The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-02
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH a5.
STATE OF THE NAVAL DEFENCE.

Mr.. Pitt rofe and ftated, that his object, in the
| 6rft place, was an addrefs to his Maefty for a
copy ofan account, fhewing the number of fhips
of the line, so gun fhips, frigates, and Hoops of
war in commitiion on slit Dec. 1898, 1901, and
1903, distinguishing thoie acting as guard ships,
&c. &c. His Object in this motion was to OBJ
tain diftin9 and accurate view ofthe fate of
the naval defence of the country, at three peri
DDS of danger, when the country was threaten
| ed with inva6on, but when that danger was in
| iiniteiy lefs than at prefent. At the commence
| ment of the prefent war, 1t occurred to the
| lords of the admiralty, that an addition to the
force they employed in fhoal water was necef-
fairy, and they advertifed that they were ready
to contract for the nccefary vefels but he
would ak why was 70 very ef1ential a meafire
not thought of fooner And the affonfhment of
gentlemen would be great when they heard that
only in January, so4, they had given.orders
| for the contribution of 25 gun-boats, FIVE of
which were to be ready in three months, and
the remainder in fix. When we faw the vigor-
| Gus meafures OF the enemy, faw them in the fine
| weather increaing their flotilla, under the very
eye of our feet, and fince then augmenting
their numbers from two or 500 boats, in the
! port of Bouogne alone, to 1000, independent
! of the ornaments at Flufhing, Dieppe, the Tex
! el, and the Flemish ports, and when we had
been told by Minifters that the invafon was ex-
pe6ted by them every day, and that it was only
pofponed becaufe the enerny's preparations
were on mott immenfe fcale and when it was
known they had 81 ftout giiD-boats to accom-
/ pany their fotilla, yet the admiralty, in the
month of January only, gave orders for the
contribution of 25 boats of fimilar def.r-r,t;-
on. He then itated, that in 1894 and 1897, e.
nilar orders had been ifued for gun-boats, and
they were completed in ten weeks. On flu
ture day he fhould take an opportunity of mo-
win od fr iaHx L..
majety to give directions for additional expcdi-
ton on the part of Government to repel the G.
nemy, and for defending the country. Tie
next motion he intended now TO offer was, for
copies fthe orders iiiued for building vefels
by contract for the year 1904, fpecifying tine
rates at which flch contracts had been made
and the time when fuch venels were to be COM
pieted. Thus would the preparations made Iaft
war be contracted with thoft in the prefeut.----
The next point was one OF equal moment,
namely, whether the navy did not require thu
addition OF new ihips. Every nan knew there
were two modes of keeping up the navy, either
by building veiielS in the Kings dock-yards or
the yards of the merchants, and he believed if
the naval hiftory Of the country was confulted
it would be found that 2-srds of our war-veGes
were built in merchants yards It was
impoffible almof, to build in the Kings yards,
etpecially during war, and in the courfe of the
been added to the navy, but they had all been
laid down long antecedent to the rupture.
From the period of the prefent Board of adlni-
rally coming into office only two line of battle
4, ihiPs had been contracted for. He tatcd there
were ihips unoccupied on the river Thames at
the prefent moment, which might be employed
| IN laying down fourteen or fifteen fail of the
line. In following up this idea, he fhould move
for an account of all fhips of the line built fince
1901, to the prefent period, distinguishing the
dates of the orders for their being laid down,
when complicated and, with regard to the pre-
fent time, he naturally might indulge a with to
know when any more might be fnifhed.
The next head of enquiry refpe6ting IN aug
mentation of the naval force, and alfo TO afcer-
tain what had been done in confequence of the
exertionS of Minifters. On this part ofthe fub-
jet, likewife, he believed he fhouId move an
address, in order, in fome way, to quicken the
movements of Minfers. After defcanting at
. iome length on thefe topics, MIR. Pitt conclud-
! ed by moving an address to his maiefty for an
account of all lhips of the line. fifty gun fhips
frigates, Hoops, hired cutters, &c. in commiffi-
on on the SLIT of December, 1898, 1877, and
1903.
Mr.. Tierney felt this to be one OF the NOT
extraordinary proceedings ever brought for
ward in Parliament. The right honorable gen.
tleman hadftated the country to be in extreme
danger, not by the cheering fpeeches of which
he formerly was 70 profufe, but by bringing for
ward motion of gloomy defponding COM
pleX'on----and what was extraordinary TO de-
gree, he bad founded that enquiry on no one
individual ground on which, in his mind, it
could be at all ftened 10 by the houfe. 1t feem-
ed peculiarly ftrange, that when no dilcontent
againit the King government exifted, the ho-
norable gentleman flIould breach fuch bufnefs,
| Here there qvaJ ahM cry gfbear, hear, from
MI parts oftbe boHc Mr.. Terney paufcd for
an Infant, and returned ----I repeat there is no
dlicontent IN the country againlt minifers,
though mufl admit there is much Glamour az
prefent around me and when / quit this
houie, ihall wonder how ! got into fuch
place III 10 tranquil country. In order at all
70 inbitantiate his charge of remifnefs againft
the admiralty, the right honorable gentleman
ought to have ftated, that our conveys of rneT-
chantrnen had been captured, and that the enc
my's fleets had eicaped he had done no fuch |
thing but by blclniding and backbitiue, he |
Wlhed todetract from and iniure the character
OF mott gallant and illuftrious admiral. How
long ago was it, ne begged the houfe to recol-
eet, iince the right honorable gentleman, in his |
al-poweriui eloquence, panegyrized Lord St. !!
Vincent? He had given him gaudy charac-
ter, and fad, you may fufpett and doubt any
man introduce TO you, but Lord st. Vincent |