provision or commodities from one inland town to another? In that sense
nobody will affirm that it is a proper word; and impropriety in the
expression of laws, produces uncertainty in the execution of them.

Captain CORNWALL rose up:--Sir, the term _seafaring men_, of which an
explication is desired, is intended to include all those who live by
conveying goods or passengers upon the water, whether the sea or inland
rivers: nor can we restrain it to a narrower sense, without exempting
from the publick service great numbers, whose manner of life has
qualified them for it, and from whom their country may, with equal
justice, expect assistance, as from those who are engaged in foreign
traffick.

Mr. VYNER replied:--Sir, I am far from concurring with the honourable
gentleman in his opinion, that the inland watermen are, by their
profession, in any degree qualified for sea service, or can properly be
called _seafaring men_.

All qualifications for the service must consist either in some knowledge
of the arts of navigation, or in some familiarity with the dangers of
the sea. With regard to any previous knowledge of naval business, it is
well known that they have no advantage over any common labourer; for the
manner of navigating a ship and a barge have, for the most part, nothing
in common.

Nor are these watermen, sir, more able to stand firm in the terrours of
the storm, or the noise of a battle, than those who follow any other
occupation. Many of them never saw the sea, nor have less dread of its
danger than the other inhabitants of the inland counties. They are,
therefore, neither _seafaring_ men, nor peculiarly capable of being made
_seamen_.

But the hardship upon particular men is not the strongest objection to
this clause, which, by obstructing our inland navigation, may make our
rivers useless, and set the whole trade of the nation at a stand. For
who will bring up his son a waterman, who knows him exposed by that
profession to be impressed for a seaman?

It seems, therefore, necessary, sir, either to omit the term _seafaring
men_ [Footnote: Agreed to be omitted.], or to explain it in such a
manner, that inland watermen may not be included.

Lord GAGE spoke next:--Sir, so much has been urged against the
compulsive methods proposed in this clause, and so little produced in
favour of them, that it may seem superfluous to add any thing, or to
endeavour, by a multiplicity of arguments, to prove what common reason