Star.
London, England, 1801-01-22 00:00:00

FRENCH PRISONERS.

:ORRESFONDENCE WITH THI FRENCH GOVIRNMINT,
RILATITE TO PRISONERS. OF WAR, CONTINUED
FROM Till STAR OF THE 14TH INSTANT.

LITTER PROW CAPTAIN WOODRIFF TO THE COM•

MUMMER S OF Tit•NIIP ORTS.

a Norman Crois, 9th September, 'km
" Getttlemen,—lnclofed I tranfmit a packet
for M. OTTO, by which, you will obferve, that
notwithilanding all I have done, or can do, to
prevent the pnfoners from felling their rations
of provifions for days to come, and their bedding,
it has not had, nor is likely to have, the defired
:ffc& Since the commencement of the wet wea-

Cher, many of them have been taken to the
Hofpital in a very weak Rate, in confcquence of
having fold their provilions and bedding; and one
Dr two have died. Several of the French prifoners
are without clothing, and, having fold their bed-
ding, they are deftitute of either ; and the prefent
wet weather, and the approaching winter, will,
if they be not clothed, fill the hofpitals. 1 have,
Gentlemen, thought it prudent to mention thefe
circumltances to you, as I am firmly of opinion
that, unlefs fome clothing is ilfued to the prifoners
who are now deflitute, many of them will die,
flaould the winter be fevere."

THE COMMISSIONERS OF TRANSPORTS TO M. OTTO.

"Tranfport Office, Odober 57, aßoo.
Sir—Not having yet heard from you that any
provifion has been made by the French Govern-
ment for fupplying their people, prifoners in this
country, with clothing; and the reports daily made
to us from the feveral depots, refpedting the mi-
ferablr flate of the prifoners from the want of
that neceffary article, becoming more and more
ferious, we cannot, from motives of humanity,
avoid again reprefenting to you the abfolute ne-
ceffity there is of your taking immediate fleps for
fupplying the prifoners, fo as to prevent the fatal
confequences that mnft otherwife inevitably enfue,
upon the commencement of the approaching cold
(edam We molt carneftly requeft your early at-
tention to this fubielt ; and that if you be not al-
ready provided with the means of affording the
neceffary relief to your unfortunate countrymen,
you will lofe no time in ftrongly recommending
the meafure to your Government."

TOIS COMMISSARY OF TNt FRENCH REPUBLIC IN
ENGLAND, TO MI COMMISSIONERS OF TNI
TRANSPORT BOARD.

_
London. Oetober 19, I siO•
" Gentlemen—l have received the letter which
you did me the honour of writing yenerday, in
order to inform me that the reports from your
Agents at the depots continue to reprefent, in the
moit urgent manner, the neceffity of providing
clothing for the French prifoners of war before
the commencement of the fcvere winter which may

be immediately expeeted. I can only deeply la-
ment the deplorable fituation to which thefe un-
fortunate men are reduced, and my own in ability
to provide clothing for them without having re-
ceived the neceiTary orders and inflruftions from
•my Government to enable me to defray this ti-
pence. I !hall not fail, however, again to repre-
fent to the French Government the urgent wants
of our prifoners, and to recommend to n to adopt,
in its wifdom, Inch meafures as the circumftances
may appear to require. I mull neverthelefs ob-
ferve to you, that the French Government, hav-
ing undertaken to clothe all the prifoners whom the°
chance of war has thrown into its hands, had ma-
fon to expeet a reciprocal attention on the part of
Great Britain ; and although the prifoners now
detained in France are not emely Englifh, never-
thelefs they belong to Powers in alliance with his
Majefty. You will perceive from the copy of the
inclofed arrite, that thefe prifoners are provided
with clothing at the expence of the French Go-
vernment. I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) a orro."
(T rime.)

