As I cannot doubt, sir, that every gentleman is equally zealous for the success of the war, and the prosperity of his country; and as the insufficiency of the present methods of providing for them is apparent, I hope, that either the regulations proposed by this bill, to which I see no important objections, or some other of equal use, will be established by a general concurrence.

Lord BALTIMORE spoke next:—­Though no gentleman in this assembly, sir, can more ardently wish the success of the British arms, or shall more willingly concur in any measure that may promote it, yet I cannot agree to the clause now under our consideration; I disapprove it both from moral and political motives; I disapprove it as neither just nor prudent.

The injustice of so flagrant an invasion of the liberty of particular men has been already exposed; nor is it, in my opinion, less easy to discover the imprudence of exhausting all our supplies at once, and sweeping away all our sailors, to supply a single exigency.

It has often been remarked, sir, in favour of a standing army, that it is requisite to have a number of regular forces, who, though too weak to oppose an invasion, might be able to establish discipline in a larger body.  An observation which may, with much greater justness, be applied to the seamen, whose art is much more difficult to be attained, and who are equally necessary in war and peace.

If our stock of seamen, sir, be destroyed, if there is not left in our trading vessels a sufficient number of experienced artists to initiate novices, and propagate the profession, not only our ships of war must lie useless, but our commerce sink to nothing.

Nor have I reason to believe the naval power of France so formidable, as that we ought to be terrified by the apprehensions of it into any extraordinary methods of procedure.  I am informed that they have now very few ships of force left in their harbours; and that they have exerted their whole strength in the American fleet.

I am not, therefore, sir, for providing against present dangers, without regard to our future security; and think nothing more worthy of the consideration of this assembly, than the means of encouraging and increasing our seamen, which will not be effected by the bill before us.

Land forces may be hired upon emergencies; but sailors are our own peculiar strength, and the growth of our own soil; we are, therefore, above all other regards, to attend, if I may use the term, to the preservation of the species.

Mr. VYNER next spoke:—­Mr. Chairman, as there can be no stronger objection to any law than ambiguity, or indeterminate latitude of meaning, I think it necessary to propose, that some word of known and limited import, be substituted in the place of seafaring men; an expression which, if I was asked the meaning of it, I should find it difficult to explain.

Are seafaring men those only who navigate in the sea?  The term is then superfluous, for all such are evidently comprised in the word seamen.  Are they bargemen or watermen, who ply on rivers and transport provision or commodities from one inland town to another?  In that sense nobody will affirm that it is a proper word; and impropriety in the expression of laws, produces uncertainty in the execution of them.