The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-10-26


That seamen who have become wholly unfit
for active service, are, in place of being dis
charged & rewarded. according to their me-
rits q their suifermgs, transferred to ships on
ha,bor duty, where they are placed under
o'hcers wholly Inacquainted With their cha
racter and former conduct, who have no O.
ther means TO estimate them, but on the
scale Of their remaining activity and bodily
strength where there is no distinction
made between the former petty officer and
the common seamcn; between youth and
age and where those worn out and wound
ed seamen, who have spent the best part of
their lives, or have lost the health i'm their
service OF their Country, have to perform
DUTY more iaborious than that of the convict
feions IN the dock yards and with this re-
markable distinction. that the labours of the
latter have known termination. That tho
the seamen, Il us transferred, & thus employ
ed, have all heen IL valid, they ae permitted
to re enter SHIPS Of var on actual service Sc.
mat such is the nature of the harbor du: =,
that many, in order to escape from it, do SO
lie enter there being no limitation as to the
number of times of their being jpvali
ded, or that OF their re-entering. That
to obtain a discharge from the navy. by
purchase, the sum eighty pounds sterling is
required by the Admiralty, which together
with other expences, amounts to twenty
tunes the crilSina bounty, and is equal to all
thata seaman can save, with the most rigid
economy. during the average period in which
he Is capable ot,service that this sum is
demanded alike from men Of all ages and of
all lengths OF scryitude from those pen
stoned for wounds, and also from those IN
Vai'ded Tor harbor duty; thus converting the
funds OF Greenwich & the reward of former
nj IL,
w /; that such is the horror which seamen
haVe OF this useless prolongation of their
captivity, that those who are able, in order
10 escape from it, actually return into the
hands of government ali these fruits of theip
toll which, formerly, sliey looked to as the
means OF some little Comfort In their old
age. That besides these capital griev ances.
tenoing to perpetuate the impress service,
there are others worthy the serious atten-
ton OF this House. That the petty officers
and seamen on board OF His Majesty's ships
ana vessels OF war, though absent on foreign
stations Tor many years, receive no wages
'tnUl their return hems, and are of course
deprived OF the comforts which those wa
ges PAID at short intervals, would procure
them that thus is now more severely felt.
OWING TO the recent practice of postDnning
declaration Of war until long after the war
has been actually begun 5y which means
the Navy rs deprived under the name of
Detroits, OF the hrst fruits and greatest pro-
portion OF the prize money 10 which they
nave heretofore been entitled and thus. 81
ny the exa limitations of the Courts of ADM
ra'ty, the proportion of captures which at
last devolves to the Navy is much toe small
10 pfodnce those effects which formcrlS.
were so beneficial to the COUNTRY 4; that
while their wages are withheld from them
aSroad' when paid at home, which. to pre-
vent desertlon, usually takes place on the
Gay beiore they sail out again, having no op =
por'n,hty TO so on shore, they are compel
ca 10 oey Stops OF Jews ON board, or receive
tlem from Government Is per cent higher
oeing PAD IN Sank notes, they are ma.
turally Induced to exchange thsm for
money Current III oiher countries, and which
&c IS notorious that they do at an enormous
ioss that che recovery of the pay and prize
money by the WIDOWS, children, &c relatives
Oh seamen, is rendered as difficult as posi-
Die anu hhaiiy, the regulations " in re-
gard to passing Ut the examination reoui-
SITE, previous To an admission TO the bene
hrs OF Greenwich Hospital subject the disa.
oied seaman 10 so many difficulties, and to
such long delsye, that in numerous cases.
he is compelled to beg ais way in the pur-
SUIT OF boon, the amount of which, even in
sYent oil The 'nss of both eyes, or both arms.
does not egoAi that of the common bogrd
wages OF a fIotman. That one of the best &
strongest motives to meritoriOus conhnct in
military and naval men. is the prospect of
promotion, While such promotion IS, at the
same time, free ~ additional expeuce 20 the
nation ; but that in the British naval ser
wee, tais powerful aud honorable Indictment
mas ceased to exist seeing that the means of
re"arulh5 merit has been almost wholly with
drawn from Naval Commanders in chief nm
DER whose inspection services are performed
in TACT 1t Is matter of perfect notorlety
mat II has become next toimpossible for q
merltorious subordinate petty officer or sea
NAN to rise to the rank Of Lieutenant that
III scarcely any instance promotion of en-
IS now TO be obtained In the NAVY
through any other means than what is, cal
led Parliamentary interest--that il the
corrupt influence of Boroughs.
That owing to- these causes chiefly. tho
crews OF His Majesty's ships Of war, have.
IN general, become in very Considerable
degree worn out and aisheartened. and in
adequate TO the performance, with their
wonted energy and effect, eft those arduous
duties which belong TO the Naval service
and that hence has arisen by slow and i'm
perceptible degrees, the enormous sugmsn-
tatIon OF our ships and men, while the Naval
force OF our enemies i. actually much less
than in former years. That asa remedy
Tor this alarming rational evil, il is absolute.
~ necessary that the grievances ofthe Ma
w, some OF which only have been recited A.
Dove, should be redressed that a Limitation
mi he ior fNfo -.