Star.
London, England, 1805-03-15 00:00:00

beneficial to the .Country, and conducive the the Wl'
provernent of the Navy ? In confidering there points.
it was hislosdiltip's intention to confume very little
of ' I.,ordastps' time, and to abliain from every
:t • which/alight have the. molt dill ant tendebcy to
r4pe.anylibvatiortafrom the Noble JLeord OWE $
the bead °kite Admiralty Board. All he wifhed was
a fair opportunity of judging of the merits of the two
Admiralty Boirds, and that all argument and dif
cnffion on the fubjea thould be refereed till the
pen neceffary to form fych a judgment thould ke
before the Houfe. Oa the former of there points, it
Would be neceffary for the Houfe to be pot effed of
an account of the (hips purchafed and employed in
his Majefly's Navy fince the acceffion of the prefect
Admiralty Board, with their age, tonnage, the va-
luation put on them, the rums paid for them, the ee-
-1 pence of fitting them up as (hips of war, and of any
alterations time made on them. As grounds for this
motion be thought himfelf warranted in Rating, tho'
he by no means pledged himfelf for the truth of the
age/lion, that Cenral of the (hips thus pnrchafed were
unfit for fervice, had been repeatedly declared fo by
thole appointed to infpe& them, and bad neverthe-
lefs been pnrchafed into his Majeßy's fervice. For
this purpofe he muff move for copies of all letters and
reprefentations betereen the different Boards on the
fubjea. And alto for all reprefentations front the
different commanders, refpcaing the un6tne( of the
wails to perform the Cervices of (tips of war.
On the fecond point, as to the propriety of build-
ing in Merchants Docks, the Noble Earl faid it would
naturally fall to be a matter of enquiry, how the
number of artificers in his Majeßy's Docks ffood
in comparison to what they had been at the time of
the mutiny, when it had been, deemed neceffary by the
late Admiralty Board to difmifs many of them from
their fituationx. This was rarely the more neceffary
as it would appear, that korai per Eons Who had
been then difnuffed had finci been received back into
his Majeay's yards. Such. a Rep, unqueßionahlT.
could alone be diaated by a feeling that there were
not a fufficient number of artificers employed in the
Dock yards at the time the prefent Admiralty Board
came into office. So far, however, from this being
the cafe, he was informed, that in March Igo* the
number of artificers employed in his Majefty',s clocks
exceeded ibofe employed in March, 1805, by upwards
of izo. As to the propriety of building in the' bier.
chants yards, Come Mica might be formed from-this/in-
gle circutaftance, that while Sipa of 74 gbns might
be built in the Afing's Docks at la per ton, and at a
fair piofit in Merchants Yards fr= 241. to 251. per
ton, the' prefect Admiralty had t'ontrafted for Sips
of a fanner dimenfion at no lets a fum than itil..per
ton. The Noble Earl then proceeded to thew Whitt
bad been the repair of twenty Sips' for int year,
within the laR twenty years, In the Merchaats yard*,
and by calculation Sewed that the expo* Of entire;
ly rebuilding 'thefe (Lifts would not have e;ceetled one
half of the amount of the' furits'aatiallf expetided
for repairi in a tingle year in 'Meratants Docks.—
His Lordthip would read his motions, and comment
upon theta as they occurred; their* wa. for

-a
An Account of all the 'tips width have been parehsfed fir
hi. Maiefty's Navy line. the ibth of May, tlO4, ipeeitying front
whom, their op ao4 toontre; .the valuation pet on theta by
ihe Olken of ase Dock Wards, the Anna paid for than, the ex-
pense of actin them as thips of war, in the Marabous and
g' Kins Yards, and. of any Nutradono ;nude In than *nu they
were brit fitteg.". • • •• • •
To this Ise underilopd po oppo4tion was likely to
be offered, and therefore he would not trouble their
Lordihips With any okifervationi on it. His next
.polio would be for

" Copies of all Laura and Reecefentations which have eased
between the Admiralty and the Nary Simile, and 'bemoan Mak
boards lad the Sommeßoners, or other Odkers of the Dock.
Torda,. refrain, thele Wye ; aSo of all reprefentadoos from their
Commanders, rafpetting their unitises to perform the Cervices of
*alps of war." •
If this laf motion thould be refuted, as being.too
general, he &odd have no objeigion•to omit any
ppaaof it, or to Make' any alteration in it that the
Nobler Vifcount at the head of the Admiralty should
require or fuggea. The letters which he was prin-
cipally an sous to, obtain were thofe from the
Commanders of the Hindoftan and the Hymn:, two
(hips wltich bad been taken into the ferviee.—
One of thefe he underflood to be an old-Weft India-
man, whole back had been broken, which was re.
ported not At foi fervice, and which, neiwithaand-
ing that reßrefentation, had been parchafed at an ex.-
pence of fomething *yew:soca. His'next motion
would be for • '

