The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-06 00:00:00

MANNING THE NAVY.

THE difficulty experienced in fitting out the
Baltic fleet has brought to light the serious
fact, that of late years the number of our able
bodied seamen has diminished. Our con-
temporary the Times tells us that this is but
a necessary result of the astounding success
of free trade ; for, as that policy has aug-
mented our commerce, it has proportionately
increased the demand for ships and sailors.
Whether this doctrine is true or not, it matters
not to inquire. We want men for our navy, and
the practical question is, will free trade supply
them? CROMWELL decided in the negative
when he framed the Navigation Act, and
ADAM SMITH, a century later, agreed with him.
Let us see what has been the result of our
own experience since that famous statute was
repealed.
A petition is now before us from the Ship
owners' Association of Liverpool, urging the
Legislature to restore the apprenticeship
system in the merchant service, which was
abolished with the navigation laws in 1849.
Up to that time every merchant-ship was com-
pelled to carry a certain number of appren-
tices in proportion to her tonnage, but this
restriction was wholly swept away as incon
sistent with the grand doctrines of free trade.
The results of this change have been speedy
and decisive, as the following extract from the
petition will show:—

That since the said alteration in the law a great num•
ber of shipowners havo ceased to take any apprentices,
and others take only a reduced number; and, although
some shipowners continue to have as many apprentices
as formerly, yet it is the fact that in the last tour years
the total number of apprentices in the merchant sea ser-
vice of the United Kingdom has very greatly diminished ;
and your petitioners have every reason to believe that at
this time they amount to little more than one-third of the
number on the said lit day of January, 1850.

Here, then, is one intelligible cause of the
present scarcity of seamen. The repeal of the
navigation laws has lessened by no less than
two-thirds our most valuable source of supply.
Need we be surprised, therefore, at the com-
plaints which we hear on every side as to the
infericrity as well as the dearth of sailors at
our outports? These things are now so
notorious that some remedy must be devised,
and the simplest and safest would be to
retrace our steps, and renew the law as to
marine apprentices.

THE LATE MARQUIS OF ANGLESEY.
FIELD MARSHALS are born but once a century, and
we buried our latest and our greatest little more than
a year ago. Since then the Paladins have gathered
thickly around their ancient chieftain, and the
chivalrous HENRY AILLIAII Marquis of ANGLF.SEY is
the last that has joined the array. He died on the
29th of April, at the age of kfl. He proved his
capacity for military affairs at the commencement of
his career. In 1794, when only in the 26th year
of his age, he acquired distinction in the Duke of
You's disastrous campaign in Flanders, and even

411

commanded a brigade during the temporary absence
of Lord CATHCART. In those days his regiment had
been one of infantry—the 80th, or Staffordshire
Volunteers, raised by himself from amongst his
father's tenantry, and on his return to England he
was transferred to the 7th Hussars, which became
famous under his leading. Although brave, even to
rashness, it was his fate oftener to retreat than to
advance. He had charge of the rearguard when Sir
JOHN Moons retired on Corunna, and, whatever may
have been the relative merits of the " guarance" and
the " pants " of that day, well did the gay Hussars
execute the orders and second the efforts of their

chief. Afterwards, in the campaign of 1815, the
Earl of UXBRIDGE was at the head of the cavalry,
and again did he add lustre to a name which he had
made glorious before. When, after Quatre Bras and
Ligny, the Great Duke resolved to fall back on
Waterloo, and there to make his final stand, to Lord
UXBRIDOE was confided the duty of preventing the
impetuous foe from pressing upon the retreating
troops. On they came, the gallant French flushed
with recent victory, and strong in the great name of
their chosen and imperial chief, when, having passed
the Bridge of Gemappe iu force, they found the
English cavalry in their front
"'the Earl of Uxbridge . . . . being desirous of
affording the Ist Life Guards an opportunity of charging,
brought forward that regiment lts rapid rush
down into the enemy's mass was as terrific in appearance
as it was destructive in its effect ; for, although the French
met the attack with firmness, they were utterly unable to
hold their ground for a single moment, were overthrown
with great slaughter, and literally ridden down in such a
manner that the road was instantaneously covered with
men and horses scattered iu all directions. The bite

Guards pursuing . . . . drove all before them as far
as the opposite outlet of the town."

Thenceforth the army retreated unmolested. Although
this generation has only seen the martial form of
the marquis " in proud decay," yet his bearing to
the last was so grand that we can image what it
was on that 17th of June, 1815, when "not a leaf
" was stirring, and the atmosphere was close to an
" intolerable degree, while a dark, heavy, dense cloud
" impended over" the English cavalry, at the head
of which he waited to check the French advance.
Of his private life and civilian career little need be
said; for, though his capacity for affairs was far
above mediocrity, it is as a soldier he will be chiefly
remembered. Two Cabinets, presided over by the
Duke of WELLINGTON and Earl Gaey, selected him
for the Irish Viceroyalty, in which he experienced
the usual vicissitudes of what, at Dublin, is called
" popularity." His intentions were excellent, but,
like greater statemen, he was baffled by the " Irish
" difficulty." His letters so improperly published
in Lord CLONCURRY'S " Memoirs" are vividly im-
pressed with the frank gallantry that characterised
him from first to last. He was educated at West-
minster School, and at Christ Church, Oxford ; repre-
sented Milborne Porte in the House of Commons;
and in 1812 succeeded his father as Earl of Ux-
bridge.
In 1705 Lord PAGET married the Lady CAROUSE
ELIZABETH VILLIERS, the lovely and amiable daughter
of the fourth Earl of JERSEY: this marriage was
afterwards. dissolved, and his lordship subsequently
married Lady CHARI.OTTE CADOOAN, who had pre-
viously been divorced from the first Lord COWLEY.
Although at times a great sufferer from the tic dolou-
reux, Lord ANGLESEY enjoyed good bodily health,
until he was suddenly seized some eight weeks ago
whilst taking his ordinary morning walk. From the
effects of this.seizure he was still suffering when he
received the intelligence that, owing to the death of
the Marquis of LONDONDERRY, there was no Gold Stick
to attend the Queen's levee. The Marquis of ANGLE-
SEY at once, with the natural resolution of his cha-
racter, and contrary to the wishes of those about him,
himself attended the Court. From that period his
lordship seemed to rally, nor did a severe attack of
lumbago cause much alarm to his relatives. Indeed,
it was not until Friday morning last that it became
elident to all that even his iron constitution must
yield to years of severe suffering, and messengers
having been sent to the various members of his
family who were not on the spot, the marquis
expired on the following morning, calm, and fn •
from suffering, surrounded in a patriarchal manner
by every member of his sorrowing family. His end
was in every way worthy of a Christian and a
soldier. May the ashes of the brave man rest in
peace

THE 70.ru.—A remarkable scene, illustrative of the
eager gallantry of our Highland regiments, occurred
in the barracks of the 79th last week. The regiment
had it appears been under an impression that they
were not to be ordered for foreign service, and when
the colonel called them together, and told them that
they were about to depart for the seat of war in the
East, their enthusiasm knew no bounds. Loud cheers
rent the air, while some of the more eager rushed
forward, and, hoisting their gallant colonel on their
shoulders, born Lim round the barrack•yard amid the
enthusiastic plaudits of the bystanders.

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