to the court of London, ever fince France commenced hoftilities, that the court of Madrid would regulate her conduct by that of the court of Great Britain." Nevertheless thirteen English veffels have been feized, on what pretence, or by whofe order, we are ftill

to