2 . ▁After ▁some ▁pre lim inary ▁negoti ations , ▁he ▁proposed ▁to ▁Corn wall is ▁that ▁Britain ▁and ▁Spain ▁make ▁a ▁separate ▁agreement , ▁but ▁Corn wall is ▁rejected ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁would ▁je op ard ise ▁the ▁more ▁important ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁France . ▁ ▁Press ure ▁continued ▁to ▁mount ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁negoti ators ▁for ▁a ▁peace ▁deal , ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁budget ▁discuss ions ▁were ▁under way ▁in ▁Parliament , ▁and ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁continued ▁war ▁was ▁another ▁significant ▁factor . ▁The ▁principal ▁stick ing ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁negoti ations ▁was ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁Mal ta . ▁Bon ap arte ▁eventually ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁were ▁to ▁withdraw ▁within ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁signing , ▁with ▁control ▁passed ▁back ▁to ▁a ▁re created ▁Order ▁of ▁St . ▁John , ▁whose ▁so vere ig nt y ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁guaranteed ▁by ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁European ▁powers . ▁Left ▁un spec ified ▁in ▁that ▁proposal ▁was ▁the ▁means ▁by ▁which ▁the ▁Order ▁would ▁be ▁re - est ab lished ; ▁it ▁had ▁essentially ▁dissol ved ▁upon ▁French ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 8 . ▁Furthermore , ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁powers ▁had ▁been ▁consult ed ▁on ▁the ▁matter . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁March , ▁London , ▁under ▁pressure ▁to ▁final ise ▁the ▁budget , ▁gave ▁Corn wall is ▁a ▁hard ▁dead line . ▁He ▁was ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁London ▁if ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁reach ▁an ▁agreement ▁within ▁eight ▁days .