fleet by
sorcery, collect an army in a moment, and defy us on our own coast,
without any perceptible preparations.

Then admiral WAGER spoke thus:--The calamities produced by discord and
contention, need not to be pointed out; but it may be proper to reflect
upon the consequences of a house divided against itself, that we may
endeavour to avoid them.

Unanimity is produced by nothing more powerfully than by impending
danger, and, therefore, it may be useful to show those who seem at
present in profound security, that the power of France is more
formidable than they are willing to allow.

My age, sir, enables me to remember many transactions of the wars in the
late reigns, to which many gentlemen are strangers, or of which they
have only imperfect ideas from history and tradition.

In the second year of the reign of William, the French gained a victory
over the united fleets of the maritime powers, which gave them, for the
summer following, the dominion of the Channel, enabled them to shut up
our merchants in their ports, and produced a total suspension of our
commerce.

Those, sir, to whom the importance of trade is so well known, will
easily apprehend the weight of this calamity, and will, I hope, reject
no measures that have a manifest tendency to prevent it.

Our ships, sir, do not lie useless because there is any want of seamen
in the nation, but because any service is preferred to that of the
publick.

There are now, to my knowledge, in one town on the west coast, no fewer
than twelve hundred sailors, of which surely a third part may be justly
claimed by the publick interest; nor do I know why they who obstinately
refuse to serve their country, should be treated with so much
tenderness. It is more reasonable that they should suffer by their
refusal, than that the general happiness should be endangered.

Mr. SOUTHWELL spoke next, to the following purpose:--Sir, when any
authority shall be lodged in my hands, to be exercised for the publick
benefit, I shall always endeavour to exert it with honesty and
diligence; but will never be made the instrument of oppression, nor
execute any commission of tyranny or injustice.

As, therefore, the power of searching is to be placed in the hands of
justices of the peace, I think it necessary to declare, that I will
never perform so hateful a part of the office, and that if this bill
becomes a law, I will retire from the place to which my authority is
limited, rather t