Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-08-01

SrkssN NvrsAr,os.--A wt.er in the United
Service Journal for June makes the following re-
marks on this nationally important subject: |
by report lately laid before the House Of Com
mons, it appears there three hundred aud ten
steamvcsses employed at present, in Great Britan,
exclusive of those which belong to Governments,
which at the lowest computation must amount 10
Twenty-Five more. Now, surprising each stesin-ves-
sci TO accomplish much work three sailing
vclses, land that is low calcuation) these three
hundred and thirty five steamers have put Out of
employment upwards OF one thousand sailing vessels.
Suppose again. these sailing vessels to have carried
upon an average fire seaInen each, the number of
British merchant seamen must have been diminished
by a least flee thousand mcn-ond this loss is by no
means palliated by taking into account the number
OF amphibious beings employed board steam
selS these men have no more claim to be considered
seatncu than the hargcmen employed upon canal.
Having thus shown the effect produced by steam
navigation IN new, aud, tn Great Britain, certainly
not IN an encouraging point of view, may be Ques
toned, whether the advantages derived from the
acccieration of our commerce during peace may not
De more than counterbalanced BY tho difficulties we
shai experience in procuring seanen to man our
ncets IN war-Should the number Of steam vessels
GO on increasing. the number of seamcn EMPLOYED i'm
the coasting-trade must go on decreasing in q pro-
pnrtonate ratio, and is from this branch of the
merchant service, and not from the foreign trade our
royal squodrons have derived their chief means of
outfit IN cases of emergency, il will be impossible
from want of men, To astonish the world again as
we have frequently done before, by the rapid prcpar-
atom Oh naVai ornaments. The Thousand
prime merchant seamen already banished BY steam
would have been sufficient to form the nucleus OF
crews for at least Gwenty sail of the Incl Does not
the increase of steam vessels therefore manifestly
tend To endanger Great Britans naval superiority,
France, America, Russia, Spain, or even Algiers
may possess ms many steam Seunen as England -
-Four or hvc voyages Just to conquer the
would confer SUFFICIENT nautical knowledge upon The
crew OF steamers since it requires no further tactic
than siiff OF the helm to make the vessel 90 head
to wind before the wind, or in any required directions
the low nass and small sails are already prepared
Tor storm, and the small draft of water is security
against striking upon unseen rocks or sands. Very
trifiing experience, therefore, is sufficient to make
steam sdifors IN fact, of old women could soon
manage one of these tea kettle craft us ably as Ben
bow himself; but fifty years smoking ON board steum
or VIII never make n smart fore topman for n sailing
frigate II has been n subject of much speeula ion
as TO what effect the discovery of steam navigation
is likely To have III future war. No ono will deny
that the mighty power OF steam will materially alter
and perhaps augment the cadmties of warfare; still
1t rs not by steam vessels that great naval contests
will be decided As hreships, privateers ms gun.
boats, as convoy for trading ships as iende upon
the belligerent fleets as despatch vessels as tow
boats rs scourers of hostile aud harbours they
must srpass oil other vessels but great maritime bat
ties will rest as heretofore, upon ships of the line
and frigates. single shot in he machinery boilers
or even IN the chimney, OF steamer, would tonliy
disable her for the time being consequently till such
vessels can BIZ rendered shot proof not only their
huiis, but in their chimneys, they never be con-
sdered antagonists for the great Leviathans of Gle
deep"