▁made ▁tr uce ▁propos als ▁to ▁British ▁foreign ▁secretary ▁Lord ▁Gren ville ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 7 9 9 . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁hard line ▁st ance ▁of ▁Gren ville ▁and ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁William ▁Pitt ▁the ▁Young er , ▁their ▁dist rust ▁of ▁Bon ap arte ▁and ▁obvious ▁defect s ▁in ▁the ▁propos als , ▁they ▁were ▁rejected ▁out ▁of ▁hand . ▁However , ▁Pitt ▁res igned ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 8 0 1 ▁over ▁domestic ▁issues ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁more ▁accommod ating ▁Henry ▁Add ington . ▁At ▁that ▁point ▁Britain ▁was ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁the ▁danger ▁of ▁a ▁war ▁with ▁Russia . ▁ ▁Add ington ' s ▁foreign ▁secretary , ▁Robert ▁J enk inson , ▁Lord ▁Haw kes bury , ▁immediately ▁opened ▁communic ations ▁with ▁Louis ▁Guillaume ▁Otto , ▁the ▁French ▁comm iss ary ▁for ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ▁in ▁London ▁through ▁whom ▁Bon ap arte ▁had ▁made ▁his ▁earlier ▁propos als . ▁Haw kes bury ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁open ▁discuss ions ▁on ▁terms ▁for ▁a ▁peace ▁agreement . ▁Otto , ▁generally ▁under ▁detailed ▁instructions ▁from ▁Bon ap arte , ▁engaged ▁in ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁Haw kes bury ▁in ▁mid - 1 8 0 1 . ▁Un h appy ▁with ▁the ▁dialog ue ▁with ▁Otto , ▁Haw kes bury ▁sent ▁diplom at ▁Anthony ▁Mer ry ▁to ▁Paris , ▁who ▁opened ▁a ▁second ▁line ▁of ▁communic ations ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁foreign ▁minister , ▁Tal ley rand . ▁By ▁mid - Se ptember , ▁written ▁negoti ations ▁had ▁progress ed