r

Procedure of the King of Great Britain, ahe Minifter of Sweden at his Court, but that igh Mightinefles will alfo look upon it as an which touches your felves, by reafon of the le it gives to other Courts. And that thereour High-Mightineffes will employ your Care, ntribute, by your good Offices, to the procuring Majefty a juft Satisfaction.

Under-written having made Report to the his Mafter of the Arrest of Baron Gortz, his potentiary Minifter, and his Attendants, as althe feizing his Papers; his Majesty hath given s Order to the Under-written, to fignify with efpect due to your High-Mightineffes, that his ty could not hear, without the greatest Surprize, your High-Mightineffes have, at the Request of King of Great Britain, caus'd, without Reason, arrefted the Baron de Gortz, his Plenipotentiary fter, and his Papers to be feiz'd by Force. His fty the lefs expected this from your High-MighYes, in regard that the faid Procedure is as conto the Law of Nations, as to the Alliance and ndthip which fubfifts between his Majesty and High-Mightineffes.

is Majefty, in the mean Time, promifes himself, your High-Mightineffes will immediately caufe faid Baron Gortz and his Attendants to be fet at erty, and his Papers reftor'd. And that your h-Mightineffes will think of giving his Majesty ft Satisfaction, and avoid putting his Majefty unthe Neceflity of ufing, againft his own InclinatiReprifals, and procuring in his own Way the isfaction which, with all Equity and Juftice, he

s Pretence to.

For the reft, the King thinks it for his Dignity, t to allow the Sieur Rumpf, Refident of your gh-Mightineffes, Admittance to his Court, or to y Negotiation with his Minifters, 'till he receives exact Information of the farther Proceedings of ur High-Mightineffes towards Baron Gortz, and ncerning the Point of Satisfaction.

The Under-written hopes that your High-Mightiffes will give to him,upon all the Premiffes,an Answer orthy of your high Wifdom and Prudence, and that ou will forthwith enable him to make an agreeable Report to his Majefty, of the Succefs of the Repre

fentations.

fentations which he hath had the Honour to make to your High-Mightineffes.

Done at the Hague, May 22, 1717. Sign'd,

PREYSS

The States-General thought not fit to give any direct Answer to this Memorial, no more than to any of the former; but about the fame Time having drawn up an Anfwer to the Declaration made by the Chancery of Sweden to their Refident at Stockholm, (of which Declaration Notice is taken in the above! Memorial) they tranfmitted it to their faid Refident, and communicated it to Mr. Whitworth, his Britannick Majefty's Minifter at the Hague. Now, becaufe_it contains all the Reafons alledg'd by the States-General to juftify their having imprifon'd the Baron: de Goriz, we think fit to give the Subftance of it as follows.

HAT the Declaration made by the Chancery of Toreden, in the Name of his Swedib Majefty, to M. Rumpf, their Refident at Stockholm, making Mention in the firft Place, of the Proceedings in England against the Count de Gyllenborg; and in the fecond, of what hath been done in this Country, at the Request of his Britannick Majefty, in relation to Baron Gortz ; for the firft,their High-Mightineffes have no Concern in it; and as to the latter,they hope and affure themselves, that his Majefty will, contrary to his Declaration, conceive better Thoughts, when, according to his high Wifdom and Equity, he fhall have confider'd the prevailing Motives that have given Occafion to the arresting of Baron Gortz, and the Confequences of it, in which their High-Might ineffes cannot believe that they have acted contrary to the mutual Amity and Treaties with his Swedish Majefty, or to the Law of Nations. That it is univerfally known, that their High-Mightineffes have the good Fortune to live with his Britannick Majefty, not only in Peace, Friendship, and good Underftanding, but alfo in Treaties and ftrict Alliances for their mutual Defence, and especially for the Maintenance of his Britannick Majefty upon his Throne, and the Succeffion in the Proteftant Line, the Overthrow whereof would be most dangerous to the Froteftant Religion, and alfo to their Republick. Their High-Mightineffes therefore have an effential