• " An Amon of the espeace of arming thefe Shireilledelfying
thenumber, nature, Mid cadhie of the posywhist* were re
ported to (fie capable of carrying when asp were pore sad
of ally alterations which had been Snce made
This be underilood would be conceded to hint.—
His fourth motion would be for
ri Copies at ar Reprefentations which have been made by.the
Comunandera of tbefe Sips, on the fubjedt of their pits."
As it was poffible Tome objettiols" might be niggd
spina the granting of this, he would not, if it should
be refuted, perfevere in preffing it. His nest motion
would be for ,• . • . ' - •
. " An Account of the Number of Artificers and Labs:owe%
who have dikharged thanfrives from his Majefty's Dock-yords
at Deptford- and Wooludel, in each month, tiled she If' of
June, 1504, fpedfyins tbdr ftferal dories, age, and tine of Jet-
vie." •

* .Neither this, nor the following would, he heliciad,
be reified. . • •: ••
- ..•
'floe member el Ilypwidstats borne in all the yards on *lit
4=4°52'
thole two left motions ihould be complied
with, he bad lirong reafons for fbppoling that it
would appear to the fatisfaaion of every Noble Lord
who heard him, *at fewer filipwright,s were borne in
the gimes yards at the commencement of the pre-
fent month than st the correlsondingperiod late year.
His Lordihip here ftatad the nntnter of men who
had been difcharked frost thi different yards at vari.
ous times by the late Board of AdMiralty, fame of
whom were ftiperannuated, and others dirmiffeld for
nsifcanduft. He contended that there-Were a (Mailer
number of men employed in the King's yards on the I
01 March, iBo3, than on the to of March, tBo4;'
the number at the latter period. beiig 3336, whereat)
thole employed at the :commencement of the preCent
month amounted only to 3st 3,,.being 123 leh than
the ,eflabliihmeat at the fame periodlaft year.L—Hts
neat motion would be for ?
• * Lift. of his kinjeltyrelhips veld& bars been ordered to be
repaired in the Merchants laid. lione ebe LA of Jape,; 11p4r

He would'oext move for
A; Lift ot Ships of War ordered to be balk or ecetradied for
'Tom the above period op to the prefevt time. *diving the doe,
of foet orders or masa.. and the rate per too at wikb hack
ehotrable have beeit made."
OM workmen in the King's yuds Were. PrOWIT

I "

