Star.
London, England, 1807-07-11 00:00:00

THE WATT.

Lord COCHRANE role, purfuant to notice, to
make his promifed motion, with regard to the State
of the Navy. The Noble Lord began by profeffing
that his only with in the entitle he was about to take
Was, to promote the interett of the Country, by
calling the attention of the Houle to eircumttanees
which were materially injurious to the Naval Service,
upon which the Country fo effen'ially depended.—
lie declared, upon his honour, that he wee not ac-
tuated by a &fire to take any retrolpedive view, or
to throw blame upon any man—but to point the
attention of hlinitters to the grievances of a molt
meritorious body of men, in the anxious with and
hope that they who had the power would apply the
remedy. The Noble Lord laid, his &II motion
would refer to the cafe of the Phomix and Atalante ;
and with regard to the former, lie read a letter from
an Officer belonging to her, acing that fhe was quite
unfit to keep the lea, although obliged to remain on
fery ice. This letter further complained of want of frefh
provifions ; and, eight days, after it was written, the
vet c! went down. As to the Atalante, he witneffed
her condition hirnfelf ; and although, after a remora.
'trance as to her urfitnefs, the was furveyed by order,
I and pronounced unfit to keep the lea, yet the was wrec-
ked a few days after (he had been provifioned for fix
weeks ; and indeed, he prediaed it to the builder at
Plymouth. Bur, in taft, fuck was the 'condition of
I the Navy, and the treatment that body experienced,
that as many men, or nearly double, hid been toR
off Rochefort, under the fyttem of which he .com•
planed, as would have cut out any Beet that had
been in Rochefort harbour. But, to return to the
, fiticetlix and Atalante, the Noble Lord moved for the•
production of all the ' fficiAl letters and documents
; which related to thete 'effete.

i His nett motion the Noble Lord dererilsed to refer
• to the li♦te 4ikl treatment the4=o rittt,

that of B•ell he ennfidered to have been particolarl/
aggrieved. The Pia *t•genet, for inflance, had been
no lets than eight month. kept on that dation,
doting which an order was &int,' enforced, that no
rrffiesr thould go out of the (hip. He had alio to
ltate, that the men in this fleet, who were fit only
for the hofpi. al, were not fent there. The entre&
nefs of Itatements he propofed to thew horn the
papers to which his motion referred.
Another motion, the Noble Lord Rated, had in
view the produetion of an account of the teeth provi-
fiont fent to the Channel fleet for a certain period.
The Noble Lord referred to Cooke's voyages, to
!hew the means by which the men under that com-
mander were faved from the fcurvy,—which means
ought, in his judgment, to be introduced into the
Navy. Alter tome remarks on the nature of lime
juice. of the ufe of which he difapproved, the Noble
Lordproceeded to animadvert nn the anctentprsdice
of the Navy. When a !hip had been out for fme
months, the eullom was to allow her to retitle' to
port, and aff erd the crew fame opportunity for re-
fronsment. But under the late Commander in Chief
of she Channel fleet, into whore conduEt the late
Admiralty did not think proper to look, no fuch
confideration was at all regarded. Indeed, lie hap-.
pened to know of an intlance of a man of war,
which had been at lea for feveral months, come into
port, where the was allowed to remain only five dap,
eluting which neither officer nor man was pertni•ted
to put a font out of the (hip. Such rigour, inch
cruelty, he could not helitate to condemn, and the
m-re in, when he refl:fled that when it was
praaifed, the individual from whole order it proceed-
ed, the Commander in Chief, was hirofelf on (Lore,
in London, at a dillance from toil and danger, en-
joying the falary of his office. Such, indeed, Was
the example exhibited in the cafe of that Commas
der's abfence from his flzet, while he received the
pay, that he fhould not be furprifed to fee tome fu
tore Miniaer confer the office upon tome fool or
c rad—make the office of Commander in Chief of the
Channel fleet a means of corruption, and reduce it
to a finecure as complete as any which had been lately
tlifcuffed in that Houfe.

