The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-06-23 00:00:00

P ~ ~ I. ,CIIPLOYAUSN7' OF !eland PIM JU NE/.S. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN. Sig—ln reading your Paper of the 7th instant, I was greatly pleased by yusr remarks on the Plan retently adopted by Bonaparte, of employing his I Austrian prisoners in agricultural and usanufactur. lag labours, instead of immuring them in prisons ; and your wish thlst some useful employment might be found for the **mercies French prisoners that are languishing in coninetneet in this comentry,' has induced me to send you a few remarks on a subject, which to every friend of humanity must be deeply interesting. But laying aside the eon. itineration of humanity, it would sorely, in point of mere policy, be desirable to avail ourselves of the useful labours of so industrious and ingenious a, body or men as the French prisoners are known to he.... The c.uployment of these men iunitt•rent parts of this Wold, where we Imre many important works in constant progress, tech as roads, canals, docks, bridges, and other .public buildings, could nut be dilicult, nor if thcy were properly distributed could it be attended with the smallest danger ur inconvenience. What sit:lenity, for instance, could arise in employing a portion of these men in the grand canal and military roads furmitti in - Scotland ? It ha. been the opinion of many persons, that as mere labourech ticymight oxen be employed in our Duck-yards—but as we are confessedly not inCoftlevvieaCed by. a de. Leieney of that species of labour, I admit that it would be injudicious fro:u any negolire to hazard an experiment itt which there _ _ _ could be the stighiesit risk of dangerous copse. quences. But the employment of prisoners ou ;aids, bridges, canals, - di;ck I, and public build. ingr, is totally tolobjectionable in that respect.— In the inclusere and breaking rap of waste land, their labour would be eminently serviceable. Let me, however, nut be miiunilerstood, as pro. posing to compel these who, by the fortune of war, have fallen 'lnto our hands, to labour. I simply urge the propriety and humanity of at once softening the rigour of their fate, and availing ourselves, Ouring the absence of our brave sailors sod soldiers, of such a portion of human labour as may be volun. leerily offered to be performed by the great num. her of able men, who su painfully to themselves, and so useless!, to as, are lingering out a valoable portion of Yuman existence nn confilieulent. From the indignation that has been idlyaad ignorantly expressed against Boaaparte, for a step, minds, I venture to say, from undoubted information, has filled the hearts of the Austrian prisoners with' gratitude, and by which he has acquired popula. city in France—nay, and even in Germany, it is generally, hut, I Assert, most erreaeussly step. posed, or rather inferred, that the labour of the Austrian prisoners is France is compulsory; that they are ea to work its gangs, jest liken drove of usgro slaves by a Wert India Overseer, with his loeg whip. A m *minas and absurd misrepresents tioe Mao wureended Oolostry ham never gone forth to thew o rhalie ellset7of eonlinement in Eng. laud, semi *oder neer alleviation which the gene. rat humanity of this island affords, is enivenally known ; bet those who tetvc never seen and felt,. as I hate s kr a tons and Wipes asonkhr the insurers of a ta OHM, elm have no idea of the incalculably greeter hodships sad mime*, of imprisonmeot in Frittree. Ceti it then he supposed that the Austrian ;trimmers in Francs do not embrace with eagerness, the peretietion tossizemited embrace, to employ themselves in agriculture or manefactores there a man so lust to the fierily evert of his own feelings tied nature, as to prefer the ledolenee of a loathsome jail to the enjitment of a certtin and compare" ; tively valuable portion of liberty, on the midi. boo of merely exercising kis industry X.—lt is re ally as ab‘ord to suppose this possible, as it is nvonstreass to propagate Reports so pssfoutukd of the hardihip mid cruelty of this really humane, po stir, Awl %rise.. immune Of BONAPARTZ-•••-•.. who, whatever reatcrimes he may hewn to an. slyer (or r is, in this instastee, most unjustly and ignoramus mxnsed. Let the prisoners who are, Valantarl4 disposed to ilPply themselves to la bour enjoy the wages of their industry, as I ant informed, Irvin the soiree I have already mew tinned, they are permitted •to do in France, where tbe farmers and the manufacturers pay theta or, they do other la= is proper. tioq to their Will and., rip Having been coostramtd to visit sprivaionaily almost every depdt for prisoners of Iran 1. this island, and every one or the prison ships—l may, with. out presumption, say, that I am perfectly able to state the several dispositions of the prisoners or war with respect to the subject of this