them to Mr. Addington. Probably you have arranged similar, or better plans, for obtaining the same much to be desired object. If so, they will have the fullest support of, my dear Lord, your most faithful and affectionate, NELSON AND BRONTE. PLAN FOR MANNING THE NAVY. [Original, in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B.] February, 1803. At a time when, I have been repeatedly told, the Seamen, notwithstanding their good pay, and abundance of the very best provisions, manifest a reluctance to enter into the Naval Service, it becomes, in my humble opinion, a duty for people conversant with the manners and disposition of Seamen, to turn their thoughts on the mode of inducing the Seamen to be fond, and even desirous of serving in the Navy, in preference to the Merchant Service. Their pay and provisions cannot possibly be improved from what they are at present; but, I think, a plan could be brought forward to Register the Certificates given to Seamen; and a form of Certificate to be general, and filled according to regulations issued by the Admiralty under the authority of an Act of Parliament. The greatest good would result, from such a regulation to the Seamen, who are by hundreds in distress in London, for want of Certificates authenticating their persons; for want of which so many wrong Seamen have been paid, that neither the PayOffice, nor any Prize-Agent, will venture to pay the Seaman his just due; and the benefit to the Seamen producing good characters, &c. never been concerned in mutinies, or deserted, &c., would much benefit them in getting good berths in the Merchant Service. When we calculate by figures on the expense of raising Seamen, I think it is said, £20 per man, that 42,000 Seamen deserted during the late War, the loss in money, in that point alone, amounts to £840,000; without taking into consideration the greater expense of raising more men-and certainly not so good as those who have been used to the King's Naval Service. I shall therefore propose, that every Seaman who has served faithfully five years in War, and by his Certificates never been concerned in mutinies, nor deserted, shall receive every New Year's Day, or on the King's birth-day, the sum of two guineas; and if he serves eight years, shall have four guineas, exclusive of any pension for wounds. It may appear, at first sight, for the State to pay, an enormous sum; but when it is considered that the average life of a Seaman is, from old age finished, at forty-five years, he cannot many years enjoy the annuity; to assist the paying which, the interest of the money saved by their not deserting would go very far, and perhaps as the Merchants give large wages in War, a tax might be imposed, when wages are above such a sum. It would answer one of these two purposes, either making the increase of wages, in the Merchant's Service, beneficial to those who serve their King and Country in the Navy; or, by keeping down the Merchants' wages, render desertion the less desirable. Much, very much, can be said, and is necessary to be considered on this subject; but the more I think of it, the easier it appears to me to be put in practice. Prize-money to be as regularly paid in London, Portsmouth, Plymouth, &c. as Seamen's wages: this is so easy and simple, that a very few days would, in my opinion, complete such a plan. But the great thing necessary to guard against is desertion; for notwithstanding all I have proposed, to induce Seamen to serve faithfully, yet a sum of money, and liquor, held out to a Seaman, are too much for him: he allows himself to be seduced and hid, he first becomes fearful of apprehension, and then wishes and exerts himself to get out of the Country in the Merchant's employ. It will be found, (if necessary to be inquired into at the Navy-Office,) and I know it, that whenever a large Convoy is assembled at Portsmouth, and our Fleet in Port, not less than 1000 men desert from the Navy; and I am sure that one-third of this number, from loss of clothes, drinking, and other debaucheries, are lost by death to the Kingdom. I shall only relate one fact, of a thousand, which could be brought forward: a Ship, from London, clears at Gravesend for her voyage to India. Amongst other Papers, the names of her crew and number are necessary; the names, qualities, &c., are properly filled up, the Ship, to a common observer, is fully manned; but the fact is this, the Ship is navigated to Portsmouth by Ticket-men, (men who are protected from the impress for some cause or other.) The Owner or Captain sends to Portsmouth, (to crimps,) I have been told in one instance as far as fifty men -twenty-five able Seamen, fifteen ordinary, and ten landsmen, the bounty being, of course, different according to their qualifications; the Ticket-men leave the Ship, the deserters to take up the names, and away they go. Knowing the case, an Act of Parliament would, if not entirely, very nearly prevent this