pécuniaires de la Prusse dans la Guerre où elle se trouve maintenant engagée avec la France.

Le Soussigné saisit cette occasion pour prier S. Ex. Mr. le Baron de Hardenberg d'agréer les assurances de sa haute considération.

(Signe:) Charles Stewart.

64.

Enclosure of the Note of Sir Ch. Stewart to Baron Hardenberg.

50. April 1813.

Sa Majesté Britannique mettrait à la disposition de la Prusse et de la Russie, la somme de deux Millions de livres Sterling, payable à Londres mois par mois.

Ce serait aux Cabinets de Berlin et de St. Petersbourg à en déterminer la répartition: Sa Majesté Britannique désirerait ne pas s'en meler; dût-elle cependant donner son avis là-dessus, Elle proposerait de la fixer à un tiers pour la Prusse, et deux pour la Russie.

Quant au plan présenté au Gouvernement Britannique par l'Ambassadeur de Russie à Londres, et dont le Gouvernement Prussien a déjà connaissance, Sa Majesté Britannique ne s'y refuserait pas au cas de besoin, sujet toujours à de certaines Stipulations dont les principes sont

1o Que la somme totale n'excede pas 5 Millions.

20 Que les trois l'uissances se chargent séparément du païement et du principal et de l'intérêt à cinq pourcent, à un terme nommé, dans les proportions suivantes :

30 Que ce terme ne soit point avant le 1. Juillet 1815, ou bien après six mois écoulés d'une Paix definitive dans le cas qu'elle eut lieu plutôt.

40 Que cette somme de cinq Millions ne sera appliquée qu' aux dépenses des Armées en Campagne, les païemens en étant reglés par une Commission nommée par les trois Puissances et destinés au Service des Armées Prussiennes et Russes, dans la proportion d'un tiers pour la première, et deux tiers pour la seconde.

50 Qu'en conséquence des efforts extraordinaires que Sa Majesté Britannique consent à faire, la Prusse s'engage à employer pour le moins, outre les Garrisons, 100,000 hommes effectifs dans des opérations actives contre l'Ennemi, et la Russie une fois autant.

65.

Copy of a Note from Baron Hardenberg to Sir Ch. Stewart.

ce 1. Mai 1815.

Je vous conjure mon cher Général de ne pas partir, et d'attendre au moins la réponse de Lord Cathcart, et les nouvelles des Armées qui doivent

nous arriver incessamment. Dans tous les cas je pourrai entrer en Negociation avec vous demain dans la matinée.

The Head Quarters of His Majesty the Emperor were removed from Dresden to Grima on the 29th Ult. On that day Lord Cathcart informed me it was his desire, as he was under the necessity of following His Imperial Majesty, that I should remain at Dresden for the purpose of commencing with Baron de Hardenberg, and the Russian Plenipotentiaries, the previous discussion of the important Objets of the Subsidiary Convention; I cannot conceal from Your Lordship that I felt a good deal of difficulty in having to enter alone into these important concerns, and stated my reasons to Lord Cathcart accordingly.

His Lordship observed there would be only preliminary Conferences, and nothing binding in any shape, and, as he seemed decided on this subject, I had no choice. He informed me that he had opened verbally to His Imperial Majesty, and his Minister, Monsieur de Nesselrode, the general Objects of the Convention, to which, he said, there would be few difficulties: the number of Troops to be kept up was commented on by the Emperor, but there seemed no obstacle to the Hanoverian Objects. Mr. de Hardenberg had received no Official Communication whatever from Lord Cathcart, but was informed, by conversation with the Russian Ministers, of the nature of the proposed Convention, and its Stipulations.

Immediately on Lord Cathcart's departure, His Excellence pressed me very much to commence my Communications with him and to give him the Heads, in writing, of the Treaty about to be negotiated.