letter ; and I venture to assert, that if a permission, similar to the "cruel and oppressive slavery" basely alleged to have been laposed by 'Bonaparte on the Austrian prisemers, were offered to the French, Dutch, and Danes, i unfilled as prisoners of mar in this country, every prison and every l risen ship would be instantly emptied of its iniserabie captives, whose joy and gratitude would bc !twin& less. The allusion which you wade trs the aathori:_ed prohibition of vending certain articles fabricated by the prisoners, is strictly correct. Orders arc Axed at the entrances of the depots for prisoners Of war, prohibitinx the purchase of certain ar ticles fabricated by these poor victims of :oar : and thus the great and almost only solace of their captivity, by which they might clothe and lewd themselves, m clot of. There is in this despicable prohibition, which was originally imposed at the , entreaty of the manufacturers of those artieles,l with which the labour of the French prisoners in terfered—prilicipally the article of straw hats—a selfishness that indelibly disgraces a country more celebrated for its general humanity than any hu man society that ever (misted. There is in it so snitch even of malignity, that it might almost be eitabled to support a comparison with the cruel destruction of the spider, which being found to be the companion and solace of Baron 'Franck, 'sway by & Aefinament in cruelty, crushed by his 4 4 mini ible jailer. It was only esterday that I ' returned from visiting the terrific depot fur I 1115.51' prisoners of war, on the Meek lorstolt of, the Forest of Dartaiour...ntiteatrun oalceiated ail Imes tomtits gigoin, horror, and despeltio the ' Ibreasts of the unhappy prisoisers.:as it bag been to swell the full.oharged pockets of this worthy " Undertsuiers," as they are, ia'asy ogilaties, not a little Intlicready resealed, of this digital tecep. i taele.---Hcre a ',ember of gefortuumair captives , languish out their miserable days is an immense pile of buildings, surrounded by a lofty grall i wbleh bounds the prdspect en all sides. The severity of the bleak, damp, and inhospitable diode of Dartmoor is too well knows to aced deserip. tion...and its eats on the Nations' a more genial sky may easily be imagiiied.....lt is al. , ready discovered that the eentiaele wbo pee their distasees on the external circuniferegoe of the wall that surrounds the beanbag, are parti. cularly subject to severe catarrhs mid . rheumatic alfectioas ; and in addition to the severity of the climate ou the elevations of Dartmoor, she twee lar form of the buildieg, which has ao injudici ously been adopted, afar& so shelter la what're/ direction the wiud nay blow. This ineonveiviesee with respect to the health of the troops stationed at the depot oil Dartmoor, has already been felt in a degree sulleient to excite attention ; and as the dept itself is eatable of containing 9000 prison. ere, unless they can keep each other warm by their eunibers--their health will sot be greatly ins. proved by a rueideomi is the gloomy pile oic Dart. moor. It is but jostles to add, that the prisoners who are already there, about 1800 in setsohary iris well fed. The daily allowance of each man is— Bread, telb. Beef, ;10. Barle_y, 3 Vices. eve days in the week. a s h Fie ' lib */ iwo days is thirweek. Potatoes, Ha. S Motet is, however, the only drink, and of clothes, messy of them are nearly destitute ; and, what is to be greatly lamented, those who are the least to be commiserated, arc in this, as well As in every other respect, the best of. The poor fellows who are captured in the peaceful pursuit of commerce on board merchantmen, are all wretch. wily clothed, many of them almost, and some of them litiTally, (with the except:oil of a blaiiket skewered round them) naked, while the desperadoes who have been captured in privateers, e motley body, collected from almost eveyy country in Eu rope, are comfortably clothed, and have ample means of obtaining s variety of supplementary comforts, amongst which not the least is beery which it would well become the humanity of lug. lishmets, nho once knew the comfort Of th.i whotesoine liquor, and who are even yet strongly attached to the villaiNotis coini•osition, so f tee. tiously hut villainously now called beer, to sub. stitnte for that most i.bilis.upliic, but I fear fur seamen, unconstitutional buyersge, udder. In a word, Sir, the principles tit policy, huesa. oily, and justice call upiiii us to alleviate, by every possible. .owns nut a nconsibteut witii public safety, the situation of the iminerous and un fortunater captives who have fallen into our hauls. Every eye lino* turned towards the Continent of Europe—intently fixed wile anxious hope and ex. pectatient of the fall of BE/SAT/Se/74 the tyrant of Europe, the vigour of wituse pester I have more than once experieneed, and whose quintile ch.i. ratter