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The feveral refolutions were read a first time, and on their fecond reading granting 120,000 men for the navy service. Sir Fahn Sinclair rofe and faid, that after a cool and careful deliberation on the fubject of the prefent refolution, he found himself countenanced and confirmed by a variety of what he deemed to be cogent reafons in the opinion he had on a late, occafion expreffed, namely, that the number of feamen propofed to be employed during the enfuing year, was by no means called for by the necellary fervice and exigencies of the itate, When he confidered the depreffed and ruined condition of the enemy's fleet, a fallen condition to which it was reduced by the fuperior fkill and gallantry of British feamen, he could not but reft fatisfied, that victories fo brilliant anddecifive as thofe which our navy had atehieyed, muit render a far lefs naval force than that hitherto employed fully adequate, to every purpofe of annoyance and defence. But when he. morcover confidered, that our exertions were now to be feconded and invigorated by the co-operation of Ruffia, of Turkey, of the Neapolitans, and the Portuguefe, which laft power feemed to have been overlooked by the right hon. Genileman (Mr. Pitt) in his fplendid and eloquent harangue on the good difpofitions and juft expectations of the Confederate Powers, he was further strengthened in the opinion, that alefs naval force would be neceffary; and he was more particularly impreted with the neceffity of turning the most feri-, ous attention of the Houfe to the labouring fituation of our finances; a fituation which pointed out occonomy as the great object that, thould now engrofs their exertions, and their thoughts, not that cold economy, as it had been characterifed by the right hon. Gentleman, but a vigorous, an. effential, and general economy, that fhould regulate the expenditure not only of one branch of the adminiftrative power, but an economy which fhould pervade and purify every department of the ftate. Feeling, as he deeply did, the necef fity of this vigorous and general economy, it was impoffible for him not to oppofe the refolution then before the Houfe.

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But he would now take an opportunity of adverting to, and animadverting on, the, diftribution of our naval force, which had been fo powerfully infifted on by the right honourable Gentleman. Upon this point, it was impoffible for him to obtain all, the neceffary information, it did not lie within his reach; such sources, however, as were acceflible to his examination, he had not omitted to confult; and they, offered many points which, in his mind, required fome ex

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planation. He had carefully perufed Steele's lift, and there he obferved, that we were now in poffeffion of 143 fail of hips of war: of thefe that 85 were employed in actual fervice; that 28 were fitting out, or refitting, in the different ports, and that no less than go fail of the line were actuaily employed as guard-fhips: and how 30 fail of the lite fhould thus be cooped up in a state of inertnefs that only accumulated idle expence, was what he could not think of without regret, and what loudly called for the most serious confideration of the well-withers to economy. He was the preceding day charged with holding opinions of a fingular nature; but the more he confidered them. the lefs he faw grounds for eliarging them with fingularity. What he advanced was, that a greater number than that called for last year, viz. 110,000 feamen, was not necellary for the fervice of the ensuing year in this opinion, he was countenanced by the fentiments that were then exproiled by a respectable and well informed member of that Houfe, not now present the meant Mr. Huf fey) Here the Speaker called the hon. Baronet to order and if 10,000 additional feamen were now to be voted, it would only be acting in defiance of a recorded and unanimous opinion of the Houfe, which laft year decided that 110,000 were fully competent to the fervice. Nor did he hetate again to affert, and that in the hearing of gentlemen who were well acquainted with the affairs of that period, that farely a greater naval force was not now called for, than was judged neceffary at the clofe of the American war. Then not more than 110,000 men were judged necellary, and yet the force of the combined hoftile fleets were then eftimated at one hundred and forty fail of the line. But the enemy did not now poffefs feventy fail of effective thips: there was therefore nothing like the fame number now necellary on our fide, and were the Houfe to vote a fupply of naval force in proportion to the now exifting force of the enemy, they could not well exceed fifty five thips. If there were thofe in the Houfe who felt fincerely defirous of promoting the cause of economy, now was the moment to evince that ferious defire, and to begin the urgent work of economy, where it might moft fafely and aufpicioufly be begun-the favourite part of our executive fyftem, the naval department. There were points upon whier he would beg leave now hortly to touch, and upon which were rrincipally grounded. his reafons for oppofing the prefent refolution --And first, on a fuppofition of a peace being fpeedily concluded; fecondly,