Intereft

tereft in the Freservation of his Britannick Majefty. id his Succeffion, befides the Obligations they find emfelves under on this Account, proceeding from e Treaties and Alliances above-mention'd.~ That y Virtue thereof, they fent, above a Year ago, a Sucour of fix thousand Men to England, to affift his id Majefty against thofe of his Subjects who had ken up Arms, and against the Invafion of the Preender: That he being driven out, the Rebellion uppress'd, and the Troops of the State fent back, nohing was more natural or more reasonable, than the Concurrence of their High-Mightineffes, as much as vas in their Power, in all proper Precautions, against being again oblig'd, in Pursuance of their Engagenents, to fend the fame Succours again to England. All which was the Caufe of the arrefting Baron Gortz ; for his British Majefty having in Secrecy imparted to their High-Migh:ineffes, Defigns which were underhand carry'd on, for bringing about another Rebellion in his Dominions; and that, among others, Baron Gortz, in this Country, had a Hand in thofe dangerous Intrigues; and for Confirmation thereof, his faid Majesty having communicated to them the Letters written upon that Subject, which had been intercepted; and requir'd of their High-Mightinefles, that the Perfon of the faid Baron, his Secretary, and his Papers, fhould be arrested, and fafely guarded. That every one who makes Reflection on the Nature of this Affair, and on the Obligations and Intereft of this State, cannot but acknowledge, that their HighMightineffes could not do lefs than pay a Deference to the Request of his Britannick Majefty, on fo important an Occafion, with refpect to its Confequences. That their faid High-Mightineffes reft affur'd, that it will clearly appear, befide what is faid above, that the arrefting Baron Gortz, was not done without Reafon, as it is unkindly fuggefted in the faid Declaration. They believe alfo, that it will appear no lefs clear and evident, that they have herein done nothing that is contrary to the previous Friendship and Treaties between Sweden and this State, nor to the Law of Nations: For their High-Mightineffes do not know that the Friendship, wherein they have the Honour to live with his Swedish Majefty, or the Treaties fubfifting between them, oblige them to permit Designs or Intrigues to be carry'd on in their Dominions, di

rectly

realy contrary to the Alliances and En their faid High-Mightineffes have wit tates, and even contrary to their own the Effence and Foundation of the H Treaties between Sweden and this State, that the one Potentate fhall always fe tage of the other. That the Treaties Britain and this State, import exprefsly, fon, either Subjects of the State, or F carry on in their Dominions Intrigue above-mention'd. That the Right of ways applicable in this Cafe; and that fary to examine, if a Minifter (who under the Protection which the Law of to publick Minifters) does not forfeit t by meddling with Affairs and Intrigues rous Confequences: It being fufficien Baron Gortz, during his Sojourn here, fider'd by their High-Mightineffes as a nifter, it being well known, that a would enjoy the Right of Nations, ou nith'd with Letters written in due Form, or State to whom he is fent, which he liver, and notify his Character, according in order to be admitted. That all these wanting in the Cafe of Baron Gortz, provided with Credentials to their Highor at least he never produc'd them, or Character of publick Minifter, in order ted as fuch. Neither did he demand or Franchife which publick Minifters enjoy ought to be concluded, that he did himfe that he could not, or would not be confi As to what concerns the Full Powers, Baron de Gortz is conftituted Plenipoter Swedish Majefty; that Full Power cannot otherwise than as a mere Letter of Attorne him to negotiate and contract Affairs for That fuch Full Power or Letter of Attor given to any one, without conftituting a nifter, fuch Perfon being only to confider doing fome particular Bufinefs for a King State. And especially it appearing by this although couch'd in very indefinite a Terms, that it relates more to private and than to publick Affairs. Befides, the Co

Full Power having never been communicated to their High-Mightineffes, 'till after the Arreft of Baron Gortz, it ought not at all to be confider'd. It is very true, that Baron Gortz did talk divers Times with the Penfionary, and other Members of the Regency, but that cannot make him be confider'd as a publick Minifter. That he was receiv'd as a Lord of Quality, who was employ'd in many Affairs, and thereby famous in the World; and that it was upon that Account that his Difcourfes were liften'd to. But in the mean Time,. he cannot, for that Reafon, be (as a publick Minifter) compriz'd in the Rights of Nations. That if his Swedish Majefty will please to confider what is faid above, their High-Mightineffes (confidering his Wifdom and Equity) can expect no lefs than his Approbation of the Conduct they have obferv'd herein, feeing that they have done nothing but what the State, by the Obligations and Alliances, and by the Motive of their own Prefervation, was neceffarily oblig'd to; but nevertheless, without prejudicing thereby the Friendship and Treaties depending between his Swedish Majefty and this State, or the Law of Nations. Their High-Mightineffes therefore defire his Majefty to take off the Interdict laid upon their Refident; and as they are inclin'd to live in Peace and Amity with his Majefty, they expect alfo reciprocally, on the Part of his Majefty, that he will at laft please to cease taking the Ships and Cargoes of the Subjects of this State, and to caufe to be reftor'd, or made good, the Ships already taken, confidering that their High-Mightineffes have borne with Patience, for fo many Years, thofe Proceedings, which have caus'd, and continue daily to caufe, fo much Prejudice to their Subjects, contrary to the mutual Friendship, to the Treaties, and to all Law and Equity.

The States-General having, in this Declaration, urg'd the Invalidity of the Full Power given by the King of Sweden to Baron Gortz, and treating it only as a fimple Letter of Attorney, as they are pleas'd to call it, that our Readers may the better judge of its Sufficiency, it will not be amifs to give the following verbal Tranflation of it from the Latin Original.