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PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

ranean and the Bay of Biscay, thirty men of war of the line, and might, if they pleased, by means of their registers, augment that number to forty, within the fame time. The men of war and frigates failed to America, he afferted on his own knowledge, had fcarcely any able feamen at all. The Le Blonde, Captain Pownall, on whom the fame noble Lord had beftowed fuch lavish encomiums, for compleatly manning his fhip in a few days, had in fact, when the failed from Chatham, only thirty able feamen out of 220. The Flora, another frigate of 32 guns, had only four able feamen when he left that port; and was obliged to borrow fifty men from the Ramilies guard fhip, to carry her out of the river Medway to Blackflakes. A very diligent officer at one of the rendezvous ftations, in twenty-eight days was able to procure five feamen only; and Lord Howe's own fhip, the Eagle, had on Saturday last (15th of March) no more than forty failors, out of 108 nominal failors, a great part of which 108 were lent from the yachts, and for occafional operations, though her full complement as a 64 gun thip, fhould be 520 men. He concluded a very long and able fpeech, with the most unqualified cenfures of the conduct of the noble Lord at the head of the Admiralty department; and contended, that after all his puffs in and out of Parliament, more bufinefs had been tranfacted by the late Lord Anfon, when he prefided at that board, in two months, than during the whole five years of the prefent firft commiffioner's administration.'

No fubftantial anfwer was attempt ed to be given to those facts, or the general or particular charges made in confequence of them; only the minifter reprehended Mr. Luttrell as diforderly for taking notice of what had paffed in debate in the other Houfe; to which the latter replied, that he thought himfelf fully juftifed in fo doing, having only copied the example of that pattern of good order, wifdom, and rectitude, the Earl of Sandwich, who had in the Houfe of Lords reviled him in the moft indecent terms, for what had fallen from him in debate, in the Houfe of Commons, and fallly imputed the part he

had taken in the prefent distracted
condition of naval affairs, to perfonal
fpleen, ignorance, and rancour. The
order of the day being read for the
fecond reading of the bill for the fup-
ply of mariners and feamen aboard
the King's fhips and merchants fhips,
the fame was read a fecond time and
committed for the next day.
March 22.

The above bill went through a committee of the whole Houfe, was reported, ordered to be ingroffed, and read a third time on the Wednesday following.

A motion was made that the subjects of France and Spain be excepted out of the bill, and a fhort debate enfuing, the queftion was put, and the committee divided, ayes 22, noes 53

as

The bill was intended for the more eafy and expeditious manning of the navy, and to procure feamen to navigate our merchant veffels. The plan of it was taken from one paffed during the late war, which we think was full of wisdom and found policy, as the prefent is replete with folly and temerity. The laws in being forbid our entertaining any man in our fleets or armies, who is a Papift, or known to be fuch; and the act of navigation fpecially ordains that two thirds of our feamen, aboard our merchant hips, fhall be natives, or British fubjects. In 1755 adminiftration wifely forefaw on the breaking out of the French war, accompanied with the profpect of a Spanish war, that either our fleets muft remain unmanned, or our merchantmen be stripped of their hands, to the great detriment of our trade and commerce: on which they paffed a law as it were fufpending the navigation act, to anfwer the exigencies of the times. It ordained that foreign feamen might be entertained aboard our fhips of war, and that our merchantmen might be navigated by foreign feamen, fo that no more than three fourths of the crew were foreigners. The prefent bill was a literal copy of that law, and was framed with the fame intention. But here, in our opinion, a very effential difference arifes. The French feamen were at that time entirely out of the cafe, as we were at actual war with that nation. The Spaniards, it is well known, feldom go into foreign

fervice

1776.

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

fervice, and at that time more parti-
cularly, as a rupture between England
and Spain was much talked of. Then
again, the Genoefe, who carry on
the greatest trade of any of the Italian
powers, and who generally form in
time of war one third of the feamen of
France, put them likewife in a great
meafure out of the cafe. Thus com-
paring the times, we are clearly of
opinion, if the bill will have any ope-
ration at all, it will be big with mif-
chief; it will give the French, Spani-
ards, and Genoefe a knowledge of
our coafts, harbours, docks and arfe-
nals; it will tend to the difcouragement
of our own naval ftrength, at least in
refpect of feamen, to ferve aboard our
veffels of war; but above all, if we
fhould be compelled to go to war with
the united power of the Houfe of
Bourbon, fuch of their subjects as are
in our fervice at the time will go home
or be recalled, under the penalty of
being declared traitors; the effect of
which will be an immediate want of
them aboard our own fhips and veffels,
and as immediate a fupply aboard
thofe of our natural and dangerous
enemies, with this additional circum-
ftance of their being rendered able
feamen and skilful navigators.

No answer was returned on the part of the ministry, but that none of the confequences urged on the other fide, happened when a fimilar bill was paffed in 1755, which was juft faying nothing, as the circumstances fo widely and effentially differed.

