N^o. 62:
My Lord,

Having seen and conferred with M. Floridablanca in consequence of the several Instructions which I have lately received from Your Lordship, I am to acquaint you more particularly with what has passed on those Occasions than I could by the last Post.

Before the Receipt of your Lorship's Dispatch N^o. 28 by Staley,¹ I had very fully laid before the Spanish Minister such Accounts as I had received of the fraudulent Pretences under which American Prizes had obtained Entrance into the Ports of this Kingdom, and repeated to him my Complaints of the Facility with which some of them had been admitted to Sale, on which occasion I obtained from him the Promises which I acquainted your Lordship with in my last, together with Assurances that he was in earnest, that they should be executed, and I have not thought it amiss, for the sake of Precision, to recapitulate them in an Office which I have sent to him, and which goes to your Lordship under this Cover.

As M. Floridablanca had acquainted me with Orders having been given for the Restitution of the Vessel taken by Hibbert at Bilbao, I had little more to say on that Subject, than to urge my Sentiments of the Insult offered to the Spanish Coast in that particular, as well as of the Injustice done to His Majesty's Subjects. I must however observe to your Lordship, that the Account of that Transaction sent by M^r. Gomez y Barreda [to his] Correspondent in London, is the first Detail of it which I have received. The first Notice I had of it being very slight, and not justifying me in saying more upon it officially, and at first, than I did in my Office to the Spanish Minister, communicated to your Lordship in mine N^o. 56.²

On the subject of the other Cases he could not but allow, that the Commandant of Galicia (General O'Neille's) Conduct was blameable, as well as that of others, who have acted on the Evidence offered by the Prize Masters, & of Persons interested in the Sales, which he would remedy by the fresh Orders abovementioned; and he could by no means attempt to justify the return of Cunningham, which I stated to him in the Office, which I have sent him.

In the course of this Conversation, M. Floridablanca expressed his own resentment at the Americans for having seized on board a French Vessel, Le Fortune some Goods the'property of Spanish Merchants.³ This Insult, he said, he should take proper Measures to chastize, and should contrive to have his Disapprobation of it signified to the pretended Deputies of America at Paris, not however through the Spanish Ambassador, as it would be beneath The Catholick King's Dignity to treat with them. These were the Expressions he used.⁴

This Conference did not however pass off without Renewal, on his Side, of those Fears and Jealousies which he has often affected to express at the consequence of so many armed Vessels at Sea, of their Vigilance, and of the Disturbance of Commerce, which he pretended, was become an universal Complaint. Your Lordship may be assured, that I omitted no Arguments to shew him, how groundless those Alarms were, and that the Interruption which he complained of was owing, if it existed, solely to the Abuse, which had been made of the Flags of other Nations. He disculpated that of his own, and took great Merit to himself from no Assistance having ever been as he said, given by this Court in any shape, either of Ships, Arms or Officers. I did not however neglect pointing out strongly to him, that the Connivance given to Privateers stationing themselves in the Ports of this Kingdom, and the allowing Prizes to be sold in them, was a very important Service indeed rendered to the Americans.

Upon his Return from S^t. Ildephonso I executed His Majesty's Instructions very punctually; I stated to him the general Fact of large Supplies from many Ports of France being intended for America, & that several Ships, of which I had received Advice, were arming in some Ports of this Kingdom, and were intended to convoy them. It was natural for him to express a Degree of Surprize at this Intelligence, to disculpate the Court of France from countenancing any such Intention, and to throw the blame of it on the Avarice & Enterprize of private Adventurers.

With regard to the measure of their being convoyed from hence, he admitted, as fully as I could wish, the high Impropriety of it, and in short, gave me the most positive Assurances, that he would immediately write to the Commandants of the Northern Coasts, & other Officers to prevent any such Attempt: affecting at the same Time to disbelieve the existance of it. He told me, that he had seen the French Ambassador just before, and that he could answer for the Court of France not intending to do, or allow anything which could give Umbrage or Offence to us. In this Conference I found him very much in that Disposition and, I confess, that I attribute it to Advices received from France, that such a Step as suffering a great Fleet of American Ships to go from the Ports of France and Spain could not be justified, or supported, or allowed with Security. There is therefore at this Instant an Appearance that such a Measure is not likely to take place. But I can in no respect venture to suppose that anything like an active part, will be taken here against the Americans, and fear that according to Events, numberless disagreable Discussions must still arise. In the course of which I shall endeavour to add, certainly as much Prudence as I can, to the plain & firm Language, which I always hold upon these Subjects. I have the Honour to be [kc.]

P.S: Since this Dispatch has been copied, I have received an Answer to my Office from M. Floridablanca of which I enclose the Original & a Translation.⁵ Your Lordship will observe that the Postcript to it, is written in the Minister's own hand. This answer acknowledges & confirms the sending the orders which he promised me to issue. It is drawn up in the Temper in which I found him on his Return from S^t Ildefonso & seems upon the whole as satisfactory, as I could expect at this Juncture.

I am to add that upon my repeating my sollicitation to M. Florida blanca on the Subject of the Morning Star, he assured me that M. Galvez the Minister of Indies was preparing an Extract from all the papers belonging to that business, which were very voluminous, and that he would without Loss of Time remitt it to me—G.