616 On the Personnel, Mat&riel, and [JUNE, 



examine into the causes of the mutiny in 1797, which had so nearly 

 ended in the loss of one of the finest manned fleets the world ever saw 

 by its throwing itself into the hands of the enemy, we perceive a striking 

 proof of bad effect of the ill-treatment of brave and high-spirited men. 

 Happily, the government saw the justice of their demands, and ceded to 

 them. The very commencement of the career of a British sailor, under 

 the law of impressment, is quite sufficient to destroy all patriotism; and 

 then, in the numerous cases in which force cannot control, what is to be 

 expected ? Numerous have been the philanthropists, in high station, who 

 have advocated the cause of our ill-treated mariners ; and, in our opinion, 

 the success of their cause would be as desirable in a political as in 

 a moral point of view. When we beheld British seamen fighting in 

 the American frigates (and most of their best sailors were British), we 

 beheld one of the lamentable effects of impressment and bad usage. 



A question, then, arises If the navy be not tilled up by impressment, 

 how are the men to be obtained? We answer, by enlistment, with 

 sufficient inducement and privileges to recompence them for it, in a man- 

 ner similar to the army. When recruits voluntarily enter the military 

 service, they do not consider themselves enslaved; nor would sailors object 

 to the royal navy, if much of its disgusting treatment were abolished. 



While speaking of the treatment of the sailors, we are happy to say 

 that considerable ameliorations have taken place in it since the mutiny. 

 Undoubtedly many things remain to be remedied ; but, speaking in con- 

 trast with former periods, the progress of the times has had its effect on 

 the navy. The mitigation of its severe and useless discipline is a pleasing 

 subject of reflection. It ought always to be remembered, that discipline 

 is made for the good of the service, and not the service for the haughty 

 domineering of officers the contrary idea to which, many superiors 

 appear to have strangely imbibed. The suaviter in modo, with tbefortMer 

 in re, is a good maxim on this subject, in opposition to a capricious and 

 arbitrary tyranny. Flagrant cowardice must, for the sake of example, be 

 punished with death ; but the whole existence of a man should not be 

 made miserable because foolish men mistake the subject. Nelson and 

 Collingwood were not advocates for unnecessary torture ; nor are men, 

 brave in action, generally capable of cruelty. 



Of experienced officers in the royal navy, it must be admitted there 

 is no scarcity. At the conclusion of the war in 1814 and J815, this was 

 properly regarded, by extensive promotions of the midshipmen and lieu- 

 tenants : the promotions of the former amounted to about 2,000. The 

 list of the navy enrols the names of about 200 admirals, 700 captains, 

 900 commanders, and 3,900 lieutenants. A great number of rated mid- 

 shipmen are also on the lists of the Admiralty. Warrant officers, who are 

 the sergeants and corporals of the navy, have also been retained and pro- 

 vided for liberally. 



We may safely say that the staff of the navy is excellent, and that, in 

 the event of another war, they will present a most formidable phalanx of 

 feeders. Foreign authors object to the great number of officers that have 

 been promoted in our -navy, -as being profusively expensive ; but we think 

 that their exertions, during the last war, merited- great reward; and the 

 pay of naval officers, who are promoted for their services, is not dispro- 

 portionate. In the cases in which they obtain rank, solely from favour 

 and not from their services, unquestionably such promotions are injurious 