and principles I detest. Jam not, liowever,, so ideriaied as to serrender nsijudgment, and take leave of my senses, for the sake of blackening the character of this ilictividual I abhor, and fur whose dowafat I would hold my life as cheap as any man in England. I hare suffered imprisonment iii Irraace-4 know what it is—mid I could veuture ,to assert from that knowledge alone, that per , Mairal/I to breathe the pure air, under a condition of totpiorsond, would be embraced even by our men Coustryneen, whose prejudices are SO Munch strooger than those of the Germans, with rapture. Rut from authority on which I can per. fectly rely, I can assert, that the employment of the Austrian prisoners, instead of being viewed by them as a measure of harshness, oppression, or cruelty, has rendered Bonaparte e.rtremely popular with those wily mess whose cruel slavery is se sense lessly besaikd by the thuughtleas and prejudiced part of this country, of which, I am sorry to say, that class forms, in my opinion,. a very great majority. And, Sir, there is another fact which yet remains to be made known : This crud permission of Bonaparte, for his Ger. man prisoners of war to gu at large.-.resume the labours to which they were accustomed before the war with Germany broke out...receive the wai,es of such labour....be comfortably fed, clothed, and ledged-.-and comparatively to enjoy liberty, has bad a two-fold effect, wicii it was intended tespro. daces...the numbers of the German prisoners who, in consequence of what they, pour silly souls, mistaketslyfed to be kind treutment i have entered into the French ar , ay , are already greater than they were even after the battles of Auto-. I tits and Jena. Ido hope that the British Go "eminent will have the good sense and candour to imitate the polity even of an individual so justly 1 hatted by every friend of liberty, as must be Bu. i leper's. And in this hope I, subscribe, with many apologies, for requesting the insertion of *hat will occupy so cosesielreable a space of your liberal, sandies t and independent Paper. Your friend, S. G. Yesterday afternoon as the carriage of Mrs. Jo litie, of liargaret-strixt, was passing along the New-road, near Gleneesteryilace, at a brisk rate, the coachman WAS thrown from his box by one of the springs giving way; the horses started olf at speed e ith MD. Julife, two oilier Ladies, and her sun, a youth of eighteen, in the carriage. The horses cleared every thing until they arrived at the Edgware-road, when the carriage was overturned by a eorner-stone, and dragged several yards. 'flie Ladies were fortunately only slightly cut and bruised, but the young Gentleman broke his ancle boos in j uniping from the carriage to endeavour to stop the horses. By the last Act of Parliament, relating to the Local Militia, the Colonels arc empowered, at all finite, to receive volunteers into their regiments, who are to be sworn in for four years:---these volunteers receive no bounty ; but are, of course, exempted from till ballots. (HAM 811111P-SHII4kIS9. 1111401111PATwaTUSIIDAT. JUNI *I . . • Tint proceedings of this day commenced with an leaps bon or as ingenious dew machine for sOrtieding manure throagh t hoppers from a earl into 4Wo small furrows drawn by the machiaiaf. kid vadat it, which also deposited the turnip sad, and covered it with win scrapers. To this succeeded a review of various drills at work, eni. played in turnip sowing. From these Gelds of ac. Inc industry, tbc Company resorted to the great farm-yard, where several additional new imple ments were exhibited, such as threshing and drill machines, a goss.brulting machine, and one for grinding Wheat and dressing the dour, ploughs, &c. The Soeop.shearing was extended this day to the field arkjuirsing the top house. The Sheep intended for the evening's sale were neat examined. After this the Company were draws to a large pea-field, to see an itletrallitiat tried for clearing it of the aphi. des or lice that so _often destroy the crop; it was iovented by Mr. It. PAUL, to whom the County of Noefaik is so much indebted for an instrument on a similar principle, that is toured ctlectaally to sweep eland 'destroy the dy from tamps. Par ties, es usual, rude through the several divisions of the amble faro, sheep walks, &c. and at three the whole company resumed their stations at e meet plenteous dinner. After the usual Agricultural toasts, Mr. Coax gave the health of tin: •Presi. !lent uf the liehird of Agriculture, who had just 'arrived; Sir Jews SIsCLAISt, IA a neat speecN lammited his out having been able to partiripaie sooner in the rational enjoyments ot that Assembly, from which he had been pretested by ass nese,- 'try attimianoe in Parliament, to present tM o Bills fur the improvement of the public roads of the Kingdom, by a regulation in the runitructi.,n of the wired. of waggons and carts, in order that