The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-11 00:00:00

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PR ISb NERS _OF
TO THE EDITOR OF THE RTATESMAN.
•
Sts,—The different matters introduced into your
very excellent Paper,. are treated in such a perspicu-
ous manner, that I have wished long ago, that such
an independent and good writer as you would give
his opinion upon a subject, which has yet, I think,
never been presented in its true light, and still lies
in the dark, though a very interesting one to the
public at large, and to many families in particular.
The subject I allude te, is the Exchange of Prisoners
of War, which particularly calls upon our humanity.
What the bulk of es know about it is, that a
negociation has taken place at Morlaix, and abet
the result was (as it has been said) that if there was
no exchange, it mas intirely to be attributed to the
French Government.—lf, in impartially investigat-
ing this subject it should appear, that an exchange
of Prisoners is incompatible with the honour and
welfare of the British nation, it would give. our un-
fortunate countrymen in France the great consola-
tion, that, if they suffer, it is for their country ;
and, in this case, there 1s not one amoug them nho
would not be proud of his sufferings. But if, on
the contrary, the exchange is practicable, and not
disadvantageous,.: then the long injustice com-
mitted against our brave soldiers would- appear
palpable, our eyes would •he opened, and
there would be liberal-minded persons,' who, in
Parliament, would plead in favour of our unfortu-
nate exiles, some of whom have been nearly nine
years far from their home, their families, and busi.
oess. We hare seen by the documents in our news-
papers, published at Mr. Whlenzie's return, that
our .Gavernment had consented-o-lst, To exchange
according to their ranks, the English travellers de-
tained in France since 1803-2dly, To send without
exchange 3000 French prisoners for the Hanowerians
who capitulated in 1802, and entered afterwards in-
to the British 'aervice-3dly, To send without &v-
-flange, 1;905 Frenchmen, composing the garrison
of Cape Francois, who capitulated to us in 1803
(and.who have been sent to France a feW months
ago)---ithly, To exchange.the Spaniards and Por-
SugueSe against French primers in this country.,
These terms were mutually agreed upon by both Go-
ternmeuts ; end when they had settled the. deilcaie
points which had been in contest for so many years,
tt could hardly have been expected that they should
not have understood each other upon the mode of
evacuation of the prisoners. The plen of evacuation
proposed by the, English Gorei mein, was to ex-
change the English first, by 'sending one thousand
Frenchmen at once, for an equal number of Eng-
lishmen, and so on till the exchange of Englishmen
was effected. AfterWatels, the french were to take
a thoutand Spaniardslo Cadli, and receive an ac-
knowledgment of • their reception; they were then
to come to England, and carry home a thousand
Frenchmen. The French Government obj. et,vl to
our plait from this motive; because, when al: the
Englishprisoners shopld have been returned to their
homes, they could base no security for the culla-
'lllation of the exchange, with respect to those French
prisoners who should then have remained in England,
and besidea,• in sending the Spaniards to Cadiz by a
thousand only at a time, the exchange of the French
prisoners now in England could not have been termi-
nated ih less than eight or nine years; a term, be-
fore the expiration of which, there is a great proba-
bility that our British army would have quitted Spain
and Portugal, in which case the Spaniards and Por-
tuguete would be the subjects of the Emperor of the
French. - The plan of the French was to exchange
the English proportionably with the Allies, and to
exchange. them hy three thousand at once; •one thou-
sand English and two thousand Spaniards* or Portu-
guese, by which means neither Government could
have any interest inbreaking off the exchange. • Let
us•seet now, then, what has broke the treaty. In
adopting our own proposals, one month at least
*mod- have been neemsary to bring hauls our
coutitryrntal while, in adopting the plan of the
French Government, three months only, at the most,
would have been necessary for the whole exchange
of 50,000 prisoners on each side. Hence, rhea,
the ottly disadvantage in this case on outside, would
have been, that those of our countrymen who had
temained longest in France, would only have re-
mained two months longer than those who had been
tachanged first.—Now, Sir,- were these terms so
bard and dishonourable, that it is preferable to let
our countrythen remain In an eternal captivity, ra-
ther than comply with theM? Are the enormous ez-
ttences.this country is at, in maintaining and keep-
ing 50,000 French prisoners, a matter of no mo.
skin An *spent* amounting to considerably more
than one million sterling &year; and, would it not
be a material advantage, under-our present circum-
stances, to have an army of 50,000 English and
Spaniards to dispose of in the most essential manner ?
I know, Sir, if you would undertake this subject,
it would undergo a proper investigation, and every
Circumstance would be made clear as the day. For
' my part, I cannot possibly see any motive, ground-
ed on public good, for preventing the exchange from
taking place. If you are of my opinion, •I hope,
Sir, that it will not be said hereafter, that twenty
thousand Englishmen, who have shed their blood
• for their country, have perished in captivity, without
the STATE;MAY having said a word upon the subject.
I have the honour to be,
Sir, your most obedient Servant,
CAN IRDUS.

A darin; attempt at robbery was made at the house of Lord
Callan, No. 21), Fitzroy-square, on Wednesday evening. His
'Lordsisip is at tlisbnry, and a female servant had the sole care
•os' his house. About aloe o'clock en Wednesday evening, the
servant was annoyed by the squalling of a eat in the area, and
she Apeuvd the kitchen door, with a poker is her hand, to drive
'the eat-away, when a fellow rushed upon her, rather tall and
thin, and dressed in a loose brown coat—The sers7ut struck the
fellow wits the poker, th all her strength, and he in return
'knocked' her down. She remained same tinie lea wuselewstate,
hut alaresial the neighbourhood as soon as she recovered. The
Wow was searched, but the robber had fled. The servant had
observed the same fellow liirkiag about the house in the after-
noon, awl he had knocked at Lord C.'s door, and asked souse
strange sort of questions. '
muswEes.....Wedoeglay William Carter, alias William Smith,
alias Will the Tinker (wasch trode be has follovtedand travelled
in for amonber et years, In Norfolk. and StifolkS, has amt.
ttenda Neon, on a charge of two morshs'iceaswattfill at
Gr held (a village between charge
and Harlestnn), its 179'3,
.aided by two others, who arc also in custody. The Murders a ere
committed on an old man and his daughter. It is sai4Aliry were
urged to the fatal act by the son of the old man. on account of
his father refusing to give him some motley. The murderers
Were takeri op on the declaration of a female when she au
dangerously ill. It was communicated to the Rev. Mr. Older-
'llia% upon whose warrant they Lase becnsecured,

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