1751 PROCEEDINGS of the taining a numerous mercenary army; for I hope, no king of this realm ever will, I am fure, his prefent majesty never did, attempt to have a mercenary parliament. POLITICAL CLUB, &c. 948 But, Sir, the lofs of our character as a maritime power, and the A continuance of our neceffity of preffing, are not the only fatal confequences of fuch a great reduction of feamen; it will always be, and I fear has lately been, attended with a much worse than either: I mean that of forcing our feamen into fo- B reign fervice; and every one knows, where they will be joyfully received, and better treated than ever they were in their native country. the end of the laft war we had above 40,000 feamen in the government's fervice; and during the war fuch a number of young men had been bred up to the fea, that before the end of it, the merchant fervice was almoft fully stocked. We have fince the war already reduced above 30,000; and it is impoffible to fuppofe, that one half of them could get employ-D At ment in our merchant-fervice: It is equally impoffible to fuppofe, that the other half could get any employment at land: What then has become of them? Some of them, 'tis true, have miferably perished at Tyburn, or more miferably rotted and ftarved in our jails, by the cruelty of our ufurers; but the number cannot be very confiderable; and therefore I think it highly probable, that they have gone by thousands into the French or Spanish fervice. Can we imagine that, in cafe of a war, they would return upon a proclamation? of them inclined to do fo, they would be prevented; and as to the reft, we fhould probably find them the most defperate enemies we have to deal with. If any C height of imprudence; and it is the more unaccountable, as we have fhewn no fuch œconomy in any one other article of the publick expence. It is indeed impoffible to account for our late conduct, or to reconcile what fome gentlemen now fay, with their way of talking two or three years ago. Thofe gentlemen were then for keeping up a great number of feamen by land as well as by fea*; it is true, they at first proposed but 3000 of these land feamen, but if their scheme had taken effect, that body of new fort of feamen was foon to have been augmented to 10,000; and it is remarkable, that they had at the fame time a scheme for making flaves both of our feamen † and foldiers. They then talk, ed of nothing but preferving our fu periority at fea, and keeping our navy always in a refpectable condition. Preffing was then fet in the most hideous light; and this fcheme of land feamen, was to prevent our be ing ever reduced to the neceffity of making use of fuch a method for manning our navy. But their enflaving fcheme was defeated, and the other fhewn to be ridiculous and now fince they find they cannot make flaves of our feamen, they are for having as few of them as poffi. E ble in the publick fervice. Soldiers are now their only darlings; and therefore we must maintain twice as many of them as we have any occa fion for in time of peace, even tho' we should thereby lofe our fuperiority at fea, the preserving of which F has coft us fo many millions of pounds, and fo many thousands of lives. Other gentlemen, Sir, may call G this great reduction of feamen œconomy; but for the reafons I have mentioned, I always thought it the I fay coft us, Sir; for the prefervation of our fuperiority at fea was the popular pretence made ufe of for inducing us to engage fo deeply in the war, both in king William and queen Anne's reign. Our taking a number of land auxiliaries in to our pay, and raifing numerous land armies, was then thought to be † See Disto, P, 1770 • See London Magazine for 1750, p. 153. the 342 PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c. Dec. the most proper means for preferving in that way endeavour to affift us: our fuperiority at fea; and now, ra- We know they are not very alert at ther than difmifs our land armies, fieges; and before they could be rather than not have land auxiliaries mafters of one of the French fronin our pay, we are to give up that tier towns, the French armies would fuperiority. Really, Sir, if this were be mafters of this kingdom. I not too ferious an affair, I could not A therefore think, there is nothing more help comparing it to a fcene in the certain, than that our very being, Rehearsal, where the hero employs as a free independent nation, depends and bribes the nurse to gain the mif- entirely upon our being always maftrefs, and after being at a large ex- ters at fea; and for this purpose we pence, neglects the mistress and mar- must have seamen as well as ships. ries the nurfe. I hope, we have not Nay, if we muft begin our œconoyet played the fool and married our B my with our navy, where, I believe, land armies and foreign auxiliaries: it will end too, we fhould, I think, If we have not, I think, we should begin with our fhips rather than our difmifs both, rather than give up feamen; because we cannot make our fuperiority at sea. feamen fo faft as we can make