Star.
London, England, 1804-03-01 00:00:00

he isieembent on all men in their rogation to do,
they have fought and obtained advice of able and
experieneed officers, and what thefe have recom-
mended no doubt the former have adopted. This
applies to the entrenched camp at Chelmsford. of
which fn much has been obter ved. The Hon. officer
has recommended military depots : two quetlions are
to be confidered in that 'vitae& not only where they
are to be fituated, but whether, under the prefent
circumßances. they are at all expedient
CoIoneICRAUFURD and General MAITLAND
having exchanged a few words in explanation on the
armed peafantry, t
Atlnural BERKELEY rofe, and fpoke to the fol.
lowing purport : I was brought up nodal. the Noble
Lord who is now at the head of the Aril:trinity, and,
from my gratitude towards him. and my reverence
for his charafter, it is with great reludanee I deliver
my fcntiments is oppofition to the conduit of that
department over which he prefides. My pain on this
occafion is, however, relieved by the neceffary abfence
of the Noble Lord from the fcene of his public duty,
which has oceafioned the butinefs to devote: on the
juniors in that national eitabliihment, to whom the
errors are to be attributed. There is not an officer
in the Navy, from the higheft to the lowelt, who will
not acknowledge, that the preparations are inade-
quate to meet the exigencies of the times. Oar coatis.
tnftead of being in a refpeetable Rate of defence, in
many points of importance are expofed and ;dun-
I boned. There is as much refemblance between a
Grit rate fhip and Noah's ark, as between the fyßem
of defence that might have been adopted and that to
which thefe Agents have retorted. I have heard' it
faids by a Lord of the Admiralty, that the enemy
have nothing but filling boats. This petty craft
turns nut to be &ft rater and 74 grin (hips, as nu-
merous as our own. &fides thefe, the French have
4 or seso gunboats, to which we have nothing to
oppoft. What apology can be urged for this teen-
dalous neglect ? f thought myfelf extremely happy
when I heard an Hon.. Friend of mine pledge him-
felf that this fubjecl ihould meet a folemn enquiry.
It is not prudent to Ict the enemy land upon oilr
coafts ; we Ilteuld have a naval force of every de.
feription, competent to meet the foe on the ele-
tnent to which we are accultomed ; and the ncgleft
of thefe means of ptoteeltion calls-for the feverell
cenfure."

Capt. MARICHAM.—What has been raid on the
filbjett of the Naci,• ought to have been fubmitted to
the attention of the Houle under an exprefs motion,
indeed of being-thus knhandfomely intruded into this
debate (Gen then sear a viekst cry of Order): I hear
the words impedimentary language whifpered near
me, but I mutt be permitted to exprefs myfelfftrong-
ly, when I feel fo acetcly the ()Nervations of the
Hon. Admiral. The faculties of the -Noble Lord at
the head of the Admiralty are in their full ftrength
and exercife, but how much advantage the Hon.
Admiral may have derived from the early applica-
tion of thefe powers may not be fo eifily afeertamed
he has, however, fo far trolled to his difeernment,
as to attribute the blame of all the negleet he has
complained of to the young perfons who have been
principally aßive in the naval department. With
regard to my own experience. I than think it decent
to be Mem; but the fame referve will not be nicer-
fay in regard to my colleague. The fill voyage he
performed was a fervice of no lets than twelve years
in the Eatt Indies. I will not he In difrofpeNful to
the Hon. Admiral, as to enquire of him in what ft-
tuation of foreign fervice lie has been engaged. The
Hon. Admiral admits, I think, that in the prefent
Rate of the coafk of Boulogne, forming one immenfe
battery, it would be impoffible for our frigates to
make any imprefrion, yet he teemed inclined to infi-
nuate, that the boats, in r...peet to which fo much
negleft had been committed, might have made a con.
fiderable impreffton on the enemy. This affertion to
me appears wholly ineomprehenlible. It has been
laid we ought to have a vail number of fmall boats
to oppofe the fimilar craft of the enemy. Alifurd
and ridiculous ! Gentlemen may (mile at the phrafes
I employ, but aecuttomed to the hard duties of my
profeftionlhave adopted the coarfenefs ofits language,
fo unusual within thefe walls. If the Hon. Admiral
be fo much attached to this craft crawling along the
coati. and thinks fa highly of its utility, I have no
d. nbt the Admiralty will be difpaleel to coincide
with his wiates, and to give him a terponflble tom.
*nand. The Honourable Colonel laid, guns were
not ranged along the coati, and teemed to me to at-
tribute blame to the Naval Department for this omit
Pion. Does not that Hon. Member know that this
matter devolves on the Ordnance, and has no relation
whatever to the former ? yet, when I point nut where
the duty lies, I mull giblet we, that there appears to
me no part of the public fervice performed with more
promptitude and ability than that to which I am now
referrang. Ido not with minutely to eater into the
quellion how far the boats dclerve that confeonerre
which has been attributed to then) ; but this I may
aftirm, that it was impoifible to M the unreafonable
expeetations of ceruin perfons; and that, bilked of
there being any real obteelion on the gmund
Come of them were fitted out within much expedition,
particularly at Deal. that they were not properly
provided, and the real utility was facrificed to expe-
dition. The Hon. Colonel fail further, that the rate
of infurance was no indication of the aNivity in the
Naval Department. beraufe Bonaparte had convert-
ed aU the privateers into gun boats, and hence he
argued no tick of capture was inclined. Bonaparte
did not poffels that discernment which I am dilpofed
to attribute to him. if he brought theft privateers
and their crews from any ufcful engagement fu long
before he wanted them. to suite him in his projeN ut
invasion. Tile teal laa is, he was chargeable with
no Inch aR of impolicy ; t.o captures could be made
beconfe the vigilance of the Admiralty had blocked
up the force of the enemy. Hence stole that eon&
dence in the rcercantiie intereil. to which 1 appeal,
and hence that adsamageous rate °flamenco which
I confider the bell criterion, by which an opinion of
that vigilar c mat be formed.
After a few words in explanation from Colonel
Caswraan.
Cr.lorel E If we hid nett adopted
die Volunteer :•) ..e r, vh rh has been treated w
to tone!: nom,. • • d con: .nict. it i. pr °bah),
;bar. At l• •',t6u'rld have had the enemy
in the he is t oi . . It hat been ailetted,

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