219] ANNUAL REGISTER, 
‘ rality concurred in the propriety of 
a ministerial application to parha- 
ment, fora sum of money sufficient 
. todefray the charge of augmenting 
the pay of the seamen belonging to 
the navy, which was universally 
considered as a measure of strict 
equity. - 
Conformably to the expectation 
of the public, thehouse of commons, 
onthe eighth of May, tookinto con- 
sideration the estimates, Jaid before 
it by ministry, for the purpose of 
that augmentation. Previously to 
the stating of them, Mr. Pitt ex- 
pressed much repugnance to detail, 
as usual, the motives on which he 
founded the necessity of applying 
to the house for an addition to the 
pubic expenditure. He declared. 
that, onthepresent occasion, he did 
not find himself at liberty to enter 
intoa detail of the transactions that 
ledhim toappiy. They were such 
that be felt bimself obliged to say, 
that he would trust their judgment 
would inducethem to concur in his 
“motion, without making it the sub- 
ject of a Jong discussion : nor was 
he able to.enter into a statement of 
the events that had more recently 
happened; and if he were, he 
should feel a reluctance in doing it, 
as they were wholly, or ina great 
degree, to be arcribed to misrepre- 
seviations. ‘Lo silence these, and 
to appease at once al! discontent, 
- nothiag, in his opinion, would beso 
effectual as the unanimons decision 
of parlianient on the proposal be- 
forethem. He therefore thoughiit 
- his duty to entreat the house to pass 
theirsilent judgment on the present 
case, while ihey coinéided with the 
motion it occasioned bim to meke, 
He then moved tor a total of four 
hundred and thirty-six thousand 
* pounds, to auswer the additional 
1797. 
pay and allowance to the seamen 
and marines in the navy. 
The resolutions, to this intent, 
being read, Mr. Fox said, that he 
should certainly agree to them, but 
that his duty required of him not 
togive a silent vote. He differed 
from the minister in his notions of 
* contidence. Every question relating 
to the public expenditure ought, in 
his opipion, t6 be fully discussed. 
The silence of ministers had pro- 
duced the fresh disturbanees in the 
fleet at Portsmouth, by exciting a 
suspicion of their sincerity. “What 
motive, heasked, could have in- 
duced them to suffer a whole fort- 
night to elapse before their applica- 
tion for the interference of parlia- 
ment, from which alone they could 
derive effectual assistance, in this 
critical conjuncture. Such a neg- 
Ject, on the part of ministers. ar- 
gued a degree of guilt as well. as 
of incapacity, that would involve 
the house itself, were the resolu- 
tions to pass without a due censure 
ov ministry. The house wes in 
duty bound to inquire how far the 
admiralty had acceded to the peti- 
tions of the seamen, and whether 
they were satisfied; and the reme- 
dy proposed would effectually allay 
their discontents. The house had 
aright to complete information, and 
their privileges ought not, by an ob- 
seguiaus and unseasonable silence, 
to be given up to men who had 
proved themselves unworthy of 
their confidence. 
Mr. Speridanacknowledged him- 
self convinced, by the circumstances" 
of the case, of the necessity to vote 
with the minister, without insisting 
upon information ; but contended, 
however, that the recent disturb-~ 
ances arose from the procrastination 
of suivistry. 
On 