From this part of the fubjtet the Noble Lord pro.
ceeded to animadvert on the neceffity of attending
particularly to his next motion, which related to
the (late of the Naval Holpital4. In confequence
of the regulations e(lablilbed in iflos, in thole
infli-
tutions, men were frequently refuted admittance,
and the molt deplorable confequerices were known
to follow. There was, indeed, a grievance connec
ted with this point, which had made a hong impref-
fion upon his mind; that was an order, rigidly en
forced, that no man, whatever hi; date of health,
was permitted to be fent to the hofpital from any of
the (hips of the Channel fleet, unlefs previonfly exa-
mined, and allowed by the furgeon of the comman-
der in chief. The mifchiefs refuhing from this ar-
rangement were notorious in the Navy. In confe-
quence of the inconvenience and difficulty, if not
tmpoffibility, of itri furgeon's going from !hip to
(hip at all (talons, fufficiently often to guard againft
or remove the fubjeAs of various difeafes, deaths and
amputations ton frequently enfued before fuch fur-
geon's examination could take place.
There was another luhjeEt of complaint which ap•
peared to him peculiarly ruinous, and with regard to
which he had a motion prepared. When the cry of
economy was the order of the day in the Naval de
pattment, the lint& and Country mull be furpriied
to hear of fo angular art application of it as in li-
miting the medicines allowed to the Navy. Some
indeed of the indifpenfable medicines were cut off,
particularly thole which are fu much required when'.
vac's are going out to lea. The economilts of that
day teemed to confider the bralth of men as a thing
of trifling a-count, compared to their favourite princi-
ple. He remembered to have teen a vettel going out
to lea with no lets than 70 men tick, and fit only for
the hofpital, but into the hofpital they would not be
admitted, becaufe truly their cafe was fuch as the
country excluded. So per tinacioufly were thefe re-
gulations oblerved, that although he once tent a
Lieutenant with two men to the Plymouth hofpital,
he could nit ob ain their admiffion. The difeafe
of the one was pronounced quite inadmiffible, and
though fent through fleet and rain, the only day for.
nearly three weeks in which they could go afhore ;
the other man, who had a rupture, was alto refuted,
and the Country would be alloniffied, if not indig-
nant, to hear the reafon ; becaufe the poor man had
not been hung up by the heels at the gangway, in a
rolling lea, in order to reduce the rupture.
Why the evils conneAed with this fyftem had not
been before fubmitted to Parliament and the public,
he could not pretend to fay. Peehap., men might
have been prevented from expofing it, from motives
of delicacy or perfonal interest ; but no filch confi
derations (hould reQrain him from the performance
of a great public duty, to which, from its nature,
he felt it peculiarly incumbent upon him to attend.
The fyflern of Naval hofpitals relented, unhappily
for the num, a variety of grounds to excite pity and
jai& ceafure. In Military hofpitals the fubjee's
were infinitely better treated. There Come little
luxuries were allowed to fuit delicate stomachs, and
to promote the revival of depreffed fpiriti ; and
where could fuch Luxuries be more necefrary than to
poor (-cameo, with difeafed conflitutions, after being
eight or nine months living upon fah provifions, at
fear But in naval hofpital., no fuch luxuries were
to be had ; no eggs, no wine were allowed. He
knew of an intlance in which a Lieutenant who was
dangeroufly ill was refuted a cup of egg wine. The
anfwer was, that nu fuch thing was allowed, and the
confequence of the relufal was the death of the Lieu-
tenant.

this regulation wa, otaintaiurd on the ground
of economy—indeed this economy had gone to cud)
a length as to reduce the quantity of lint before al-
lowed to the furgeons. In confequence of which,
that in many cafes there was not for the purple of
the wounded, enough of this article, to material for
de, although fo trilling in value. The resinftion of
this article had taken place under the orders of one
of thole unworthy perinns who were flirnaworthilf
appointed, by an ofEcer, whom perhapcsit was pot
neceffary for him to name (a Cr, of admit, saw) by
Earl St. Vincent, obferved the Noble: Lord, thefe
appointments were made—and under his regulations
the navy have endured the fuffetiogs I have faintly
defcrined. Though theltertd by the plea of economy,
a greater loci has, I contend, tcfulted to this country
tho can ever he compinfatest by any ravings eve.

