French Government ought at least to have no difficulty 1830 in renouncing all views of territorial possession or aggrandizement. The expressions of a former Despatch from the French Minister, and the substance of which was communicated by the Duke de Laval to His Majesty's Government were sufficiently precise in this respect and it is therefore to be presumed that the Cabinet of the Tuileries will feel no reluctance in giving an official assurance to the same effecti

M. de Polignac is doubtless aware of the great importance of the geographical position of the Barbary States, and of the degree of influence which, in the hands of a more civilized and enlightened Government, they could not fail to exercise over the commerce and maritime interests of the Mediterranean Powers. The difficulty in accomplishing any radical change in the actual state of possession, by which these interests would not be equally and injuriously affected, is perhaps the chief reason for the existence of a lawless and piratical Authority having been so long tolerated.

Your Excellency may recall to the recollection of the French Government the conduct observed by His Majesty upon an occasion not dissimilar from the present. When His Majesty found it necessary, for the vindication of his own dignity and the reparation of his wrongs, to prepare an Armament against Algier, the Instructions addressed to the Commander of His Majesty's Naval Forces in the Mediterranean were communicated to his Allies without any reserve; and the whole plan, objects, and extent of the Expedition, were laid open.

Your Excellency will read this Despatch to M. de Polignac, and you are authorized to deliver a Copy of it to his Excellency.

I am, etc.

V.

ABERDEEN.

Lord Stuart de Rothesay to the Earl of

My Lord,

Aberdeen:

Paris, 26th March, 1830.

After receiving your Lordship's Despatch of the 23d instant, I went to the Prince de Polignac, and

1830 observed to his Excellency, that, although the statement of the motives for the Expedition to Algiers and the views of the French Government upon that Country, contained in the Letter which he has caused to be communicated to your Lordship, had been received with satisfaction by my Government, that measure involves considerations upon which we are justified in seeking further explanation, which I could not do better than by reading the Despatch I had received from your Lordship upon the subject.

After hearing the contents of that Paper the Prince de Polignac said, that, having in the first instance made it known that the Expedition is not undertaken with a view to obtain territorial acquisitions, he had not thought it necessary to insert the positive declaration which your Lordship appears to expect, but that he can have no difficulty in giving me any assurance which may be calculated to remove the uneasiness of His Majesty's Government; though he begged me to remember, that he does not mean to abandon the Establishments of La Calle, and Bastion de France, together with the rights which have accompanied the possession of those Ports during more than a century, and which are necessary for the protection of the French Fisheries on that Coast. He added, that His Most Christian Majesty does not dispute the Sovereignty of The Porte, and will not reject the offer of that Government to interfere, for the purpose of obtaining the redress he is entitled to expect; and, although the presence of a French Negotiator has been rendered impossible by the conduct of the Algerines, if the Agents of The Porte can obtain conditions, which he has told me the French Government are determined to exact, there will be no reason to send the Expedition; but that they have too much experience of the utter inability of The Porte to influence the Authorities at Algier, to induce him to advise his Sovereign to delay measures for obtaining this object by force.

His Excellency further observed, that, since France seeks no territorial advantages, in case the present Government of Algier shall be overturned, the arrangements for the settlement of the future system by which the Country is to be ruled, will of course be concerted

with the Sultan, and, being executed under his autho- 1830 rity, will imply a due consultation of his rights.

He assured me, that the Instructions for the conduct of the Expedition had not yet been drawn up, and that he had hitherto sought in vain for the Communications which had been addressed to the French Government upon the departure of Lord Exmouth, in order to follow the precedent established by my Court upon that occasion.

His Excellency asked me officially to communicate to him your Lordship's Despatch, or the substance of that Despatch, in a Note which he might lay before the King. I did not, however, feel myself at liberty to comply with this request, without a special Instruction to that effect.

I have, etc.

Stuart DE ROTHESAY.

VI.

