fuse to give ear to this just and well-founded protest, we solemnly and energetically implore you, that the goods and property of our fellow citizens, already seized and placed in security, may not be transported elsewhere; at least, that the sacred right of property be so long respected, till both the governments shall have treated and determined as to the destiny of so many inhabitants, whose welfare and existence alone depend on the preservation of their property and possessions.We have the honour to be, with respect, President and Members of the Departmental Government of Zealand, J. W. SCHORER, President. Middleburg, Feb. 8, 1804.

THE NAVY,

SIR,-I cannot but advert to the speech of Captain Markham, wherein he asserts, (with that regard to consistency for which he is so very remarkable), in reply to Mr. Pitt's observations, relative to the present disposition of our naval force, that "the "low rate of insurance he (Captain M--) "thought, was the best proof that the Ad

miralty had done its duty." Now, Sir, let us take a comparative view of the situation of affairs, at the commencement of the late and present contest. At the beginning of the last war, France had a navy numerous and respectable, she could then boast of a number of frigates and swarms of priva teers, which in spite of every precaution, frequently annoyed our trade; to accomplish which, they availed themselves of every opportunity to put to sea: hence the insurance was greater because the voyages were then more hazardous. But mark the different kind of warfare now pursued by the enemy, Buonaparté has commenced hostilities, with the avowed determination to invade this country; he has, therefore, collected all kind of vessels for that purpose, which he has, with much care, kept within the limits of his own ports; and which precaution on his part, has hitherto enabled our merchantmen to pursue their destination, with nearly as much safety as in the time of peace: yet, notwithstanding, the Captain would have all the world believe, that the present low rate of insurance, is entirely owing to the wise and politic system of the Board of Admialty.- -Fortunately for this country, before the conclusion of the last war, the navy of France was, by the skill and bravery of our sailors, reduced to a state which then rendered it no longer formidable: but since

that period, the French have strained every nerve to restore their marine, and I very much fear that our exertions have been by no means commensurate with theirs. The conduct which has been pursued by the Admiralty has in great measure tended to damp that ardour and zeal, which all parties formerly manifested for the welfare of the service; and, therefore, what with the deficiency of artificers, (shipwrights I mean), the scanty supply of timber, and the premature old age, which must be necessarily brought on our best ships, by the ruinous blockade of Brest, are subjects which excite in me the most serious apprehensions, how long we may boast the superiority of our navy. So much having been said by your former correspondents upon the impolitic and incongruous proceedings of the Admiralty render any further observations from me unnecessary; but i carnestly recommend to the Public a perusal of the several letters, which have from time to time appeared in your valuable Register; from a conviction that the evils, which are therein complained of, still exist, and which, if not removed, must tend to the decline of the British navy. --Captain Markham farther says, "he "should be happy to meet any precise

charges, and go into a real inquiry when

ever it was thought proper." I really cannot bring myself to believe, that he seriously means what he asserts, for he surely must be aware, that many circumstances could be adduced, which would render refutation on his part a painful and difficult task, indeed, a task which he could not accomplish; an investigation founded upon good information, would, I am sure, place him in a situation, in which he would not be envied, even by those, whom he has been so active in persecuting and degrading.-I am, Sir, your most hearty well-wisher, March 1, 1804.

Z.

* Whether the ships be hurried to sea half fitted and half stored, let any one inquire of the officers of the Brest squadron. Rope for buntlings, &c. which used to be the best that could be manufactured, was supplied to, and on board, the ships in the late gales, made of twice laid stuff. What was the consequence? The moment there was any strain, it snapped like pack thread. A whole suit of top-sails, on board the Culloden, was, by these ropes breaking in the act of taking in the sails, blown all to ribbands, and the safety of the ship and men considerably endangered; whereas, without this economical innovation, introduced by the present Admiralty, no risk would have been run, no sails destroyed; and, this is economy !

VOL. V. No. 11.]

LORD REDESDALE.

SIR, entreat your indulgence to of fer to the public, a few remarks, on the correspondence between Lord Redesdale and the Earl of Fingall. After the most attentive and minute examination of the letters in question, it is painful to me to observe, that the language and sentiments of the Irish Chancellor, have a strong tendency to injure the dearest interests of the empire. You 'must have remarked, Mr. Cobbett, that this nobleman represents the Irish Catholics not only as actually disloyal, but as precluded by the tenets of their religion, from the possibility of paying allegiance to a Protestant Sovereign. His lordship asserts, that a Catholic cannot be faithful to a King, who is regarded by him as not belonging to the true Church of Christ, and of course is guilty of rebellion to the See of Rome. This is the leading charge of this legal divine against the Roman Catholic religion; it is repeated in a variety of forms through the whole of the correspondence, with a disgusting affectation, as if it possessed the force of a serious objection.-But, Sir, how could it have escaped the attention of the noble lord, the regular keeper of his Majesty's conscience in Ireland, that the doctrine of exclusive salvation, is carried to as great an extent, at least, by the Church of England, as it is by the Church of Rome. How could he have the presumption to enter on the discussion of a theological point, without the smallest attention to the doctrine, which he is pledged, by his situation to support? By the 8th of the 39 articles, the Athanasian Creed is received as agreeable to the scriptures. Now, according to the express terms of this Creed, he who does not faithfully and finally believe the Catholic faith, cannot be saved. Other passages of the same import might be produced, both from the articles and the homilies. But, what I would principally bring to the recollection of the noble lord, is, that, in order to qualify himself to sit in the British legislature, he must frequently have sworn, that the mass is manifest idolatry; that Catholics of course are idolators, who in the commination, which makes a

