Star.
London, England, 1801-01-31 00:00:00

FRENCH PRISONERS.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE WRENCH GOVERNMENT,
RELATIVE TO PRISONERS OW WAR, CONTINUED
PROW THE STAR OF THE 22D INSTANT.

TOR CO/1/4111110Xtti•
01 TRANSPORT. TO K. OTTO.
• no, • Tranfport-Offieeikkor. 2, :tom
" We have received your letter of the apth of
101 l month, relative to the prcfent (tate of the
French Prifoncrs of War in this country, and have,
agreeably to deftre, tranfmitted it to the
Lords Commif=rs of the Admiralty for their
confidcration ; but, at the fame time, we cannot
help obierving. that the diftreffed fituation which
you reprefent the prifoners to be in, is entirely
owing either to their being totally deftitute of
cloathing, or to their own imprudence, in di ipofing
of their provifions by gaming, and not, as you at-
fert, to an infulficiency of the ration of provifions
to them, wlsich is fully enough to keep men,
living without labour, in a general Rate of good
health, and certainly affords more fubfiftence than
a great part of the labouring people of this comity y
i, able to procure, being, as you well know, a full
pound of bread, eight ounce% of ire& beef, and
above a quart of Soup, compounded of vegetables
or peace, to each man per def..
" We reiterated to you, in our feveral letter% of
the 2ln of March, 24th of May, 29th of Angulk,
z Ith of Scrember, and t7th of lag month, Jie
microbic fitnation of the prifoners at all the depots,
trerm the want of clothing, and the melancholy
confequences that were to he expetted to enfoe if
the Frcnds government did not collie them to be
nullified wit/a that seeceiry article, preekus tuthe
cornmencenwnt of the co:,1 weather.
In riving you Incl. isriel!. premonition, v
-truly did all that 11.1 i ivau.ar lit on nc

or that humanity dictated ; and WC have ne hi:Ci-
tation in flying, that if the French Government
had expended a few thoulandtpOunds in providing
clothing for their people in this country, in proper
time, the greater part of the evils of. which you
now complain would not have exifled.
" As it is certainly the duty of every (late to
provide for the fnppoit of its people while in cap-
tivity, 113, whatever may have been its arrange-
ments with refpet to victualling, it I as beet the
cuitom in all former wars between Great Britain
and France, for each country to provide doodling
for its own tilbjcas ; and agreeable to this cotton),
all the Binifli pritinters in France, as well as the
Ruffian plifoners taken in Holland, are now ac-
tually fupplied with clothing, by our Agent, Cap-
tain Cotes, at the expellee of this country, although
you Rate as a leafon for the French Government
not clothing their people here, that the Britilh pri-
foners in France are clothed at the expence of your

Government.
" Whatever may latterly have been the effeds
of the prifoners wanting clothing, it cannot be de-
nied that until very lately the prifoners at all the.
Depots, were generally in as good a Rate of health
as at any former period, even when vidu:dled by'
their own country. Some, indeed, had fallemvic
tims to an invincible fpirit of gaming, by (porting
away their allowance of provitions, as well as their
clothing, and the bedding with which they had
been amply fiipplied by us ; but we believe that
the number that has thus futfered has hitherto not
been very contiderable. In our letters of the aid
of April and roth of May laft, we reprefented to
you fully the effeds of this pernicious praftice,
which had become fo prevalent in the prifonsa and ;
we propofed to you a measure which, if adopted,
we doubt not, would have greatlyi tended to put a
flop to it ; hut, for• what reafon we know net, you
have not hitherto taken any notice to us of our
communications on that fubje& ; and from want
of your concurrence, the turnoff exertion of our
Agents, in purfuance of our orders for prohibiting
gaming, hive as yet proved ineffelual. While
this praCtice continues, it is evident that if the ra-
tion of the prifoners were ten-fold what it is, they
would Rill frrt it away ; and the circumilance of
their now chfpofing of the rations Wiled to them,
is a proof that it is not on account of the WOE.,
ciency of there rations, but merely from the gamb
ling fpirit abovementioned, that they alfo difpofe
of their bedding and clothiitg. Indeed, fo far,
from their being obliged to part with ther cloth,
ing to purchafe provifions, it appears, even fro
m
your own itatement relpeeting the (prifoners at Li.
verpool, that they adually difpofc of a part of their
fubftftence to procure clothes.
" With refped to your obfervation of the pri-
foners not being permitted to incrcafe the means
of fubfillence by labour, which you I:iy. , the moff
revere adminiftration would not retitle to the
greaten criminals,' we think it proper to ac-
quaint you, that the prifoners at all the depots in
this country are at full liberty to esercife their in.
dairy within the prifons, in manulafturing
felling any articles they may think proper, except-
, ing hats, which would affed the Revenue in oppo.
(scion to the laws, obfcene toys and drawings, and
articles made either from their clothing or the
prifon fibres ; and by means of this privilege,
force of them have been known to earn, and to
carry of upon their releafe, more than one hundred
guineas each.
" Upon this occafion it has become highly ex-
pedient tbr us, once more, fiilemnly to imprefs upon
your mind thc neceffity of a fpeedy relief being al.
forded to your people, with refped to the article
ofclothing ; a fupply of which would materially,
if not entirely, remove the princlpal canfes of their
prefent diltrefs.
" If you., or rather your Government, delay to
cumin' this fupply, whatever evils may enfue,
and thefe may be juilly apprehended, cannot, af-
ter fuel' repeated notices as we have for a long
time given you, be imputed to this Country, but
to the State which, in this inftance, has fo entirely
neglected its own People. We are, &c.
(Signed) " RUPERT GEORGIA.
•1411 ROSE RULE.
" JOHN SCHARR.