March 26.

The above bill was this day read a third time, and was paffed without a divifion, but not without the following among other cogent reafons being offered against the propriety and policy of it.

It was urged that the bill would deftroy the British nurferies for feamen, and give foreigners the means of laying a foundation to rival us in the fovereignty of the feas; that it was directly contrary to our treaties with the African powers, and to our paffes for the Mediterranean and Levant trade, which paffes, ftate and derive all their virtue from the confidence in our performance of thofe treaties, by grant, ing them purely on the condition, that two thirds of the crew fhall be natives, or naturalized fubjects of Great

515

Britain; that from the continued communication with the Barbary-rovers, which must be the confequence of the bill, and the admillion of Levant feamen, there would be much danger of the plague, which with a thousand other circumftances equally mortifying and humiliating, furnished a picture of diftrefs, bloodshed, internal weaknefs, and threatened bankruptcy that could not be looked at without grief and horror. And to compleat the whole, foreigners were to compose our armies, to man our fleets, to take charge of our most important fortreffes in Europe, to fight our battles in America. Our commerce was to be carried on by foreigners. In fhort, there was nothing it was faid wanting to render us the most defpicable nation in Europe, from within a very few years being the most powerful and refpectable on the globe, but the report of the great keys of the kingdom, Chatham, Portfmouth, and Plymouth being intrufted to the defence of the corps of mercenary foreigners (Scotch Dutch) in the fervice of the ftates of Holland, being authenticated.

March 27.

Mr. Burke moved" for leave to bring in a bill-to prevent the inhuman custom of plundering fhips wrecked on the coats of great Britain, and for the farther relief of fhips in distress on the faid coaft."-After fome oppofition, the motion was agreed to by a majority of 56 to 13.

April 1.

Lord North moved for leave to bring in a bill to authorize for a time to be limited, the punishment by hard labour of offenders, who for certain crimes are now liable to be transported to any of his Majetty's colonies and plantations." No material objection was ftated to the motion, and the bill was of courfe ordered in.

The fame day the ftate of the nation refpecting its revenues, the expences actually incurred in the profecution of the American war, the proba ble amount of the army extraordina ries, of the navy debt, navy bills, tranfport fervice, and the expence of victualling the troops and feamen ferving in that country, was opened very fully by Mr. D. Hartley. It would much exceed the intended limits affigned to this abftract, to pursue that gentleman 3 U z

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

516
gentleman through the various details
he opened and explained, in a fpeech
of full three hours long; bu at this
important crifis, and at this feafon of
the year when the estimates of the mi-
litary and naval eftablishments will
come of courfe before Parliament,
and when the mere fkeleton of the
expence of the enfuing campaign will,
both within and without doors, be re-
prefented and obtruded on the people
at large, as nearly corresponding with
thofe cftimates, we are of opinion
that we cannot render a more accepta-
ble fervice to our readers, than to lay
fuch parts of Mr. Hartley's ftate of
official requifitions and real expendi-
ture before them, as will enable them on
the prefentoccafion to at 'e aft give a to-
lerable guefs of the amount of the total
expence, and to diftinguith in future
what is really granted, from what Par-
liament actually ftand engaged for,
when they confent to place an unli-
mited confidence in adminiftration.

He first pointed out the neceflity of enquiring into the revenues and the expenditure, and by afcertaining their respective amounts, be enabled thereby to ftate the balance. When that was done with precision, the nation would know what they had to provide and the means they had of providing it. To know what the actual or probable expences of the prefent civil war, to be carried on again America, would in his opinion be extremely neceffary for many reafons, but for none fo much as it would prefent one very important object, towards deciding the question of expediency of profecuting the war on the principles now openly avowed, because if it fhould appear upon enquiry, that the enormity of the expence would be fuch, that even the most defirable train of military fucceffes terminating in unconditional fubmiffion, would be no folid equivalent, a queftion well worthy of the moft ze lous partizan of the meatures now fanctioned by ParHament would then arife, whether it would not be every way more advifable to conclude and relix, then affert, our rights to the extent they were meant to be alerted, when the belt that could kappen would be no more than the poffeflion of a ruined defolated country,the inhabitants of which would never be willing, nor for a long feries of years be

able to contribute a fingle filling to wards the difcharge of the additional debt thus incurred.

