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return of peace. This prepofterous and unprecedented propofal was of courfe decidedly refused, as a balance of more than five thousand men was due to Great Britain upon the exchanges which had already taken place. Mr. Charretié promifed that the French government fhould keep the balance down as much as poffible, but ftill adhered to the propofition of a general and immediate releafe (as before ftated) without regard to numbers.

On the 18th of April 1796, Captain Sir Sidney Smith was taken prifoner, while endeavouring to cut a veffel out of the mouth of the Seine, before Havre. The neceffary meafures appear to have been taken for effectuating his exchange for an officer of equal rank; and at the fame time the French agent was informed, that if Sir Sidney Smith and his officers were released, any French prifoners of the fame rank, who might be pointed out by the French government, would be exchanged for them; Captain Bergeret, of the Virginie frigate, was likewife allowed to go to France for that purpose; but he found, that though at firft Sir Sidney Smith was regarded by the French government as a prifoner of war taken in arms, yet that it was afterwards thought proper to confider him in another light.

This event feems to have given a new turn to the negotiation on the subject of cartel; one fide claiming his release on the principle of the law of nations, the other withing to detain him upon a diftinction which they have never thought fit fairly to define. He was conveyed to Paris, and kept in clofe confinement, nobody being allowed access to him; even the Swedish minifter met with a refufal, when he applied for leave to vifit him. All remonstrance on our part was difregarded, and all application for his releafe on parole ineffectual; and the care of him was transferred fometimes to the minister of justice, and sometimes to the minister of marine, it seeming never to be perfectly determined in what light he should be confidered.

In the mean time Mr. Charretié perfifted in the plan of a full exchange, and endeavoured to throw the blame of delay on the British government, for adhering fo ftrictly to a principle of exchange which was to include Sir Sidney Smith. He delivered a projet, which was in great part approved; and in order to facilitate the measure of a cartel, and to remove all difficulties, Mr. Swinburne was fent to France in the fame character and capacity as Mr. Charretié had been, but his miffion does not feem to have had the defired effect.

Five months having elapfed fince Sir Sidney Smith's captivity, and there being no appearance of the French relaxing in their feverity, they were informed (through Mr. Charretié) in September, that unless he fhould be permitted to enjoy the privileges ufually granted to prifoners of his rank, all the French parole prifoners in England thould be ordered into ftrict confinement. Various 3 X 2

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attempts were made by the British government to bring about an exchange of prifoners, and the moft liberal offers were made for that purpose, but without effect.

In February 1797, Mr. Swinburne figned a preliminary convention, in which Sir Sidney Smith was not actually mentioned. He agreed to the propofals of the French government in every respect, except that which declared, that all the prifoners in poffeffion of the power having the greateft number fhould be immediately releafed, and also that which related to the perfons banished from the colonies; both which fubjects being left by him ad referendum, were confidered inadmiffible by the British government, and the convention was never confidered in this country as ratified.

In order, however, to meet as much as poffible the views of the French government, as expreffed in those two articles, Mr. Swinburne was directed to propofe a ftipulation, that the power poffeffing the greateft number of prifoners thould release one thoufand over and above the balance of exchange; and that if this fhould be confented to, and if Sir Sidney Smith fhould be included in a plan for general exchange, that a treaty fhould be immediately entered into.

In the beginning of April Mr. Swinburne was ordered to Fontainbleau, by a decree of the Executive Directory, which stated, "That the preliminary convention left nothing to be done but the measures required for the execution of it; and that this circumftance rendered the prefence of the Commillary unnecessary at Paris."

The refolution of the British government was not made known to the Executive Directory till 15th Auguft, and on the 28th they decreed," That Sir Sidney Smith fhould be confidered as a prifoner of war, and as fuch fufceptible of exchange, and might be exchanged against a French officer of equal rank; but that the exchange was not to take place till the British government should not only ratify the article in the preliminary convention, which had been before objected to, but fhould, in confequence, fend back to France at leaft four thousand French prifoners above the number that might be exchanged by the return to this country of all the British prifoners then in France; and that this advance of four thousand men fhould not be accounted for till a peace should take place."

This propofal was eagerly embraced by Mr. Swinburne, but of course rejected by this country; before, however, the refusal was known, the Directory took a ftep which left no doubt of their intentions; for they paffed another decree, allowing indeed Sir Sidney Smith to write to the British agent, but declaring he should not be at parole till the ftipulations of the preceding decree were ratified, and that he fhould not be fent to England till all the four thousand men had returned to France.

In answer to the ftipulations contained in the two abovementioned decrees, it was again propofed to the French government to establish a general cartel on the liberal terms which had been before offered, and they were distinctly informed that his Majesty would on no account agree to exceed the number therein offered of one thoufand in advance upon the general balance of exchange; in cafe of a refufal, a pofitive demand of parole was made for Sir Sidney Smith: they were at the fame time affured, that unlefs a favourable anfwer was received before the 25th of November, the threat which had fo long been hung out would be put into execution, and on that day all the French officers on parole in England would be put into clofe confinement. This accordingly took place; and the French government having fhowed no difpofition to relax in their treatment of Sir Sidney Smith, it remains fo at prefent. A fhort time previous to this, the recall of Mr. Swinburne had been announced, and Captain Cotes had been appointed in his room. In one of his firft interviews with the commiffioners of exchange, it is curious to obferve, that they infifted upon the balance against France (of feven thoufand and nineteen men, to January ift, 1797) being done away by the convention of Mr. Swinburne, though that convention had never been ratified by the British government.