" K.OTTO."

EXTRACT OF A REPORT MAD, BY COMMISSIONER
SWALE TO THE TRANSPORT 101110, DATED 25711
JULY, 1800.
" The prifoners complained of the fmallticfs of
the ration, but not of the quality fupplied. They
wifhed for more bread, and for beer inftead of
water. I found, however, that the ration, by
their mode of cookery, which is left to themlelves,
is not quite fo infufficient and deflitute as fome of
them chofe to reprefent it. The French are gene-
rally great devourers of bread, and therefore
what would be a very competent allowance to an
Engliftman, appears a contrafted one to them ;
while the meat, which an Englifhman would think
fcarcely enough, is to them a reafonable•allov
ance. The ration of a pound of bread with half a
pound of meat, vegetables, &c. digefkd into a
broth or Coup, yielding (even quaets per dine to
every fix men, affoids a fupport which our labour.
ing poor rarely have at any time; but certainly
not during the present fcarcity, and which, to men
living without labour, therm enough to maintain
them in a general hate of good health. And I
have been informed by fome who arc moll qua-
fied to know, that the French panne have never
had In few tick as at the prefent time. Some, in-
deed, who had (ported away their allowance in
gambling, to prevent which the Agentshave taken
every precaution in their power, are in fa& defli-
tute enough, and fo they might have been, if their
rations had been tea times as great ; but this is
their own fault entirely; and it cannot be expelled,
that if a prifoner be pleafed to throw away his food
by vice, that Government mutt be at the expenee
of (applying lam agair. However, wherever this
has been ditcnycted, particularly as it may be in
the article.nf bread, the whole has been feized by
the Agent or Chimer of the Pi icon from the win-
nets or purchafers, and diltributed amongft the
prifimers at large.
" Their clothing in general, for which the
French Government has ceafed to ptovide (as
' a.ll as for ihz vi.lnalling), is getting very bad;

and to meet the winter fairly, muff by tome means
or other be fupplied.
" Six prifoncrs, thofen by the body at large,
have accefs to the cook-rooms every morning,
when the provifions are brought in, that they'may
witncfs their full weight,
.and °kit& to any
deficiency."

LIFTER FROM CAPTAIN WOLMWOOD TO THE COM-
- MISSIONLIS OF TRANSPORT'S.
GENTLZMIIN. POlldiffter•Caftle, 4th Nov. iBOO.
" I beg leave to inform you, I have difcovered
a French prifoner who has bought the ration of
meat- of another prifoner, for one month, for the
fun; of eight pence.
" I fubmit to yOur confederation, what kind of
puniiliment_iboula be inflidted on him for fo great
a crime. I have done every thing in my power to
protent it ; but it will be impothble, unlefs Tome
fro titer puniihment he infli&A, more than by put-
ting them in the Black Hole, which they deem no-
thing, as frequently prifoners petition to be fent
there.
" I alfo heg to veprefent, that I cannot poflibly
prevent the pi-Wooers from cutting up their bedding,
on account of their Rate of nakednefs • that they
convert it into clothing to keep theta:lves from
perifhing by the cold."

THE LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY TO THE RIGHT

HON. H. DVNDAS.
ctit, Admiralty-Office, zit Die. !goo.
'l'he CommitFi'ners for condu&ing his Ma.
jetty's Tranfport Service, and taking charge of
Prifoners of War, having, in their letter of the nth
ult. tranfnutted to us one they had received from
Capt. COTES at Paris, relative to the clothii for
the French prifoners in this country, we feed you
inclofed copies of the faid letters, with tranfcripts
of the papers therein referred to, for his Majefty's
information and commands."
- -

"Paris, t7tlls Nov. 1800.
" THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO CAPT.
JAMES COTES, THE BRITISH COMMISSARY,
CHARGED WITH THE EXCHANGE OF ENGLISH
PRISONERS OF WAIL.

