172] 
the naval forces, the resolutions 
of the committee of supply were 
agreed to. ; 
The expeditious manning of the 
navy, without the odious expedi- 
ent of pressing, was, at this time, 
" an object in the serious contempla- 
tion of government. Many schemes 
had been proposed, of late years, 
in order to avoid the disayreeable 
necessity of this oppressive method, 
but none had appeared sufficiently 
practicable to be adopted. The 
public, in the mean time, loudly 
condemned this violation of per- 
sonal liberty, and expressed much 
impatisnce at the tardiness of those 
whom it concerned, in bringing 
forward a more effectual, as well 
as a more humane regulation, for 
supplying the navy with seamen. 
In compliance with the repeated 
desire and “expettation ef all par- 
ties, Mr. Pitt: produced, on the 
ad of February, the plan he had 
formed to that intent. The mer- 
eantile shipping of the nation was, 
he observed, the great seminary 
ef ovr seamen: to this, therefore, 
ke would chiefly look for the sup. 
port at present wanted. The pro. 
posal he had in contemplation was 
to levy. a number of seamen, pro- 
portionable to the quantity of tun. 
nage in every vessel, on its clear- 
ing our. There were, he asserted, 
according to authentic statements, 
one hundred theusand seamen, 
employed in the service of the 
merchants of Great Britain. The 
proportion of sailors was one to 
fourteen tons; one man out of 
every seven able seamen, of two 
landmen in their stead, was the 
requisition he proposed. None 
would be required from vessels 
under the burden of thirty-five 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
tons; but every vessel upwards, 
from that measure to seventy, was 
to furnish one. landman, and 
every one above that, to one 
hundred and five tons, was to 
find either one seaman or two 
landmen ; and from all vessels 
above one hundred and fifty, one 
landman for every fifty tons would 
be required. The number .of 
men, that might be procured by 
this method, was computed at near 
twenty thousand, But beside this 
supply, another was to be obtain- 
ed by the intended scheme, from 
the different parishes in the king- 
dom, These amounted te ten thou- 
sand, and from each one man 
would be required. To the above 
would be added, those numbers 
of idle and disorderly persons, 
whom the magistrates would be 
authorized to zpprehend, for that 
purpose. : 
These proposals were opposed 
by several members, as harsh and 
oppressive. Mr. Harrison proposed, 
that every one enjoying a place 
or pension ef three hundred a 
year, should furnish one seaman 
or two landmen; those who had 
four hundred, to find two sea- 
men or three Jandmen; such as 
had five hundred, two seamen or 
four landmen; and that for every 
hundred pounds above five. hun- 
dred, one more should be required, 
Mr, Joliffe was of opinion that 
unnecessary men. servants, men- 
milliners, and hair-dressers, and all 
men employed in occupations that 
might be filled by women, should, 
on this occasion, be called upon. 
to find people for the service. 
After a variety of stri€tures on 
Mr. Pitt’s proposals, they passed 
with a few alterations. | . 
The 