T

nomy is capable of producing—l mean in the Eve'
of men. - Even were it potfible to confider the valet
of thete lives in a rrciisii try view, which, I never
can, it would legitii e more m,,ney to lupply the loties
fußained by the appfica inn of economy in the man.
ner l have defctibed, than could be well imagined.
Indeed the grievances of the navy have been to fevere
through rigour, mifiamed difcipline; through trig,
gardlinefs, milnanied economy ; that I can tc,
nothing in the chat after of that body more merits.
t ions than the patience with which they have lubmit.
ted to thnfe grievances. The N 'Me Lord conclude 4
with making his lira en Ilion relative to the Phcen4
and Andante; whin being fcconded by the Hoc.
Mr. Dillon,

Sir SAMUEL HOOD rofc, and expelled hit
altnnithment at the Itatements and obfervatinns which
he had jolt heard ; which really were fuch that Me
had hardly thought it poffible that they could hate
come from fu gallant an Officer. If any thing tic "if
blame, laid the Honourable Officer, attaches to the I
lots of the Atalante and the Poconix, that blame it
attributable to me and to Commodore geates. But
the fad is, that the lots of the Atalante was Oct at
all owing to her having been in a bad Rate. She it
drove :thine in a !well upon a fine day, and if Ott
hvd not been found her crew could nut have bees
Paved. But the Noble Lord could not afcribe blame
in .confequence of this velfel'i going athote.—For
fuch an accident was no proof of negled on the '
wt of the officers. No centime C )Uld apply to them
any more than it could to the condud of the Noble
Lord himfelf, when he 101 l his (hip Tome time fince.
A,clear underltanding oldie cafe, therefore, was only
necelttry to refute this part of the Noble Lod's
charges, and to thew that neither the officers nor any
other perfon could be fairly blamed for the fate of
the Atalante, for that fate was owing to an accident
against which any commander, however vigilanr,might
he utterly unable to guard. Now, as to the Phi:suit,
that velfel perifhed in a gale of wind in St. Andero
Bay, where the was fcnt with a %Jig of trace. She
remained four Jays in lb: bay, and, had the roundel%
vela in the navy been in the fame fituatiou in a gale .'
of wind, the would have very little chance, if any, of
efcaping a fimilar fate. Indeed, there was ample
proof that the Phccoix was not in a bad Rate—but
when (he was in pert the Lieutenant wanted to go
afhore to fettle his accounts, and was refuted. There .
is the fecret—and hence probably this charge. Ido '
not mean to impure to the Noble Lord any difpufi-
tion to Rate any thing which he does not himfelf
(trial), believe. But the Nable Lord may be, I know
he has been, tnifinformed, and when he comes fur.
ward with fuch miliinformation to breed cid-content
in the Navy, I feel it my duty, as it is the duty of
every man who retpeds the belt Intel efts of that body,
to refit} him. With regard to what the Noble Lard
has Paid about provifions, and ficknets and medicines.
I challenge trim to prove any of his allegations. I
failed from Plymouth, and when I recoiled it, I
cannot help laughing at the Noble Lord's Itatement.
I had revel al men rick on board, but they recovered at
lea. I had in one engagement 3o men killed and too
wounded, and there was no loch thing at a want of
medicines or lint—nothing of the kind was to be heard
of. lam fully of opinion, that none of the Noble
Lord's ahertions on this fubjea can be maintained,
(a cry of hear, bear.) I have, I think, fufficiendy
replied to his Raternent relative to the Atalanreand
Phoenix ; and I fee no good to which any part of his
Itatemenrs can tend, though I can perceive in theta
very throng grounds to apprthend ferrous mifchief,
(a univerfal cry of hear, bear.) But the Noble Lord
mull be met and answered, to-guard against that miG
chief. The tendency of his language being to excite
the molt injurious agitation, 1 (ball ever deprecate it
(a loud cry of bear, hear.) I will oppufe him and his
motions.

