therto been a practice, it is a practice contrary to the general
happiness of society, and ought to prevail no longer.

If the sailor, sir, is exposed to greater dangers in time of war, is not
the merchant's trade carried on, likewise, at greater hazard? Is not the
freight, equally with the sailors, threatened at once by the ocean and
the enemy? And is not the owner's fortune equally impaired, whether the
ship is dashed upon a rock, or seized by a privateer?

The merchant, therefore, has as much reason for paying less wages in
time of war, as the sailor for demanding more, and nothing remains but
that the legislative power determine a medium between their different
interests, with justice, if possible, at least with impartiality.

Mr. Horace WALPOLE, who had stood up several times, but was prevented by
other members, spoke next, to this purport:--Sir, I was unwilling to
interrupt the course of this debate while it was carried on with
calmness and decency, by men, who do not suffer the ardour of opposition
to cloud their reason, or transport them to such expressions as the
dignity of this assembly does not admit. I have hitherto deferred to
answer the gentleman who declaimed against the bill with such fluency of
rhetorick, and such vehemence of gesture; who charged the advocates for
the expedients now proposed, with having no regard to any interest but
their own, and with making laws only to consume paper, and threatened
them with the defection of their adherence, and the loss of their
influence, upon this new discovery of their folly and their ignorance.

Nor, sir, do I now answer him for any other purpose than to remind him
how little the clamours of rage and petulancy of invectives contribute
to the purposes for which this assembly is called together; how little
the discovery of truth is promoted, and the security of the nation
established by pompous diction and theatrical emotions.

Formidable sounds, and furious declamations, confident assertions, and
lofty periods, may affect the young and unexperienced; and, perhaps, the
gentleman may have contracted his habits of oratory by conversing more
with those of his own age, than with such as have had more opportunities
of acquiring knowledge, and more successful methods of communicating
their sentiments.

If the heat of his temper, sir, would suffer him to attend to those
whose age and long acquaintance with business give them an indisputable
right to deference and