Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-05-10

ASSpSSeihS NAS0htStChOt VI
their crews; and when these were produ-
ced, he believed it waula be found
mat these gallant men had severely felt the
deplorable disadvantage unier which they
laoored trom this circumstance Another
very material point was, that of the sup
plies afforded to our fleets on the American
lakes. The noble viscount had boasted that
the supplies had not oalv been sufficient,
but much more than sufficient. That no.
bic viscount and his coadiutors had adopted
one notable device to secure a superiority
on the American lakes. They had con.
stracted ships in Chatham docks seishs.A-
e'erIcan timber, then took them TO pieces,
and seat out the pieces to be carried up the
rapids, and T." be put together again on the
lakes. Such were the wise and ingenious
proIects OF our naval administrators, In
tended no doubt to save expense, and an
swer the purpose of expedition. He should
therefore move for an account of the ex
penses OF building one of these ships, and
sehulnS out the pieces in this manner.--
IL was Known to their iortlships that at the
close OF the last session, we had al last gain.
ed the superiority on lake Ontario by the
construction of one ship larger than any
that had been built by the Americans
Yet, notwithstanding the boosted supply of
stores to our fleets on the lakes, he had
oeen informed, that had it not been for
the accidental arrival off the American
coast OF sonc of our ships of war with part
Gt tae troops which had belonged to the
luke al NVeliIh6ton's army, that ship could
not have ocen fitted out frOln the want of
stores and supplies of various descriptions.
The Conlaur. the Ajax, aud the other shios
ot war Weich had arrived with these trooDs.
mad sacn supplied something which she
Could spare, IN order to have the ship In
| question ntted out ; K without this accidental
assistance, she could not have been fitted
eHe at all He should, therefore, move for
| the correspondence with the Canadian Co
vernmenl relative to the building of ships
on the lakes. Another point deserved at
tention; he alluded to the protection afFor
| ded to our trade. With RESPECT 20 this. he
| remained of the same opiniea as before, no
! thinS Ike adequate protection had been
gIvea. lie was anxious likewise 10 call their
| ioruships attention TO q circumstance un :
precedented ia the annals OF t.,e British ma
| Wy It was said that Instructions lad been
sent oy ehe Admiralty TO IlIe Captains of
| our tIigates to avoid an enEagetn mt with
! the American frigaSes. In this house. the
walls OF ~.ucA eXHiOiteti - nae aorabis in
| stance OF our naval triuclphs-a, this house
! where so many sat who had been enno6led
| by their naval achievements, could il be
| cndured, without appropriate Indignation
| mat instructions should have been sent Ia
avoid coping with the American frigates
| Yet such instructions had been understood
to have been sent. The Admiralty havino
| with their eyes open suffered the proner
season TO pass without constructing of a
class hi to meet the American frigates-and
having, when too late, discovered their error.
they found themselves obliged to attempt a
| remedy, by sending Instructions to avoid
! engaging with the enemy. Had such i'm
| structions been really given or not. He
hoped the noble vscount would be able 20
tell that they had not been given: but still
| II could not be forgotten, that the captaiu of
a British frigate was said to have been com
! PEELED to shew his Instructions, to prove
| that he had been ordered to avoid an en-
! gagementI He hoped and trusted it would
not be SAID. that because the war was now
at an end It was therefore unnecessary to
enquire into these matters. He coneratu
rated the house and the country that we
were now al peace with America. Though
the war had been conducted on our part in
manner much more advantageous and no.
! noraDle, still he should say that peace was
desirable, the very moment it could be pro-
cured on reasonable terms. On that point.
| therefore, he heartily congratulated the
! mouse and the country but still he believed
he could make out case which would shev
the necessity Of inquiry. II this country
| were tobe great Country at all, it must be
| by means OF its navy. But our naval force
was not in reality so large and efficient as IL
| appeared to be, and it would well become
their ioi dShips to cause an enquiry tn be in
| stituted, in order to ascertain whether there
was not something radically wrong in the
| whole system-wheiher in the construction
! OF our ships VIC are not much Inferior 10
other powers, and we ought not to get rid
ot'many useless ships, that the remainder
might be rendered more eHsctive.-This
was naturally naval country, and he trust
! ed ere long that the subject of the state Of
| our navy would be seriously taken uD. No
| subject surely could be OF greater impor-
lance, or could better deserve the atten-
ton Of their lordships and the British ma :
| ton.
Lord DfefUiAe said, it was not his inten.
| ton to oppose the motion, with the exceD
ton Of the last branch of il but there were
two topics in the noble sarl's speech to
which he wished to reply, The first was the
charge OF deficiency in manning cur ships.
| winch rendered them unfit to encounter he
American crews, and that our crews ought
To consist OF picked men as they are. Ii
was very easy to say this \; but if the noble
Earl meant to convey that it was possible
TOT us to do so, he had teen guilty of an alb
surdity so striking, that i, was not secessary