"
The Miniller of the Marine having laid before
the Firll Conful your letter of the sth of this
month, wherein you invite him, in the name of
your Government, to give orders for furnifhing
our prifoners in England with eloathing, the Frit
Conful has dilated me to remind you, that by the
arrete of the tR Frimaire comn unicated to
your Governments the ufages which had prevailed
in former wars, and even at the commencement
of the prefent, have been re-ellablifhed, for the
treatment of the prifoners of our rcfpe&ive
countries. Cullom has eftabliflud that each Belli-
gerent Power fhould bear the charge of whatever
became requifite for the perfons of the Prifoners in
custody, referving to be fettled at a general Peace
the advances made for doodling ; and the French
Government, in conformity to this prakllice, had
reafon to eve& a reciprocal attention on the part
of the Britith Government, as a matter of right,
' and which could not fail to he obferved between
generous enemies. Receive, Sir, the atfurances of
my perfe& confideraion. (Signed)
" CH. M. TALLAY/LAND."

LFTTIR FROM MR. SICRITARY DVIRDAS TO THI
LORDS OF TOR ADMIRALTY.
" KY LORDS, Downing-ftreet, Dee. 4, doo.
" I have received and laid before the King
goer letter of the la Intl. inclofing a correfpon.
dente between Captain Cotes and the Minifter for
Foreign Affairs at Paris, relating to the clothing
of the French prifoners of war in this country, and
I have received his Majefty's commands, to 'clefire
that the following anfwer fhould he made, both
through Capt. Cotes and M. Otto, to the French
Government.' '
" The Englillt,Governrnent has feen with the
greateft furprife, that the French Minifter for '
Foreign Affairs, in his letter to Captain Cotes of
the i7th of November, fhould remind the latter
of the lurid Fi
of the rd Conful of the sift of No.,
vember, t 799, and that in anfwer to a reprefenta-
tion refpeaing the want of clothing for the French
prifoners in England, he fhould think it fufficient
to obferve, that by that arriii the •Firtt Conful had
determined (among other things), "that the Lid
prifoners fhould be clothed by the Britifh Go-
vernment." It can fcarccly ba neceffary to ob-
ferve.to the Minifter of Foreign Affairs, that an
arrite of the French Government, pretending to
prcfcribe and lay down a rule of conduct to the
Government of Great Britain, k not binding upon
the latter, and that fuch a mode of cummunicat-
ing the wishes of the Firft Conful, was not the
moll likely to procure his Majefty's acquiefcence
to an arrangement, which, however, he would
have equally been obliged to withhold, had it
come under his confederation in a form more ufu-
ally obfeived between independent States. But
this part of the fubjea is the lcfs material, as this
Government did not leave to that of France to
collect, either from its own experience or our
filence, the determination of his Majefty rcfpefting
the clothing of the French ranters. Immedi-
ately on that at r;te being received in this country,
fo far back as the i 4th of December, 1799, a
communication, of which the inclofed is a copy,
was made to the French Government, both
through Captain Cotes and M. Niou ; and from
that period up to the prefept moment, the Corn-
mariners charged with the care of the French
prifoners of war in this country have repeated,'
urged M. Otto, in the ftrongeft terms, to provide
them with clothing, and have forewarned him of
the confequenees of not attending to their repre-
remotions. There confequenecs, with deep regret
it is Rated, arc now too manifeft in the milery, the
ficknefs, and the mortality, which prevail in all
the &)a: of French Prifoners in this country;
whilft thofe of the Dutch, under the fame ma-
nagement, and with the fame allowance in every
refpc as the French, but clothed by their own
Government, continue to enjoy their ufual health.
" Contidering, nn the one hand, that the com-
fort, the•health, and even the exiftence of more
than 20,000 French (tibial' are at flake, and on
the other, the peculiar claims (independent of ale
general feelings of humanity) their relative fitua-
non to their country gives them fo its rotation,

