Star.
London, England, 1817-03-19 00:00:00

Rent, the refutation could have been published along,
with the statements. These papers, however, having
met with publicity, it became doubly imperative that
some steps should be taken, either to disprove the
truth altogether of the allegations of fact contained
in these statements, or if there was any truth in them,
to.correct the treatment complained of. With re-
spect•to the allegations themselves, it was stated, that
additional restrictions had been imposed upon Bona-
pane, with regard to the space allowed him for ex-
ercise. St. Hsiena, he believed, enjoyed, generally
speaking, a very good climate, but it was neverthe-
less true, as be understood, that the upper part of it,
where Bonaparte was confined, was of that species
of climate, which from its dampness was calculated
to aggravate the evils of imprisonment. It Was also
stated, that the hours at which exercise could be
taken with the most comfort, and in a manner the
most conducive tohealth, were those during which
all ingress and egress were interdicted to Longwood.
This was a point which undoubtedly deserved inquiry,
in order that the evils of imprisonment might not be
needlessly aggravated. It was also alledged, that
Bonaparte was deprived of the means of subscribing
to journals, or of procuring the books he wanted, and
this he (Lord Holland) should have considered of
itself sufficient to warrant a Parliamentary inquiry.
He was utterly at a loss to imagine what reason could
exist for refusing to Bonparte the permission of ob.
taining such journals as he wanted, in order to af-
ford him information respecting recent events, nor
could he look upon such a restriction, if it existed,
in any other light than as a needless aggravation of
the calamities of the prisoner. Another topic of com-
plaint was, that Bonaparte was not all iwed to send
a sealed letter to the Prince Regent, being informed
that it must be sent open, that the contents might he
seen. This involved a question of no small impor-
tance, particularly at the present moment, when the
liberties of tile people were placed at the disposal of
his Majesty's Government. Was it to be endured, ,
that prisons placed in confinement should not hare
the means of forwarding their complaints to their
Sovereign, or that when possibly the subject matter
of that complaint might involve the conduct of the
individual in whose custody they were placed, that
individual should have the power of inspecting the
contents of the letter, and thus in consequence the
treatment of the prisoner might be rendered more
harsh and vexatious ? He knew of no law under
which such an authority was derived. It might be
said that the law never contemplated such an impri-
sonment as that to which Napoleon Bonaparte was
sentenced, but he could not conceive that any general
principle of law could be construed to prevent that
individual from communicating his complaints in a
sealed letter to the Prince Regent; nor could he con.
ceive the existence of any principle to prevent the il-
lustrious individual exercising the functions of sove-
reignty from using his own discretion as to whether
he would receive.a sealed letter or not. It might be
said that there was an etiquette to be observed upon
this point; but at any rate he thought it there was
such an etiquette, it ought to be confined to the Se-
cretary of State, and that a sealed letter to the Prince
Regent ought at any rate to be allowed to reach in
that state, the office of the Minister. He was ready
to admit that it was not fitting to allow an unre-
strained correspondence to an individual placed i.i
that state of imprisonment to which Bonaparte had
been sentenced, but it was going much too far to say,
that he should not be allowed, in a sealed letter, to
solicit the clemency of the Prince Regent, with a
view to the mitigation of his situation, particularly
when that illustrious individual was so humanely dis-
posed to mercy and clemency. He could not but
think also, that much injustice was done to Bona-
parte, in not allowing him the means of writing an
account of his former acts. Many prejudices had
been excited against him, many crimes had been im-
puted to him, some justly and others unjustly ; and
surely it was but bare justice to allow him to speak'
for himself, to do away, if he could, the impressions
against him; to appeal to posterity against the judg-
ment of the present age. Not to allow him to do so,
was indeed a loss to the world, by depriving it of i
much valuable and important information. He now
came to the financial part of the subject. It appeared
by the statement of Count Monthol in. to which he
had alluded, that the sum of £20,000 per annum,
the amount originally fixed for the maintenance of
Botlapaite was to be reduced to £B,OOO. In arguing
that this was unjust, it might be asked, why he, who
was fur reducing as low as possible all the establish-,
merits of the country, should be only hostile to the
reduction of the establishment of Bonaparte ? To
this he had to answer, that were Bonaparte confined
in any other place, he should think 48,000 per an-
num fully sufficient for his establishment ; but St.