infamous conduct; the regulation, I think, would be very plain and easy. I am sensible that no plan for these very important purposes can be matured by any one head, much less by mine; but as the ideas flow from a pure source, and a sincere desire to benefit our King and Country, I submit them, with deference, to much wiser and abler men than NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN PAGE, H. M. SHIP CAROLINE. [From "The United Service Journal" for October 1839.] My dear Sir, Piccadilly, March 4th, 1803. A friend of mine has requested me to write you a line, recommending his godson, Mr. Robert Fausset, to your notice, which I therefore take the liberty of doing. I hope you like the Caroline; and, go where you will, you have the sincere good wishes of all your friends at Merton, and of none more cordially than your much obliged, NELSON AND BRONTE. This young Officer became a Lieutenant in October 1809, and died in that rank between 1816 and 1820. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY ADDINGTON. Sir, [Autograph, in the Sidmouth Papers.] London, March 8th, 1803. I feel very great reluctance in troubling you with any personal concerns of mine, but I am really compelled to it, by circumstances, which, when explained, will, I think, convince you, that I cannot do otherwise; and knowing the value of your time, I will do it as shortly as I can. His Majesty was graciously pleased, on account of my services in the Battle of the Nile, to bestow on me the high honour of a Peerage of Great Britain, and to recommend it to ✦ Lord Nelson submitted for Mr. Addington's consideration the following statement of his property and income, which shows how necessary it was that he should receive the same pecuniary reward as had been given to the other Admirals who had gained a Victory. No increase of Pension was, however, granted to him. "LORD NELSON'S INCOME AND PROPERTY. My Exchequer Pension for the Nile Navy Pension for loss of one arm and one eye £2000 00 923 0 0 465 O 30 0 0 Therefore, Lord Nelson is free of House-rent, but has to pay charities necessary for his station in life, taxes, repairs, servants, and to live upon £768 per annum. PROPERTY OF LORD NELSON. Merton House, land, plate, and furniture £20,000 0 0 In 3 per Cents, £1000 Stock. DEBTS. By Mortgage on Merton, to assist in the purchase Fitting out for the Baltic, and again for my Command on the Coast, in Summer 1801 Real Property of Lord Nelson, £10,000. In Three per Cents, £1000 Stock." 6000 0 0 4000 0 0 £10,000 0 0 6 Parliament to enable him to grant a Pension of £2000 a-year to me, and eventually for two lives after mine. In the former part of the Message for that purpose, his Majesty expresses a desire to bestow on me the Pension, and to the two next succeeding heirs male of my body. But in the recommendatory part of the Message the words are, to consider of a proper method of enabling his Majesty to grant the same, and of extending, securing, and settling such annuity to the said Rear-Admiral Lord Nelson, and to the two next persons on whom the title of Baron Nelson, &c. shall descend, in such manner as shall be thought most effectual for the benefit of the said Lord Nelson and his family." The grant was made to me and the two next succeeding heirs male of my body, which was probably done without an attentive consideration of the whole of the Message. But it was then of no importance to me, as the grant followed the Title; but as His Majesty has since been graciously pleased to confer upon me the Title of a Viscount," with the remainder to my brother and nephews, (failing issue of my own,) I must entreat that you will lay me at his Majesty's feet, and that you will have the goodness to express to him, in the most dutiful manner, my humble hope that, as I have not had the good fortune to acquire sufficient wealth to put it in my power to enable my nephews to support in any degree the rank of a Peer, to which they may eventually succeed, his Majesty will be graciously pleased to take such measures as he shall think necessary, for continuing the Pension in the manner it appears. to have been his Majesty's gracious intention it should have been originally granted. In making this application to you, Sir, it is but fair that I should apprise you that Lord St. Vincent is in the same situation, I believe, with myself; but I know of no other case at all similar, as Lord Duncan has male issue. And I also beg leave to state that both Lord St. Vincent and Lord Duncan The copy of the Message in vol. ii. p. 79, is not accurately stated; it was in the words quoted by Lord Nelson. "It is remarkable that Lord Nelson should have mistaken the limitation of his Viscountcy, which was confined to the heirs male of his own body. It was the Barony of Nelson of the Nile and of Hilborough, granted in August 1801, that was to devolve (on failure of his own male issue) on his brother and nephews. Vide vol. iv. p. 540. |