more serious importance. On the return of the channel fleet into port, a fecret correfpondence was immediately fettled between all the ships that compofed it, which ended in an unanimons agreement, that no ship should lift an anchor till a redrefs of grievances was obtained. In this flate the fleet remained till the fifteenth of April, when lord Bridport ordered the fignal to prepare for fea; but, inftead of proceeding to weigh anchor, three cheers were given, from the Queen Charlotte, as the fignal for 'mutiny, and every other fhip followed the example.

The officers of every fhip exerted themfelves with all the fpirit and activity adequate to fo extraordinary an emergency, to bring back their people to obedience; but all the motives they urged, and all the endeavours they ufed, were vain. The fleet being now in the complete poffeffion of the feamen, every hip's company appointed two delegates, and lord Howe's cabbin was fixed upon as the place where to hold their confultations. On the feventeenth, an oath was adminiftered to every man in the fleet, to fupport the cause in which they had engaged: ropes were then reaved to the yard arm, in every fhip, as a fignal of the punishment that would be inflicted on those that betrayed it; and feveral officers were fent afhore who were particularly obnoxious to their respective

crews.

In the mean time, though the admiral was reftricted from putting to fea, he retained the command of the fleet in every other refpect; the fricteft difcipline was maintained, and the fevereft orders and regulations enacted, by the delegates, for that purpose, enjoining the moft re

fpectful attention to their officers and threatening the faulty with rigorous chastisement.

On the eighteenth, two petitions, one to the admiralty, and the other to the house of commons, were drawn up, and figned by the delegates. They were both worded with the higheft propriety of expreffion and respect. The petition to parliament ftated, that, the price of all articles, neceffary for fubfiftence, being advanced at leaft thirty per cent. fince the reign of Charles II. when the feamen's pay was fettled as at present, they requefted that a proportionate relief might be granted to them. It reprefented, at the fame time, that, while their loyalty to their king and country was equal to that of the army, nevertheless, the pensions of Chelfea had been augmented to thirteen pounds a year, but those of Greenwich still remained at feven. The petition to the admiralty contained a recital of the fervices done by the petitioners, and a warm declaration of their readiness to be true to their character as Englishmen and defenders of their country. It ftated the low rate of their pay, and the infufficiency of their allowance of provifions, demanding an increafe of both, together with the liberty of going afhore while in harbour, and the continuance of pay to wounded feamen till cured and difcharged.

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Such, in the mean while, was the alarm of the public, and particularly of government, that it was judged neceffary, to transfer the board of admiralty to Portsmouth, in order to be nearer at hand, to infpect the tranfactions on board the fleet, and to confult on the readiest and most likely means of quelling fo danger

qus a fpirit of difcontent, the confequences of which, if it were not timely fuppreffed, might prove ruinous to the nation in its most effential interefts, by throwing open the channel, and all the neighbouring feas, to the uncontroled dominion of the French fleets and cruizers. Thefe would not fail, upon the first intelligence of the variance between the British, fleets and the government, to avail themselves, with all fpeed, of fo favourable an opportunity of diftreffing the trade and the navigation of this country.

The first lord of the admiralty, earl Spencer, accompanied by lord Arden and admiral Young, repaired, accordingly, to Portfmouth, where they directly proceeded to take into confideration the petition that had been tranfmitted to the board. They authorized lord Bridport to inform the hips companies, that they would recommend it to the king, to propofe to parliament an augmentation of pay, to the feamen in the navy, at the rate of four, fhillings a month to petty officers and able feamen; three fhillings to ordinary feamen; and two fhillings to landfmen. Seamen wounded in action were alfo to continue in the receipt of their pay, till cured or leclared unable to ferve, when they fhould be allowed a penfion, or adinitted into Greenwich-hofpital.

To this notification the feamen replied, by requesting that the longestablished diftinctions in the navy, of able and ordinary feamen, fhould be retained; the pay of the former to be raised to one fhilling a day, and that of petty officers and ordinary feamen in the ufual proportion: they alfo requefted that the pay of the marines, while on-board, ould be the fame as of ordinary

feamen, and that the penfions of Greenwich-hofpital fhould be increated to ten pounds.

