The Sun.
London, England, 1804-02-29 00:00:00

ADMIRALTY BOARD.

WE have so rrpeatedly called the public-atter!.
tion to the neglea or mal-administration of this
Department .of Govetnment, that it, might appeAr
exhausting the subje& to say much more ; but when
the evidence of the farts which we have stated, so
frequently occur, we feel it a duty to the Nation not
to remain silent. How often
,have we pressed upon
this &mid the strong necessity of building/or tiring
small Cutters, &c. which could follow the Enemy's
small Craft, even under their batteries.

Saturday's Gazette states that the iffilive, hired
Cutter (of 8 guus).and about 3o men, alone, main.
tained an anif,n with i 6 French Gun.boats, &c. and
captured one of them though within three.quarteis of
a mil: of the Batteries. The wind was partly off
shore, yet the Cutter worked in among them. Here
then is -sufficient proof to justify our remarks that the
present Board of Admiralty have not, since the War
began, provided the. proper Vessels to intercept
the: numerous' Gun.boats, &c. which have so con-
stantly escaped into Boulogne. The powder and
shot expended by the immortaThe Frig:l%, would in
its value have paid for the hire of two such Cutters.
We have before noticed that all the Gun-boats which
have been taken, were by such Vessels as the Grisll,
Speculator, and such like.' Our Readers must well
remember, that in-the last War scarce a week pass-
ed without a Gazetted account of small convoys of
the Enemy taken either by Sir JOHN BORLASE
WaitftEN, Sir EDW. PELLE W, Sir SIDNEY SMITH,
Sir RICIIARD STRACHAN, Capt. KEATS, and some
other such able Officers. The Enemy's Convoys
coast it as formerly, but when do we ever hear of
--any being taken ? In a former Paper we mentioned
that we had something to say about hiring Cutters
at the Cinque Ports. The Admiralty were offered
many, but they, from a pretended economy, rejeet-
ed theoffer ; strange conduct ! when the .Nation is
thiiiiiened with destruEtion, like Jews in Rag Fair,
thek:aie liaggling.for a few hundred Pounds. The
ship-builders are reluClant to contraA with that
Board, far they have taken this power from the
..Navy Board. Mr. ADAMS has been fined, .or
threatened at least to be made to pay ioool. for,
being three weeks beyond his'tirbe in launching a
Frigate, although he proved`that his men attending:
drills as Volunteers was the cause : thus a man is to
be fined for permitting his peciple tb learn
.to fight
for their Country. Mr. 'ADAms, in fa&, is not;
worse off than Mr HuFFHANI, the Rigger : his men
were pressed, and then he was complained of for not
rigging the ships in the river.
A-pro:Tog, it is some long time since Mr, Secre.'
tary 71t16;.E4. furnished The Times with a list of '2B'
Sloops of War building, and some to be ready by
',Christmas ; but possibly 'we mistake, it may be the.
Christmas that is coming.

On Saturday orders were received on board all
the Ships.s•ati med at the Hope, for the defence of
the entrance of the River, that no person belonging
to them should be suffered to :sleep-on shore, on any
pretence.
Direnions were sent on Sunday to 'Woolwich, for
all the 'Bomb-vessels to proceed down the River this
week. The Acheron, Etna, and Thunderer, sail
this day,- with each an Officer and patty of men on
board belonging to the Artillery.
Onlsitday last the Reverend HENRY PLtMLEY,
A. I‘ll:'N'icar of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, and Chap.
lain tiii,ffie 'Right Hon. Lord Sr. HELENS, was in.
stituted'Wthe. Bishop of SAL SIIURY to the Living
of Windsor, on the Presentation of the Lotto CHAN.
cELLott.

RIDING MATCH.—We understand a bet has been
made, to take 'place in six months from this time,
by a gentleman who engages to ride from the City'
of London to' York in twelve hours. He is to
change'horses on the road as often, a, he plea.cw--
The bet is for tOOO guineas,