The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-09-27 00:00:00

tN .4 VAL PROTECTION.
[At a moment when every day's post from the
*dopreditions

tiiitat, brings accounts of , , ripe% Bri-
tish commerce, to an extent of which there is 110
example in our former wars with France, the fol-
lowing Memorial, which, we understand, was pre-
sented to Mr. GRENVILLE, when at the head of
the Admiralty, and, we believe, to the present
First Lord, will not he uninteresting. • The plan
tecummended in it was acted upon by Mr. GIIEN.
VILLE, greatly to the advantage of the commercial
interest. Why it has been th,c:mitinueds remains
to be respiring:it.]
" From October to April, there has always ap-
peared on the part of the French, a regular plan
is all their ports atoll outlets, from Cherlmurg 4o
Dinikirk, of prierteering in wretched, but suit-
:6le and iniseliievotis craft against the shipping of
Great Britain ; this has usually been attetidvd
with too much success against the coasting-trade
ill general, and, in particular, on the important
aid estensive era le• of provisions from Ireland;
of which a greater proportion is brought forward
f if the special isle of the nary and army.
" The s: verity of the weather, and the great
darkness of the season, (rout short days and fogs,
make this time most suitable to such depredations..
Shipping, under the British flag, with the,
coasting trade, forming an endless chain of Iran.
sit on our coast, these attacks cannot tail of a
success greatly disproportionod to the pecuniary
risk of their adventure ; and equally disgraceful,
-vexatious, amt highly injurious to our national
power and cimimercial property.
" lie this manner, great losses were sustained
In the last e Jr, (ruin the Scilly Isles up to North
Yarmouth, which, daring the scarcity of thusJ
tunes, were severely felt in the loss of grain and
H,ur, and i i the interruptions to their transit.
" But in the two winters immediately preced.7
log the termination of that war, (1799-1800,
and 1800-10 a system of defence appeared la Isc
practised, which very greatly decreased this evil,
aiid protected the trade. It was, perhaps, the
plan of watchiag by particular .and appointed
crahers fur the whole of the winter, each har.
boar and outlet on-their coasts by such inertias, iu
a manner, blockaded.

4'4 Is the winter which' followed the commence-I
mut of tha present hostilities, few efforts appear
to have beets niade on the part of the enemy, he.
tug unprepared, or too much restricted by 'Mess_
tiuts to Boulogue; or prevented by the expectation
of a defence, amid of precautions, similar or greater
than those by which their.excursions had been re-
io,•sseti before the termination of the latt war.
"In the la-t winters (1804.5, and 1105-6).
trof tiade has not passed slung our own Southern
shores with equal impnutty : the losses by the
''a despicable but destructive marauders,
Jove been vary triany and severe.
" The nature of this evil is to increase as long
as hostilities continue between the two countries.
Why t=ae enemy has not always made much greater
(more nuincrotts) efforts at this sort of hostility
it is not easy to conceive.
" AU the defence that is possible is surely due,
end called for in a national point of view: it does
itJt concern mere coinourch only, bar the pro-
doctions of the suit, the real -I".eitee and strength
of the country. tso tisterroption to the coasting
trade is d Spel'it'S of siege, mitt the nearest step to
landing and pisfering from the fields and towns on
the coast.
Cutivoys, o bids arc a confusion of the danger,
are but .an ittconvestient palliative .of it ; they in.
crease much the &lays, aistl add something to the
consmon risk to .tavigatiun, and they do nut entirely
defend : sonic uf the severest losses of this kind have
bein sustained under convoys, which seem Only
to halve collected the vessels fur the greater con-
of capture in isatish.os, instead of singly,
bad 111,7 Vela n ithout convoy.
46 If the French fit their loggers, sloops, fishing
smacks, and open row-boats, and may, nith im-
punity, leave their own coast in them, they can
hardly, perhaps to.vur did, fail to do great mis-
chief by their expeditions; cats they be prevented'
" Intimidation alone would do much to check
their enterp.ise : even now, it is probable) that
the paucity of fishermen, smugglers, and other
Sailots) and, among these, the dread of an English
prison alone, restrain much more numerous outfits,
and save British property from much more exten-
sive spoliation. The experience of a sharp look-
oat smith active and proper vessels, would have its
lull effect to increase this apprehension.
" The points of attack are naturally the liead-
lancb ; the Start, Portland, Bary-head, Beeehy.
head, Se. It is often found or fancied, that, in
the winter season. there are &sufficiency of cruiz.
tars in the bottom of the harbours, bays, or creeltst
min our coasts, which, Os that .situation, are Use.
it:), fur protcctiont sod too distant fur pursuit.
the ca• of convoy, it has been observed, that
the convoy leading has weathered a point, while
the psleatoer, unperceived, has carried off the
beery and slew vessels to leeward, and out of
silltt of their protection.
Can this mischief be guarded against, and its
and a!)ove all, its increase in future,
b. prefoisted
•'• Perhaps it is practiCable ; eerbiinly it de.
serves all the attehtion necessary to put is us:: the
means which may be possible.
" fly hunibla notion is, that prevention is the
but remedy. I think it has bees tried heretofore,
and found to.be so. My idea of prevention is,
to appoint a chain ur routine of cruisers, of as.
proper description, to watch off our own head-
lands constantly, and tti blockade the outlets, from
Dunkirk to Cherifurgis; Dieppe, and its swigh.
bourbood, in pasticulate
44 This service Sallie winter is neither easy nor
seeMlic but it it is Pecessary, and would be a
airfoil mode- of-thtteope, Its difficulty would be mot
like others, which have been so nell supported
asid.surtnounted. by the usu.
•46 Ilibun the weather may be so heavy that our
vessels .rskiiiiut keep a 'Mims ou the opposite coast,
it is not-very favourable to the egress of the
}:cench ; and, w lite favaorable to that egress, it
s equally so for the cruisers to hug their shore,
on I Nt close Orin them.