Arden, admiral Young, and Mr. Marsden, the deputy secretary', immediately set off for Portsmouth, in order to enter into a thorough investigation of this alarming busi ness. The following is an authentic copy of the petition to the nouse of commons. To the right honourable and the honourable knights, citizens, and burgesses, in parliament assembled. The humble petition of the seamen and marines on board his majesty's fleet, on behalf of themselves, Humbly sheweth ; That your petitioners, relying on the candour and justice of your honourable house, make bold to lay their grievances before you, hoping that when you reflect on them, you will please to give redress, as far as your wisdom shall deem ne cessary. We beg leave to remind your august assembly, that the act of parliament passed in the reign of king Charles II. wherein the wages of all seamen serving on board his majesty's fleet, was settled, passed at a time when the necessaries of life, and slops of every denomination, were at least 30 per cent. cheaper than at the present time; which enabled seamen and marines to provide better for their families than we can now do with one half advance. · We therefore request your honourable house will be so kind as to review the act before-mentioned, and make such amendments therein, as will enable your petitioners and their families to live in the same comfortable manner as seamen and marines did at that time. Your petitioners, with all humility, laid their grievances before the hon, earl Howe, and flattered ourselves with the hopes, that his lordship would have been an advocate for us as we have been repeat. edly under his command, and made the British flag rite triumphantly over that of our enemies. But to our great surprise, we find ourselves unprotected by him who has seen so many instances of our intrepidity, in carrying the British flag into every part of the seas with victory and success. We profess ourselves as loyal to our sovereign, and zealous in the defence of our country, as the army or militia can be, and esteem ourselves equally entitled to his majesty's munificence; therefore, with jealousy we behold their pay aug mented, and the out-pensions of Chelsea college increased to thirteen pounds per annum, while we remain neglected, and the out-pensioners of Greenwich have only seven pounds per annum. We your petitioners, therefore, humbly implore that you will take these matters into consideration, and with your accustomed goodness and liberality, comply with the prayer of this petition, and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c. We, the delegates of the fleet, hereunto sign our names for the ships' companies Royal George-Valentine Joyce, John Morris. Queen Charlotte-Patrick Glynn, John Udleson. Royal Sovereign-Joseph Green, John Richardson. London Alexander Harding, William Ruly. Glory- Patrick Dugan, John Bethell. Duke Duke Michael Adams, William Anderson. Mars-Thomas Allen, James Blithe. Marlborough William Senator. Ramilies-Charles Berry, George Clear services for any other purpose than that of putting you and the nation in mind of the respect due to us, nor do we ever intend to deviate John Vassia, from our former character, so far from any thing of that kind, or that an English man or men should turn their coats; we likewise agree in opinion, that we should suffer double the hardships we have hitherto experienced, before we would suffer the crown of England to be in the least imposed upon by that of any other power in the world; we therefore beg leave to inform your lordships of the grievances which we at present labour under. Robust - David Wilson, John Scrivener. John Witna, L'Impetueux William Porter. Defence George Galaway, Jaines Barerick. Terrible-Mark Turner, George Salked. William Potts, Le Pompée James Melvin. Minotaur Dennis Lowley, George Crosland. Defiance-John Saunders, John Husband. Copy of the petition to the admiralty. To the right honourable the lords commissioners of the admiralty. My lords, We, the seamen of his majesty's Davy, take the liberty of addressing your lordships in an humble petition, showing the many hardships and oppressions we have laboured under for many years, and which we hope your lordships will redress as soon as possible. We flatter ourselves that your lordships, together with the nation in general, will acknowledge our worth and good services, both in the American war and the present; for which service your lordships' petitioners do unanimously agree in opinion, that their worth to the nation, and laborious industry in defence of their country, deserve some better encouragement than that we meet with at present; or from any we have experienced. We, your petitioners, do not boast of our good We, your humble petitioners, relying that your lordships will take into early consideration the grievances of which we complain, and do not in the least doubt but. your lordships will comply with our desires, which are every way reasonable. The first grievance which we have to complain of is, that our wages are too low, and ought to be raised, that we might be the better able to support our wives and families in a manner comfortable, and whom we are in duty bound to support as far as our wages will allow; which, we trust, will be looked into by your lordships, and the honourable house of commons in parliament assembled. We, your petitioners, beg that your fordships will take into consideration the grievances of which we complain, and now lay before you. First, that our provisions be raised to the weight of sixteen ounces to the pound, and of a better quality; and that our measures may be the same as those used in the commercial trade of this country. Secondly, Secondly, that your petitioners request your honours will be pleased to observe, there should 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 sufficient quantity of vegetables, of such kind as may be the most plentiful in the ports to which we go; which we grievously complain and lie under the want of. Thirdly, that your lordships will be pleased seriously to look into the state of the sick on board his majesty's ships, that they may be better attended to, and that they may have the use of such necessaries as are allowed for them in time of their sickness, and that these necessaries be not on any account embezzled. Fourthly, that your lordships will be so kind as to look into this affair, which is nowise unreasonable, and that we may be looked upon as a number of men standing in defence of our country, and that we may in some wise have grant and opportunity to taste the sweets of liberty on shore, when in any harbour; and when we have completed the duty of our ships, after our return from sea, and that no man may incroach upon his liberty, there shall be a boundary limited, and those trespassing any further, without a written order from the commanding officer, shall 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 wound ed in action, his pay be continued until he is cured, and discharged; and if any ship has any real grievauces to complain of, we hope your lordships will readily redress them, as far as is in your power, to prevent any disturbances. It is also unanimously agreed by the fleet, that from this day no grievance shall be received, in order to convince the nation at large, that we know when to cease to ask, as well