assucTs rams TIE ■IGIST al Or Via DELIIEIAT2ONS or

Tat COMM Leer TOR &SPOILS',
0 Mem. Equality.
" Park, a 3 Venter,. Etl Year (Marco 14, 1tos)
The Costfuls of the Republic, confidcring that

prifoners of war are entrufted to the care and hu-
manity of the nations in the power of which they
are placed by the chance of war, decree,
Art. t. The Miniftera of War and of the Marine than en-
hare, by every poffible means, futdiftence and clothing to the
Auftrian, and Engliib Prifonera of War. They ball
take care that they are treated with ail the attention and indul-
gence confiftent with public fafety.
Art. a. They Sall moreover take every neceffary meafure
for the pur of accekrattng the exchange of prifoners.
The Felt Conrad,
(Signed) EONAPARTE.
HOGIVS, &MARRY, SeC.Gtheral."
(TRANSLATION.) •
London, 7th Brumaire, 9th year of the French
Republic, 29th October, 1800.
" Such is the lunation of French prifonert in
England. In France, on the contrary, the Eng-
lifh, the Ruffians, and the Auftrians, who have
fallen into our hands, not only receive a whole-
Come and plentiful fubfiftence,but are clothed at the
expence of the Republic, and enjoy a degree of
liberty which the French prifoners are net allowed
in thiscountry. At every period of war, a great
number of prifoners have had penniffion to leave
the depots, to carry on different trades, and to earn
by the fruits of their labour even more than would
have provided them with a comfortable fupport.
" Whatever may be the intentions of the Britifh
,Government with refpe& to the Frenchmen now
groaning in irons, I requeft, in the name of hums.
nay and the facred law of nations, that you will
lay before that Government this pkture of their
&nation. It cannot fail to affed every feeling
mind. It has already made an impreffion on you.
Gentlemen, and you have adered a great number
of invalids to be fent home. The agents entrufted
with the charge of feleaing the prifoners falling
under this defeription have difcharged their duty
in the molt humane manner, and I owe ter you, u
well as to them, my grateful thanks for their con-
duet on this ocoafion.
a I cannot conclude this letter without replying
to two objeaions which may appear at fir ft fight
to palliate the difference of treatment expirienced
by the prifoners of the two nations. The-Repub-
lic I(it has been faid) may eafily provide for the
fubfiftence of Englifh prifoners, becaufe there are
very few in France.' But if the chance of war
has thrown a greater number of prifoners into
the power of Great Britain, the duties of huma-
nity ought certainly to plead more forcibly in
their favour in proportion as their numbers in-
create
at the refpeftive depots. And on the
other hand, ought not the Ruffians, the Au-
ftrians, Neapolitans, Bavarians, &c. now prifoners
in France, to be taken into the account ? Their
number is at leaft equal to that of the French con-
fined in England. Are they not fubfifted at the
expence of the Republic ? And do not the fubfi-
dies paid to their retpedire Sovereigns appear to
affimilate thern,to Britifh tablets?
" I have alfo been told, That the people here
are not better fed than the prifoners.' If the
fcarcity of provifions is fo notorious that Govern-
ment, notwithftanding its folicitude, cannot relieve
the wants of the people, why fhould Government
unneceffarily increate the confumption by feeding
more than twenty two thoullind individuals ? I
have already had the honour of laying before you
two propotals upon this fubjed, namely, that of
ranfoming the prifoners, or that of fending them
back to France on parole. Either of thele alter-
natives would affprd an effeaual remedy for the'
evil in queftion ; the plan of parole has already
been adopted with retpeet to the French Fifher-
men. No complaint of want of punauality in this
arrangement has hitherto arifen. A meafure of the
lame nature for all the other prifoners would be
equally facred, for no Government unqueftionably
would allow itfelf to break an engagement of this
defcription.
" It neither of there propofals are acceded tab*
the Britill Government, there ftill remains alio:
ther refource, hitherto folicitcd in vain by the
prifoners themfelves, but which, however,. has
never before been denied by any Government to
the greatell criminals—the refource of their own'
industry. The ingenious, but frivolous articles,
manufaaured by there unfortunate perfons from
the bones which are left of their rations, are ad-
mired. What advantage might they not derive
from their induftry, if they were allowed to em-
ploy it upon objets of trade ! Labour would be-
guile the hours of tedious captivity, and even the
nation, at whore expence they are fubfifted, would
be benefited by their exertions. I have the ho-
nour to be, &c. (Signed) a OTTO."
(TRANSLATION.)
Till COMMISSARY 07 MB FRENCH RIPUBLIC
INGLAND, TO TH N COMMISSIONERS OF T HE TIL•NS-
PORT OFFICE.

