The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-05-12


intended for the latter.--In the fame year
he defroyei boat by this inviiblc agen-
cy.
M. St. Aubin, member of the tribunate,
fome months iince publiiheI at Paris, an
account of diving-boat, invented by an A
merican named Fulton ; in this at Havre,
the inventor remained an hour under water,
made half league of way in that time, the
boat moving horizontally at various depths,
and the compass traveriing as on the fur
face. In another experiment at Brett, MIR.
F. blew up lighter by machine attach
ed to his boat--this boat when above wa
ter, is rugged with two sails, and has the APP
pearance of common boat.
The boats lately built at Paris are report
edto be forrncd on the fame model, capable
ofreiifting any prefiure of water, and of con-
tanning Proviiions, &c. and ALTO ar for the
crew for fix or eight hours"
In the debate in the Birth Houfc of Com
mons on the 18th of March laft, on the
fubje6t of the naqa! defence cffhe country,
after the lengthy ipeeches or Meiirs. Pitt,
Tierney & Admiral Berkeley--Sir EDWARD
PRLLsw obferved," AS l very feldom
trouble the houle, hope may be per-
mitted to make few obiervations on
fubiect of which, from the profeflional ex-
perience have had, may be prefumed to
have fome knowledge. From the debate
ofthis night, there is one piece of Informal
tion have acquired, that the French have
got upwards of a thoufand veGels at Bou
iogne. 1 am glad to find that they ere ihut
up there re have one advantage in it
h. .. Il
any means Of knowing when they intend
to come out. know this much, however,
that they cannot all get out in one day, or
in one night either; and when they do
come out / trliit that our cockleiheils a.
lone, asan Hon. Adniralhas called avery ma
nageabie and very active part of our force,
will be able to give good account them.
Sir, do not really fee, in the arrangement
OF our naval defence, any thing to excite
the approximations of even the moft tinid
among us; on the contrary, l fee every
thing that may be expected from activity
and perseverance, to inipire us with conf
dence. fee triple naval bulwark, COM
pefed of one fleet acting on the enemv's
coat, another, coniifing of heavier
ihipS, ftationed in the Downs, ready to a6k
at a moments notice, and third clof.
to the beach, capable of deitroying anv
part of the enemy'S Eotilla that fhould ef-
cape the vigilance ofthe other two branches
of our defence. I beg pardon for troub
: ling the Houfe, An uni1er5al cry Of Hsar :!
Hear but accident brou ght me here, &
l intend that my fay ihould be as ihort as
poiiible-( Atgreat Laugb.)
In refpea to what has been faid ofbuiJd-
ing ihips by contract, I mutt confefs that ]
do.not much admire that mode of keepinq
upour navy. I'have feen fome ofthem, ]
particularly allude to the Ajax and AchiI-
}<e, that fyos SIX for t1rcnchITien. AS to gun
boats, they are the mott contemplate force
that can be employed gun-brigs, indeed,
are of fome ufe !; but between a gun-bric
and a gun-boat there is almoft as much DIFF
ference as between i1ip of the line and
frlgate. have lately feen half dozen of
them lying wrecked upon the rocks. As
to the poiii5ility ofthe enemy being able,
Z III Z marrow ssa,tc pats through blockading
+ and protecting f4uadrons, with all that e.
crecy and dexterity, and by thofe hidden
means that fome WORTHY people expect, l
! really, from apy thing that / have feen IL
the courie of my profeHional experience.
am not much diipofed to concur in it. I
! know, Sir, and can alIcrt with confidence.
that our navy was never better fupplied,
| and that our men were never better fed or
| better clothed, Have we not all the enc
my's ports blockaded, from TouIon TO
Flufhing? Arewe not able TO cope, any
where, with any force the enemy dare to
| iend out againft us I? And do we not even
oat number them at every one of thofe
| ports we have blockaded {? II ,youId
imack a little of egotifin, fear, were I to
! fpeak ofmyielf Hear Heart but as 4
perfon lately having the command of fig
( fhipS,f may be allowed to fate TO the
| Houfe how have been supported in that
| command.-Sir, during the time was ia
toned off Ferrol, had fhips paiIinc from
| The feet to me every three weeks or month
| and 10 much was the French cenmap-
der fhut up in thai port, deceived by thefe
| appearances, that he was peEfuaded, and 7
believe is to this very hour, that | had
| twelve fhips under my command and
that ] had two fquadrons to relieve each
other, one of fix iniide, and another of fix
outflde.
MefIfs. Wilberforce, Fox and others
fo.lowed-when the quefion on Mr.. Pitts
motion for an Official ftatement of the ma
val force, and the diRributioh of the lervi-
! ces was loft--13O to 2o1,
The fituation ofthe Britigl feamen in the
American fervice, fayS London paper, is
peculiarly hard, and demands the interfer-
ence of government. Mot of the Amer
can figates on this hatio;, have nearly hall
their compliment of EnsHfh feamen, VINO
entered that fervice during the peace: on
the accounts of the war reaching this, foln
of them got away from the American COM
/ modore's flip in the bay, and entered on
i board our men Of war and. al the farne