ships; and the feamen in the merchant-fervice are never all at our command: Many of them are at all times abroad, or at a great distance from our docks; and confidering their late treatment, all, I believe, would avoid the fervice by abfconding. Let us confider, Sir, that in cafe of a war with France, and we fhould lofe our fuperiority at fea but for one fummer, it would be gone for ever. If our enemies were mafters at fea, none of our foreign auxiliaries could come to our affiftance; and twice the number of troops we have now on foot, would be utterly unable to defend us; for France would by means of her fleet pour in her numerous armies upon us, and as we have no fortified towns, if our army could not keep the field, fhe would in a few days be in poffeffion of our capital and our feat of government, by which we should be forced to fubmit to what terms of peace fhe pleased to prescribe; and those terms would be fuch as would for ever prevent our being able to recover a fuperiority by fea. I know it may be faid, that our allies and foreign auxiliaries would fly to our affiftance, by attacking the frontier of France. From an old proverb, Sir, I have reafon to doubt it. Help yourself, it is faid, and all your friends will help you. This was lately confirm. ed in the cafe of the brave queen of Hungary, now emprefs of Germany; and I am afraid, that if we did not, as she did, repel the invading enemy, all our friends would ftand aloof. But fuppofing they did C I am therefore afraid, Sir, that if this reduction takes place, we Dshould not be able in fome months to fit out such a squadron as the French may now in a few days put to fea; and no man, furely, can now be ignorant of the French method of beginning a war. The noble lord was pleased to fay, that they are now onE Îy reftoring their marine, and repairing the loffes they fuffered in the late war. I wish it may be fo; but if my information be right, and it is a little more authentick than common news papers, their maritime force is already much beyond what F it was at the beginning of the last war, and they are every day augmenting it with indefatigable induftry, and at a great expence, Every one knows this who has any correfpondence in France, and it is highly probable it fhould be fo; for the G laft war has convinced them, that in cafe of a war with this nation, their commerce and their colonies will always be at our mercy, unless they. are at least equal to us at fea. Therefore, 1751. PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c. 543 Therefore, I am fure, it is not now a proper time for us to leffen our own and add to their maritime power, by reducing our feamen, and motion, but shall not make any till I fee how the house feems to be inclined. thereby forcing numbers of them Q. Opimius ftood up next, and spoke into the French fervice. What number of feamen we had in actual service in the year 1725, I do not know; but there were 10,000 voted and provided for by parliament; and if the lords of the admiralty took upon them to reduce their number, the then circumftances of Europe was in fome measure a juftification of their conduct; for France was then under a minority, quite regardless of their marine, and almolt at the eve of a rupture with Spain. Can we then be fo mad as to make any thing done at that time, a precedent for doing the fame thing now? Befides, we all know, that this reduction in 1725 was followed by a most violent prefs for feamen the beginning of the very next year. As A B D to this Effect. Mr. Prefident, SIR, Tspoke laft has prevented me, HE Hon. gentleman whe in taking notice of the difference between the fentiments, or, at least, the expreffions of fome gentlemen at prefent, and what they were for these laft two or three years; but as words may be forgot, or may be alledged to be misreprefented, I fhall beg leave to read to you fome parts of the fpeeches from the throne, and addreffes of this houfe for the laft two feffions. In his majesty's fpeech from the throne at the opening of the feffion in November, 1748, his words are these, and our fingnal fucceffes at fea muft ever be remembered to the glory The noble lord was likewife of the British fleet, and entitle it to pleased to inform us, Sir, that the the particular attention and fupport of whole number voted by parliament this nation. To which we answered was not last year employed. in our address, We are truly fenfible his lordship has faid it, I do not of the importance of that fignal fuccefs, doubt of its having been fo; but which has attended your majefty's can it be faid, that all neceffary fer- arms at fea, thro' the course of the vices were provided for? We had war, and are fully convinced, how not fo much as one man of war up- neceffary it is to maintain our feets in on the coast of Africa, nor had we perfect ftrength and order, even in One upon the coaft of Nova Scotia ; times of the most profound peace. for which reafon I am refolved to Again, at the opening of laft feffion, take the first opportunity to move in