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on the idea that the War might be protracted for fome years longer; and thirdly, on the opinion that a Continental War was likely to recommence. Should peace be fpeedily concluded, what would be the refult? We now have 120,000 seamen, and 400,000 foldiers in pay; but our peace establishment would not amount to more than 30,000 feamen, and 50,000 foldiers: immediately therefore upon the conclufion of peace, we would have to discharge at once the immenfe force of 90,000 feamen, and 350,000 foldiers. But wife and prudent policy had always made it a rule to discharge fuch an enormous force as that mentioned, not in a mafs, but in certain proportions, and this morcover the flate of the country seemed to require; for he knew the country had lately experienced a scarcity of useful labourers, especially for the important part of agricultural purfuits, and this, it was clear, muft prove highly injurious to its deareft and most effential interefts. Secondly, fhould a war with France continue for a length of time longer, would not wildom and experience fuggeft the propriety of then carrying on the war upon as reduced a fcale as poilible? For the refources of every country, however flourishing in appearance, are well known to be bounded, fuch at lealt as depend upon the ufual means of public credit and taxation; and how cautious fhould we not be to guard against exhausting ours to the laft drop, by a blind and improvident profufion, This caution was hinted and enforced by an old political maxim; a maxim wife as it was old, that exhaufto ærario et imminente calamitate cavendum erat refpublica deferetur; and great indeed were the calamities that must be created by public profufion, and that naturally arife from an exhausted exchequer and in the third cafe, if a general war is renewed, fhould not our naval and other establishments be proportioned to the encreafed preffure which the enemy might feel; for while France and her Government are neceffarily distracted by a continental conteft, and her force divided, and confequently weakened, would it not be then the plan of a prudent government to curtail thofe expences which a ftate of lefs imminent danger and of encreafed fecurity would no longer render of indifpenfible neceffity? On thefe grounds and arguments the Honourable Baronet thought himfelf justified in his oppofition to any encrease of unneceffary burthens, and now was the time for him and every friend to the national profperity, to make a fland on the ground of effential economy. That our establishments

might be reduced by five millions yearly was offered to be proved last year by an Honourable Baronet deeply converfant with our financial affairs; and in this opinion he was. ready to coincide. Indeed no honour or reward, however ample or fplendid, that could be bestowed on Adiniral Lord Nelfon for his immortal fervices, could imprefs upon the mind of that gallant officer a more lively and folid fatisfaction, or which he would regard as the more precious fruits of his ever memorable victory, than to be permitted to fee that it tended to prevent his country from being overburdened and oppreffed. In thefe wifhes and endeavours for the adoption of a system of economy, he was refolved to persevere, and he would take every opportunity to exert them as became a Member of that House in animadverting upon the fituation of public affairs, and the conduct of thofe to whofe guidance they were entrusted.

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Mr. Thomas Wallace faid he could by no means agree in opinion with the Hon. Baronet who had just sat down, note withstanding the declaration he had made, that his fentiments upon the prefent queftion were the refult of a cool and careful examination. He could not help faying, that he was aftonished at feeing the Honourable Baronet perfift in his oppofition; for had he confidered, as he fays he has, the conduct of the department which fome Gentlemen had been pleafed to compliment, he might perhaps have difcovered that the compliment was not undeferved; in faying this hes did not arrogate any part of it to himfelf; but on the conduct of thofe who were more nearly engaged in that department, he did not fee that there could attach any blame, even. if their exertions had not been crowned with the brilliant fuccefs that had lately attended them. Thofe who were at the head of the Admiralty were known to pay the clofeft atten-, tion to their department, and furely the Honourable Baronet might do them the juftice to fuppofe that they were not. unacquainted with what was competent to the naval fervice. They were alfo as warmly difpofed to the exercise of economy as any defcription of Gentlemen in that Houfe could be, and with every difpofition to economy, they felt that they. muft prefs the fupply now demanded, because they knew it to be neceffary, and if fubfequent events fhould allow them to diminish it, they would be as forward as the Honourable Baronet to improve the opportunity. In the cafe mentioned by the Honourable Baronet for attempting a reduction of our naval establishment, he fuppofed he alluded to the conVOL. I. 1798. fequence

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fequences of Lord Duncan's Victory; our naval force, it was then fuppofed, might admit of fome reduction; the reduction was propofed and objected to; it afterwards however took place, and what was the confequence-Did not this attempt at economy prove unwife or unfafe, and a few months afterwards was not an application made to Parliament for an addition of ten thoufand feamen more? This part of the bufinefs the candour of the Honourable Baronet has thought fit to fupprefs; but if he argued on the fame principle, that a reduction fhould be made this year in confequence of Lord Nelfon's fignal victory, and if the reduction were made and afterwards repented of, what would be' the language of the Honourable Baronet? Would he not then fay, Did you not recollect what happened last year? or, Why did you not benefit by experience? The Honourable Baronet is also very pointed in his difapprobation of keeping thirty fhips of the line as guardthips. Whether he has confidered this point with the fame degree of coolness and caution it was rather difficult to fay, but the reafons of his difapprobation he has thought unneceffary to explain. But thefe reafons it might be allowable perhaps to guefs at. Does not the Hononrable Baronet diapprove of this part of the service merely because he regards the fhips fo employed, as keeping a number of men in a state of inertnefs, who might be applied to a fervice of greater activity? But, perhaps the Honourable Baronet did not know, or recollect, that thefe fhips were of the utmost utility to thofe on more active fervice; they ferved as rendezvous and depots for the new raifed men, who were from thence diftributed among the other fhips in proportion as they ftood in need of hands. For his part, therefore, he could fee no poffible benefit that could arife from this or any other reduction in the naval eftablishment on the contrary, he felt that any reduction must be attended with ferious and real inconvenience. The Honourable Baronet fpeaks of our naval effablishment at the close of the American War. One hundred and ten thousand feamen were at that time voted, though the enemy's force was then greater than that of France is now. But what was the conduct of Parliament after the glorious victory won by Lord Rodney on the 12th of April, 1782? Did they not follow up the advantages refulting from that memomorable day, not by taking away, but by adding ten thousand feamen to their previous eftablishment? In every war it was prudent to place our navy on a refpectable footing, and not merely

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