elated, there would be no (+coition .tehlsuild in the
Meacham yards. In the-former he finderaond, that
at raisin a 74 gun fliiplimuld be:bailt for 311. per
ton i whereas, if he was rightly informed, the con-
trails lately entered into with the Merebant-builders
amounted to the enormous rate of 361. per ton. Lei
the Houle and the Country contrail the difference be-
tween thole eapences, and then they would be enabled
to form an idea of the provident management of the
petrol's by whom the Naval Adminifiration of the
country was at prefect conduced. He would next
;nave for
" An Account et the flans Rid by the Navy 'Board. and to
whoe, for the repair of the following Ships in the Merchants
Yards. In the years espreffed spina their names, viz.
is ;783 Loweltoffe 1786 Magicienne 1793
Maiatone 5783 Bolton 1179 t Datdahas 1793
Santbinpeon 1784 Retribution 1792 Andromache 1793
Niger 2784 L'Aintable f7O Flora 1793
LLiard a 784 Tartar 3792 Fury 1793
Pear) 1784 !hetet, 7792 Bun-dog 1793
Carystotg 1785 Ariadne 179 a
The repairs of thnfe twenty (hips, he was inform-
ed, had con 298,884. when they might have been
built in. the Royal Yards for a funs not amounting to
half that &M. His tan motion would be for
" An Account of the Sums for which Ships of tbe fame Ike and
force might base been built at the time period, according to the
conned prices then paid to the Merchant Builders."
It was not his !Motion to fall any thing at dig
time upon the comparative merits of the fate and .
prefent Naval Admsniftrations. - He meant nothing
perfonal to the Noble Lord at the head of that depart-
inent—his °Nett was to inftiente an enquiry, the re-
•folt Of whicirk thought would be beneficial to the
country, into one of the AA important parts of its
expenditure; However, he coul4 not avoid obferv-
jog, that he thought the Noble Earl near him, who
war lately at the beed of that department, was par 7
tictilarlignalified, from his profeffional knotiledge,
to difcover the 'abed 'which were pillaged in it.—
When he 'was' firfiplaced at the head of that Board,
he (4;6°4 enquiring into thofe abides with an honeft
and ardent zeal, and having difeoiered that the moll
enormous aback were committed ink, he fet about
with a refolution is laudable, the correaion and the
fbture prevention Of them. For that purpofe he pro-
tiered the appointinent of a' COmmillion which had
already rendered the Mott important Cervices to the
country, and for the dl4loluuon of ' which he could
dikover no one fulficient motive, uulefs the ftrapge
determination fhonld have been adopted of perpetu-
ating thole abate, 'Which it had Co' indußnouily de-
'elope/L.6nd the poffible recurrence of which it had
fliggefted the means' of preventina. ' The country,
however' which was faifible of the fetvices of the
Commiffion of Naval Enquiry; would not Coffer itfelf
to be deprived of the advantagesOf thole difeoveries
and improvententi.' which 'they hid made and fog-
geleil—they would not, in fo importaheabrinch of
Omit:defence and expeodithre,' as the naval depart-
mant,:forego the •henefits that 'might be expeaea,
from a motcceeirred and economical adminiftration Of
the immergefowia that. were fo.fredycontributed for
maintaining it. Hi-Would' trefpafs no longer opt*
their Lordiliips' tithe," but 'Melee the fiat rerolution.
frLum 1 Lord MELVILLE had ne ru ' ' to' the Mo-
tion made by the Noble Lord'. ',mild not be lie
ceffarifor him to trouble their ' (hips muds vat
length upon the prefent occafion ; whatever he 11...
to fay would come more regularly when the papers,
which ft was the objet of the /voile Lord's hretion
to obtain, thould be made the' foundation of Come
lisecifretefehnionr.• He would not (brink from the
difcuffion. There . wils- doe :point, however, upon
which 'he would, even at the prefent Ilage,of tit
~ooceeedings, declare himfelf. If there were any
Same applicable to the repairing a (hips hrthe mer-
&tots'. yaccts, that:Toe, he beggedto be =den
Rood, he vrould &din y take upon himfelt liewonkl
acknowledgef that he had adviled and recommended
1 that the King's this &told be repaired in thelner-
chains' yards, and for this reafon, becaufe he thought
in the aloe in which our navy was, it could not be
kept up without having retort to the facilities for re•.
pairing it, afforded by the merchants' yards. Upon
the propriety-of that meafure, he challenged difcuf-
#oll9 and would be happy to meet the Noble Lind
*ben the folsjed thould be fairly brought before the
Uoufe. As to the calculations With which the Unufe
had been entertained, it would be premature in him
Ns' dircufs them then ; whenthey fbould be regularly
before their Lordfliips, he would have an opportu-
lacy of enquiring into them, and making deduaions
frum them by no means favourable to the conclufions
drawn by the Noble Lord. If he were to be deno-
minated a culprit, becaufe he had contra fed for the
,Iph
knilding of (hips in the private yards, he would only
fly, that he had offended in common with alma
livery Board of Admiralty, except the left, that had
ever exilled in the country. The principle upon
ich they did fo was one of the molt powerful, it
was one of prong neceffity. It would not be poffible
to keep up the navy of this country in time of war,
to maintain it with that formidable and commanding
atpea which it ought tupreferve, without having re.
' enerfe to building in the merchants' yards. It Was
....poirtkile that tome new fyftem might have been elle-
bliibed, Come egregious and notable difcovery, fuper-
ceding the wifdom of all former Admiralty Boards,
might have been made, but neither he,nor thole with
whom he had seed, thought that the honour, the
advantage, or the fecnrity of the country, would be
confulted by a rat). departure from the fyfiem which
had been fo long and to beneficially aged upon. He
would, at the fame time, frankly acknowledge, that
he did not think that the merchants' yards were to be
built in out of choice ; they were employed from ne-
ceTty in time of war, beeaufe the Royal yards
were not-fufficient to meet the exigencies of the ter-
lice. Whenever the comparative expence of build-
ing in the King's and the merchants' yards thoeld
fairly' become the fubjed of ccrnfideration, he would
not decline entering upon the comparifon. As to
what the Noble Lord had advanced refpeaing the
hes-reale of the price in building fhips of war, and
the inferences to the difadvantage of the prefent Na-
val A.dminidration, which he fuppofed he meant to
draw from the comparative rates of prices he had
awed fat:, :he would elk, was there WC of their
Lordihips who could expekto build a houfe now foe
the. fame funs it would have colt fifty or twenty
years ago i The Noble Lord, he underflood, meant
to bring forward the quellion, and it was to be the
priqcipal °hied of his motions on another day, whe-
thef it would be advifable to continue or abandon en•
tireir the praittice of building in private yards? That
wo dbe'll Fiir•tuode Of tinning it to iffie, and om
upon which he would hart no reluctance to meet thf