Admiral HARVEY followed Sir Samuel Ho d,
whole fentiments he highly complimented and ci.r-
dially concurred in.—He deprecated the attempts
made perpetually to harafs a gallant meritorious old
Officer [cry of bear ! hear !•] He had no hefitatioa
in laying, that the grounds of attack appeared quite
fallacious. For himfelf he could confidently 1,11,
that he never law any •carcity whatever of medicines,
forgeons Rotes, or provilion. on board any lip that
came under his rhfervation
Admiral MARKHAM never rote with more re-
Ott. becaufe he did feel the ;Irma apprehenfion,
that the died of fuch a difcuffion as that provoked
by the Noble Lord, would do material injury to the
difcipline of the Nary. No redrefs had ever been
applied for to the Admiralty upon any of the grounds
Rated by the Noble Lord ; and in what condition,
he would alt, was the Navy to be placed, if an in-
ferior Officer could bring his Commander in Chief to
the bar of that Houle? With refpeCt to the time a
fhip ought to be at lea, that depended on the necef
Pity of the cafe, and not oa the will of a Commander
in Chief. But a good Officer would not be forward
.to complain of fuch a thing. His Honourable Friend
who (poke lag, was thirteen months off Cape Finif-
Aetre. and his Honoutable Friend WA/preceded him,
was five months off Rochefort ; yet neither were ever
heard to complain. No ; they knew their duty too
well, and, like good Officers, were reconciled to it.
As to the injury to the health of the men, by keep-
ing (hips at lea, he would maintain that nothing was
more erroneous than the notion of the Noble Lord,
for the fa.f.t was, that it always fo happened, that
feamen came alhore to get rick, and went to lea to rt
healthy. [A laugh, •31.1 ry of hear, hear l] A. oi
the charge about frefh provitions, the Honourable
Officer maintained, that nothing could be more un-
tenable ; for frelh provifions were feat to the fleet as
often as they could be necefrary, and in the belt fate
that was prafticable to convey them. With regard
to furgeon's nom, they were fupplied under the ad.
miniltration of Lord St. Vincent, precifely according
to the plan laid down by either Lord Melville, or
Lord Barham, he could not recollett which ; and
this was the fird day he had ever heard it fated,
that there was any fcarclty whatever of thefe Roles.
41, however, fuch Roles were wanted, why not apply
to the )frxecutive Gower pment. and not bring it for.
ward in that Houfe ? Unlefs filch an application
prat found ineffeaual, he contended that fuch a bu.
fines ought not to be brought before that Heroic.
—As to the order for having perfons reviewed by
the ftirgeon of the Commander in Chief heroic they
were lent to the Hoipital, he explained that t
with a view to prevent men from acing thus difpofed
of who %%CU fit to terve. Fur while officers could lend
, men to the Hufeitaltm the nitre certificate of their 0414

rurgetns they, natnrally arr;ons for >< Rona crew,'
were too apt to make u e of their influence with the
rogeon, to fend any man to the linfpital whom they
did not happen to like. The allot') .n to the iefidence
of the Commander in Chief in London, could derive',
;to influence but &flu &lotion. The Channel fleet;
was in different divifionc, and the fall was, that f r
the ruirpofe of communicating with each, the Noble,
Lord had better be afhore than at fea. Indeed, un-
Ids lie took the flati,n of junior Admiral, he could',
not cnnfillently join any of the divitions. For that
Noble Earl he could only rAV, that he had no objec-
tion whwever to the produttion of any paper or do
current that related to hi, condal—lut for hinifelf,
lie mull obferve, that difliking the whole difctiflion,
cur the introduilion of fuch a lubjeel at all in that
"look, he could not affent to the Noble Lr.rd% mo
Lion. If the Noble Lord had any good pounds of
complaint they *hook] be referred to the Admiralty,'
who would, no doubt, grant them all the attention
they defeived.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
could not fee any gond reafon that could induce the !
Noble Lord, and trotted the Houle would be very
backward indeed—(hear! hear .9—in giving their at'
fent to the motion of the Noble Lord. It was already
proved (if proof was necelTar v for a thing which (lands
on fo broad and fo confpicuous a ball.), by thole
Hon. Member. who fpoke (all, and were ditlinguifhed
Officers in the Navy, that the Noble Lmd had either
mikonceived the date of the Navy, or had been grofsly
impt-fe-d upon—(l-lear ! hear!)—The Right-Honour. I
able Gentleman gave all due credit to the Noble',
mover. He was confident the motion was brought.
forward from the bell of motives; bur, notwithiland-
ing, it was both unnect (Ley and ill timed ; unneccf-
Lary, becaufe there was no foundation f.;tr the corn- ,
plaint and the grievances, and if there fhould, there
was another place where they would certainly he re.'
chafed. It was unfeafonable, becaufe it would har-
row up the feelings of the relatives of thofe unfortu-
nate (offerers, who perifhed on board thefe veffels;
it was routing up the embers of for row, for the 101 l
of thofe even whom time had drawn over the veil of
lot get fulnefs. The Right Honourable Gentleman
concluded, by exprellittg a fang Line hope that this
Motion would go no farther.
After tome remarks to the fame etre& from Mr.
WINDHAM, Mr. R. Wart D, Sir C. Pot.s, and Mr.
SHIILIDAN, and Lord CocHa•Ns in reply, the motion
was negatived without a divifion.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