Notwithstanding the repeated refufals of the British government to accede to the extravagant demands of France, yet it appears that another attempt was to be made. A propofition for a general and immediate exchange was made by the French government to Captain Cotes; and Mr. Gallois, who came over to England as fucceffor to Mr. Charretié, repeated the application on the fame terms as had been repeatedly rejected. As he did not appear to be authorized by the Directory to treat on any other terms, and as he had nothing to do with the care of the prifoners (another agent having been appointed for that special purpose), his prefence in this country was deemed unneceffary by the British government, and till he fhould receive an answer from France, he was ordered to refide at the distance of ten miles from London. He immediately applied for a paffport, and returned to France.

Such is the prefent ftate of the negotiation with France on the fubject of a cartel. Your Committee must observe, that after the figning the preliminary convention of 17th February 1797, the French began to fit out cartel fhips for carrying prifoners to and from this country; and in the fummer of 1797, many British prifoners returned from France, in exchange for whom Mr. Charretié was indulged with permiffion to embark fuch French prifoners as he thought proper to felect; but he having abused this permiffion, it was neceffarily difcontinued about the month of Auguft, and the French have fince claimed it as a matter of right. The refult of the feveral exchanges which have taken place fince

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ift January 1797, either on British or French cartel fhips, is, that a further balance of two thousand nine hundred and ninetyfive men is due to this country fince that period; fo that the total balance in favour of Great Britain, fince the commencement of the war, is no less than ten thousand and fourteen men, including a very great proportion of officers.

Having gone through the different heads of their inquiry, your Committee have come to the following refolutions:

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the charge of cruelty towards French prifoners of war, which has been brought against this country, is utterly void of foundation, and appears to have been fabricated and induftrioufly fupported by the enemy, for the double purpose of justifying their own ill treatment of British prisoners, and of irritating the minds of their countrymen against this nation.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the British prifoners of war confined in France have been treated with a degree of rigour and inhumanity unwarranted by the ufages of war among civilized nations.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the British government has always manifefted a defire of entering upon a cartel of exchange on the most fair and liberal terms; that it has even offered to accede to any which could be adopted, confiftently with what is due to individuals and to the nation; and that the obftacles to a negotiation have arifen from the extravagant and unprecedented demands of France; and from the refufal, on our part, to abandon the customary and acknowledged principle of the law of nations, which has been grofsly violated in the perfon of Sir Sidney Smith.

Extract from the official Orders of Colonel Tate, delivered to him by General Hoche, preparatory to his landing in Wales.

THERE will be placed under the command of Colonel Tate a

body of troops, completely organized, to the number of one thoufard and fifty, all refolute, determined men, with whom he may undertake any thing: they are to be called La feconde Legion des Francs.

The deftruction of Bristol is of the very laft importance, and every pollible effort fhould be made to accomplish it. For this purpose it will be proper to reconnoitre the mouth of the Severn in the day-time, and to fail up the Avon at night-fall, within five miles of the town, where the landing fhould be made, on the right bank, in the greateft filence; and the troops being fupplied with combuftible matter, Colonel Tate is to advance rapidly, in the dark,

dark, on that fide of Bristol which may be to windward, and immediately to fet fire to that quarter. If the enterprife be conducted with dexterity, it cannot fail to produce the total ruin of the town, the port, the docks, and the veffels, and to ftrike terror and amazement into the very heart of the capital of England.

The expedition under the command of Colonel Tate has in view . three principal objects: the firft is, if poffible, to raise an infurrection in the country; the fecond is, to intercept and embarrass the commerce of the enemy; and the third is, to prepare and facilitate the way for a defcent, by distracting the attention of the English government.

In all countries, the poor are the clafs moft prone to infurrection; and this difpofition is to be forwarded by diftributing money and drink, by inveighing against the government as the caufe of the public diftrefs, by recommending and facilitating a rifing to plunder the public ftores and magazines, and the property of the rich, whofe affluence is the natural fubject of envy to the poor.

It is, notwithstanding, to be obferved, that, however defective may be the morality of the English people, they have still a respect for the laws and their magiftrates, even in the moment of infurrection; it will be therefore advifable to fpare, as much as pof. fible, the property of those who may be in any civil function, and even of the country gentlemen; and all impofitions fhould be laid on the peers, the men of rank and high fortune, the clergy, thofe who ferve as officers in the army and navy, and efpecially in the militia; of all fuch, the country feats, farms, woods, cattle, and corn, fhould be given up to be plundered by the people. These predatory excurfions fhould be made in different, and even diftant quarters, by detachments of two or three hundred men each.

The commerce of the enemy in the country is to be interrupted by breaking down bridges, cutting dykes, and ruining causeways, which is, at the fame time, effentially neceffary for the prefervation of the army; by plundering all convoys of fubfiftence, the public ftages and waggons, and even private carriages; the cutting off the fupplies of provifions from the principal towns, burning all veffels and boats on the rivers and canals, deftroying magazines, fetting fire to docks and coal-yards, rope-walks, great manufactories, &c. &c. It is to be obferved likewife, that by these means a crowd of artifans will be thrown out of employment, and, of courfe, ready to embark in any measure which holds out to them fubfiftence and plunder, without labour or fatigue.

The fuccefs of the expedition will likewife be materially forwarded by difarming the militia, by burning the arsenals in the fea-ports, by stopping the couriers of Government, by feducing the enemy's troops to defert, and by the terror which the fuccefs of

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