On the twentieth of April, the lords of the admiralty notified to lord Bridport their compliance with the demands of the feamen, directing him to make it known through the fleet, and to require, in confe quence, an immediate return of the people to their duty, on pain of forfeiting their right to fmart-money, to penfions from the cheft of Chatham, and to an admition into Greenwich-hofpital, and of being made refponfible for the confequerces that might enfue from the continuance of their difobedience. They were informed, at the fame time, that an unqualified pardon, for all that had pafled, would be granted to every fhip's company that fhould, within one hour of thefe refolutions being communicated to them, fubmit to their of ficers, and ceafe to hold farther intercourse with those who remained in a fiate of mutiny.

On the twenty-firft, admirals Gardner, Colpoys, and Poole, went' on-board the Royal Charlotte, in order to confer with the delegates, who explicitly informed them, that it was the determination of the crews, to agree to nothing that fhould not be fanctioned by parliament, and guarranteed by the king's proclamation. Admiral Gardner was fo irritated by this declaration, that he feized one of the delegates by the collar, and fwore he would have them all hanged, with every fifth man throughout the fleet.

This behaviour of the

admiral fo exasperated the fhip's company of the Queen Charlotte, that it was with difficulty he efcaped with his life,

The

The delegates from the Royal George returned immediately to their ship, and informed their crew of what had happened; after fome confultation, they refolved to fummon all the delegates on-board their hip. This was forthwith done by hoifting the red, ufually called, the bloody flag: a circumstance that ftruck terror through the fleet, as the fignal was not generally underfood; the officers, in particular, were apprehenfive that fome fatal defigns were in agitation. The ships now proceeded to load their guns, to order the watch to be kept as at fea, and to put every thing in a state of defence.

On the following day, the fhips crews directed two letters to be written, one to the lords of the admiralty, to acquaint them with the motives for their conduct on the preceding day, and another to lord Bridport, in which they ftyled him, their father and their friend, and affured him of their refpect and attachment. This induced him to return to his hip the next day, twentythird, and to rehoift his dag, which he had struck during the confufions on the twenty-firft. After a fhort and pathetic addrefs to the crew, he informed them, that he had brought with him a redrefs of all their grievances, and the king's pardon for what had paffed. After fome deliberation, thefe offers were accepted, and every man returned to his duty.

From the twenty-third of April to the feventh of May, the fleet remained in due fubordination; but, on that day, a fresh mutiny broke out. The feamen, from whatever caufe it arofe, had conceived a miftruft of government, and, apprehending a violation of the promifes

made to them, renewed their former menaces. As foon as this alarming intelligence arrived, government difpatched, with all fpeed, a perfon of the highest weight and authority, to quell this unexpected tumult. This was lord Howe, an officer long held in the fift degree of refpect and esteem in the British navy, and perfonally beloved, by all that had ferved under him, for his hu mane difpofition, as well as Kis many great qualities. His prefence and exhortations wrought the defired effect, and happily diffipated the fufpicions that were beginning to prevail. The circumstance which principally operated was, that numbers of thofe to whom he addreffed himfelf had been the companions and inftruments of the fervices he had rendered to his country. The many years during which he had filled important ftations, and made a confpicuous figure in the navy; the many gallant actions he had performed, and, efpecially, the great victory on the first of June, 1794, were circumftances that carried a powerful impreffion on the minds of his fellow-fcamen, and induced them to liften with confidence to his reprefentations. Good order was happily reftored, and they unani-, moufly agreed, in confequence of the truft they repofed in his word and affurance that government would faithfully keep its promifes, to return immediately to their ufual fub ordination. Their fellow-feamen at Plymouth were induced, by this example, to fubmit in the like manner.

From the first breaking out of this mutiny, the public mind had been taken up with the means that would probably terminate it with moft fpeed and fuccefs, and the gene

rality concurred in the propriety of a minifterial application to parliament, for a fum of money fufficient to defray the charge of augmenting the pay of the feamen belonging to the navy, which was univerfally confidered as a measure of ftrict equity.

Conformably to the expectation of the public, the houfe of commons, on the eight of May, took into confideration the estimates, laid before it by miniftry, for the purpofe of that augmentation. Previously to the ftating of them, Mr. Pitt exprelled much repugnance to detail, as ufual, the motives on which he founded the neceffity of applying to the houfe for an addition to the public expenditure. He declared, that, on the prefent occafion, he did not find himself at liberty to enter into a detail of the tranfactions that led him to apply. They were fuch that he felt himself obliged to fay, that he would trust their judgement would induce them to concur in his motion, without making it the fubject of a long difcuffion: nor was be able to enter into a statement of the events that had more recently happened; and, if he were, he hould feel a reluctance in doing it, as they were wholly, or in a great degree, to be afcribed to mifreprefentations. To filence thefe, and to appease at once all difcoxtent, nothing, in his opinion, would be fo effectual as the unanimous decifion of parliament on the propofal before them. He therefore thought it his duty to entreat the house to pafs their filent judgement on the prefent cafe, while they coincided with the motion it occafioned him to make. He then moved for a total of four hundred and thirty-fix thoufand pounds, to answer the additional

pay and allowance to the seamen and marines in the navy.

