Excerpt from The Naval Chronicle, Vol. 38: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom With a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects
The initiatory article of this Volume"s Correspondence, is from our constant and worthy friend Albion, on the subject of Impressment, a subject not only first in place, but among the first also in importance; for of all human blessings health is the first, and next to health is personal liberty and a free conscience - as to a clear conscience, let every man look to that himself, our business is only to advocate the inviolability of our persons. It is true, and it is just, that, in a state of Society, a portion of our natural rights is surrendered, when the general interests of the Commonwealth require it. But the demand made by the usual mode of impressment fob the naval service, is of a nature so serious and to such an extent, that it certainly does call for the most anxious and earnest revision, in order to its abolition if possible, or at least to the utmost possible extent of mitigation. The mode humanely suggested by Albion is worthy of consideration, because there is certainly nothing impracticable in it. What might be the consequence of liberating our seamen from their bond of service at the end of five or seven years, possibly in the very heat of the war, and with the enemy off our shores aware of such discharge, it is not difficult to guess, and therefore we think the scheme in that particular calls for a revision by him, unless it be supposed that there will always he a race of seamen ready to supply all deficiencies thus occasioned. We heartily coincide with the opinion, of Albion, that the service should be rendered eligible to our seamen by every possible means of comfort and encouragement, and certainly in the first place by a fixed system of command, so far as that is practicable-as little as possible should be left to the humour and caprice of an individual commander. This letter will be found at page 25, and is undoubtedly calculated as far as it goes to diminish the evils of impressment, if, as we have before observed, there be anv essential difference between compelling a tnan to serve at a certain time with or without any pievious obligation. At page 28, are some very judicious observations by Neptunus, "On building our men of war of teak or mahogany."-At page 30, is a letter addressed by Brilannicus to Lord Viscount Melville, " On the management of the navy," consisting of suggestions on various points of naval management, respectfully offered, and we trust will become the serious objects of the Board of Naval Administration, if Britanuicus has not been anticipated by their own wisdom; for the points urged are of that obvious necessity to a sound constitution of the British navy, that we can scarcely think the observations of Britannicus can reach them in the shape of information. Page 38, letter from J. C. as a reply to Albion, in defence of the merchant yard builders, which we think he has managed very ablv, evincing the possession of much information on the subject, and which he has very cogently displayed. At page 42, are "Observations on the Naval Asylum," by Clericus. Page 44, letter to Lord Viscount Melville, from A British Ship-Owner, "On the protection of the British trade and ship-ping." Page 118, Orion, "On our North American timber trade," Page 121, Arion, "On the inviolability of the British Funds," a subject rather extraneous to the design of our publication, but as naval men. as well as other men, have undoubtedly an interest in the due petfunnance of the obligations they have credited, to those thus concerned Arion offers some very forcible observations against the arguments of the landed interest. Page 125, Triton recommends, on very reasonable grounds, the employment of some of our ships and men "In marine surveying and nautical discovery." At page 12T, Alfred, "On improvements in the navy," urge... Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге The Naval Chronicle, Vol. 38