It is not to be imagined, sir, that all these objections were not made, and answered, in the reign of the late queen, when a bill of the same nature was proposed; they were answered, at least, by the necessity of those times, which necessity has now returned upon us.

We do not find that it produced any consequences so formidable and destructive, that they should for ever discourage us from attempting to raise forces by the same means; it was then readily enacted, and executed without opposition, and without complaints; nor do I believe that any measures can be proposed of equal efficacy, and less severity.

Mr. SANDYS replied, in substance as follows:—­Sir, whether the precedents produced in defence of this bill, will have more weight than the arguments, must be shown by a careful examination, which will perhaps discover that the order sent to the magistrates of Bristol conveyed no new power, nor such as is, in any respect, parallel to that which this bill is intended to confer.

They were only enjoined to inquire with more than usual strictness, after strollers and vagabonds, such as the law has always subjected to punishment, and send them to the fleet, instead of any other place of correction; a method which may now be pursued without danger, opposition, or complaint.

But for my part, I am not able, upon the closest attention to the present scene of affairs, to find out the necessity of extraordinary methods of any kind.  The fears of an invasion from France, are, in my opinion, sir, merely chimerical; from their fleet in America the coasts of Britain have nothing to fear, and after the numerous levies of seamen by which it was fitted out, it is not yet probable that they can speedily send out another.  We know, sir, that the number of seamen depends upon the extent of commerce, and surely there is as yet no such disproportion between their trade and ours, as that they should be able to furnish out a naval armament with much greater expedition than ourselves.

In America our forces are at least equal to theirs, so that it is not very probable, that after the total destruction of our fleet by them, they should be so little injured, as to be able immediately to set sail for the channel, and insult us in our own ports; to effect this, sir, they must not only conquer us, but conquer us without resistance.

If they do not interrupt us in our attempts, nor expose themselves to an engagement, they may, indeed, return without suffering great damages, but I know not how they can leave the shores of America unobserved, or pour an unexpected invasion upon us.  If they continue there, sir, they cannot hurt as, and when they return, we may prepare for their reception.

There are men, I know, sir, who have reason to think highly of the French policy, and whose ideas may be exalted to a belief that they can perform impossibilities; but I have not yet prevailed upon myself to conceive that they can act invisibly, or that they can equip a fleet by sorcery, collect an army in a moment, and defy us on our own coast, without any perceptible preparations.