Total supply for the navy for 1814....£12,350,606 7 6

A general impression prevailing that Mr. Addington and those who partook with him in the administration of the country, were not qualified to conduct the new war with sufficient ability and vigor, Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox united their power and interests to out-vote him in parliament. The first consequence of this singular and unlooked-for union between these two great men, was displayed in a motion made by Mr. Pitt, on the 15th of March, 1804, for an enquiry into the administration of the navy. He began by stating the object of the several motions which he meant to make: the first was for an account of the number of ships of the line and armed vessels of all descriptions, that were in commission on the 31st of December, 1793, on the 30th of September, 1801, and on the 31st of December, 1803. His object in making this motion, he declared to be to institute a comparison between the state of our naval strength at these different periods; and he thought, if his motion were agreed to, he should be able to convince the house, that the means of repelling the danger with which the country was threatened, were not nearly so great as they ought to be. The present admiralty, he contended seemed to consider that the sort of vessels peculiarly serviceable to protect the country against invasion were those of small burdens, and

yet in the course of the year, they had built only twentythree gun-boats, while in the same period, the enemy had built nearly one thousand.

In the year 1793, 1794, and 1800, when it was deemed necessary to build vessels of this description, a considerable number were got together in ten or twelve weeks; while the twenty-three which had been built were not finished in less than six months. The next motion which he meant to make was for an account of the different gunvessels built or contracted to be built at those several periods, for the purpose of drawing a comparison between the exertions of the former Admiralty, and the present board; ifthis motion were acceded to he would satisfy the house that government had contracted for only two ships of the line in merchant's yards, though it was known that during a war, the building in the King's yards was generally nearly suspended, as they were then quite occupied in repairing the damages which the ships might meet on service. He also stated that in the first year of the last war, we began from a naval establishment of one thousand seamen, which was increased in the course of the year to seven thousand; whereas we began the present war with an establishment of fifty thousand, which in the course of the first year was augmented only to eighty thousand men. Mr. Pitt concluded his speech, by moving his first resolution.

Mr. Tierney, the Treasurer of the navy, replied to Mr. Pitt: he stated the number of vessels, including ships of the line, frigates, sloops, and other smaller vessels to be five hundred and eleven :-block-ships nine :-lighters, and small craft fitted in the King's yards, three hundred and seventy-three: and the flotilla completely equipped and fit for service amounted to six hundred and twentyfour; making a total of one thousand five hundred and thirty-six vessels, equipped by that very first Lord of the

Admiralty, of whom Mr. Pitt spoke in such contemptu

ous terms.

Mr. Tierney next adverted to the reasons why the Admiralty did not contract for the building of ships in merchant's yards; they were found to be of very inferior quality. The Ajax, which was built in a merchant's yard, in three years, required an additional sum of seventeen thousand pounds to be laid out on her in repairs. As to the increase of seamen, it might be recollected that the army of reserve, the volunteers, &c. necessarily injured the sea service; notwithstanding which, there were only one thousand seven hundred men wanted, of the whole number voted by parliament.

Sir C. Pole also defended the conduct of Earl St. Vincent and the Admiralty. In the short space of forty-eight hours after hostilities were determined on, Admiral Cornwallis sailed for Brest; and ever since that time, that port as well as Toulon, Flushing, and Ferrol, had been kept in a state of strict blockade.

The accuracy of Mr. Tierney's statement with respect to the number of seamen raised, was denied by Admiral Berkely; it was by reckoning the marines twice over, that he made it out, that only one thousand seven hundred seamen were wanted, whereas in fact, they were deficient by about twenty thousand. The admiral also asserted that Mr. Tierney was mistaken respecting the flotilla; they were not nearly so numerous as he said, they were not fit to go from Portsmouth to Spithead, except in a calm.

Sir Edward Pellew rose after Admiral Berkely; he was firmly persuaded that there was no ground for alarm; the Admiralty had done its duty in taking most effectual measures to protect the country against invasion; near the enemy's coast we had a light squadron; at the Downs we had heavier ships, and close to the beach, we had a flotilla of such vessels, as in his opinion, would give a

good account of such of the enemy's gun-boats as should escape; we had then a triple line of defence, which the enemy could not possibly get through.

Mr. Wilberforce voted for the motion; Mr. Sheridan against it; and Mr. Fox in favour of it; the last expressed a high regard for Earl St. Vincent, and stated that in his opinion, the best way to shew that respect, was to vote for inquiry. Several other members spoke, but as no facts of consequence are contained in their speeches, we shall not give an abstract of them. When the question was put, there appeared,

For the motion..

Against it...

130

201

Majority for ministers.......... 71

This was a very small majority for a minister; and after the Easter Recess, it was still further diminished, so that at last early in the month of May, Mr. Addington resigned his situation as prime minister, and was succeeded by Mr. Pitt, Mr. Fox not being included in the new administration. Lord Melville, late Mr. Dundas, was made first lord of the Admiralty in the room of Lord St. Vincent; and the Right Honorable George Canning, treasurer of the navy, instead of Mr. Tierney.

Having thus given a short abstract of the parliamentary and political history of the country in the year 1804, so far as it is connected with the subject of these volumes, we shall now advert to our more peculiar and appropriate topics:

It has already been seen that the naval administration of Lord Vincent was severely blamed in the House of Commons for want of promptitude and activity at the commencement of the war, and it must be admitted that it was not so blamed without reason: soon after the com

mencement of hostilities, the Newfoundland fleet was taken, and the Wolverine a vessel of eight guns, which was sent to protect it, was actually sunk by the privateer which captured the fleet.

A far more serious disaster occurred in consequence of Admiral Rainier who commanded the British fleets in the East Indies, not being apprized of the probability of a war with France. In consequence of this fatal neglect, the French Admiral Linois not only made his escape from the very anchorage which the English squadron occupied before Pondicherry, but was enabled to capture unmolested many of our valuable East India ships, and also to plunder Fort Marlborough at Bencoolen.

The first military operations of any consequence which occurred in the course of the year 1804, consisted in the capture of the British settlement of Goree on the coast of Africa by a small French force, which however though small was inferior to the force which we had there. This conquest, indeed did not remain long in possession of the enemy. On the 7th of March, Captain Dixon of His Majesty's frigate, Inconstant, with a store ship and some sloops under his command, having arrived off Goree, and suspecting the settlement to be in the power of the French, dispatched his first lieutenant to ascertain the fact. officer not returning, nor making the signal agreed upon, Captain Dixon commenced hostilities, by cutting a ship out of the harbour, and stationing his small force in such a position as to cut off all succours from Senegal. On the following morning he perceived the English colours hoisted over the French, and was agreeably surprised by receiving information that the garrison had surrendered to the officer whom he had sent on shore.

This

As soon as Lord Melville became first lord of the Admiralty, his attention was principally directed to the preventing of the flotilla of the enemy from uniting: they were in different parts of Holland and France, some in Flush