HISTORY OF EUR OPE. 
present circumstances demanded. 
He considered, also, the exisling 
laws as fully sufficient for the case 
in agitation, without encumbering 
the penal code with odious addi- 
tions. It,was already; he observed, 
‘amply severe. Of thirty-six articles 
of war, near the half, seventeen, 
contained penaitiesand punishments 
of various kinds. 
Whatever propriety there might 
be in the observations of these two 
gentlemen, the alarm and resent 
ment of the majority, at the manner 
in which the seamen of the fleet 
at the Nore had enforced: their de- 
mands, led them io adept the co- 
ercive measures recommended by 
ministers. Fortunately for these, 
the divisions they had found means 
to create among the mutineers 
operated more powerfully towards 
their reduction than any other cause. 
Hlad they remained firmly united, 
‘government must have finally com- 
plied with most of their requsitions, 
especially with that which related 
toamore equal distribution of prize- 
money. This demand appeared, 
to the generality of men, founded 
upon the strictest equity. Had they, 
confined their petition to this par- 
ticular, it was thought at the time, 
that they would have been seconded - 
by the seamen of the whole navy. 
By demanding too much, they des 
prived themselves of that unanimous 
concurrence which they had ex- 
pected. They not only incurred 
the disapprobation of their fellow- 
seamen, but forfeited the counte- 
nance of their other fellow-subjects, 
who, though convinced that they 
were entitled to better treatmentin 
the article of prizes than they had 
hitherto experienced, were not in- 
clined to abet them in this particu- 
lar, while they accompanied it with 
[219 
requisitions, the propriety and sea- 
sonableness of which were ques- 
tioned by their warmest advo- 
cates. 
The suppressionof the mutiny at 
the Nore was truly a critical oc- 
currence, ‘The number of ships of 
the line, and of resolute and expe 
rienced seamen that manned them, 
aad in whose possession they were, 
presented the most formidable ob- 
ject of alarm. The combination of 
the ships companies at Portsmouth 
and Plymouth offered nothing dan- 
gerous in comparison of that which 
took place at the Nore: the de- 
mands of the former were. strictly; 
justifiable, and no inconvenience 
could arise from complying with 
them ;- but those of the latter aimed 
at innovations equally dangerous 
and mortifying to persons in autho- 
rity, and would haye occasioned 
essential alterations inthe discipline 
and nanagement of tbe navy. 
A variety of opinions went forth 
of the real causes of both these mu~ 
tinies; but, the first may be, with 
out hesitation, ascribed to the po- 
pular maxims, prevailing every 
where, of the right, inherent in all 
men, to require an equitable treat 
ment, and, if denied them, to ob- 
tain it by force, if other means ap- 
peared insufficient. The inequi- 
table ‘treatment of the common 
sailors in the navy was undeniable: 
it was a subject of ordinary dis- 
course, and the wishes of the im- 
partial public were daily expressed 
for a redress of their grievances. 
Nor did the seamen in the petitions 
they presented, and by their conduct 
and demeanour towards their of- 
ficers, in the course of the whole 
transactions, commit any act of in- 
solenceand disrespect, The utmost 
freedom they took was, to divest of 
their 
