The allowance paid by the British Government to the officers on parole was at first only 1_s._ a day. This was increased to 1_s._ 6_d._; but even that amount, although more than was paid by the French to the English prisoners on parole in France, was altogether inadequate, owing to the greater expense of living in England. The inferior officers and others received only 1_s._ 3_d._ The French scale varied from 7_s._ a day for a General to 10_d._ a day for officers of merchantmen. Frequent complaints being made of the insufficiency of the English allowance, M. Riviere, of the French Admiralty, who nine years before denied the right of our Government to inquire into the treatment of British prisoners in France, adding, “that it (the treatment) was the will of the Emperor,” wrote a long letter to the Transport Board on the subject, stating that the cost at which an English officer could live in France was 9_d._ a day, while for a similar provision in England, a French officer must pay 2_s._ a day. The Board called upon Lieut. Wallis, who had recently escaped from France, to check each item by the market prices of provisions in France and in England, and he arrived at the following comparison: An English Gentleman in France will require daily: A French Gentleman in England will require daily: _s._ _d._ _s._ _d._ 1 lb. Bread 0 2 ⅓ quartern 0 5 loaf of Bread 1 lb. Beef 0 4 ¾ lb. of 0 7½ beef, 10_d._ a lb. at least ¾ of beer (this measure is not known) 0 1 2 quarts of 0 6 beer Beer, very bad, is 3_d._ a bottle, 0 5¼ A pot of 0 5 wine 7½_d._; say they are taken porter alternately, a bottle a day Vegetables and fruit (vegetables are 0 0½ Vegetables, 0 2 very cheap) including apples Milk 0 0½ Milk 0 2 Expense of cooking 0 1 Cooking, at 0 2 least 2_d._ Wood (at Verdun very dear, 36 livres a 0 2 corde) 2_d._ per day probably