Anno 6 Annæ, which are partly what they fay of their own Knowledge, 1707-8. and the reft, what they have gathered from others; the Lord High-Admiral thinks it neceffary to lay before their Lordships fome farther Obfervations, under the following Heads, to explain fome Papers which have been demanded by their Lordships from the Admiralty Office.

1. That, notwithstanding almoft the continual Ufe of her Majefty's Ships, the Lofs fuftained by Storms, (particularly in the violent Tempeft in the Year 1703,) and the many Hazards they have been exposed to in this expenfive War; the Number of Ships of the Royal Navy is fo far from being diminished, fince her Majefty's Acceffion to the Throne, that it is increafed by ten Ships of War, altho' the Parlia ment hath not, in this Reign, given one Farthing of Money for building of Ships; and that the laft War there was about four Millions given for that, and other extraordinary Services; and yet the Royal Navy was lefs in Strength at the End thereof, than at the Beginning, by twenty Ships of

the Line of Battle.

2. That the Number of Ships of the Navy of France, which have been taken or destroyed by her Majesty's Ships this War, does much exceed our Loffes, as will plainly appear by the two Papers marked L. and M. wherein there is no mention made of the French Ships, which have been taken or destroyed by the Ships of the States General.

3. That during the prefent War, there hath been 175 of the Enemy's Privateers taken, and many of them of confi derable Force.

That in the laft War, which was declared the 7th of May, 1689, and ended the 10th of September, 1697, the whole Number of the Enemy's Ships taken and condemned was 1296; whereas in the prefent War, which was declared the 4th of May, 170z, unto the first of December, 1707, the Number of Ships taken from the Enemy, and condemned, is 1346, which carries with it no little Difproportion.

5. That the Re-captures by her Majefty's Ships of War, from the 4th of May, 1702, to the 1st of December, 1707, are 128, which amounted, by Appraisement, to above the Sum of 82.975 and the Relcaptures by Privateers within that Time, 38,054. both which Sums amounts unto 121,030l. exclufive of Customs."

6. That in the laft War, the trading Part of the Nation had the Misfortune to lose near 4000 Ships; whereas in this War, themselves have given an Account but of 1146, and it were to be wished; that even that Lofs could have been prevented. But here it may be observed, that, during the laft War, we had the Ports of Spain, as well as those in the Spanish West

Indies,

1707-8.

Indies, always open to fecure our Merchant Ships and Veffels, Anno 6 Annæ, not only from the Enemy, but from bad Weather: Whereas, during the whole Course of this War, our Trade hath been entirely debarred from that fo effential a Countenance and Protection.

7. Befides, whilft her Majefty has yearly fitted her Royal Navy for carrying on the War Abroad, the Enemy hath, ever fince the Battle off of Malaga, totally altered their Mothods of carrying on their Naval War: And instead of fending forth great Fleets, they fill the Seas with Privateers, and with Squadrons of their nimble Ships, and by that means watch all Opportunities of feizing upon our Trade, for which the Situation of their Ports gives them but too good Opportunities; and yet our Merchants (who cannot but be fenfible of this Danger) carry on their Trade in a very great degree, in defenceles Ships called Runners; and they being obliged by Charter-Party to go without Convoys, are thereby but too often exposed to the Enemy, who lie in wait for them.

Laftly, The Lord High Admiral defires their Lordships to do him fo much Juftice, as to believe, that no Man is more fenfibly affected than he is, with the great Loffes and Misfortunes which have happened to the Merchants; and he is fo much the more fenfible of them, because, in the Way those Gentlemen carry on their Trades by fingle, defenceless Ships, and by the Method the Enemy now takes, whilst the French King himself, and fo great a Part of his Subjects, employ fo many Ships and Men only to make War upon the Merchants, fuch Misfortunes will still happen; yet his Royal Highness does hope their Lordships will believe, that the Queen's Fleet has not been ufeleis and unemployed during this War; which cannot be carried on, agreeable to the declared Senfe of their Lordships, but by fupporting a Supe riority at Sea, upon the Coafts of Portugal, Spain, and Italy; in all which Places the Queen's Fleet hath done great Services the last four Years, and attempted fome Things which might have fecured Britain for one Age, from all the Naval Power of France.

The House took this Answer into their moft ferious Confideration, and finding feveral Facts ftated therein very differently from what had been afferted by the Merchants, upon their Oaths, (who had therefore, according to the Methods of Justice, a Right to be farther heard by way of Reply) and finding feveral other Things alledged in the Answer, which at first fight feemed to be plain Miftakes, we thought it neceffary, for our fuller Information and Satisfaction, to appoint a Committee to hear the Merchants, and alfo to make fuch Obfervations upon the Anfwer, as they should think proper.:

2

The

Anno 6 Annæ, 1707-8.

Second Report of the Lords Committees.

The Committee having perfected their Report, and laid t before the Houfe, the fame was agreed to, and we think ourfelves obliged humbly to prefent this fecond Report to your Majefty.

I

Die Martis 17 Februarii, 1707-8.

N relation to the first Head of the Anfwer, which is conceived in general Terms, without being applied to any of the Particulars in the Merchants Complaints, fomé Things feem proper to be taken Notice of.

ft, The Anfwer fays, That all the Inftances mentioned in the Report, are in the latter Years of her Majesty's Reign.

The Lords Committees obferve, That an Addrefs of the Houfe of Lords, prefented to her Majesty in the Year 1704, did lay before her the heavy Loffes of the Merchants, which had happened for want of Cruifers and Convoys for the Home-Trade.

