The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-30

na' we couu muster IN this country was three sail
OF the line, and one ship was fitted out TO 90 to
America. The government had, he supposed, since
seen their error, for they had now got a fleet Of
eight or ten sail Of the line, which he hoped and
trusted they would keep up; or, if they did not he
trusted that the house would put them (the govern
ment) down Hear, bear.l He did hope that they
should not see the day when the men would be
turned adri, and il should be le to accident man
those ships in time of need The right honorable
and gallant officer had stated that he surprised
that the ships were manned SO quickly. He (Sr
c. Napier) could not say SO much for their quick
ness The first ship had been commissioned in De-
cember last; five months had since elapsed and
they were not gone yet
''Sr G. Cockburn. They are not ready.
"Sr c. Napier. No, they are not readyj but
how was that They had been commissioned at
plymouth, and had gone on TO Portsmouth fully
manned and equipped, and now they had to have
their bottoms examined again before going to sea.
Why had they not been put into dock and properly
examined before they were equipped and manned'
Hear, hear That circumstance alone showed a
great deal of bungng on the part of the admiralty.
If they wished to make the navy popular profess
sion, they must give up all their notions aboul
economy, and fully man all the ships they sent to
sea, else the sailors would be discontinued at the
amount of work which they had to perform; and
they would be told, as they had been told on a
former occasion, that lit was all hands all day, and
everybody all night ['Hear, hear and laugh.
Instead of ten sail of the line improperly, he would
much prefer having six sail properly manned; for It
was not SO much the number of men that caused
expense, as the actual wear and tear of the ships
Every ship, he commended, should be fully manned,
so that it should be ready to 60 to sea at any time.
But that was not the case at present; for if war
were to take place with America at that moment they
would be obliged to turn over the men from one
ship into another, and then have to set to work TO
re-man the ships from which they had taken all the
L. L. lii L-.s sh...
would have nucleus formed of good seamen, and
might then complete their numbeg with landsmen.
stake the case of steamships" continued the
old Commodore "True, they might have plenty
of good stokers and men who could haul at an an
Choir; but where were they to find such seamen as
the service actually required, and formerly boosted
of-men OF experience and courage-men who, IN
the midst of rain and storm, could mount the rig
gng, and, if the ship were in difficulty, succeed in
getting her out of III They were really going from
bad to worse. Their coasting trade and nursery
for seamen already greatly damaged by steam
boats; and what remained of that trade would he
apprehended, soon be monopoized by railways.
He maintained, therefore, that the service had to
look to itself, and itself only, for supplying properly
qualified seamen."
The Spectator" heads its review of this debate,
"Digracefid Confessions about the Many" and makes
this important assertion SIT is clear that if there
were war, it would be impossible to man the ma
Wy, without reviving impressment; and that, stimuli
taneously with receiving the announcement of war,
Parliament would be called upon to sanction rev-
val of the practice. 1t would not only be most obi
Gus, but most dangerous Since impressment was
las: resored to- the poorer classes have made great
advances in knowledge; and they would not prove
easy drive and to silence while driving. Even
smonp sailors some knowledpe has crent. and the
Parkers of the navy (aluding to the celebrated mutt
ny in 1877 would not be few, nor confined to the
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