Secondly, that your petitioners request your honours will be pleafed to obferve, there fhould be no flour served while we are in harbour, in any port whatever, under the command of the British flag; and also that there might be granted a fufficient quantity of vegetables of fuch kind as may be the moft plentiful in the ports to which we go; which we grievously complain and lie under the want of. Thirdly, that your lordships will be pleafed ferioufly to look into the ftate of the fick on board his majefty's fhips, that they may be better attended to, and that they may have the use of fuch neceffaries as are allowed for them in time of their ficknefs, and that thefe neceffaries be not on any account embezzled. Fourthly, that your lordships will be fo kind as to look into this affair, which is nowife unreasonable, and that we may be looked upon as a number of men standing in defence of our country, and that we may in fome wife have grant and opportunity to taste the sweets of liberty on thore, when in any harbour; and when we have completed the duty of our fhips, after our return from fea, and that no man may incroach upon his liberty, there fhall be a boundary limited, and those trefpaffing any further, without a written order from the commanding officer, fhall be punished according to the rules of the navy; which is a natural request, and congenial to the heart of man, and certainly to us, that you make the boast of being the guardians of the land. Fifthly, that if any man is wounded in action, his pay be continued until he is cured, and difcharged; and if any fhip has any real griev. auces to complain of, we hope Having taken into confideration the petitions tranfmitted by your lordship from the crews of his majefty's fhips under your command, and having the strongeft defire to attend to all complaints of the feamen of his majefty's navy and to grant them every juft and reafonable redrefs, and having con fidered the difference of the price of the neceffaries of life at this and at that period when the pay of feamen was established, we do hereby require and direct your lordfhip to take the speedieft method of communicating to the fleet That we have refolved to recommend it to his majefty to propofe to parliament to increase the wages of feamen in his majesty's navy in the following proportions, viz. To add four fhillings per month to to the wages of petty officers and able feamen; Three thillings per month to the wages of ordinary feamen; and Two fhillings per month to the wages of landmen. That we have refolved, that feamen wounded in action fhall be continued in pay until their wounds are healed, or until, being declared unferviceable, they fhall receive a penfion, or be received into the royal hofpital at Greenwich; and that, having a perfect confidence in the zeal, loyalty, and courage of all the feamen in the fleet, fo generally expreffed in their petition, and in their earneft defire of ferving their country with that fpirit which always fo eminently diftin guifhed British feamen, we have come to this refolution the more readily, that the feamen may have as early as poffible an opportunity of fhowing their good difpofitions, by returning to their duty, as it may be neceffary that the fleet hould fpeedily put to fea, to meet the enemy of the country. Given under our hands, at SPENCER. To the right hon. lord Bridport, K. B. admiral of the white, commander in chief of a fquadron of his majefty's fhips employed in the Channel fervice. THE SEAMEN'S REPLY. We received your lordships' anfwer to our petition; and in order to convince your lordships, and the nation in general, of our moderation, beg leave to offer the follow. ing remarks to your confideration, viz. That there never has exifted but two orders of men in the navy, 1797 able and ordinary, therefore the distinction between ordinary and landmen is totally new; we there fore humbly propofe to your lordfhips, that the old regulations be adhered to, that the wages of able feamer be raised to one fhil-' ling per day, and that of petty of ficers, and the ordinary, in the ufual proportion: and as a further proof of our moderation, and that we are actuated by a true fpirit of benevolence toward our brethren the marines, who are not noticed in your lordfhips' anfwer, we humbly propofe that their pay be augmented, while ferving on board, in the fame proportion as ordinary feamen. This we hope and truft will be a convincing proof to your lordships that we are not actuated by a fpirit of contradiction, but that we earneftly wish to put a speedy end to the prefent affair. We beg leave to itate to your lord fhips, that the penfions from Greenwich college we earnestly with to be raised to ten pounds per annum; and, in order to maintain which, we humbly propofe to your lordships, that every feaman employed in the merchant fervice, inftead of fix-pence per month, which he now pays, fhall hereafter pay one fhilling per month, which, we truft, will raife a fund fully adequate to the purpose; and as this in time of peace must be paid by your petitioners, we trust it will give a convincing proof of our difintereftedness and moderation. We would alfo recommend that this regulation be extended to the feamen in the service of the East India company, as we know by experience that there are few failors employed by them but what have been in the royal navy; and we have feen them with our own eyes, after fickness or other acci (F) dent dent has difabled them, without any hope of relief or fupport, but from their former fervices in the navy. As to provifions, that they be augmented to fixteen ounces to the pound of bread and meat; cheefe, butter, and liquor in proportion, and of a better quality, and a fufficient quantity of vegetablès; and that no flour be ferved with fresh beef. And we further. beg leave to inform your lordfhips, that it is unanimously agreed, that, until the grievances before ftated are redreffed, and an act of indemnity paffed, we are determined not to lift an anchor: and the grievances of particular ships must be redreffed. Given under our hands, the delegates of the fleet, on board the Queen Charlotte at Spithead, April 19, 1797. Signed as before, In this fituation of affairs, lord Spencer, and the other commiflioners, left Portsmouth, and arrived in town on Saturday. The bufinefs was urgent, and no time was to be loft. A council was immediately held, which confifted of the lord prefident, the duke of Portland, earl Spencer, the lord chancellor, lord Grenville, Mr. Dundas, and lord Walfingham; and the whole board of admiralty affifted upon the occafion. The deliberations continued upward of three hours, the refult of which was favourable to the claims of the feamen in every particular. The whole of the cabinet minifters then fet off for Windfor, where they arrived at feven o'clock. Another council was inftantly held in the prefence of his majefty, at the lodge, when an order was regularly made out for granting the whole of the failors' demands; and a full pardon and indemnity for the delegates and their accomplices was figned by his majefty. It