The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-27
Total. ...,..........,

Ao'oi'
'On this list Of IS have seen that 40 are in
missionthat is to gay, all but two.thirds of the
naming third there is little doubt that many could
quickly be got ready for sea. We have taken no
account Of their mercantile navy.
"This document, them should give matter of seri.
Gus thought to our Admiralty; but it is not only the
number OF the ships which should lie considered, but
by ,ohon, they are manned II is startling fact to
find that, at the present moment, out of the total
number of sailors by whom the United States navy
is manned, (6,l00,) that not above $50 native
born Americans; with the exception Of few
Swedes and Hanseatics, all The rest are Engiishmen
Their pay is fifteen dollars month, and two dol
lars per month additional if they do not draw any
grog ration In other words, their pay is equal to
E3 los. per month. An able seaman in our navy
receives but 3ss. the lunar month. .. . t..... y.
"Ths difference ofpay is not, however, Sufficient
to account forthe fact, although Of course, il must
be taken one Of the main elements in the calcu-
auon. For we believe that in our own merchant
service there never has been found any difficulty in
procuring an abundance Of good hands, able and
willing TO do the work. Now, the pay Of an able
seaman on board merchantmen vnries from 40s.
to Sos the calendar month, and when shore he is
off pay In the case of the royal navy, as SET. of
to this slight difference, there a'e these facts TO be
taken into account---contnuous pay, promotion,
pensions for wounds, and, finally, Greenwich hos
pal. ."' ."'' '''@
"Limted service land the same remark will apply
which would render the service more popular. 1t
Is idle TO say that this would be an alteration for
the worse, inasmuch you would loose man q
services practice and discipline had made
him valuable. Once a seaman, always a seaman;
and when free to change, we have little doubt that
Jack would remain contentedly where he was well
Off But a sailor lie just like another man; he does
not like 10 find himself cribbed and confined for an
indefinite period ..... -.
'Digitis morte remotus
Quattuor aut septem.
Although the strong probabilities arc that out
Of his hammock, he would never be quite easy till
he was back in it again. % ..' .s..a
"lncrease Of pay, at any rate to the level Of the
merchant service, is obviously necessary atera-
sailors in our own feet We are justified in sup
posing that the owners Of merchant vessels do not
give the seamen they employ more than the market
value Of their labor. How can IT, then, be supposed
that seaman should acquiesce contentedly in 30
very arbitrary an act that the government should
step in and say--No! whether you like it, or like
it not, you shall serve for smaller than you
could earn elsewhere; surely you would not dream
Of refusing your services to your native land the
price she chooses to FIX But, unhappily the sail
ors do dream Of refusing for in 1870, although we
had 300 900 registered seamen in active service in
the royal and mercantile navies 100000 men living
on the and by the sea- the greatest difficulty was
found in manning q few ships for summer
! cruise.
"what-the must be the resource ofthe govern
ment in case Of a sudden emergency To gram
press-warrsnts before. Surely it Is time that this
! inhuman and useless practice were done away with
at least that we should have recourse to il but "
last resort, when other means had been tried anC
failed, In no class Of men u there higher o.
nobler spirit Of patriotism than amongst British
sailors, nor u il Of their own choice that they FIR