Suds bills might be printed, and duly considered try the Mag istrary, &e. of the cltuntry during recess. After bop.i sg that the remunerative intercourse between Nort,lk and his own coup. try (:cotland might d.,ily increase by Vie etichauge, of corn and cattle, he ',tiled, that he had the diree. twi ts u f th e ftoirti .aver w ich he presi.ied, to deli. rev their Goid Medal to GEORGt Na at, 1E34. of that comity, fur his comosunicutiOn respecting the 464 tams of his land, and a piece of Plate to the ti-v. Mr. Hewer:Ton, fur a Treatise en the general 11,1itx of working Olen instead of Horses, which he preseated to them. The health of Sir Jukl•4 tiatlT being drank, as a cele b:ated breeder at Dow n Sheep, be returned thanks, an.l closed ri.s speech by deprecating the prevailing muck of not granting Leases, es injurious to the Country, as well as to Landlord and Tenant. The Company row, after drinking their patriotic bust with three tiniest three, and proceeded to the Sheop-yard, where several pens of Swath Downs were sold at much higher prices than on the prece. Cling atternoon, some lots of Theaves being knocked down for nearly 31. a head. turd fur. this was the principal purchaser. The Down Tups were then put up by lottery, six of which were let for 40 guineas a tnp. STATULST us the Side of the SOtlnt DOM( THIVICS, in Lots uf 10 each : . _ Fro - - se. s. tf. 7 Lord Dentin., at • - 95 5 0 P. Dlr. As , t. 111111 0 9. Ur. Reeve 10. Lard Urdu this - - • - 4J 0 0 l I. tar. Sae! X _0 0 12. Mr. Forger IS. Lord Usi..das Avd South Morn Ewes, Lot 1, of tee, sold— To Mr. Wyman, at 17 17 0 When the South Down Tops were ohms to be let, the price bad bee•u previously fizetl, and the quantity of wool clipped WAS stated. eacb per. son desirous to have any particular , sheep gave his name, and took the chance of drawing a prize ticket, which decided who was to h ave him. K4O. Clipped of Wool. Price. Mired by 5 Au. 2oz. 15 guinea. Mr. Saul. 9 4 - y 15 ditto Nut let. U - 4 5 20 ditto Not let. ii 5 3 tt dk o )dr. Delving. ii 5 145 411 rpm) Al.. Saud, - 1 - i 4 - i V.l ditto Mr. Deolog. 16 6 3 15 ditto Mr. Itodwed. 14 4 11 40. diuo Mr. Moseley. 4 4 8 40 ditto Mr. Mottests. d 6 3 SO ditto Mr. %shoo. 1 fr 7 4U ditto Mr. E. Beck. At nine o'clock the company separated. ME LANCHO LY DE AT!!. Yesterday morning, About six o'clock, the body an Gentleman, said to be a Captain the Mi. fitja s was found ikail near the Cruwu and Anchor public-house, nye Fields, Chelsea. The report of a pistol oaf heard at four o'clock, by the cen. tinel ender the Queen's Galilee Wall, near the road, but the fat.►l effect st hict► that shot had pro. baby produced, was not discuveryd for two hours after, whets the body of the deceased was found spite cold, in the middle of the little ft ;J, on the left-head side of the road leading to Chelsea. Two ultimo's of the cause of this melancholy eircumstenee hue reached us. According to sow, • a dud had taken placu between Use deceased and a Gra►tlettban of Devutishiee.place; bat another re port altriltetes the fatal event to ail act tow fry. quently re altinq from great -divtruis of mind, which, in this instance, is said to hues bees or. easionial by pecuniary embarrassments. It ap. pairs, that a pistol ball had entered the right side of the head, a little below the templeyand lodged near the back•uf the neck. The decoked had tiled profusely from the mouth and titre. In his pocket was found a letter addressed to his Solicitor, which was immediately conveyed to that Gentle. man. It stated, that the deceased had latterly been much troubled in 'skid, owing to the eni. harassed state of affairs. It is also that he had lust Lone large• s u ms at Islas.. Tim hod) was moved to the Crown and Anchor public house, where a Coroner's inquest was to take plate this day, when the circumstances of the ease were to be investigated. Saturday setsitight, four children were poisoned at I,.•zarc, ip the isle of Man, by eating water hemlock. L4W 'strumEwa. • ROLLS COURT. Thaoarley. Jaae 22. • ‘ocaitascs terra: ;sauna. • A Gent[mlon in India bad begorathed legacy . of 100,000 hoes rupees to a friend iu this country* • It had beep referred to the Master to carry the Will loteri.tecehuis ; bet a doubt arose in his mind at what rate this rupee was to be calculatod 4 though be rather inclined to prefer the rate of the valve in 'bullion, which would giro Id. sterling. The Lrgatee, hoverer, ohjected to this, inskting upon the rate used in mercantile practice, which is two shillings and six-pence. The quint was there fore brought before the Court for a decision to guide the Master. Mr. Ls icu contended for the higher rate, and adopting a suggestion of the Court, put the cam, th..t instea.l at sicea A popess, the legacy had been current rupees, a offts merely notifies!, a lase in which it woold be impossible to apply Lie robs of bullion, which the Master