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Plymouth there were guns, but neither instruments to load them, nor men to work them.

had attempted a landing on their first appearance, the place muft have furrendered without firing a gun.

Sir Ch. F-d-ck afferted, that there were in the place 70 rounds of powder, A and that the finall ftores might have been fupplied by the carpenters in a very few hours.

From England he paffed to Ireland, and charged minifters with criminal neglect in fuffering affociations to be carried to fuch a length in that kingdom as to awe the military, and to embolden parliament to dictate for the first Sir Ph. J-un--gs Cl--ke could prove, time to Great Britain. He lamented he faid, that a number of wheelbarrows the fatal policy that had reduced this had been fent over land to Plymouth once high-fpirited nation to the loweft B near three weeks after the danger had degree of humiliation. No other proof, occurred, and that the expence of carhe faid, need be adduced to confirm this riage was nearly equal to the cost of melancholy truth than that the Irish making them on the fpot. He affirmed parliament, which even fo late as the likewife, that for two months the eneclofe of laft feffions would have been my were fo compleatly mafters of the content with fome few indulgencies, Cchannel, that the impreffed feamen now peremptorily infit on a free trade, were obliged to be carried along the and fet the British legiflature at defi- coaft in waggons, and guarded like feance. He concluded his fpeech with lons, to the difgrace of the service, and preffing the members of that Houfe to the difcouragement of the men thus igexert their utmost powers to avert the nominioufly expofed as fpectacles to complicated evils that feemed to threaten D their fellow fubjects. the downfall of this once mighty empire.

Ld N-g-t, in reply to what had been faid by Sir G. Y-ge refpecting Ld Sh-ldb-m fpoke to the state of Ireland, obferved, that if what was de Plymouth, He did not think it poffi- fired laft feffions had not been refused, ble to have reduced the dock-yard by fo much more would not have been exentering the Hamoaze, nor was the pected this. The hon. gentleman was E place fo ill-provided as fome gentlemen himself one of the most active in oppohave been pleafed to reprefent it. He fing the relief that was then requested; could, he faid, have fupplied their wants and is now the foremost in blaming from the hipping, had any application miniftry for neglecting their complaints. been made to him for that purpofe; Such is the confiftency of the hon. genbut as nothing was afked, he concluded tleman, that he now blames adminif that nothing was wanted. He could F tration for an omiffion of which he now affirm, he faid, from his own himself had been the principal caufe. knowledge, that Plymouth was at this He wished, he faid, to fet the Houfe hour impregnable to all the naval force right with refpect to the refolution of that could be brought against it. the Irish parliament refpecting a free trade. An entire free trade would in fome inftances be ruinous to Ireland. GIreland wished for no advantages which were not reciprocal; they wanted no monopoly, and defired only to be pur upon the fame footing with other Britifh fubjects.

Mr. H—b—t, in direct contradiction to what had been advanced, declared, that when the enemy appeared before Plymouth, there were neither men capable of standing to the guns, nor rammers, fponges, or other implements for loading them. He faid, his regiment, inftead of being taught the exercife of the great guns, had been employed all the fummer in repairing the lines, which the miners might have executed with more propriety.

Mr. M-cbn infifted, as he had done the day before, that if the enemy

H

Ld B-ch-pjuftified the Irish affociations on the ground of felf-defence. Government not being able to fpare an army of regulars for their protection, it was but just to allow them the liberty of defending themfelves. That it was a most ungenerous as well as injurious

interence,

inference, that because a desperate bandirti had broke the laws, and had purfued an obnoxious member into the courts of law, that the whole kingdom was tainted with rebellion, the contrary of which was apparent from the whole tenour of their conduct; their patient endurance of every fpecies of national diftrefs; their zeal and activity in the cause of this country; and their unalterable attachment to its government.

rammers, and handspikes, could be fupplied in a few hours, was to him a new difcovery. For his part he confeffed, he faid, as a foldier of fome experience, it was the first time he had ever heard that the proper time to manufacture or A procure fmall ftores was the moment they were wanted. He believed fomething was wrong, but who were to blame he thought was matter of enquiry.

A few words from Mr. D-pt-x Bon Irish affairs, and a promife from Ld N that they should be brought on in a few days, concluded the converfation. The report on the addrefs was brought up, and agreed to without a divifion.

His lordship denied that the affociations had originated in faction, or that faction had influenced the vote of the Irish parliament. It was, he faid, the unanimous fenfe of the whole people conveyed to their reprefentatives, and by them to their fovereign. No lord, nor any party, could derive merit from Now. C 29. it, as it was alike the wifh and the hope The House went into committee, of every man and every party who had and refolved that a fupply be granted to the welfare of both kingdoms at heart. his Majefty. His lordship took occafion to mention Ld Hillsborough as highly meritorious, in feconding the views of the Irish parliament, and as interefting himself particularly in the fuccefs of their appli

cations.