Feeling it was my essential duty (being separated from the Army by Lord Cathcart's directions, and finding the Russian Ministers, as well as the Prussian, remaining here to commence Negociations with me) to facilitate, to the utmost of my power, the Progress of Affairs, I sent the inclosed Note on the 30th to His Excellency Baron de Hardenberg.*)

I did not receive any answer that day, but was invited to dine with His Excellency on the following, and after dinner, he requested me to converse, privately and unofficially, with himself and the Ministers of His Imperial Majesty in an adjoining room. I had no difficulty in acceding to this proposal, and a long Conference ensued, in which I found M. de Nesselrode and Stein supporting Monsieur de Hardenberg in all the language he held.

In the course of what passed I discovered, in as far as related to the Aggrandizement of the Electoral Dominions, that there would be no difficulty, nor would there be to the Cession of Hildesheim, but that there would exist

*) S. N. 63.

an insuperable one to the Annexation of Minden and Ravensberg, which Baron Hardenberg declared no consideration would ever induce His Prussian Majesty to accede to.

These Provinces contained, he said, the oldest and most faithful of His Majestys Subjects, and, if England could extend her liberality tenfold, it would be dearly bought by Prussia's either exchanging or giving them up.

I endeavored, as for as I was able, by arguing all the points suggested to me by Your Lordship's Instructions, and in the interviews I had with you previous to my leaving London, to make an impression on M. de Hardenberg. I even stated that I feared, resistance on the part of Prussia to such moderate and, I conceived, well-understood views of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent might render a reference home for further Instructions necessary, previous to the Signature of the Treaty.

I appealed to M. de Nesselrode as to his view of this Question, and he stated that the measure of Aggrandizement would be guaranteed by Russia, but he could say nothing as to any particular Territory. Both M. de Nesselrode and Stein appeared to me to conceive the absolute necessity of a military position for Prussia on the Weser, and Baron de Hardenberg declared repeatedly the utter impossibility of the King his Master abandoning His old Subjects in Minden and Ravensberg.

To this Declaration I replied that the Provinces had been ceded to France, and that the King of Prussia had, at various times, yielded others; upon which His Excellency rejoined that they had been ceded to France at the Treaty of Tilsit which had been signed by Prussia „le couteau à la gorge“, and was that such a Treaty as England would like to imitate? Could she reconcile to herself to receive the dearest Provinces from His Prussian Majesty the moment she was entering into an Alliance with him?

His Excellency then delivered to me the projet of a separate and secret Article on the above subject, which I herewith inclose, and again requested me, in the strongest manner, to give him, in writing, the views of Great Britain. — I contended I saw no occasion for this, having already so fully expressed them to him verbally; at the same time, I felt the greatest reluctance at arresting the progress of these Negotiations by any refusal on my part, and, having left the Baron, I committed to paper the substance of what I had so stated to him, and put it into his hands, in the inclosed shape, the following morning.

As I had now remained from the 29th April to the 2d Inst. in the rear of the Army, endeavoring to forward the Treaty, and foreseeing no probability of accomplishing any more, I determined to set out for the Head Quarters, more especially as accounts arrived that a battle was on the eve of taking place. Baron de Hardenberg informed me that it caused the greatest possible distress, both to himself and the Russian Ministers, that Lord Cathcart had gone on with the Emperor, as the letter were left behind solely to execute the business of the Treaty, that, finding His Lordship gone, they had sent an express after him to return, and had requested the Emperor to lay His Commands on him for that purpose, and that he might be hourly expected back.

The king of Prussia left this on the 30th, but I had no information if He was going to the Emperor's Head Quarters, nor any Invitation to accompany

him. I immediately wrote to Baron Hardenberg, announcing my Intention of following His Prussian Majesty, if permitted, and declaring how deeply mortified I felt, as a Military man, at not being with the Army, if the business could not be forwarded. I received the inclosed Note in answer, and, however painful it was to my feelings, which I think Your Lordship can well understand, I determined to comply with the request therein expressed Influenced, on the one hand, by a wish, agreeable to my Instructions,. to follow Lord Catheart's directions, as also by my anxiety in no way to impede the Negotiation (which my departure for Head Quarters, after the entreaties above-mentioned, might have been construed into) and, on the other hand, urged by the natural impulse of a soldier to be witness to the grand conflict about to ensue; with these contending motives, I may fairly avow to Your Lordship I never was in a more difficult situation.