Helena had been chosen as the place of his imprison-
ment, because it combined the greatest means of
safety, and it was attended with this disadvantage,
that the expense of obtaining the common corn-
forts and necessaries of life was enormously large._
It was in this view, that he objected to the reduction
of the annual sum hitherto appropriated to the main-
tenance of Bonaparte, because undoubtedly lie ought
not to be deprived of the means of procuring those
common comfotts and necessaries, and it was in fact
so doing to tell him that eight thousand pounds only
would be allowed, and he must find the other twelve
thousand where lie could. He wished most anxiously
that these statements might be found to be mere fa-
brications, but it was impossible to shut their eyes to
Ithese allegations of fact. It was not merely the pub-
lic opinion of the present day, perhaps prejudiced or
warped, to which they were to look, but to the judg-
ment of posterity, unbiassed by any of those motives
which now operated to obscure the judgment. The
judgment of posterity, it was well known, was in
many instances decidedly at variance with the opi-
nions of those amongst whom the circumstances to
which it related occurred. Take, for instance, the
case of Wary, Queen of Scots: nobody now doubted
of her guilt, but every one must regret that the glo-
rious reign of Queen Elizabeth should be deeply
stained by the harsh and ungenerous treatment of
her rival. The allegations of fact which he had
stated, were of that importance that undoubtedly de-
served the serious attentica of their Lordships (and he
could not but observe with regard to St. Helena,
that before Bonaparte quitted Elba, the sending him
to Sc. Helena was talked of at the Congress of
Vienne.) The statements were of too much impor-
tance, as involving the character of the Government.;
the Parliament, and the country. not to excite atten-
,

tion. He thought it especially incumbent upon the
House to take steps either to disprove these state-
ments, or to correct the evil, and as the Noble. Earl i
at the head of the Treasury was fond of precedents,
he would mention one in point. When the late Mr.
Pitt, either in 09.8 or 1799, found th it the most !
calumnious statements were circulated in France,
with regard to the treatment of toe French prisoners f
in this country, that Minister himself moved for a
Committee to inquire into the subject, before whom
he laid all the d cuments relating to it ; the result
was the complete and triumphant disproval of all
those calufrnious statements, by which they were
totally put down. ht this case, in like manner, he!
called upon their Lordships to disprove to the world'
the statements that had been put forth respecting the I
harsh and ungenerous treatment of Napoleon, and
should his motto() have the effect of producing in the
result of the inquiry facts which would utterly dis- I
pro,'e the allegations of :act that had been published, I
he should must sincerely rtjoice in it. All that he
was anxious for was that such an opportunity should
be distinctly afflrded, and that it should be clearly
proved that no stain whatever rested upon the coun-
try with regard t the treatment of this individual.
He did not mean to assert the trtrh of the statements
to which he had referred, of their truth he knew no-
thing, but the y had been put forth in a plausible
s''ape, and with the appearance of authentic evidence
to support them ; and he thought it was mainly in.
cumbent upon the House either to disprove their
truth, or if any part of them were trus, to take care
that the treatment of this individual should be cor-
rected, and rendered what in con,rurn fairness and
justice it ought to be. His Lordship concluded by
moving, for an Address to the Prince R.-gent, pray-
ing the communication of copies of Instructions issued
to the Governor or Governors of St. Helena, respect-
ing the personal treatment of Napoleon Bonaparte;
extracts of c.nnorinications from the Governor or
Governors of St. Helena, respecting the expense of
the mainteranc c of Napoleon Bonaparte, and his
attendants; extract: of ditto respecting the personal
treatment of Brnaparte; c. mmunications from ditto
respecting any application of Bonaparte to send a
letter to the Prince Regent, and communications
from ditto, respecting any application from Bona.
parte for Religious instruction for the Chodien of
Persons accompanying or attending upon him. The
last mentioned documents, his Lordship said he
moved for in consequence of a rumour, that there
Was no person on the island of the religions persua-
sion of these individuals to communicate religious in-
structions to the children of some of those who ac-
' companied Bonaparte, and which Religious instruc-
tion had been, it.was said, applied for.
