L30/14/247/1

From Prince de Massarano, London to Marquis de Grimaldi [copy - in Spanish]:

13 Sep 1771

From: 1771 To: 1771

Translation: My Dear Sir, There have been several Officers of this Navy who have complained about the Measure which the King has taken so that warships from abroad don’t enter in our harbours of Spain without need, but lately one of them has reached to tell me that I would see the strong representations the Parliament would do about this matter in the next Session, to which I have answered him that I couldn’t represent against that established in “The Treaties”, that the only thing we were doing was putting them into effect, that we didn’t impede The English Nation to trade as before, that the merchants brought the wealth they got from the goods in merchant ships paying half of a per cent, while they have to pay one percent to the warships. So that, they were very content, that the those who weren’t, were the Navy officers, for the benefits were taken away and for the facility they had to extract the silver without paying their duties and that, His Excellency, with such a fair order prevents from now on the same displeasure’s which in the past we had been given by some individuals of this Navy who considered licit in our harbours what it isn’t in theirs. To this, the only thing the speaker had to tell me was that he new very well what “The Treaties” prevented, but that until now they haven’t been observed, that he himself had been thousands of times in our harbours, that we wanted to give priority to the French ships, which I denied, and that in the future The Court of Portugal would follow our example, which would do damage. Yesterday in my conference as a rule with My Lord Rochford after having touched on several internal matters of this country, the conversation came to the voices that are being spread about the efforts against The Ministry the opposite Party will do in the next Session. My Lord gave me pleasure telling me he was warned to defend himself when they attack him about the Ordinance given in Spain related to the warships from abroad, and so that it was adapted to it, he had sent a formal Writ to My Lord Sandwich knowing that without The Secretary of Estate’s one, all Measure from the Admiralty wasn’t authorised enough, and so couldn’t be observed. Adding that in this way are avoided the uneasiness that could occasion us the entrance of some English warships in our harbours and notifying me that His British Excellency had consented to this for having told myself that The resolution from my King was in agreement with “The Treaties”, which I conformed. He also told me that with just one verbal notice from him, My Lord Sandwich had ordered the navy masters not to enter our harbours and that having now a written writ from him, he couldn’t claim ignorance, but that this written writ was that the officers are saddened. Afterwards, he confided to me having known that having been presented a French war frigate to enter Cadiz, had been done the questions about the reason and of the time, to which had answered to need twenty days to get fixed, after which they had made it leave the harbour, that soon after an English frigate had applied for the same, and that the Governor who allowed it to enter having preceded the regular questions wasn’t so exact in making it leave, of whose case he wouldn’t take advantage when they wanted to attack him in The Parliament where he would prove that the only thing we were doing was following “The Treaties”. I told him and he did it again that the rule established in Spain was general to all the Powers, and that His excellency had distinguished France and England informing them his intention before giving his writs. Then, he told me that The Count of Welderen, Minister of Holland had asked him if it was true that His British Excellency had consented to him, and that having answered that it was because I showed him they were in agreement with “The Treaties”, the same Welderen told that His Republic would write too that it was fair what we were doing. My Lord Rochford is going to the countryside for three weeks, and as he is the cleverest Minister in the business from abroad, I would regret something important would happen during his absence.

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Masserano,
Grimaldi,
Rochford,
Sandwich,
Welderen

Spain, naval ships