— = 
pi] al 
1811.) 1 
The prime seamen, who have been the 
cause, would have: proved the security 
against mutiny, ] , 
Of the unparalleled mutiny which took 
possession of the British fleet at Spit- 
head; this primary class of seamen were 
unguestionably the first movers and the 
sole conductors. Such men never can be 
satisfied when only put upon a footing 
with inferior or incomplete seamen; who 
are not their peers on shipboard, either 
in their own estimation, or in that of the 
ship’s company. The general rise of 
* seamen’s wages has failed of giving the 
intended satisfaction, it recompensed in- 
ferior seamen beyond their deserts, but 
.was inadequate to the services and the 
merits of prime seamen, upon whom the 
peculiar excellence of the British navy 
depends. 
. The desideratum for ensuring to the 
state the services of the navy, isto attach’ 
these men, without whom your ships 
eannot act; the hardship of whose situa- 
tion, under the present compulsory sys- 
tem, in case of a peace supervening, 
without adequate encouragement to them, 
may drive many of them from their native 
country to strengthen the future fleets of 
our enemies. Such are the sentiments 
and apprehensions of Admiral Patton 
upon this subject, which render him 
anxious to avert evils which he regards 
as pregnant with destruction to Britain. 
The quarterly reviewer, in his acconnt 
of Admiral P. states that he commanded 
a short time at Deal. Mr. Pitt at that 
tyme being out of administration, resided 
in that neighbourhood, and hecame per- 
sonally acquainted with Admiral P. 
When he returned to the station of prime 
minister, the Admiral’s command at 
Deai was interrupted by his nomination 
as ene of the lords of the admiralty by 
Lord, Melyille. In the conduct of this 
able statesman at the head of the admi- 
ralty, the reviewer finds occasjon to con- 
fute Admiral’ P.’s opinion, that profes- 
sional knowledge was requisite for the 
direction of nayal affairs, from a measure 
adopted by his lordship, which produced 
an effect decidedly and importantly ad-+ 
vantageous to Britain, by supplying ships 
upon a great emergency, in the short pe- 
riod of a few months, for which the usual 
mode of repair would have required ag 
Many years; this happy effect was pro- 
duced by having recourse to the plan sug- 
gested by Mr. Snodgrass. for refitting 
ships expeditiously and securely; whose 
wert in this discovery is beyond all 
 Fatts relating te Admiral Pattom- 
517 
praise! This is certainly true; and to 
this expedient, which Lord Melville dis 
rected to be carried into execution with- 
out the intermediation of the “Navy 
Board, to avoid protraction or delay, - 
twenty-two line of battle ships were ra_ 
pidly equipped to join the British fleets 
at sea; and thereby the fleets under Sir 
Robert Calder and Lord Nelson were 
sufliciently reinforced to engage and dez 
feat the enemy, in the great and impors 
tant victories obtained by those distin- 
guished admnirals. 1 gil 
In this statement, the discernment, the 
promptitude, and decision of Lord Mel- 
ville, by which so eminent a service was 
rendered to his country, is most justly 
praised. But the following statement of 
facts ought also to be made known; 
The person who informed Lord Meiville 
of Mr. Snodgrass’s plan of refitting ships, 
was Admiral Patton ; to every other per= 
son at the Admiralty it was unknown, 
He extracted the passages from the work, 
to render it intelligible to Lord Melville, 
and urged its adoption; and he also re= 
commended to ‘his lordship to issue his 
own immediate orders for carrying this 
Service into execution; upon which the 
success of the measure so greatly des 
pended. In mentioning this service, the 
reviewer has brought forward an occurs 
rence, which places the professional 
knowledge and judgment of Admiral P. 
In a point of view that will not corre- 
spond with the impression bis review of 
‘* The Defence of an Insular Empire” is - 
calculated to produce. It ought also to 
be further known, in justice to the mo- 
tives which actuated: Admiral P.’s con- 
duct, that upon the change of adminis- 
tration taking place, which put Lord 
Grey (then Lord Howick) at the head of 
the Admiralty; Admiral P. waited upon 
him, to inform his lordship of the advan- 
tage derived from the adoption of Mr. 
Snodgrass’s expeditious plan for refitting 
ships, and presented him with the ex- 
tracts, to render it intelligible without 
professional knowledge. 
The Catamaran enterprize, the re« 
viewer must now be informed, was un- 
dertaken without avy of the naval lords 
having been consulted. When it was at 
last referred to their consideration and 
judgment, they decidedly disapproved of 
it, In consequence of which it was not 
carried into execution. These are facts. 
The inference of this reviewer upon this 
subject, will not apply to Admiral Patton, 
I donot suppose that the Stone Expedient 
“4 had 