Lord Stuart .de Rothesay to the Earl of

My Lord,

Aberdeen.

Paris, 9th April, 1830.

I am to acknowledge your Lordship's Despatch, by which I observe that your Lordship attributes the delay of the French Government to give a full explanation of the objects of the projected Expedition, and the assurances that they entertain no views of territorial aggrandizement on the Coast of Africa, to my omission to deliver the Copy of your Lordship's Despatch of the 23rd ultimo, at the time that Document was read to the Prince de Polignac.

If this excuse has been put forward, I must observe, the Despatch "in extenso" was read to, and read by, Monsieur de Polignac when it reached my hands a fortnight ago; that at least a week has elapsed since the Copy was delivered to his Excellency, during which time I have more than once asked him, if the explanation required by His Majesty's Government has been rendered the subject of a Communication which he promised me on both occasions to send to M. de Laval,

As his Excellency did not render his compliance

1830 with this request dependent on the delivery of the Copy of your Lordship's Despatch, which, having read, he knew I could have no reason for withholding, and as he told me the explanation required would be sent to Monsieur de Laval in the same form with his earlier Communications on this subject; 'I am justified in rather believing his assertion to be true, that his numerous occupations are the causes of delay."

In a conversation that took place on the same subject to-day, his Excellency said, that the explanation had been drawn out in terms which he feels convinced will be considered satisfactory by my Government, and that it would have been sent off to-night, if he had not thought proper to place it before the Cabinet at their meeting to-morrow morning.

He hinted that the anxiety which I manifested upon the subject of this explanation, indicated a feeling of mistrust which the verbal explanations I had more than once received do not warrant; that he had looked with satisfaction to this measure because it offered an opportunity of showing to the World the mutual confidence of the 2 Governments; and that he hopes to be consoled for the disappointment he felt, in not obtaining the concurrence of my Court in the active operations they are about to undertake, for a purpose of equal benefit to the commerce of all Nations, by our concurrence in the future settlement of the questions to which the success of their efforts would give rise; and that, if I had Full Powers, he would readily sign a Convention recognizing every principle which had been put forward by my Government, in the Communications which had taken place on the subject.

I answered that, feeling no inclination to discredit these assurances, I shall be happy to recognize in the explanatory Letter which he has drawn out, the proof of his sincere determination to remove every ground for the unfavourable feelings of which, I think unreasonably, the French Government are inclined to complain.

VII.

The Earl of Aberdeen to Lord Stuart de

My Lord,

Rothesay.

Foreign Office, 21st April, 1830.

The French Ambassador has read to me, by order of his Court, a Despatch which had been addressed to his Excellency, for the purpose of affording to His Majesty's Government those additional explanations respecting the Expedition to Algiers which, from the assurances of M. de Polignac, they had been led to expect.

ན་

The Duke de Laval did not feel himself authorized to leave with me, for the information of His Majesty's Government, a Copy of this Despatch, and he has written to demand the pleasure of his Court before he shall comply with my request.

I have availed myself of this opportunity, to direct the attention of the Ambassador of His Most Christian Majesty to several points adverted to in the Despatch in question, as well as to the general tone of remon strance and complaint in which it appears to be drawn up. It would be difficult to receive a Communication of this nature, without some reply being thought necessary on the part of His Majesty's Government; a circumstance which, upon such an occasion, it is obvious had much better, if possible, be avoided; but, as the Duke de Laval has engaged to bring these points under the consideration of his Government, I abstain from entering upon the subject here, and rather confine myself to the statement of some general reflections, which I have to request that your Excellency will submit to M. de Polignac with as little delay as possible.

The French Government appear to mistake the motives which have induced us to ask for explanations, more precise and explicit than those which we have hitherto received respecting the Expedition against Algiers. They appear also to have formed an erroneous estimate of the real situation of this Country, and to have regarded as evidence of ill-will, of suspicion, and distrust, a conduct which has been dictated by a plain sense of duty.

1830