SATURDAY. JULY it.

PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK :
Otoofols, for money 63i—for July 64—R. (Weed 63k.
Ornyium 1 t pr.—Exch. Bills, par to pr.
PRICF OF STOCKS YFSTFRDAY :
Bank Stock 233 2124 India Bondi, Ss a 6s prem.
3 P. Ct• Reif 6.,fi 63 Imp. 3 per C. 621 62
3 per Ct Con. An. 64 tit Exalt q. lints, par is. pre.
4 per Cent. Rill Oniniuni pre.
5 p. Ct. Navy. o Englifh Tickets, 191 384
Lung Ann. 17 j. I Consols for ace. 63i 6463{

Yeflerday Government received difpatches from
Lord I.AVItSO)I GUWIR. Thefe difpatches Rate that
there were two attions, one on the r itl., and the other
on the r.tth ult. -In•the firfi atlion the Ruffians were
virft, rious, hat itc the fecund they were utterly routed
by the fuperiority and number of the French artil
lery, and lull 25,000 men. The Ruffian fol-
diers had Ihewn great native courage, and frich fu-
bordination and difcipline, as would not have failed
to have enfured viCtory, had they had the advantage
of Commanders equal to thofe cf the enemy ;—liut
twe underfland that iii this particular the two armies
could bear no c,mparifon. There had been much
hard fighting after the 14th, which, owing to fitperior
generallbip, was always favourable !o the enemy,
but not without a confiderable lofs of men. The
Pruffians were the chief fufferers in thefe latter ac-
tions—not having been included in the armillice ;
but allowed five days to conclude one for themfelves.
The King of Pruffia, with his baggage, bid gone to
Riga.
Difpatches have alfo been received from Lord
klurcrittrson, relative to the fame events.
A Foreign MefTenger has alfo brought difpatches
fur the Ruffian Ambaffador.
ExnEDlrlos.—ln confequence of recent events on
the Continent, the failing of the tranfports collated
at Sheernefs is not expefted to take place.

A Hufum Mail arrived lafl right, and brought
liambiugh and Altona Papers to the 2d infant, but
they are very barren in intelligence. The ArmiWee
in Poland is mentioned, but no particolars.are fated.
They fate, indeed, that before that event, the French
had entered Memel, which we cannot believe, that
place being about 7o miles N. W. from Tilfit, on the
Niemen, the advanced port of the French army.
The Rom, of which mention was made in the Lift
mail, happened on the 12th ult. We were therefore
right in our afferrion. No part of the Firft Expedi-
tion had then failed. From 20 to 30 merchant vef-
ate reported to have been 101 l in this form. We
hope the real number will prove much below this
ftaternent. . .

A private letter from Altona of the loth ult. men-
tions a report prevailed in that city, uf General
Arruirt having receved orders to recommence
hofli-
lilies v.irh the King of SWEDF N. The fpiri.:d and
iyal manner in which his Swedifh Majefly has not
wily rallied, but expofed the intrigues and views of
Naroctow, is laid to have enraged him to fuch a
degree, that he has publicly declared, raver ;u lay
flown arms, until this Prince was entirely expelled
born the Getman Continent ; frime advises even af-
ter r, that he ha. already ❑ominated a Prince of Ho-
henzollern a GriAlIC.. Duke of Pumerania, and 13.1... J N
s
Dike of Sttallt.►:d.