Earl BATHURST said, he should give no other
answer to the rumours alluded to by the Noble Lori',
or to the publication of M. Santini, than to say that
they were not deserving of the least credit. He
should confine himself to the paper which was from
authority, and was addressed by M. Monthohon to
Sir Hudson Lowe. He would thew, in the first place,
what were the instructions given to Sir Hudson
Lowe; and next, that the treatment complained of
either grew out of the iostructions, or were absolute
falsehoods. The instructions were given, in the first
instance, to Si, George Cockburn, and a!terwards
from him to Sir Hudson Lowe. Having. been pub-
lished on the Continent, they had made their way
into the prints of this country. By them it would
appear, that General Bonaparte was to be considered
as a prisoner of war, and that all the restrictions
which were necessary to the safe custody of his per-
son should be put upon him. By that principle, every
part of the conduct of Sir Hudson Lowe was regu-
lated—since then no substantial alteration was made
in them, and any alteration that was made was for
the benefit of the person himself. The complaints
might be classed under two general heads : the re-
strictions which applied to his communication with
others, and those which applied to himself. It was
stated in the paper, that he found it impossible to
communicate with his wife, his relations, and friends
Ha should read from the instructions what referred
to this part of the subject. According to these, all
letters addressed by Bonaparte to others, were first
to be delivered to the Admiral or Governor, and by
them to be read; and no letters addressed to him
were to be delivered, unless forwarded, in the first
instance, to the Secretary of State. The General
had been given to understand, that the Governor
must forward any communication he might wish to
make to the British Government, without any exor-
cise of discretion upon his part, but that the letter
must be left open for his inspection, in order that he
might accompany it with such explanations as might
be necessary. Such was the rule universally adopted
in the case of all prisoners of war. If the General
meant to state, that he could not write to his friends,
the assertion was not true; but if lie only meant that
he could not write to them without leaving the letter
open for the inspection of the Governor or Admiral,
the instructions required that condition. Ile had
I said he could not hear from his relatives, because it
was impossible ; that was not the fact, for any letters
directed to the Secretary of State would be imme-
diately sent to him, and ere tram his brother Joseph,
the only one that was so addressed, was opened and
forwarded. Another complaibt was, that a letter
addressed by Lint to the ?since Regent was not per-
mitted to be sent. The tact was, that he had applied-1
to Sir George Cockburn to know whether he could
come that a letter to the Prince Regent should go
unopened Sir George Cockburn telerred him to
his instructions, and the application was never re-
newed. The object intended by the condition, that
all papers should be opened, was to protect the Go-
vernor against frivolous charges, and also to enable
his Majesty's Government to grant relief to the com-
plainant, isi case his charges were just, in the most,
expeditious manner possible. But if Sir George
COckburn had thought proper to forward t!'e letter
to his Royal Highness, sealed up,he (Lord Bathurst)
should havefelt it his duty to open it before he delivered
it. He would allow that it would be a base and un-
just act to withhold it altogether ; but in this free
country, where Ministers were responsible for the acts
of the Crown, the Gewernment could not be carried
on :without subjecting such communications to the
perusal of Ministers. Another complaint was, that
all books and publications which related modern
times were denied to him. The fact with regard to
this charge was, that shootly after the arrival of Ge-
.
send Bonaparte in St. Helena, ie sent a list of books
that he wished to have, which list was sent by Qv-

vernment to a French bookseller in this countt y, with
instructions that he should send to Paris for such et
them as he could not otherwise pricers. Al! that
could he obt lined were f rwarded to the Ce eeral,
with an explan •tion why the others were lilt rr(S•
cured. He ILO not made any afrlication for French
Jeurnal- ; and if the Noble Lori th eight he was
bound to supply him with all such patiVc ations, he
would tell him that he knew attemrs %etre- maJe 5o
keep up a correspondence with that ittlividu il:n the
newspepers. He denied thet there WAS eny pratileie
don of corteseonafence v..th his heektelier rr haelter.
All that was required was, AS :le had already stated,
that his cerrespandence should be open. lieerreuld
allow that this was a severe though necesery rsstriee
tien, in mehoeit.ing a cerrespondence with fr:ends;
but lie did not see how ;t could be ennsidered so in
those cases. It might be painful to inherit the warns
feelings of the heart to the cold nnsympathising eye
of a third person ; hut no one bad over he red of a
tender note to a hanker. He denied that hls Mere
were ever opened by subaltern officers. bir Hudson
Lowe had observed the utmost deiicacy in this
pest. It was disgusting to notice the utter disre-
gard to truth that appeared in the voluminons let-
ters from 3t. Helene. The prnlubiticn of inter.
course with the inhabitant; SAS also unteondecl.—•
Persons were ptrinitteil, on a peas frau the Gcs.
veneer, to vi:it him, even from tale chips ; lit never
except with his own consent. The only case of
any interruption to his iii,ercourse inhabia
tants, was when they were found going to him iii dis-
guise. Any one could have a pus up in applicaticn.
