The Sun.
London, England, 1830-10-04 00:00:00

proposes, therefore, that ercial eltre should he
given to the ,eorrectiou this , (undoubtedly
frequent) vice of drunkenness in'the °Ricers of
the navy—on the umo_Trinciple which lead.;
him to applaud the regulation by ,which the
allowance of spirits was reduced within these
three or four years.'
The author next falls foul of Lord StowelVw:
decision of the Bth of June, 1825, authorizing'
under Certain.circumstances the 'flogging of:
sailors in the merchant nervier'. We cannot
convince ourselves that Lord Stowell, however.
much decried far his .opinion by the author, was
wrong in point either of law or.reason ; for sure.
we are that there are seamen who in critical cir-
cumstances would not feel the dread of a remote
punishment awaiting them after the end of a
voyage, but who might easily be brought to a
•
sense of duty by the threat of immediate cPtlga.
than. The pamphlet concludes with an appeal
against impressment, which will obtain the con-
currence of every humane mind, and proposes a
few simple expedients for superseding in future
that abominable and most dangerous measnie.:
We quote his sentiments as ' '
" Why, we ask, haii it been found necessarytO
have recourse to the odious practice of kidnap-.
ping seamen for the British navy ? Simply because
our seamen have invariably evinced an unconquer-
able aversion to that service. Nor was the reptig-
wee so evinced confined to those who had 'already
served on board a man-of-war: men that had never
seen a man-of-war actually dreaded an approximation
towards a pest-house, or a nest of scorpions.
" Now this dread of a man-of•wer, on the part, of
our seamen, must have been visionary and chimed-
eel, or it must have been the effect.of some cause,:or
causes, clearly dellneble. That the latter is the most
rational preetimptlen,iinist be switlent,to avers body
that has known any thing of a man-of-war; or that
lhas perused the foregoing pages.
" It was the unlimited and unrequited service,
together with the unnecessarily severe discipline,
often degenerating into cruelty and. oppression,
which prevailed in the,royel navy, that rendered tho
service so hateful to our seamen; that to avoid'
lirluj
subject to which, some of them have .been known
to mutilate their limbs, other' to cause themselves
to become ruptured and otherwise unserviceable;
while thousands have abandoned their native land;
their homes, their kindred, and their dearest con-
nexions for ever; and all to avoid what, under other
circumstances, it would have beep their pride to
seek after—the service of their country. Nor was
this all: some of them who bed been on board a
mankmf-war, and had deserted therefrom in corm.
queuce of cruel usage, actually entered on board the
ships of war belonging to the enemies of their
country, and therein fought against that country with
a more than holy enthusiasm. However unnatural
this may appear, it is nevertheless true ; and besotted,
indeed, must be those persons who can feel 'asto-
nished at an impressed and ill-treated seaman evino.
ing a total lack of the moor joatritr.
" Nor was this the limit of the evil : to supply the
place of those seamen it became necessary to avail
ourselves of the service of foreigners; and, although
it was not customary to impress foreigners in Engs
land, the practice was resorted rO. both in the East
and West Indies, and, indeed,
,everywhere, where
the non-residence of Consuls.preclUded the pessitii;;
lity of an appeal.
" Thus were foreigners compelled to tht the
battles of England ; and there are thousands of fug
reign seamen who can boast of Inivieg been eons.
pelled to participate in the achieving of those victo-
ries of which Lnglishmes are, and have so Much
reason to be proud. But let us not deceive our.
selves; never more shall we be permitted to impress:
foreigners to fight our battles, as we did during the
last war; never again shell we find the navies of
Europe in such a state of impotency as we found
them during the last war. But it i* nut to the na-
vies of Europe only that we have to look ; that Herr
cubes in the cradle, the navy of the United States of
America, is rapidly increasing, both in the number
and magnitude of the 'hips; and if the Americans,
with, some live or six frigates,contrived.te cut ,out,
so much work for us during. that late what
would they not do in the, event of, another'sear,
when they will have quadrupled their number
gates, besides the 20 or 30 ships of the seltieh
they will very shortly have in the highest state of
perfection?
" A-well-o'day for our colonies, our commerce,
and our national greatness, if we do not, ere it be
too late, adopt such weasures as will be calculated to
conciliate our seamen, and to render the naval ser-
vice of their country an object to be sought after
rather than to be avoided. And what is there to
prevent this desirable object being effected P No 7.
thing but the perverseness and obtuse intellect of
those who have the management of mamma concerns.
" To render the British naval service in reality
the most popular service in the world, it is only ne-
cessary to introduce therein limited service; a more
lenient and equitable system of discipline, to be com-
mon to the whole navy, and not to be dependent on
the mere whim and caprice of the officers; a rate of
pay commensurate with the, sacrifices made and the
risk encountered, to increase with Inereasing length
of servitude; a due regard to experience and capa-
city in time appointment of officers; and a mortsequal
distribution of prize-mosey. We repeat, that the
essentials which we have just enumerated are all that
,01
fipiscraireelitiiyiered to render the British naval sortie* not
only the most popular service in the world, but cuts
opfepiinillaprrewssimthenott; own seamen to obviate
the necessity of again running to the soul-appalling