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William Eden and the Treaty of Mauritius, 1786–7

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

G. C. Bolton
Affiliation:
Murdoch University, Western Australia
B. E. Kennedy
Affiliation:
Monash University, Victoria

Extract

During the generation before the French Revolution, die Atlantic colonial powers - Britain, France, Spain - endeavoured in various ways to assert metropolitan control of trade and expansion in the colonies. The revolt of Britain's American colonies was the most spectacular failure of such policies, but it did not deter eidier London or Versailles after the peace of 1783 from continuing to seek a more active supervision of their colonial outposts. Among symptoms of this activity were the energetic policies of die French ministry of marine under Castries, and the creation of the Board of Control for India and the renovated Board of Trade under Pitt

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

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References

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9 Harris to Pitt, 22 Dec. 1786 (B.M. Add. MSS 28068, fo. 194).

10 Calonne had family ties with powerful financial interests. By his first marriage to Joséphine-Anne Marquet he was related to the Paris-Duverney dynasty, and by his second to the family of Micault d'Harvelay.

11 Hailes to Carmarthen, 21 July 1785 (B.M. Egerron MSS 3499).

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19 A maund is between 82 and 83 pounds in weight.

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37 Dundas, to Eden, , 28 Sept. 1786 (B.M. Add. MSS 34422, fo. 353).Google Scholar

38 Carmarthen, to Eden, , 28 Sept. 1786 (B.M. Add. MSS 34422, fo. 357).Google Scholar

39 Eden, to Carmarthen, , 10 Oct. 1786Google Scholar (secret and confidential) and 20 Oct. 1786 (B.M. Add. MSS 34422, fos. 449 and 488). The island of St Eustatius in the Dutch West Indies had been exploited by the French as a free port during the American War of Independence. During the peace talks the French had unsuccessfully put forward a claim for full compensation for all goods and shipping seized by the British. This claim was still used as a bargaining point for some years after the peace.

40 These are now among the Auckland MSS in the British Museum: Add. MSS 34468 and 34469.

41 Eden, to Pitt, , 28 Dec. 1786 (B.M. Add. MSS 34423, fo. 105).Google Scholar

42 Same t0 same, 1 Feb. 1787 (B.M. Add. MSS 34424, fo. 1).

43 Eden, to Dundas, , 1 Feb. 1787Google Scholar; and Eden, to Pitt, , 13 Feb. 1787 (B.M. Add. MSS 34424, fos. 9 and 57).Google Scholar

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53 Eden, to Carmarthen, , 2 Sept. 1787 (no. 69) (B.M. Add. MSS 34467, fo. 78).Google Scholar