Proclamations, Manifeftos, Correspondence, &c. Correfpondence with the French Government relative to Prisoners of A War. Tà former period of the present war it became neceffary, in order to vindicate the character of this country for good faith and humanity, to render public the proceedings and correfpondence of the governments of Great Britain and France with refpect to prifoners of war. The whole was fubmitted to a committee of the House of Commons, and became the fubject of a Report, followed by certain refolutions unanimously adopted by the House. The following correfpondence may be confidered as a fupplement to the documents which were printed with that Report, and the motives for rendering it public are the fame as on the former Dccafion. Downing Street, 6th January 1801. Sir, No. I. Admiralty Office, 12th Dec. 1799. THE Commiffioners for conducting his Majefty's Transport Service and exchanging Prisoners of War, having, in their letter of this date, tranfmitted to us one they had received from Captain Cotes at Paris, ftating that the French government would take charge of the English prisoners in France from the 1ft of the next decade (the 11th inftant), and that the English government was to provide for the French prifoners in England: we fend you herewith copies of the faid letters, for his Majefty's information and commands, and are, &c. Sir, Tranfport Office, 12th Dec. 1799. WE enclofe, for the information and direction of the Right Honourable the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, copy of a VOL. XI. B letter letter which we have juft received from Captain Cotes at Paris, dated the 7th instant. We are, &c. To Evan Nepean, Efq. &c. &c. &c. Gentlemen, (Signed) No. 3. RUP. GEORGE. W. H. OTWAY. Paris, 7th Dec. 1799. ENCLOSED you have a duplicate of my laft; and by the prefent occafion I have to acknowledge the receipt of yours (No. 81 and 82) of the 22d and 29th ultimo, with their feveral enclosures. I fhall have the honour of replying to them particularly to-morrow; for the prefent, time obliges me to confine myself to one object; that of communicating to you a circumftance of much importance, which has juft taken place. The Minifter of the Exterior having, by note, expreffed his wish to fee me, I waited upon him, and learned that, in confequence of orders from the Confuls, he had to inform me, that the French government would take charge of the English prisoners in France from the Ift of the next decade (the 11th inftant), and that the English were to provide for the French prisoners in England. I endeavoured to expofe to him the impoffibility of fuch an event taking place; firft, from the nature of the contracts lately entered into for the maintenance of the prifoners; and next, from the fhortnefs of time, which would not admit. of my receiving any directions from you, from whose authority alone I was empowered to act. He replied, that fuch were the orders of the Confuls, and that I must enter into details with M. Bonjour, the chief of the fixth divifion for the prifoners of war. Under thefe circumftances I have, Gentlemen, thought proper to write to the minifter to-day, informing him that I could not look upon the communication I had the honour to receive from him yesterday as official, and that a written authority could alone conftitute it fo; that I must neceffarily fubmit to the orders that were to be given, but that I would by no means confent to receive them without the approbation of my government; and further, that, as your agent, I would never fubmit to receive any orders that did not emanate from it. Thus the bufinefs ftands at prefent, and you will, no doubt, Gentlemen, fee the neceffity of adopting fpeedy measures, and furnishing me with your directions for my future conduct in this affair without delay. I have the honour to be, &c. To the Commiffioners for the Transport Service. JAMES COTES. No. My Lords, No. 4. Downing Street, 15th December 1799. IN the abfence of Mr. Secretary Dundas I loft no time in laying before the King your Lordships' letter to him of the 12th inftant, enclosing the communication made to Captain Cotes at Paris, refpecting the future maintenance of the English and French prifoners of war now detained in the refpective coun tries. It is the lefs neceffary, on this occafion, to recall the circumftances which gave rife to the arrangement under which the two governments agreed to provide for the wants of their respective fubjects during their detention, as they have been submitted to Parliament and published to the world, in refutation of the false and unwarrantable affertions brought forward by the French government on this fubject; but his Majefty cannot witness the termination of an arrangement, founded on the fairest principles of justice and protection, due by the powers at war to their respective prisoners, and proved by experience to be the best calculated to provide for their comfort, without protesting against this departure (on the part of the French government) from an agreement entered into between the two countries, and which tended fo materially to mitigate the calamities of war. To prevent the effect of this alteration as much as poffible with respect to the British prifoners now in France, it is his Majefty's pleasure that Captain Cotes fhould be inftructed to afcertain exactly the rate of daily allowance made to each man by the French government; and that he fhould take care to fupply, at the expenfe of this country, any difference that may exift between fuch allowance and what was iffued by him under the late arrangement. With refpect to all the French prifoners not on parole in this country, it is his Majefty's command that, from the date of the French agent ceafing to fupply them, the Commiffioners of Tranfports and for taking care of Prifoners of War, fhould furnish them indifcriminately with the fame rations of provifions as were granted before the late arrangement took place. As no mention is made of clothing or other neceffaries, in Captain Cotes's letter, I think it right to add, that the Commiffioners of Tranfports and for taking care of Prisoners of War are on no account to furnish any to the French prisoners, as this charge has at all times been supported by the French govern ment. It will be proper that this letter fhould be communicated to Monfieur Niou the French agent in London, and to the agents at the feveral depôts of prifoners, in order that the real grounds of the change which is about to take place, may not be mistaken London, 15th December 1799, correfponding to the 24th Frimaire, 8th Year of the Republic. Niou, Commiffary of the French Government in England, to Mr. Dundas, Secretary of State, and one of the principal Ministers of his Britannic Majefty. Sir, HAVING received directions from the Confuls of the republic, to inform you of a measure they have adopted upon an important deliberation, the principles and bearings of which are perfectly well known to you, I have felt it my duty to address myfelf directly to you, in order to guard against delay. The Confuls of the republic having been engaged in an inveftigation of its interefts both at home and abroad, have turned their attention to the mode at prefent obferved by France and England, with refpect to the fubfiftence and treatment of prifoners of war in the hands of these two belligerent powers. They have caufed all the papers relative to the adoption of this fyftem to be carefully examined; and a report having been made to them on this fubject, they perceive, Ift. That in your letter to the Lords of the Admiralty of the 6th of October 1797, after having claimed the admiffion of Captain Cotes into France, and the exchange, or at least the liberation on parole, of Sir Sidney Smith, you propofed, in order to put an end to the recriminations relative to the treatment of prifoners, continually renewed on both fides, that the prisoners Should be furnished in the country where they were detained, with clothing, fubfifience, and medicines at the expenfe of the government to which they belonged. 2dly. That the faid arrangement took place in confequence of the communications refpecting this propofal made to M. Charretić, the French commiffary, by the Commiffioners of the Transport Office, on the 12th October and 13th November following, in purfuance of the orders of the Lords of the Admiralty. I fhall not revert here, Sir, to the circumstances which preceded this arrangement; but it is my duty to declare to you, that the Confuls of the republic having remarked that it was not founded upon any authentic ftipulation, that the cartel of exchange figned nearly ten months afterwards, took not the leaft notice of it, and that it was an obvious contradiction of all the ufages |