House Of Commons.

which they were treated . It was not , however , for M . la Fayette and his friends alone that his motion pleaded . — .-There was a lady connected with him , whose unalterable virtues could only be equalled by her sufferings , which amounted to all that the cruelty of a Claudius or Nero could inflict , and which she bore with the fortitude of a Roman matron . Having escaped with much danger from France , she . had , by extraordinary good fortune , obtained an audience of the Emperor , who gave her permission to see her husband . ' But with respect to his delivery , ' said he , ' my hands are bound . ' Of the Emperor's making this answer , he had the best

evidence the case would admit of , the hand-writing of Madame de la Fayette . When admitted to his presence , what must have been her feelings to find him in ii foul dungeon , and to hear that his first change of raiment was given him with the insult of saying , that since his rags would not cover him , the coarsest possible garb had been procured to supply their place ! For herself no female attendant was allowed , and when she desired to visit Vienna for medical relief , she was told that on no account must she repair thither ; but elsewhere she might go as she pleased . What a refinement of cruelty ! what a diabolical condition ! After

sacrificing her health for the sake of her husband ' s society , she was told that the recovery of it could only be obtained by sacrificing that society . Her daughters were guarded in a separate cell , and allowed to visit their parents only as long as the day-light lasted , while the lady herself was dented , by those who pretend to be at ivar for religion , all those rites so positively prescribed by the Romish Church ! . ' The deiicacy of the means by which my information was procured , ' added the Hon . General , ' prevents me from disclosing the whole extent of the misery which I knowto exist . '

After calling upon the House to vindicate the British character from the charge or suspicion of being concerned in such enormities , by interposing at this most seasonable moment , he concluded by moving * That an humble address be presented to his Majesty , representing , that the detention of M . dela Fayette and his fellow sufferers , in the prisons of the Emperor , is injurious to the character of the Allies , and to the interests of humanity ; and intreating his Majesty to take such measures

for procuring their release as to his royal wisdom may seem fit . ' Mr . Sheridan seconded the motion . Mr . Pitt said , that the question was wholly out of the cognizance of the House ; and that he could solemnly , publicly , and implicitly declare , that the Emperor ' s hands were not bound by his Britannic Majesty or his council—no wish had been expressed by the British Court—no opinion given ; nor had any communication on the subject taken place . On what grounds then -were ' we to interfere ? Suppose some power were to come forward , not reconciled to the horrors of the " slave

trade—and by habit alone could it be reconciled to our nature—could we bear a "~ foreign interference in a business , carried on , in his opinion , in direct violation of every principle of humanity ? But though we had no right to interfere , be should lake care to have such representation made to the Court of Vienna , as should convince the world that Kehavt no share p the transaction . Mr . Fox was sorry that an appeal made to the best feelings of human nature , should be answered only by sophistry and chicane , A sutfkient precedent was furnishedin his opinionby the interference of France in the case of Captain Asgill .

, , As to the Minister ' s argument drawn from the slave trade , it was truly an aigumentum ad hominem . ' 'How can I , ' the Minister may be supposed to say , ' expect to prevail on the Emperor to restore the freedom ' of an individual , when I cannot even prevail on my next neighbour , Mr . Dundas , to desist from his support of abusiness like the slave trade , so full of the blackest horrors ? He concluded , by saying , that the adoption of the motionseemed to him the only way of rescuing the House and Nation from obloquy . Mr . Wilberforce movedas an amendment'That his Majesty should use

his-, , good offices towards effecting the liberation of the Marquis de la Fayette , and the other prisoners . ' The Masterofthe Rolls was for the original motion , but against the amendment ; Lord Hawkesbury for the amendment , but adverse to the original motion , Mr . Sheridan preferred the original motion , and expressed his regret that Mr . Windham had not been allowed to speak , as there was a manly indiscretion about