was near ten o'clock at night before the whele of this bufinefs was fettled, at which hour, Mr. Powell, the admiralty meffeager, who was in waiting, was fent off with copies of the proceedings to lord Bridport at Portfmouth. The following is a copy of the letter from the admiralty to lord Bridport, notifying their compli ance with the demands of the feamen; with their final answer. By the commiflioners for executing the office of lord high admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. Having taken into our confideration a paper containing feveral representations from the feamen of his majefty's fhips at Spithead, refpecting the advance of their wages, and being defirous of granting them every request that can with any degree of reafon be complied with, we have refolved to recommend. it to his majesty, that an addition of five fillings and fixpence per month be made to the wages of petty officers and feamen belonging to his majefty's navy, which will make the wages of able feamen one fhilling per day, clear of all deductions; an addition of four fhillings and fixpence per month to the wages of ordinary feamen; and an addition of three fhillings and fixpence per month to the wages of landmen; and that none of the allowance made to the marines when on fhore fhall be stopped, on their being embarked on board any of his majefty's fhips. We have also refolved, that all feamen, marines, and others ferving in his majesty's fhips, fhall have the full allowance of provifions, without any deductions for leakage or wafte; and that, until proper fteps can be take for carrying this into effect, fhort al lowance lowance money fhall be paid to the men in lieu of the deduction beretofore made: and that all men wounded in action fhall receive their full pay until their wounds fhall be healed, or until, being declared incurable, they hall receive a penfion from the cheft at Chatbam, or fhall be admitted into the royal hofpital at Greenwich. And your lordship is hereby required and directed to communicate this our determination to the captain of each of his majefty's fhips under your orders, directing him to make it known to the fhip's company under his command, and to inform them that should they be infenfible to the very liberal offers now made to them, and persist in their pre fent difobedience, they muft no longer expect to enjoy thofe benefits to which, by their former good conduct, they were entitled: and that in fnch cafe, all the men now on board the fleet at Spithead fhall be incapable of receiving any finart money or penfions from the cheft of Chatham, or of being admitted at any time into the royal hofpital at Greenwich; and that they muft be answerable for the dreadful confequences which will neceffarily attend their continuing to tranfgrefs the rules of the fervice, in open violation of the laws of their country. On the other hand, he is to inform them, that we promife the moft perfect forgiveness of all that bas paffed on this occafion to every fhip's company, who, within one hour after the communication to them of the above-mentioned refolutions, fhall return to their duty in every particular, and fhall ceafe to hold further intercourfe with any men who continue in a state of difobedience and mutiny. To the right hon. lord Brid- By the command of their WM. MARSDEN. To the right hon. the lords commiffioners of the admiralty. We, the feamen and marines in and belonging to his majesty's fleet now lying at Spithead, having received with the utmoft fatisfaction, and with hearts full of gratitude, the bountiful augmentation of pay and provifions which your lordfhips have been pleased to fignify fhall take place in future in his majefty's royal navy by your order, which has been read to us this morning by the command of admiral lord Bridport- Your lordships having thus generoufly taken the prayer of our feveral petitions into your ferious confideration, you have given fa tisfaction to every loyal and well. difpofed feamen and marine be longing to his majefty's fleets; and from the affurance which your lordships have given us refpecting fuch other grievances as we thought right to lay before you, we are thoroughly convinced, fhould any real grievance or other caufe of complaint arife in future, and the fame be laid before your lordships in a regular manner, we are per fectly fatisfied that your lordships will pay every attention to a mum (F2) bar ber of brave men, who ever have and ever will be true and faithful to their king and country. But we beg leave to remind your lord hips, that it is a firm refolution, that, until the flour in port be removed, the vegetables and penfions augmented, the grievances of private hips be redreffed, an act paffed, and his majesty's most gracious pardon for the fleet now lying at Spithead be granted, that the fleet will not lift an anchor; and this is the total and final anfwer. The following is a copy of the royal proclamation. By the KING. Upon report of the lords commiffioners of the admiralty of the proceedings of the seamen and marines of the fquadron of our fleet ftationed at Spithead, and of the measures taken by the faid lords commiffioners in confequence thereof; and in order to manifeft our defire to give due encourage. ment to all those who fhall return to the regular and ordinary difcharge of their duty, according to the rules and practice of the navy; we have thought fit, by the advice of our privy council, to iffue this our royal proclamation, and do hereby promise our moft gracious pardon to all feamen and marines ferving on board the said squadron, who fhall, upon notification hereof on board their refpective fhips, return to the regular and ordinary difcharge of their duty and we do hereby declare, that all fuch feamen and marines, fo returning to their duty, fhall be difcharged and releafed from all profecutions, imprisonments, and penalties, incurred by reafon of any act of mutiny or difobedience of orders, or any breach or neglect of duty, previously committed by them, or any of them. Given at our court at Windfor, the 22d day of April, 1797, and in the 37th year of our reign. God fave the KING. Thus happily ended this dif agreeable affair. A letter from Portfmouth, dated Sunday evening, eight o'clock, April 23, fays, The difpatches which were brought down by Mr. Powell in the extraordinary fhort period of feven hours, were instantly carried to the port admiral, who fent for lord Bridport, admirals Gardner, Pole, and Colpoys; and after confulting a long time together, about 11 o'clock they proceeded on board the Royal George, where lord Bridport's flag had been again hoisted. A fignal was immediately made for all captains to go on board the admiral's fhip, when the nature of the difpatches was divulged. Every captain then returned to his own fhip, and communicated to the crews the contents of the dispatches from Windfor. The feamen unanimously declared they could give no anfwer till the propofals were fubmitted to the court of delegates. On affembling the court, it was found that Joyce and Glynn, two of the delegates, were on fhore. The |