November, 1749, his majefty, in for an inquiry into the prefent ftate his fpeech from the throne, after of those two parts of the world, the having told us, that he defired only care of which is of the utmost im- fuch fupplies as fhould be found neF , portance both to our trade and na- ceffary for the fecurity and welfare vigation; and as the French, by of the nation, adds thus: And in this means of their Indians, are carrying view I muft earnestly recommend to you on a fort of war against us in the lat- the maintaining of my fleet in its full ter, I must think it was an egregious ftrength. To which we anfwer in neglect to leave it fo much expofed. our addrefs, that we would grant If it be left fo for the year enfuing, fuch fupplies as should be found neI fhall look upon it as a moft wicked G ceffary for the fecurity and welfare of defign; and in order to obviate eve- the nation, which, we fay, cannot ry pretence for leaving it fo expofed, be better provided for, than by mainI must be against the noble lord's JO. E taining $44 PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c. Dec. taining the fleet in fuch a condition, as may enable your majefty to preferve that weight and influence, which properly belong to the crown of GreatBritain. Sir, we know that in this houfe A B C the speech from the throne is always I fay a little money, Sir; for I was furprised to hear the noble lord fuppofe, that by reducing 2000 feamen we should fave 104,000l. He certainly understands the affairs of the navy, and he must know, tho', I believe, he did not reflect, that out of the 41. a month allowed for each feaman, near one half is reckoned D I for wear and tear, and for ordnance fervice; fo that a confiderable part of what is faved in the reduction, must be added to the ordinary of our navy, and therefore I reckon that the most we can fave by reducing 2000 feamen, will not amount to more than 64,000l; and our foreign fubfidies, if we go on with them, as fufpect we fhall, will foon excced this fum. But even as to this 64,000l. can we think, that the whole will be money actually faved? If we reduce 2000 this year, we may probably have occafion for them the very next; and unless we have recourse to the infamous method of preffing men into the fervice, we muft, in order to get what we want, raife the wages of all the feamen in the publick fervice, by which we shall add to the next year's expence more than we have faved by our ill-judged economy in this; with this further disadvantage, that we shall thereby raise the wages of all the feamen in the merchant-fervice, which our commerce cannot well bear; for as we are now rivalled in commerce by almost all the nations in Europe, our navigation muft fuffer by every additional expence we bring upon it; and as fome branches of our trade, particularly that of Hamburgh, are already carried on by foreign fhips and foreign feamen, our merchants may at last be obliged to carry on every branch of our trade, fo far as is confiftent with the act of navigation, by foreign fhips and foreign feamen. This, Sir, is a confequence which we have great reafon to dread, and will, in my opinion, be an infallible confequence, if we continue fuch harsh ufage towards our poor feamen, as we have practifed for fome years paft. By the frequency and Gfeverity of preffing, we have not only rendered the condition of our failors worfe than that of any other part of his majesty's fubjects, but when pressed, we have ufed them in a cruel manner, by 1751. PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &. 5+5 by turning them over from fhip to B C always moft chearfully provide for; : The next that foke was Servilius I BELIEVE it has very feldom happened, that any one in my ftation, or in the fation of the noble lord who made you this motion, ever argued for a diminution of the publick expence; but the circumftances of this nation are fuch at prefent, that, in my opinion, every man who has the profperity of his country fincerely at heart, must be for faving as much of the publick money as poffible. We muft fave, Sir: We muft fave as much as poffible upon every article; and as this is the first article of the publick expence, that has in this feffion been brought be fore us, I hope, gentlemen will confider without prejudice, whether a little may not be faved even upon this, which is defervedly the most faD vourite article of the publick charge. Our army is not now before us; therefore I wifh gentlemen would avoid making comparisons between our army and navy, for they are always invidious, and may prove dangerous. When our army is brought before us, we muft fave upon that article too, if it fhould be found confiftent with our immediate fafety; but fuppofe we were to disband one half of our army, that would be no argument for our keeping more feamen in pay than is neceflary. Therefore the question now F before us is not, whether we fhall fave the article of our army or upon upon E In fhort, Sir, the confequences December, 1751. that of our navy: We must fave upon are |