The refolutions, to, this intent, being read, Mr. Fox faid, that he fhould certainly agree to them, but that his duty required of him not to give a filent vote. He differed from the minifter in his notions of confidence. Every question relating to the public expenditure ought, in his opinion, to be fully difcuffed. The filence of minifters had produced the fresh disturbances in the fleet at Portsmouth, by exciting a fufpicion of their fincerity. What motive, he asked, could have induced them to fuffer a whole fortnight to elapfe before their application for the interference of parliament, from which alone they could derive effectual affiftance, in this critical conjuncture. Such a neglect, on the part of minifters, argued a degree of guilt as well as of incapacity, that would involve the house itself, were the refolutions to pafs without a due cenfure on miniftry. The houfe was in duty bound to inquire how far the admiralty had acceded to the petitions of the feamen, and whether they were fatisfied; and the remedy propofed would effectually allay their difcontents. The house had a right to complete information, and their privileges ought not, by. an obfequious and unfeasonable filence, to be given up to men who had proved themselves unworthy of their confidence.

Mr. Sheridan acknowledged himfelf convinced, by the circumftances of the cafe, of the neceffity to vote with the minifter, without infifting upon information; but contended, however, that the recent difturbances arofe from the procrastination of miniftry.

On the following day, May 9, the fubject was renewed by Mr. Whitbread, who declared, that, it appeared to him of fuch confequence, that he confidered it his duty formally to inquire, why miniftry had not, at an earlier period, applied to the houfe, and thereby prevented the dangers that had refulted from this neglect.

The anfwer of Mr. Pitt was, that every proper ftep had been taken to obviate the unhappy event that had taken place. The feamen's demands had been fubmitted to the king in council, with all requifite expedition; eftimates of the fums that would be wanted had been duly made out, for the infpection and approbation of parliament; and every thing put into an official train. It was only, therefore, the cuftomary obfervance of forms that had impeded the fpeed which would otherwife have been employed, could the effects of fuch a delay have been foreseen. The fooner, for thefe reafons, a bill should be paffed, in order to accelerate their termina

tion.

Mr. Fox recapitulated the particulars of this unfortunate bufinefs, in juftification of the cenfure which he trufted the houfe would pass on the conduct of adminiftration. He defcribed, in strong colours, the perilous fituation of fome perfons, of the highest rank and merit, in their profeffional character, in confequence of the prefent commotions in the fleet, affirming it to be the duty of the houfe to exprefs its condemnation of thofe who had, by the rafhnefs of their conduct, brought them into fuch imminent danger.

The ftrictures of Mr. Fox were feconded by a vote of cenfure,

moved by Mr. Whitbread, and, by an animated fpeech in fapport of this motion, by Mr. Sheridan. He feverely blamed the conduct of mi-. nifters, in poftponing the confi deration of the feamen's demands, urged with fo many circumflances. that rendered them highly critical and ferious, to fuch objects as the Imperial loan and the marriageportion of the princefs royal, which were of fuch inferior importance to the nation, and ought, therefore, without hesitation, to have been laid afide till a bufinefs of fuch magnitude had been fettled. He infinuated, that the diffatisfaction in the navy had been caufed by encroachments on the rights of the feamen, or by attempts to abridge them of their comforts. He propofed that a joint committee of both houfes fhould be appointed, on this occafion, with power to fend for perfons and papers, and to adjourn from time to time, and from place to place,

This propofal Mr. Pitt combated, not only as an innovation in the difcipline of the navy, but as unconftitutional. It fuperfeded, at once, the functions of the executive and legiflative powers.—Mr. Whitbread's motion was negatived, by 257 againft 63. After fome farther altercation, the refolutions he had moved, relating to the incrcafe of feamen's pay and allowance, were read, and a bill was ordered to be brought in for pafling them into an act, together with a claufe for the continuance of pay to wounded feamen till they were cured. The bill, as foon as it was framed, went through all the neceflary formalities, and immediately, received the royal affent, by commiffion.“

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