§ Mr. Brandrose to call the attention of the House to the negociation which was carried on during the course of the last summer, relative to the Exchange of Prisoners between this country and France. This negotiation was unsuccessful; but the cause was never explained by ministers to the country. As far as he had been able to inform himself, however, the proposals of this country were just, fair, and honourable. The French had circulated statements, accusing the British Government of insincerity; and when the character of the country was at stake, however much he might differ on some points with the ministry no man could be more anxious than himself to justify the conduct of the country compared with that of external powers. In his opinion the proposals of France were as unfair as the proposals of this country were the reverse. He was willing to allow that the British should be exchanged against the French, and that the supernumerary French should be exchanged for the Portuguese and Spaniards as far as they would go, but he could not see the fairness of three Frenchmen being exchanged for one Englishman and two of our allies. He alluded to the calumnies circulated against us by the French; but the injustice of the French proposal was virtually admitted by the French themselves, in the letter of the 22d of July, when it is only justified on the principle that they had no security that even the French and English should first be exchanged against one another, that we could continue to fulfil an engagement by giving up the remaining French for our allies. Finding this ground slip under him, the French negociator complained of the ill treatment of the prisoners here. He had inquired into this subject, and of all the prisons, Dartmoor was the most favourable for the French statement. In that prison the number of prisoners was 5,635, the number in the hospital was 82, and the deaths in 4 months amounted in all to 24. Supposing the age of the prisoners between 30 and 40, there was here even a smaller mortality, than according to the Stockholm table in Dr. Price's work. This ought more fully to be inquired into. This system of misrepresentation had been uniformly practised by the French; they had done the same thing in 1795; but by an investigation of a Committee of the House of Commons no doubt was left of the falsity of their accusation. He ob- 624 jected to the principle of exchanging gentlemen confined in France, not possessed of military rank, against French prisoners of rank—this was unjust while one of the brave defenders of our country, even the meanest cabin boy, should remain in France. He thought if it were wished to conciliate France, Mr. Mackenzie was not perhaps, the proper person to send, as his former dexterity against the French Government might have rendered him obnoxious to the autocrat of France. He concluded with moving. That an Address be presented to the Prince Regent, for Copies or Extracts of the Correspondence which passed in 1810, between the French and English governments relative to the Exchange of Prisoners of War.
§ Mr. Yorkeseconded the Address. He was glad of that opportunity of allowing the English government to justify itself; but he would not until the papers were before the House, enter upon the subject, He thought when the fate of the unhappy men, who had been so long detained from their families, was considered, and that we had so great a superiority of prisoners over the enemy, however unjust the principle might be, it would be advisable to procure their exchange; but this could not be done till all our military were previously exchanged. The objection against Mr. Mackenzie had never been started by the enemy, who, on the contrary received him well. The French account of the negociation was in many respects garbled. The number of French prisoners in this country exceeded 50,000; the number of British prisoners in France exceeded 10,000; the Portuguese amounted to about 12,000, and the Spaniards were nearly equal to the French in England.
§ The Motion was then put and agreed to.