Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-12-02

Downie might have been saved.
The disturbances among the British searnen.
have been very alarming. The following extract
from the Morning Chronicle OF the 18Th Octo
Der, viii shew with how high hand these gen.
try had proceeded.
We are greatly concerned to state, that the
combination amongst the seamen at New Castle
and the neiglibourng ports assumes moro
alarming aspect. There is now a complete
cham OF boats thrown across the river
Tyne, md no vessel is allowed TO pro.
ceed to sea without regular permit: when this
is obtained from the committee of those refrac.
tory seamen, three boats are then unclaimed and
the ship proceeds on hervoyage. The following
IS am extract OF the copy OF the permit. 1t is a
printed form with blanks for the vessels name.
&c. The cords in Italicsare written {,
| " Permit the Thames, captain I'm. Norris
peiongsng to the port of Scar5ro' and bound to
'heport OF london, to proceed on lys pcyage.
Given under our2. conn;,. - N
of oaa ssp,. ' ISIS aO'h day North shields
IN very lew instances are passes granted; the
vessel mast not belong to Shields, and must on
" be ioasied with merchandise. The Ship own
ers arc determined not TO submit to any terms
but what they have formerly proposed.
Inc foiiowing particulars are in a Newcastle
Paper OF the 10th inst -
| Inc Seamen in this neighbourhood, notwith.
standlnS they had several meetings last week
with the ship owners and magistrates, still re.
man IN ain unsettled state. The ship owners
nave partly acceeded to the wishes ofthe seamen.
out the latter remain inhexibe to their first re-
Quest.
The proposals made by the ship owners on the
| ath INST were that they would recommend the
| COMMITTEE OF Insurance to order such ships as
have been short-manned to take adequate crews
and than th,(,
IcIrcumstances, would think necessary for the se
cure navigation of the vessels that care would
ne taken TO see the ships manned ACCORDING tn
tne recommendation of the Committee, and that
he insurance Committees would personally at
tend to see that their intentions rs to the manning
OF the ships were fully carried into effect The
committee expressed their opinion, that if this
were adopted. upon an average two extra men
would be employed in every ship.
The meeting held at North Shields ON the 9Th
INST was exceedingly numerous, and the follow
| ing spirited resolutions were unanimously adopt.
cd and signed by pa ship owners.
That this meeting does conceive that the
sup owners cannot, consistently with the respect
que 70 the existing laws, and the duty, which
on the present occasion, they feel they owe to
the public at large, concede any thing beyond
what is contained in the said proposals.
hat this Meeting feels an imperious duty TO
apprlse the adjoining Magistrates of North,lm
berland, Durham, and Newcastle, of the senti.
ments now expressed, and at the same time In
solicit of them, as guardians Of the public ne.ce
ample protection as well to such seamen as NAV
feel wiling to return to their duty as also to the
ship owners and public at large
The following account, seems TO give accounts
4 few days liter.
S0spEaLAND, Oct. II.
I" The riotous conduct of the seamen of the
ports OF Newcastle and Sunderland has been a.,
slightly noticed in the Newspapers, tlrat the.
country can hardly be aware of the extent of the
,n,seh'ef occasioned by those misguided men
~ IS now many weeks since any shipping have
been allowed TO depart from either OF these
ports, with the exception of few vessels bonnd
20 Ayhl'' boston &c. which have been permitted
20 san, win printed iiceRess from the new naval
-loTds, TO whom the masters were obliped to nav
los for every seamen which he had on board. (
20 make oath that his should not be delivered al
LONDON. The business of the rioters is conduct.
eti IN most systematic manner; they are govern
cd by committees, and the two ports are in regular
communication with each other; the most stric,
dlsciPi'ne IS Kept up amongst them" If any of
ur ' Douy ansents mmselffrom muster (Which
taxes place twice a day) he is punished by being
paraded through theprincpal street of the town
having his face smeared with tar and his Jacket
turned inside out; he is afterwards Obliged to
mount platform attached to poles set up IN tri-
angles for the purpose, where he remains at the
mercy oItne mob.
The numbers OF the seamen increase daily
and If some stop is not speedily put to their pro-
ceedingS, the country must suffer severely the
price OF Goals in London and other places depen-
dent on this port, will necessarily be greatly en-.
hanced, and the revenue arising from the duty
on that article fall considerably short it is cal
culated that there are at present upwards 1000
sal OF shipping9in the Tyne and Wear, all of
winch have lost one aud many of them two yoya
yes IN consequence of this stoppage, the duties
OF the cargoes of which would amount to $50.
000l. A'V'
" The civil power Of the neighborhood is alto
selher unequal TO the task of enforcing obedience
o The laws, and the handful of military in the
iisrict IS insufficient TO oyerawe so large a
body
6 The sailors of Shields paid visit to their
Fellows at Sunderland on the 9th inst they para.
ded the streets with drums and Aaps and after.
wards assembled on The town-moor 10 the amount
~ 1000. The shipowners of Shields have offered
NE men 81 wages per London voyage, or IL. per
month on foreign voyages, and to have their
ships well manned. The Sunderland ship owners
nave offered them Al. Is per voyage and to man
tbeir vessels agreeably to scale according 70
ourtheB, which offers have been rejected the
seamen are determined not TO give way. Sailor
wages from the port of London are, at present
SOS. per month";"
we are happy TO state, that the seamen of this
eown, whose conduct we noticed in our last, have