STATE PAPERS.
Hague.
ON the 22d Dec. 1758, Major General Yorke delivered the following memorial to the deputies of the States General.
"High and mighty Lords,
"I had the honour to acquaint you, at the conference I obtained of your high mightinesses on the 7th instant, that the king my master had authorized and instruct- ed me to enter into a negocia- tion with such persons as your high mightinesses should think proper to nominate for that end; but that, as the affair required a minute discussion, it would be im- possible to terminate it without some farther explanations. It is with the highest pleasure that I this day open our conferences on this important subject; and I flat- ter myself that if your high migh- tinesses are as desirous of a recon- ciliation as his majesty is, it will soon be happily concluded.
By the two resolutions of Sept. 12, and Sept. 25, which were de- livered to me the day following, your high mightinesses thought proper to make some difficulty of receiving the declaration which I had the honour to present to you, in the King's name, against the trade carried on by your subjects to the French colonies in America, for the account of those very co- lonies. If his majesty, on being informed thereof, commanded me to declare that he could not de- part from his preceding declara- tion, it was because he thought this claim had no foundaticn in
the treaties subsisting between him and the republic. Besides, should the persons concerned in this trade even be able to wrest the sense of treaties so as to deceive their friends, and make the obstructing of it by England pass for a griev- ance, still his majesty is persuaded that their high mightinesses will see with pleasure that his majesty sets aside the discussion of this treaty, which is connected with so many others, and sets himself wholly to do the subjects of his ancient allies all the service, and to grant them every favour that shall not notably prejudice the welfare and safety of his people. It is in this light that his majesty confiders the trade directly or in- directly to the French colonies in America.
His majesty is at war with the most christian king: he can- not hope to get out of it with safety, or obtain a speedy and lasting peace, which is his ma- jesty's sole aim, if the princes who have declared themselves neuter, instead of contenting themselves with trading as usual, without any risk, assume a right of carrying on that trade with the king's ene- mies, which is not allowed them in time of peace. The injustice of this proceeding is too appa- rent to require more to be said on it: one may venture to ap- peal to your high mightinesses own conduct in the like case. A trade of this nature was never suf- fered by you; and it hath been
op-