his Istaiety's Government can fearecly conceive
that, upon a queflion which compaffion on our
part has fo often alma obtruded upon the atten-
tionof the French Government, arld with the know_
ledge that Government polfelred"bf his Majefly'l
determination, they should at this ftafon calmly re-
fer to an ardti which they knew twelve months
ago mull be unavailing to every purpofe of relief,
and in this hour of urgent diftrefs, affign as the
ground of their perfevering in that arrile a reafon,
which, had the fubjea ever appeared to them of
fufficietit interefl to merit a moment's attention on
their part, M. Talleyrand would have known to be
without foundation ; namely, "Fhat in former
• wars the clothing of prifoners of war was fur-
, 'tithed at the expence of the Government 11
• which they were detained.' Without 10,11,ii,4
further hack than the Tall war, M. l'alleyrand %111
find that to the humanity and proteaing care of
the Government then exilling in France, and not
to this country, were the French prifoners in.
debted, not only for clothing, but alto for a Irma
daily allowance (one penny) in money, for the pur.
pofe of procuring tobacco-or otheT trifling corn.
forts, which habit has rendered to many as meet'.
fary as food ; and this obfervation is made hat,
not with any view to a comparifon (which may
more properly be drawn by thofe Who now cid:
charge the correfponding duties, of humanity and
proteCtiou, and thole who feel the effefts of them),
but to imprefs upon the prefent Government the
neeeflity of reviving this latter pradice, as many
pOroners fold their clothing when they, had any,
and at prefent barter their ration (from which ne.
thing can be spared) for tobacco. The want of
this article is indeed the more severely felt by the
French prifoners, as in the courfe even of this war
it was fupplied to them by the French agent in
this country, as well as clothing, until they were
deprived of the one and the other by the arriti of
the Firit Conful above-mentioned.
" The French Government muff therefore un-
derhand, that owing folely to that arriti, and
notwithltanding the frequent and timely reprefen.
cations from this country, the wretchednefs of the
French prifoners is now become extreme; that
ficknefs and mortality have already made an
alarming progrefs among them, and muh conti-
nue rapidly to increafe with the increafing severity
of the feafon, and that his Majefty, firmly deter.
mined not to depart from the refolutions fiy;nified
to the French Government on the aoth of Decem-
ber 1799, once more takes the oniy remaining,
but hitherto ineffiltuar method, of folemnly can-
'Lug upon the French Goiernment to commiserate
the fufferings of its own prifoners, and melt fpeedi-
ly to provide for their relieL if this laft appeal
should be attended with no better fuccefs than
thbk which have hitherto reached that Govern-
ment, both on the part of his Majefty, and he
.has reason to believe on the part of the unhappy
prifoners themfelves ; if the humanity of this
country mull continue to be mocked" by the pie.
fence and inerealeul fo much mifery, where protec-
tion is to much duty and relief aught Co eafily be
grmted, his Majelty will have the confutation to
&ink cbas he hat'done every thing inhisypower as
well to prevent, by timely precaution, as at pre.
fent to cheek, by pointing out the immediate but
bal.- remedy, a calamity he molt fincerely deplores;
and which, deeply anxious as he feels on the me-
lancholy occafion, he can only confider, as he does
all the other calamities of war, with relazocc to
what ii due to the dignity and honour of his
Crown, and to the interefts of his people, and as
far as there confiderations will admit, with a molt
anxious with to fee them all terminated by the re-
floration of the bleffings of Peace. Until that
molt defirable objea Can be attained, he feels it
his next duty to urge every thing that can tend to
alleviate exiiting and unavoidable calamities ; and
under that imprelion his Majefty cannot omit this
opportunity of renewing his molt fulemn proteft,
as declared in the Duke of Portland's letter of the
15th 'of DeceMber 1799, agalnit the whole of the
arrete above mentioned, by which the French Go-
vernment, in violation of: the agreement then exift•
ing between the two countries, refuted to provide
any longer for the fubfiftenee of its" prifoners in
this country, and thereby put an end to a meafure,
which had been found by experience to be in the
higheit degree conducive to the health and coin-
fort of the prifoners on each fide, eminently ci.
mimed to obviate all mifreprefentation, corn•
plai,nts, and recriminations, hnd thereby to 'in-
vent any increase of animosity between two natio; s
whole minds are fufficiently enflamed againft each
other.
It remains to be added, that his Majety's Go-
vernment will only wait the asfwer to this repre•
fentation, to render public on this, as it has done
On a former occafion, during the prefeat war, the
ivholeuf its proceedings upon a tub) eft in which his
Majesty feels it Important that the true hate ci
this cafe, as afTeßing the charafter and humanity
pf the repeeiive Governments, %maid be properly
underflood by his own fubjelts, his enemies, and
the cell of the world. I am, &c. (Signed) .
" HENRY DURPAS.

(To k costiawd.)•

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR•

Obfervingin'your Parer of the 22d infiant, a Les
ter figncd D, addreircd " to the DireCtors of the
Bank of United States of America," intimatig
that the Dividends on American Stock are not rol
gularly paid in London, fince the Writer had col
received his of July 11798-1 requell you to Oaf
the public.; that they are paid the fist day of cowl
quarter, with extreme eszehasfs, in America ;
after allowing a moderate tithe for the remitt
to reach Europe, arc paid to the Proprietor tvi
equal punituality here; viz. The Dividends
Bank Stock in fix months, without any deduakis
theft on the Public Funds frequently within
time. The Dividends of t 798 and 1799 hs
not only been paid long ago, but alfo of Jot
Igloo ; and that of Oaober, booswill Yellow'
be in eourfe of payment. visas
Jimmy ss,