Ld Mid-let-n charged minifters with endeavouring to elude the effect of the militia laws, by wrefting the power of the new levies in addition to the already too great influence of the crown, particularly in the county where he lived [Surrey].

Col. Ow, thinking himself alluded to, role to justify his conduct and that of his friends.

Nov. 30. No debate.
Dec. 1.

2

The Houfe in committee of fupply. Mr. B—ll—r flated, that the number of flips in commiffion amounted to 360, of which 88 were of the line ¿ thefe required 89,246 men as their proper complements, and therefore moved for that number, including 18,785 maErines, for the fervice of the year 1780, after the rate of 41. per month per man, for 13 months.

He

This brought on an interefting converfation, in which Mr. 7. L-tt-U complained much of the mode of makFing up the navy accounts, affirming, that inftead of 47. a man per month being fufficient under the feveral heads for which it is allotted, the real expence amounted to little fhort of 61. therefore infifted, that the House ought to enter into enquiry, and vote on a Gtrue not a falfe eftimate. He faid, the navy debt would amount at Christmas next to 7,200,000l. and that by the prefent mode of voting it must be continually increasing; that navy-bills were already 11 or 12 per cent. under par, and probably would before the end of the war fall much lower. This he reprefented as an intolerable grievance to individuals, which ought to be redreffed. The admiralty-board pretend

Gen. C-nw-y made feveral pertiLent obfervations on the variety of unconnected matter that had fallen, during the courfe of the conversation, under the difcuffion of the House. He faid fome very handfome things of Sir Ch. Fr-de-ck, for whom he had the highest refpect; but could not help noticing an expreflion of his; " that fmall ftores might be fupplied in a "few hours." Plymouth, he faid, was a barrier town, and he fhould fay nothing of the want of powder, theH unfitness of the balls to the calibres, or the infufficiency of the garrifon; charges that had been afferted, and denied; but how the deficiency of fponges,

ed,

ed, he faid, that 93,389 feamen and marines were employed in September laft. He called for vouchers, and if the fact appeared, the number for the year enfuing ought to be enlarged.

appeared ftill nearer, and he offered them battle, and kept his course on in order to draw them higher up the channel, where he might engage them to the greatest advantage in cafe of acciLd M-lg-ve acknowledged, that dent, and where too, if they had been all the 93,000 men were not muffered A defeated, their defeat would have proved on board the ships; fome were fick and most fatal to them. And he took upon in hofpitals, fome in barracks, fome on himself to affirm, whatever other genboard tenders, fome in prefs-gangs, tlemen might affect to believe, that the and fome in foreign prifons; but that British fleet was fo far from being dif fo many were on the navy books. At graced by that manoeuvre, that the dif the fame time he affured the Houfe, B grace refted on the combined fleet of that the utmost regard had been paid to the enemy, who being in poffeffion of provide the hips with their proper an apparent fuperiority of force declincomplements. He faid, it was a curi- ed to come to battle when offered, and ous fact, that there were but 18 men fled from the channel without any hoftile. fhort of their complement in all the attempt. He exprelied a very high refhips in Sir Cha. Hardy's fleet. Cfpect for Mr. L-tt-ll as a profeffional man, and was fure he did not mean to caft an unjust cenfure on men in the fame line, who, ftanding forth in de fence of their country at a critical moment, had done their duty with inteDgrity, and he hoped, with honour.

Mr. L-- difclaimed the mot distant intention of cailing any censure either on the hon, admiral or any officer who served under him. It was not, he faid, in the execution, but in the admiralty, where the blame originated. E

The question being put on Mr. Buller's motion for 85,000 feamen, including marines, it was agreed to without a divifion, and ordered to be reported next day. Dec. 2.

Mr. L-tt-l thought there was fomething myfterious in the conduct of Sir C. Hardy, which he wished to hear explained. While an invafion was at our doors, and the combined fleets of our enemies were riding triumphant before Plymouth, not a British ship was to be found. When the danger was near, our defence was at a distance. He had heard, he faid, that when our fleet was off Scilly, the Grampus and another veffel were ftationed at the mouth of the Channel, to observe the motions of the enemy, and to carry intelligence to the admiral of their operations. He wished to know this fact. Sir Ch. Hdy rofe, and acquainted the House, that when he took his staF tion off Scilly, he knew not where the enemy were, nor what they intended. He stationed cruisers in all directions to bring him intelligence. Being equally uncertain whether the British or S. George's Channel was the object of their deftination, it was not poffible for him to determine that it was the British till they were in it. He then kept in with the land as clofe as he could, for reasons that are obvious to every British feaman. After he had put his fleet in Mr. B-ll-r obferved, that it had order of battle, he could perceive the ever been the practice of parliament, enemy in the South Weit quarter. H to confine the grants within the limits The weather fuddenly grew thick, and of the actual fervice, rather than trust though he stood directly to the S. W. government with an excefs of money; he could not get fight of them the next and though 100,000 men should now morning. The next day but one they be voted, not a man more would be em

The report was brought up, and as warmly oppofed.