Neither was he refused intercourse with the Officer's
of the garrison ; he was informed so by one of ti,s
Officers, and had never attempted any intercourse
with them since. He came now to the restrictions
that were applied to his person. The instructions
required that he should be attended by an OCer
and one Orderly, when he went without she ei.clusere,
but while he remained wet. in it, that was not re-
quired. The enclosure was originally a circum-
ference of twelve miles,- but on being abused, it
was reduced to eight. He might reside in any
part of the island he pleased, it attended by a Cap-
tain in his Majesty's service. He had refused to
wale in his garden in the evening, because sentinels
vine placed these ; but Sir H. Lowe caused them to
be so stationed that they could not lock at him while
walkii,g, yet he still telosed. Would they have the
sentinels withdrawn altogether, merely because Bc,
neperte wished it-e-or would it amount to a defence
for Sir H. Lowe, at the bar of their House, it Bo-
naparte had eveaped, and he wes called upset to es•
! plans the reason ? What was the situ idols of S;r H.
Lowe ? He was placed in the performance of a duty
of the most responsible and invidious nature. Should
his prisoner escape, the character of the Governor
was at stake—and while he continued in custod7,
that character was every day assailed by the insoleace
of the prisoner, who complained of being subject to
what he called unnecessary rigour. Ttie circuit'-
. stance of Bonaparte's not having mad- an atntennt
to escape, was probably owing to the excellent adap.
tation of those precautions of which be complained
to the purposes for which they were intended.
(Hear.)—He (Earl B.) now came to the point of
residence on the island, which had le,ten allecled to
by the Noble Lord. On the arrival of General
Bonaparte, with Sir G. Cockburn, at St. Helena,
the latter was intrusted with the selection of the pae
fielder spot fur histeiidence. The Plentetion Huase
was specially excepted by the East India Cempan,.
On the day after their arrival, the General and tie
George Cockburn rode from the town to the i Iterior
of the island, for the purpose of making this selec-
tion. It was the wish of the Government, that,
while on the one hand the personal convenience of
Bonaparte was considered, so, on the ether, his se-
cure detention should not be overlooked. In the
course of this ride the General selected LongeeneJ
tor his residence, and wished to take up his Abode
there at the moment, but this was objected to, as the
Lieutenant-Governor sould not at the instant n mot e
his family. It was agreed, however, that ti a renteval
should take place with the lee.st possible delay. The
farm-house in the vicinity was then selected, and Bo-
naparte took up his abode there in a single room. A
tent bad been fitted up not far distant, as a retirin:
spot for him when he pleased. In this place he was
content to dwell until Longwood could be prepared
for his reception. He would do any thing sonnet
than return to the town ; arid as a proof of the can-
dour and fairness of the complaints that were tram-
mitted from St. Helena, he (Earl B.) had to butt.,
that within two days atter General Bonaparte reef
optionally and by his own &site, taken up bis let -
( &lice at the farm, one of his attendants csimpleintel
of the harshness of treatment obset ved by Sir GrQii:t
Cockburn, in placing him in such a situation, 11.•
though the situation was selected aed desired by !Le
individual himself.—(Hear, hear.)—When tie Lite-
tenant-Governor removed trom Longwood, valets
altetatiuns and improvements ware made in the
house, at the desire of Bonaparte or his attendargs,
and in fact every delay was started, and disinclination
sliewn to quit the room in the firm, to occupy at
house with superior accommodation, because the fa•
cilities of communication between the tome .ad
the ton nese more frequent and immediate. Mei
in the small farm, the General made no complair.t
restrictions, but when at Longwood, where Ix ccelf,
conimmd a tide of eight miles, he then compla,:t.
ot the mode in which his situation had been coicor,

- - _
•
scribed. Their Lordships knew that the framewrak
a house had been sent out to :it. Helena, for
pert r accommodation of the prisoner. When it r-
iircd at its destination, Sir H. Lowe intormed Gat•
ral lionaparte of the circumstance, and soliei:ed his
opinion as to the use which should be made of thir
frame.avoilt, either in the construction of a ho-::e
otherwise. It was worth their ohile to attend re
reception ttliich this com:nunicatien met with.
in the fist place, objected to the frame-work
plicabie tl:e object ter which it was sent out, e-: •
then itip:iied how long it orculd take t) build a col
house and apply the frame-work to the structure. 01
being inharned that soch a work oc.'`P:
s2acc of five or six years at :east, be OP' •
tdat is useless then—l shall not be I:ere hr :lel; 3
time, and it would be unnecessary to or,7?r:nk
oork, There will in all likeiihood be a char,;:e
'Administration of England in less that, toe yeuts;-:
a Revolution in France within the same p..i; 't•
either C.*:.:! 1 must obtain niy try 1 ~Ifr '..'•

*or or, cruld
_ _