Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

PLAN For AUGMENTING The
NAVY.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in consequence of a notice he had given relative thereto, moved that the house should enter into a committee of the whole house on Monday next, to consider of the most speedy and effectual means for augmenting the navy.

He said, he did not then intend to enter into any reasoning on the expediency of the measures to be proposed, but he thought it proper to state the propositions which he should then make:-
First. That notice be given to the merchants and traders of the different ports in Great-Britain, that no ship shall be permitted to clear outwards from any port in this kingdom, without having contributed a certain specific proportion of seamen for manning the navy, and producing a certificate thereof signed by the proper officer. (He said, that in the mean time he should be happy to inform himself, from any merchants or other persons, who were capable of giving information, relative to any other mode of more effectually increasing the number of seamen.)

Secondly, As he considered, that there were a great number of watermen in the internal navigations of the country, who may be very advantageously employed in a ship, he should propose, that the owners of vessels in that trade should also furnish a proportion of their watermen, and,

Thirdly and lastly, He should propose, that as it was allowed by all, that there may be incorporated into each ship, a large proportion of landmen, there should be a general call through out the kingdom, in all the counties, to furnish a sufficient number, according to the exigencies of the case: he said, that the magistrates and the justices of the peace should be obliged to represent the number of inhabited houses, which are not exempt from taxes, and that each parish should be obliged to contribute so many persons, according to the number of such houses therein; these contributions to be made subject to a fine, which being greater than the probable bounty necessary to raise men, would have the good effect to make them enter voluntarily into the service of their country.

Mr. Pitt allowed that these were strong measures, but under the present circumstances, he contended they were perfectly justifiable.

Mr. Grey expressed his conviction that every member of that house would concur in such measures; as they must meet their cordial and sincere wishes for the immediate augmentation of the British navy; but he hoped that the merchants, if they spared a proportion of their men, would in the most effectual manner possible be protected in their trade, which was so excellent a nursery for seamen. Mr. Grey said further, that the custom which had taken place of impressing apprentices, was unpardonable and unjustifiable, and convinced any one, that the recruiting parties in the different sea-port towns, who offered large bounties for landmen, were particularly injurious to the successful augmentation of the navy, as young men were pleased with a large sum of money and a fine cockade.

Mr. Jekyll wished to know what notice was to be given to the merchants who were to furnish the proportion of seamen.

Mr. Pitt said, that the requisition was not to extend to any ships that should clear out before the passing of the act; but it was to apply to all those which cleared out after; that the committee were only to consider the most speedy mode of laying an embargo, and the best mode of an augmentation in general.

The motion then passed nem. con.