[350

part of the Common Prayer Book, are pronounced accursed, and as such are excluded, by St. Paul, from all hopes of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, Sir, I put it to the noble theologian, how can the Catholic be charged by Lord Redesdale, with either uncharitable or disloyal principles, for maintaining the exclusive doctrine, when his lordship, as a supporter of the established Church, denies salvation not only to pagans and infidels, see the 18th article) not only to Arians, Macedonians, Socinians, and all opposers of the Athanasian Creed, but even to Catholics themselves? If Catholic principles be inconsistent with allegiance to a Protestant King, because such a Sovereign is not regarded as a member of the Church of Christ, it will follow, by a parity of reasoning, that Protestant subjects can never be faithful to a Catholic King, who would be considered by them as an idolator? Surely, the noble lord did not see the consequences of his reasoning, when he imprudently required unity of faith as a preliminary to civil allegiance; when he commenced this unwarrantable attack, he little thought that he was going to cut his own throat in the contest. But, Sir, that faith and allegiance are very distinct and separate concerns, the noble lord furnishes me with an incontestible proof. His lordship justly observes, that the duty of allegiance was strongly enforced by Christ and the Apostles, particularly the latter. Allow me now, Sir, forcibly to appeal to the judgment of the noble lord, on a question of this magnitude, let me ask him, if Christ could shew submission to those who sat on the chair of Moses, to those who were plotting his destruction, who, of course were objects of hatred to his Heavenly Father; if he could render to Cæsar the things that are Caesar's, cannot a Catholic, notwithstanding the influence of religious belief, love, respect, and obey a beneficent Sovereign? If Paul and his associates could pay allegiance to Claudius, to Nero, to pagans, to a race of rulers, whose acts of iniquity have fouled the page of history, and degraded human nature, cannot the Catholic be faithful to a King, who reigns in the hearts of his people, who

was, therefore, deprived of the services of more than two hundred of those useful and necessary mechanics, whose loss is felt to this day. In answer to which, I shall be told, that mutinies frequently occurred in the Dock yards; for my own part, I never heard of any conduct of the workmen, that can possibly come under that denomination, excepting at Sheerness, in the instance of Commissioner. Coffin being insulted; but which treatment, he, in a great measure, provoked, by his harsh and violent conduct. On the subject of the discharges which took place in May, 180, I shall offer no further comment, but refer your readers to the observations of your correspondent, as stated in Voi, III, page 129 When the peace (or rather the armistice) took place, orders were immediately given to reduce the extra which was worked in the Dock-yards; and every thing was put on a footing, as if the ministers were certain of a perinanent and lasting peace, Many of the workmen were employed in taking old ships to pieces, therefore the repairing of the fleet was shamefully retarded. The caulkers, in some of the yards, were nearly all dismissed, for refusing to work for the merchants; the Victory, therefore, remained six months in the wet season without being caulked; the consequence is, that she will decay sooner by some years, than she otherwise would have done and not only the Victory, but other ships likewise, experienced a similar fate. The case of the poor caulkers was particularly hard, for they cheerfully obeyed the first and second orders that were given them to assist the merchants, and because they refused to comply with the third, (in consequence of the very ill treatment which they had received from the river caulkers); they were immediately discharged; which harsh measure reduced themselves and families to the greatest distress for several months: when the Admiralty finding every method to procure others ineffectual, generously condescended to re-enter them. How far the Admiralty were justified in ordering the caulkers to work in merchants' yards, when they had engaged for no other purpose but to serve his Majesty, I cannot imagine; it certainly was a stretch of power, which no former Admiralty had ever resorted to: and it unfortunately took place at a time, when their public services were much wanted, so that, certainly, a very material injury was in consequence sustained by his Majesty's navy. -Next comes the general visitation of the yards the result was, a further reduction of artificers; and, I solemnly aver, that many men, whom the Admiralty superannuated

and discharged as unfit for further service, were immediately employed by the merchants, and are now earning as much or more than they ever did in the Dock-yards. So much for the penetration and discernment of the immaculate Board of Admiralty; a board which has been so frequently extolled by that safe politician, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.-Many of the yards are at this day very considerably short of their peaceestablishment of shipwrights, and I see little or no prospect of their numbers being increased. Yet we are told, that there is no deficiency of artificers. The papers say, that the Admiralty are about to give directions, to build twenty sail of the line in the Duckyards: it is true, they may immediately issue their orders to that effect, but the period when they will be complied with, under the present system, will be remote indeed. For what with the yards being short handed, and the scanty supply of timber, occasioned by the distrust the merchants have of the Admiralty, render it impossible to state any time, when the country will be benefited by so desirable an accession of strength.-The next subject to which I wish to call your at tention, is the manner that lads are apprenticed in the shipwright line; but as it was so ably and fully discussed by your corre spondents in May and June last, I shall only briefly state, that the evils which they then suggested, would grow out of that systein; begins to be daily verified. We must, therefore, no longer expect to have, either good workmen, modellers, or draftsmen; the consequence will be, that in a few years, the present reduced number of expert artificers, and almost annihilated scientific men, will be totally extinct Then let us look to the situation in which our navy will be placed !! On this alarming subject I would earnestly recommend to those gentlemen, who intend to render their country such an important service, as the inquiring into the conduct of the present Admiralty; to examine at the bar of the House the surveyors of the navy, men of long experience, and of approved abilities and integrity: whom, I am confi dent, will not only confirm what has been said, but will further prove the destructive consequences to be apprehended, from measures so incompatible with the true interest of the country. From many circumstances that have occurred, it is reasonable to suppose, that the present Admiralty came into office with the determination to provide permanent places for themselves and friends; for instance, the Plymouth officers were dismissed to make room for Mr. Tucker, the Secretary's brother; Mr. Kittor,