was inclined to adopt. Mr. ALEXANDER, on the Other side, felt it ea. sier to state objections to Mr. Leach's criterion, than t.. suggest any other. It was true, that sicc* !mimes gives+ in India fur liaison Eaglaud, were calculated at Ss. 6d. * • but tnets at was material to consider, that these Dills were payable at twelve months sight; and taking tutu account the tans au the passage home, were not in general Imo &ill eighteen months after date. the high rate was, therefore, only a evtapcsimitison lor tw I of interest. Mr. LEACH replied, that the low of interest was connected out with the rate, but with the cowrie of the nachange. • The M.illTja of the gOLUI declared, that this was., putat, which, tiati it ewer before his its the first instance, he wirul:l he in. basil to refer to the Master, having uu sudicteat inforasatiou apes which to found a declaims. He rather thought th :1 the rata of bullies was not that which night to be adopted, bat at the same time as :Lett leave it to the discretion of the Master to ix epee imsy other, which, spun the bat cousideratio. a, •he should thiuk proper. COURT OF BERCI. Thurrdaj, June 22. This day Lord .Ellenborough comeesaii the sittings for the County of Middlesex. WILLIAMS V. MIMS. Mr. Palma stated that this was an action for as assault. Tile Plaintiff was a poor woman, sad the Defendant kept a public house in Hing..street,. Covent-garden. The Plaintiff was at his home drinking a pint of beer, and chancing to give hies some °Ocoee—what it wee she knew not, the I)e. fondant violently thrust her out of doors, and gave liar a kick in a very improper place, by which she was considerably bruised. She called a witness, who proved that be saw the woman come trembling out of the house, and the Defendant behind her, who bad apparently bass the cause. of bit rapid eel es Gaitauirsteted that his friend bad told the Jury the Defendant bad kicked a woman in a very improper plebe, but he had sot condescended to inform them which was the proper place to kirk a woman. He wholly &vied the. kicking; for if his poor cheat had beets SO misdeal, be was nut ha a condition to du so, for at. at time be bad the gust in both his feet; sad h4Ordf keel, by paha. tel experience that that was got a time in which a matt had a wish to indulge himself in kiels.ing ethers. --The real fact was, the Plaintif cause to the De. fendawt's house reeling dreek, bevies iwallowed a pint of Mr. Belcher's bat cordial gin, to cum. pose her stomach overloaded with bicus's entire, and she wits so noisy and troublesome, that that Defendant was forced to pat her out of his hoes% • which he did es quietly akpossible. The Defendant's servant hewn proved this statement, on the suggestive of the Court a Jane was withdrawn, &MALY V. WILSON Alfa/ ANOTilti. This was an action upon a sciert jades 'plait the Defendants, who were the bail of a person of the name of Newell, against whom the Plaintiff had brought his action, but had obtained no 1 .fruit from it, be being nonsked upon a plea, that he was then resident and domiciled is France, and therdfore was to be deemed an alias emel t and could not maintain an action In a Coast t Justice. Mr. PARK stated, that the Plaintiff was a na. live of Ireland, and, as such, a liege subject the Ling ;he had resided a lung time in Aasetic . and had gone from thence to France ; and be ve.st in France when the original action was brought for this debt against Mr. Newell, which was etruit 14001. it was held that he could not maintain th. action ; be was therefore nonsseited, and this actiLn was againstlhe bail, which Mr. Park maintain a he was entitled to pursue; for this :alert jet was not issued until after the Plaintiff had errs, in England, and arm:fore the plea, that lie a. .s now domiciled in France, and an alien enemy, was not tree at this time, however it might apply o him at the time of tee original actimi ; nor %AI the other part of the pleadings trni.: which slated that he was, and still is, an alien enemy, fur he is now in this el:matey, etc. The AttoaatT Census. Raid, it was. mil lea. sent to him, upon the present occasion, and lie hoped it was as much so to him as it could be to any one, to have to state in the presence of a gee. tleman bush a defence as he must state to the ac. tion now brought by the Plaintiff. But it vies nut his decision that the Plaintiff should be present at lee tliscumien of such a case as th i s— i t Was ma ,. •er ut Liste in the Plaintiff ; for he understood the • put.it• if to be its Court at the present minnen , .-- rhe wise a native of Ireland, 11 such, a rubject of his Majesty the King of Grelt trio, to %I ham he owed ells-lance of course, and vrk i et i _All e gianc e be never could renuente ; Yut he 'iLl rh , ,cett to connect himself with the rivers of Franc., and to become a subject of their sirovern. meet, instead of ours ; and therefdee, altb a i t au I