Mr. Hy moved, that it might be recommitted, on the ground of being inadequate to the fervice required. We were fighting, he said, for our indepen Gdence as a free ftate, and our chief reliance was upon the ftrength of our marine: we should therefore, instead of 85,000, employ at least 100,000 feamen for the fervice of the enfuing year.

Mr.

ployed than the proper complement on board the fhips on that account.

Derby as an efcort to Adm. Arbuthno, whofe force had been reconnoitred, Mr. L--ll took fire on that de- when he very properly and feasonably claration. Did the admiralty know pofted to the relief of that ifland. As then, he faid, that they fhould not to the detachment under Sir Edw. have fhips enough for the employment Hughes, miniftry thought, and he of fo many feamen? He feared it was A hoped the nation would think, our vatoo true. He chose not to particularife, luable poffeffions in that part of the but if called upon could point out 15 or world of too much importance to be 16 fhips of the line that the nation left to the mercy of the French, who could have very little dependence upon. had already fent a fquadron to retake He then gave a detail of the vaft fupe- Pondicherry. He thanked the hon. riority of the enemy laft fummer; faid B gentleman for his advice, but thought they had fix docks in Europe, and one houfe carpenters would make bad shipin America, now ftraining every nerve builders, and was happy the nation had against Portimouth, Plymouth, and Cha- no occafion to employ them in that tham, and concluded with asking, how fervice. we could reasonably expect to be fuperior to the enemy the year enfuing?

Sir C. B-nby afked Ld M--lg--ve (one of the lords of admiralty) what force we might expect ready for fea next fummer? He could not view, he faid, our vaft inferiority without reflecting on the affertion of a noble lord, "that he deferved to lose his head if ever the united fleets of Bourbon exceeded ours." He wished to know why our fleets had mot failed fooner? Why a detachment was made to the East Indies? Why another to America, while that left at home, and that in the Weft Indies, were expofed to a fuperior enemy? This, he faid, was in fact to hold our fhield againft our limbs, when the enemy was directing his blows at our heart. In the prefent moment we ought to follow the example of Spain, and call for carpenters from every county of the kingdom, and hire docks wherever they are to be procured.

Col. B-ré juftified his hon. friend C[Sir C. B-nb-y] in noting the aftertions of minifters; faid, he thought it his duty to report their affertions to his conftituents, and if they afterwards proved falfe or delufive, to dash them in the teeth of the affertors. D Gen. Cuy was of the fame opinion, urged the propriety of contracting for hips in foreign docks. Sir G. W infifted, that Ld Sandwich could not be guilty of a wil ful falfehood.

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IN

(Thefe Debates to be continued.)

EXPLANATION of the PLATE. N our Magazine for 1778, p. 594, fome account was given of Dr. OwEN'S "Collatio Codicis Cottoniani Genefeos." This Gcelebrated MS. (we there obferved) was illuminated with beautiful drawings, in very ancient capital letters; and of thefe, we are now enabled to prefent our readers with a moft beautiful engraving.

Ld M-lg-ve exclaimed against the practice of collecting feraps from the fpeeches of peers at the bar of the other Houfe; and, contrary to all order and privilege, exhibiting them as charges of accufation in this. It was, he faid, injurious and unparliamentary. With refpect to our naval force, all he fhould fay was, that he had no reafon to thinkH it would, when wanted, be inferior to that of the enemy. He faid, the attempt of the enemy upon Jerfey had retarded the failing of the main fleet, as it was found necessary to dispatch Adm.

Fig. 1. reprefents the interview between Jofeph and his brethren, defcribed in Genefis

xliii. 27-30.

Fig. II. Jacob delivering his fon Benjamin to his brethren, in order to his going inte Ægypt, ver. 13, 14. "Take alfo your bro"ther, and arife, go again unto the man. "And God Almighty give you mercy before "the man, that he may fend away your elder brother, and Benjamin !”

Fig. 1.

[graphic]

Fragmentorum Codicis Cotton, libri Geneseos

ΤΡΕΦΕΤΟ ΓΑΡ ΤΕΝΤΕΡΑ
πωλλελφωΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΙΕΖΗ
EICE Α W Ν ΛΕΕΙ ΣΤΟ ΤΑΜΕΙ
NEKEIKAINIYAMENOCTO
ΕΛΘΩΝΕΝΕΚPATEYCAΤΟ

Fig. II.

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