as when to begin: and that we ask nothing but what is moderate, and may be granted, without detriment to the nation, or injury to the service. [The Given on board the Queen While the lords of the admiralty continued at Portsmouth, they sent to lord Bridport the following answer to the petition of the seamen. By the commissioners for execut ing the office of lord high admi-. ral of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. Having taken into consideration the petitions transmitted by your lordship from the crews of his majesty's ships under your command, and having the strongest desire to attend to all complaints of the seamen of his majesty's navy, and to grant them every just and reasonable redress, and having consi dered the difference of the price of the necessaries of life at this and at that period when the pay of seamen was established, we do hereby require and direct your lordship to take the speediest method of communicating to the fleet-That we have resolved to recommend it to his majesty to propose to parliament to increase the wages of seamen in his majesty's navy in the following proportions, viz. To add four shillings per month to to the wages of petty officers and able seamen ; Three shillings per month to the wages of ordinary seamen; and Two shillings per month to the wages of landmen. That we have resolved, that seamen wounded in action shall be continued in pay until their wounds are healed, or until, being declared unserviceable, they shall receive a pension, or be received into the royal hospital at Greenwich; and that, having a perfect confidence in the zeal, loyalty, and courage of all the seamen in the fleet, so gene. rally expressed in their petition, and in their earnest desire of serving their country with that spirit which always so eminently distinguished British seamen, we have come to this resolution the more readily, that the seamen may have as early as possible an opportunity of shewing their good dispositious, by returning to their duty, as it may be necessary that the fleet should speedily put to sea, to meet the enemy of the country. Given under our hands, at SPENCER. W. YOUNG. To the right hon lord Bridport, K. B. admiral of the white, commander in chief of a squadron of his majesty's ships employed in the Channel service. THE SEAMEN'S REPLY. We received your lordships' answer to our petition; and in order to convince your lordships, and the nation in general of our moderation, beg leave to offer the following remarks to your consideration, viz.-That there never has existed 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 propose to your lordships, that the old regulations be adhered to, that the wages of able seamen be raised to one shilling per day, and that of petty of ficers, and the ordinary, in the usual proportion: and as a further proof of our moderation, and that we are actuated by a true spirit of benevolence toward our brethren the marines, who are not noticed in your lordships' answer, we humbly propose that their pay be augmented, while serving on board, in the same proportion as ordinary seamen. This we hope and trust will be a convincing proof to your lordships that we are not actuated by a spirit of contradiction, but that we earnestly wish to put a speedy end to the present affair. We beg leave to state to your lordships, that the pensions from Greenwich college we earnestly wish to be raised to ten pounds per annum; and in order to maintain which, we humbly propose to your lordships, that every seaman employed in the merchant service, instead of sixpence per month, which he now pays, shall hereafter pay one shilling per month, which, we trust, will raise 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 disinterestedness and moderation. We would also recommend that this regulation be extended to the seamen in the service of the East India company, as we know by experience, that there are few sailors employed by them but what have been in the royal navy; and we have seen them with our own eyes, after sickness, or other acci(F) dent dent has disabled them, without any hope of relief or support, but from their former services in the navy. As to provisions, that they be augmented to sixteen ounces to the pound of bread and meat; cheese, butter, and liquor in proportion, and of a better quality, and a sufficient quantity of vegetables; and that no flour be served with fresh beef. And we further beg leave to inform your lordships, that it is unanimously agreed, that, until the grievances before stated are redressed, and an act of indemnity passed, we are determined not to lift an anchor: and the grievances of particular ships must be redressed. Given under our hands, the delegates of the fleet, on board the Queen Charlotte at Spithead, April 19, 1797. Signed as before. In this situation of affairs, lord Spencer, and the other commissioners, left Portsmouth, and arrived in town on Saturday. The business was urgent, and no time was to be 'lost. A council was immediately held, which consisted of the lord president, the duke of Portland, earl Spencer, the lord chancellor, lord Grenville, Mr. Dundas, and lord Walsingham; and the whole board of admiralty assisted upon the occasion. The deliberations continued upward of three hours, the result of which was favourable to the claims of the seamen in every particular. The whole of the cabinet ministers then set off for Windsor, where they arrived at seven o'clock. Another council was instantly held in the presence of his majesty, at the lodge, when an order was regularly made out for granting the whole of the sailors' demands; and a full pardon and indemnity for the delegates and their accomplices was signed by his majesty. It was near ten o'clock at night before the whole of this bu siness was settled, at which hour, Mr. Powell, the admiralty messenger, who was in waiting, was sent off with copies of the proceedings to lord Bridport at Portsmouth. The following is a copy of the letter from the admiralty to lord Bridport, notifying their compliance with the demands of the seamen; with their final answer. By the commissioners for execut ing the office of lord high admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. Having taken into our consideration a paper containing several representations from the seamen of his majesty's ships at Spithead, respecting the advance of their wages, and being desirous of granting them every request that can with any degree of reason be complied with, we have resolved to recommend it to his majesty, that an addition of five shillings and sixpence per month be made to the wages of petty officers and seamen belong. ing to his majesty's navy, which will make the wages of able seamen one shilling per day, clear of all deductions; an addition of four shillings and six pence per month to the wages of ordinary seamen; and an addition of three shillings and sixpence per month to the wages of landmen and that none of the allowance made to the marines when on shore shall be stopped, on their being embarked on board any his majesty's ships. We have also resolved, that all seamen, marines, and others serving in his majesty's ships, shall have the full allowance of provisions, without any deductions for leakage or waste; and that, until proper steps can be taken for carrying this into effect, short al : lowance of |