Soon after the prefenting of that Addrefs, Sir George Bing and Sir John Jennings were fent out to cruise, and continued cruising till the October following, during which Time the English Ships were well protected, and many of the Enemy's Privateers taken; and the Lords hoped there would have been no farther Occafion of Complaints from the Merchants: And all the Loffes contained in the Report, now before the House, have happened fince that Care was laid aside.

zdly, It does appear by the Papers fent to the House from the Lord High-Admiral, That in the Year 1706, the highelt Complement of the Ships employed in the Mediterranean (fuppofing them manned to that Complementy did not exceed 17373 Men; and in the Year 1707, the higheft Complement of the Ships employed there, did amount only to 15590 Men. And therefore, notwithstanding that part of the Fleet which was made ufe of there, in both thofe Years, yet about 23000 Men of the Numbers provided for by Parliament, remained for the neceflary Service of guarding and protecting the Coaft and Trade; fo that it seems not poffible, that the keeping thofe Squadrons in the Mediterranean, could be the Occafion of the Cruifers and Convoys being fo weak and few, and the Coaft fo ill guarded.

3dly, The Strength of Convoys is to be proportioned to the prefent Circumstances of the Enemy, as far as Intelligence can be had, and the many Instances mentioned by the Merchants of Convoys attacked to our Difadvantages, fhew by Experience, that most of our Convoys have been too weak.

The

1707-8.

The fecond Head of the Answer is alfo general, but the Anno 6 Anna, Lords Committees observe, that the great Ships are the Strength of the Line of Battle, and if more first and fecond Rates had been employed in the Mediterranean, instead of fo many third and fourth Rates, and fmaller Ships, a much greater Number of Ships proper for Convoys and Cruifers, for the Protection of Trade in the Channel and Soundings, would have remained free for those Services; or, if there was found to be a real Want of fuch Ships, timely and proper Application might have been made to the Parliament, who have ever been forward in providing for the Security of Trade. And, in the mean time, Ships might have been hired, as has been often done, rather than the whole Coaft fhould continue in a manner befieged by the Enemies Men of War and Privateers, without Interruption.

2. The Want of Seamen is too well known, which proceeds principally from the many Hardships they fuffer. The conftant Practice now in ufe in turning over, or removing them from Ship to Ship, is of all others the greatest Difcouragement, and though the paying them at the fame time they are turned over, may have a fair Appearance, yet that being generally done when they are abroad, it tempts the Seamen to extravagant Expences, and proves in conclufion the utter Ruin of their Families.

3. Many of the Inconveniencies mentioned in this Paragraph of the Answer, could hardly ever happen in case an early Diftribution was made of proper Ships for Convoys, and the Time of their Departure fix'd; whereas very frequently Ships are appointed when they are at Sea, and it is unknown in whạt Condition they will return. The Merchants fay, That this Year one of the Convoys named for the Jamaica Trade, was at that Time in the Sound.

The Answer fays, The Queen's Ships have as often stayed for the Merchants, as they for their Convoys; of which one Inftance is given in the Paper marked A. The Fact may be fo fometimes; but the Cafe mentioned in the Paper is not of that Sort; for there the Merchant Ships were lying in the Downs, together with the Affiftance and Dunkirk Prize, two of the Ships of Captain Kerr's Squadron, and were ready to fail, and did fail with them to Spithead, where the reft of the Squadron lay. And, tho' it be afferted, that Mr. Kerr's Ships were ready the 18th of February, at Spithead, yet it appears, that his Inftructions do not bear Date till the 3d of March, 1706-7.

As to the third Head, relating to the Want of Cruifers, the Lords Committees obferved, That it is not the appointing Cruifers yearly, which will protect Trade, but the care

ful

Anno 6 Annæ, ful and ftrict Obfervation, that the Ships appointed for that 1707-8. Purpofe do cruife accordingly.

Whereas it appears in the Account of the Difpofition of the Fleet, laid before the House of Lords, That no Ship was cruifing in the Soundings and Channel, in the Months of June, July, Auguft and September last, in which almoft all' the Galleys and homeward-bound Ships, whofe Lofs was fo heavily complained of by the Merchants, were taken and destroyed.

In relation to the arbitrary Proceedings of the Captains of the Queen's Ships of War, in impreffing Seamen out of the Merchant Ships in the Weft-Indies, as alfo upon their Return to the Ports of Great Britain, the fourth Paragraph of the Answer fays, if any such thing has been done, it is contrary to Orders, and has never been complained of without a proper Redrefs. Upon reading this Paffage, the Lords Committees fummoned Mr. Coward (to whole Complaint principally that Part of the Answer related) who attending, and being' examined as to the Matter of Fact, made Oath, that he had often complained to the Prince's Council of these great Hard-' fhips, and begged Relief from them, before he applied to the House of Lords; that he could mention many other Inftances of the ill Ufages he had fuffered in the fame kind.

That Year after Year, from the Beginning of the War, not one of his Ships had escaped, having Men preffed out of them both at Jamaica, and upon their Return (if there then was a Prefs) except fuch as had run through all Danger into the Downs, and fo got to London.

In particular he fwore, that he had complained to the Prince's Council, of Captain Johnson's impreffing his Men out of the Somerfet Frigate, and Captain Roche's impreffing his Men out of the Walthamstow Galley, as also of taking away his Men out of the Gold Frigate, and produced to the Prince's Council the Evidence he had of these several Facts, but could not learn, that any of the Captains were punished or cenfured, or fo much as once called to an Account for their Violences.

He also fwore, that all the Captains he had employed to the Weft Indies have declared to him, that they who impreffed his Men at Jamaica, never fhewed any Authority or Confent from the Governor for fo doing; and he affirmed, he was ready to produce many Captains, who would fwear the fame Thing.

He faid, if fuch Orders are given as is afferted in the Anfwer, the Prince's Council well know, by the frequent Complaints of him and others, they are not obferved either at Jamaica, or at Home