I reconciled myself, however, with the hope that I was doing my duty until the evening of the 2d Ins', when, finding all prospect of hearing from Lord Cathcart hopeless even among the Ministers, I set out at night for the Head Quarters, stated to be at Borna, and had the mortification to arrive on the 3d after the battle had taken place.

Your Lordship will observe, as far as the Communications on the subject of the Convention between Baron Hardenberg and myself have been carried, that there has been nothing more than previous Conferences, no Full-Powers having been exchanged, nor any official Note, except that in which I decline entering into details during Lord Cathcart's absence. The Projet of the Separate and Secret Article was also rendered to me in a private manner: - all that has resulted from what has passed is that I foresee clearly all the Provinces marked out by Your Lordship's Instructions will not be conceded by Prussia, but that, agreeing on the Principle, she proposes a greater Extension and Population in East Friesland, with the Port of Embden and part of Münster.

I should conceive, from the turn things have taken, that there would be ample time to have Your Lordship's further Instructions, before the Treaty is brought into a shape for Signature.

I have the Honor to be with the greatest Respect,

P. S. I have the honour of inclosing to Your Lordship a Copy of the Instructions given to Baron Jacobi, as communicated to me by His Excellency M. de Hardenberg on the 24 Inst.

C. S.

I understand from Lord Cathcart these have been sent before by His Excellency with other Communications, but I nevertheless forward them.

67.

Sir Ch. Stewart to Baron Hardenberg.

Reichenbach, le 14. Juin 1815.

Le Soussigné Envoyé Extraordinaire et Ministre Plénipotentiaire de Sa Majesté Britannique, a l'honneur de faire rémarquer à S. Ex. Monsieur le Baron de Hardenberg, Chancelier d'État de Sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse, par rapport à la Convention qui va être exécutée aujourd'hui, que Son Altesse Royale le Prince Regent attendra sans doute que l'on lui, fasse occuper le Hildesheim en sa qualité de Regent de l'Electorat d'Hanovre, dès le moment que les François en seront chassés. Les Ressources de ce Pays seront toutes appliquées au but de la guerre, et, comme la cession en est arrêtée, ce seroit une complaisance pour Son Altesse Royale qui ne manqueroit pas de lui plaire.

Cet arrangement écarteroit, en même tems, l'embarras qui pourroit resulter de toute autre Administration provisoire ou intermédiaire.

Il serait très satisfaisant au Soussigné de recevoir une réponse à cette Note avant la Signature du Traité. Et il prie S. Ex. M. le Baron de Hardenberg d'agréer à cette occasion, l'assurance de sa haute Considération.

(Signé:) Charles Stewart, Lt.-Genl.

68.

Baron Hardenberg to Sir Ch. Stewart.

Schlösschen-Peyiau près Reichenbach, le 11. Juin 1815.

Le Soussigné Chancelier d'État de Sa Majesté le Roi de Prusse, a l'honneur de repondre à la Note de M. le Chevalier Stewart Envoyé Extraordinaire et Ministre Plénipotentiaire de Sa Majesté Britannique en date de ce jour, qu'il ne sera fait aucune difficulté de la part de la Prusse à l'occupation de l'Evêché de Hildesheim au nom de Sa Majesté Britannique aux conditions de l'Article Secret de la Convention de ce jour, aussitôt que les Troupes Françaises en auront été chassées.

Il a l'honneur de réitérer à M. le Chevalier l'assurance de sa considération la plus distinguée (Signe) Hardenberg.

69.

Sir Ch. Stewart to Baron Hardenberg.

Monsieur le Baron!

Reichenbach, le 14. Juin 1813.

En réfléchissant à la Note que Votre Excellence vient de me remettre en réponse à la mienne en date de ce jour, il me paroit tant à désirer que les Explications verbales dont Elle a bien voulu l'accompagner relativement à l'occupation immédiate et non provisoire de l'Evêché de Hildesheim au nom de Sa Majesté Britannique dès le moment que les Troupes Françoises en auront