onsideration; I disapprove it both from
moral and political motives; I disapprove it as neither just nor
prudent.

The injustice of so flagrant an invasion of the liberty of particular
men has been already exposed; nor is it, in my opinion, less easy to
discover the imprudence of exhausting all our supplies at once, and
sweeping away all our sailors, to supply a single exigency.

It has often been remarked, sir, in favour of a standing army, that it
is requisite to have a number of regular forces, who, though too weak to
oppose an invasion, might be able to establish discipline in a larger
body. An observation which may, with much greater justness, be applied
to the seamen, whose art is much more difficult to be attained, and who
are equally necessary in war and peace.

If our stock of seamen, sir, be destroyed, if there is not left in our
trading vessels a sufficient number of experienced artists to initiate
novices, and propagate the profession, not only our ships of war must
lie useless, but our commerce sink to nothing.

Nor have I reason to believe the naval power of France so formidable, as
that we ought to be terrified by the apprehensions of it into any
extraordinary methods of procedure. I am informed that they have now
very few ships of force left in their harbours; and that they have
exerted their whole strength in the American fleet.

I am not, therefore, sir, for providing against present dangers, without
regard to our future security; and think nothing more worthy of the
consideration of this assembly, than the means of encouraging and
increasing our seamen, which will not be effected by the bill before us.

Land forces may be hired upon emergencies; but sailors are our own
peculiar strength, and the growth of our own soil; we are, therefore,
above all other regards, to attend, if I may use the term, to the
preservation of the species.

Mr. VYNER next spoke:--Mr. Chairman, as there can be no stronger
objection to any law than ambiguity, or indeterminate latitude of
meaning, I think it necessary to propose, that some word of known and
limited import, be substituted in the place of _seafaring men_; an
expression which, if I was asked the meaning of it, I should find it
difficult to explain.

Are _seafaring_ men those only who navigate in the _sea_? The term is
then superfluous, for all such are evidently comprised in the word
_seamen_. Are they bargemen or watermen, who ply on rivers and transport