THE 
“MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
Vol.60.No.416.] NOVEMBER 1, 1825. [Price 2s. 
‘Hints on the IMpRESSMENT of SEAMEN. 
«* Oh then protect the British tar, 
' -Bemindful of his merit, 
And when again you're plunged in war 
He'll shew his daring spirit.” 
Sea Song. 
A. CONTINUED state of peace, by 
circumscribing that extensive field 
~ where much activity of mind habitually 
ib 
existed, naturally forces it into other 
channels, and inclines those energies, 
hitherto absorbed in one great object, 
to the investigation of subjects con- 
nected with the customary pursuits of 
the individual: thus giving a fair oppor- 
tunity for making use of past expe- 
rience, in endeavours to exalt the pro- 
fession by improving the condition of 
the persons belonging to it, but espe- 
cially of those classes whose happiness 
is particularly affected by the influence 
_of a practice universally acknowledged 
to be oppressive, and whose only ex- 
cuse is the never-failing, but misused, 
plea of state necessity. " 
In these times, too, when the light of 
intelligence has spread abroad, and is 
rapidly bringing out the true colouring 
of the great picture of human happi- 
ness; when it has even penetrated the 
dark and musty recesses of cabinets, 
and induced measures and opinions 
that, a few years ago, would have been 
scouted as visionary, fatuous, or de- 
mocratic ; the subject of these pages 
has not been left in total obscurity. 
“ And if (as Sir William Petty observes) 
the keeping of 30,000 seamen in pay, 
whose services were available at pleasure, 
was, in the last century, considered as a 
badge of slavery; if equality of rights be 
the essence of a free constitution; if the 
greatest good of the greatest number be 
the golden rule of governments ; if the op- 
pression of any particular class of the coms 
munity be contrary to humanity, justice, 
and sound policy ; in fine, if the cheerful 
and willing service of a very numerous. and 
important part of the population be an 
object worthy of any serious notice, then 
the cruelty and impolicy of the impress- 
ment of seamen must continue to force it- 
» more and more powerfully, on the at- 
4 tion of the country, until the cause of 
justice and humanity be no longer proble- 
Praca A ty per p 
5 
~ Monvury Mae. No. 416. 
s 
Te has been contended, as we have 
mentioned above; and doubt not will 
again be urged, that the system of im- 
pressment is justifiable in all cases of 
state necessity; that every person who 
enjoys, or is entitled to protection 
from the laws, is morally bound to co- 
operate with his compatriots in the sup- 
port of those laws, when threatened by 
a foreign enemy; and that no person 
whatever is exempt from the contribu- 
tion of his services to the protection of 
the state: that this appears to be an 
admitted principle, and we accordingly 
find all classes of landsmen called upon 
to serve in the militia, either in person, 
or by substitute. From this, it is fur- 
ther said, seafaring men.are exempted 
in consideration of their liability to be 
calied on to serve in their own element 
—both being equally required for the 
safety of the commonwealth. The mi- 
litia-man, though not obliged to serve 
out of the kingdom, is still taken away 
from his own home and connexions, 
while the seaman may be also said to 
serve the state, within its own limits 
and jurisdiction ; more especially those 
employed on the home station; and 
when he chooses a sea-faring life, he 
knows, at the time, the advantages and 
disadvantages to which he is subject— 
he knows that he is exempted from 
serving in the militia, he also knows 
that he is not exempted from serving 
afloat. 
We admit the whole of this reason- 
ing; nay, we will go further and say that 
cases may possibly arise when an en- 
tire population may be justly called 
upon to serve, even without pay; but, 
in these extreme cases, the necessity is 
self-evident ; no man considers a mo- 
ment, each person feels the case his 
own, it is the will of the community, 
and there can hardly be a dissenting 
voice. That impressment may be fully 
justified by the above argument, we do 
not pretend to deny—we admit the 
principle, but not the necessity: demon- 
strate the latter and the argument is at 
an end; all we mean to insist on here 
is that no absolute necessity does exist ; 
that there are other means; that this 
is the season to seek for, and apply 
QP them ; 