He next pointed out the feveral artifices adminiftration had ufed the preceding feflion to trepan, bythe most infidious means, the landed interest and the nation at large into the prefent unnatural civil war. He faid the king's fervants had called for a three fhilling land tax, and even a reduced peace eltablithment before Christmas, then reprefenting the troubles in America, as originating from a few factious perfons, who by their machinations had raised difcontents in one or two of the northern provinces. After Chriftmas however, thofe trifling difcontents were magnified into a local rebellion; and thus Parliament by a fallacious confidence in minifters were induced to pledge themfelves to their fovereign, that they would, at the rifque of their lives and fortunes, exert themselves to fupprefs it. This point being once gained, the augmentation of the army and navy in the fpring, followed of courfe. The mafque was however not yet to be entirely laid afide. It was poffible the nation might ftill be alarmed fo as to break or impede their measures; the landed gentlemen might be alarmed by an increased land tax; the trading and mercantile part might be alarmed for the lofs or fufpenfion of commerce, the witholding their property on the other fide of the Atlantic, and with the dread of new impofts. What was the confequence? Treachery was added to the groffe it imposition. The war in America was fuffered to languifh for want of a fufficient force to carry it on ; a British army, to the difgrace of the Britih arms, was obliged to fuffer a blockade for eleven months, and withal the nation was put to an expence of five millions to no manner of purpose. Even all this was not fufficient to oblige adminiftration to develope their real intentions. At the opening of the prefent feffens, they practifed the fame fpecies of deception in part. The people were again to be amufed. The fleet was propofed to be augmented 6000 men, and the army twenty. That, faid they, will be amply fufficient, we defire no more, while at the very inftant they were in treaty for a body of nearly 20,000 Germans. At the meet

ing

1776.

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

ing of Parliament immediately after the recess, the report first began to spread; and towards the latter end of February, the measure was formally announced, by the treaties with the Landgrave of Heffe, Duke of Brunf wick, and Prince of Hanau, being laid officially before the House. Where then, are we? Have not all the predictions from this House been literally fulfilled? Has it not been errant folly in adminiftration, to plunge us into our present situation? or downright treachery afore-thought, to lead their unfafpecting country, ftep by step,into an irreconcilable civil war, to dip Great Britain and America in blood, and to cut off the retreat to peace and fafety?

Which ever be the cafe, adminiftration have at least forfeited all claim to confidence. Peace is not, fay they, to be obtained, without relinquishing the conftitutional dominion and controul which this legislature had a right to exercise over our American colonies; nor is the whole power of this country equal to the undertaking.

That however reasonable it might have been last year, to have forefeen the immenfity of the war; yet, parliament would not have been difpofed to have granted more extenfive aids, and therefore, that no more were then applied for. But now, we are dipt in, and muft wade through; if an army of 50,000 men, and one hundred hips of force, are thought neceffary, the ministerial language is, there is no retreat, it must be done.-Wifhing how ever, that the nation, nor that Houfe, may longer continue to be impofed on; and that they might be put in poffeffion of fuch facts, as would fhew fome of the confequences of the prefent measures, purfuing in America, he faid, he had fome motions to fubmit to the Houfe, which if complied with, would bring forth fuch materials, as would effentially lead to, and affist in forming a judgment and coming to a decifion.

The three great branches of national expence, are the Navy, the Army, and the Ordnance; and each of thefe three branches is divided into two parts, viz. expences which are voted upon fpecific eftimates, and extraordinary expences, which are incurred every year in the three fervices, partly at

517

the difcretion of the refpective commanders, and partly at the difcretion, of the miniftry, in their feveral departments. In conformity to this rule of incurring expence, the Houfe has already before it all the specific, eftimates; but the immeasurable part of the expence, will be in the fecret and, hidden clafs of extraordinaries left to the unreftrained difcretion of minifters, commanders, commiffaries, and contractors. The Houfe and the public are amufed with nominal estimates, while this bottomless gulph is opened behind us, and threatens national ruin and public bankruptcy. It is therefore high time, that this chaos of extraordinaries, particularly on the prefent occafion, when, afcertaining nearly their amount makes a part of the question of expediency of perfifting in our unmodified claims on America, fhould be reduced to fome reasonable fhape of computation. Minitters will hardly have the effrontery to refuse to co-operate in fo neceffary a work; they will, it may be prefumed, hardly dare to tell this Houle feriously, that they have not the leaft measure of what they recommend or undertake, It would not be decent for them, to come in the next feffion, with a boundlefs demand of debts incurred upon the confidence now repofed in them, and tell us then, as they have fre quently in the courfe of the prefent feffion," we forefaw all thefe expences, but we concealed them carefully from you, that we might infenfibly lead you on." He then moved, that there be laid before the Houfe the probable expence of the navy, under its several heads of buildings, rebuildings, repairs, tranfport and victualling, for the year 1776; and likewife, of the extraordinaries of the army and of the ordnance for land fervice, over and above the provifion already made in this teffion of parliament.

Thefe are the materials which are abfolutely neceflary to lay before us, in order to form a proper judgment. on the expediency of purfuing the American war, on the new doctrine of unconditional fubmiffion. This is what may properly be called laying the itate of the nation before the reprefentatives of the people. The miniltry cannot now, in the month of April, be ignorant of the number of

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.