" Landon. 7 Brumaire, 9th year of the French
Republic, °Eicher 29, Mao.
"Gentlemen—l-have had the honour of making
various reprefentations to you relative to the infuff-
ciency of the ration allowed by the Nita Govern-
ment to the French prifoners, whom the fortune
of war has thrown into poor hands. The fatal et*.
fees of this diminution of food arc already but too
tenably felt ; I have now before me a lift of thofe
who have died, and I perceive that the number is
almoft four times' realer than that of laR year at
the fame period ; fof, during the courfc of one
month only, the number of deaths has amounted to
see badrd ad ten, while they did not exceed twen-
ty during the fame month of the preceding year.
But this comparifon, however aftheing it may ap-
pear,
is only the firft outline of the picture I (hall
be obliged to lay before you in a few months, un-
lefs the moil effeCtual means are Ipeedily adopted,
in order to prevent the eonfequences which muff
otherwife refult lions the wretched fituation of the
prifoners. Indeed, it is impolhble to look at the
Rate of the different depAts, without being con-
vinced of the fate which inevitably *waits them.
ti My letters from Liverpool Date, that the
number of deaths, during the prefent month, has
• greatly exceeded that of former periods, even
' when the depot contained double the number of
' prifoners. This foiden mortality, which cons-
' menccd at the clrle of laft month, is the conk-
quence of the tirit approach of cold weather: all,
• without a !Ingle exception, have perithed from
it &Wily. The fame fate awaits many more of
theft unfortunate Wings, already haltAar vcd

•
' from want of proper food, and obliged to fieep
• upon a damp pavement or a few handfuls of rot-
• ten ftraw. Hunger, or their own imprudence, has,
• deprived 'them of their clothes ; and now, the
• effea of the cold weather obliges them to part
• with a (bare of their fcanty fubfiftence to procure
• clothing. In one word, their only hope is a
c change in their fituation, or death."
" The accounts from Portchefter are not lefs
alarming. The prifoners are reduced to a Rate of
' dreadful meagrenefs. A great number of them
4 have the appearance of walking fkeletons. One
• has been found dead in his hammock; another fell
c out of his from mere debility, and was killed by
• the fall. The greater part of thofe fent to the
• hofpital die in a fhort time ; others as loon as
c they are received there. In fhort, there is every
appearance that the fevere feafon on which we
• arc now entering will deftroy more than one half
• of thefe unfortunate men.'
" It would be ufelefs to [fate the mifery endured
• by the prifoners here, (writes my Correfpondent
• at Norman Crofs) ; many of them haffen, by
' their own imprudence or milconduCi, the fate
• which awaits them all, if things remain in the
c Rate they now are. Hunger compels them to fell
• every thing they poirefi, and info doing they only
4 add to their own wtetchednefs. Many are literally
• naked.—Amongft thofe, who by their fortitude
• and good conduit have avoided thefe exceffes,
6 are to be perceived the melancholy and flow, but
c certain effefts of a ruined conftitution ; and if an
c immediate remedy is not applied, a cruel death
• muff loon terminate their fufferings.
" There details, Gentlemen, are accompanied
by bitter refleitions which I forbear to repeat. I
!hall alfo pats over in ffience the accounts received
from other depots, which would only be an Alia-
ing repetition of what you have j.ult. read. The ration
dined to the prifoners proved infufficient even du-
ring the fine weather. On this point I appeal to ,
per Tons who have then the prifons : and experience
is a fufficient proof of it. Urged by the molt preffing
wants, the prifoners have employed their fmall re-
fources in making up the deficiency of the ration.
Thole who are without pecuniary means fold even
their clothing. They are now naked and enfeebled
by privations of every kind. The keen air of win-
ter will lharpen the cravings of hunger, and they
muff loon experience the feverity of cold weather
without poffeffing the means of defending them-
felves againft it.—(n k cot:filmed)