bill entirely, or alter it as our then circumstances may render neceffary. But I can fee no impropriety in our paffing fuch a bill, even whilft our hopes of peace are depending; because it is not proposed to enact, that the property of any of the prizes taken, or to be taken, fhall be vefted in the captors, until after a declaration of war; confequently if the bill fhould be paffed, and afterwards a peace fhould enfue, before any declaration of war, that part of the bill could have no effect, with regard to the property or difpofal of the prizes, but would have a confiderable effect with regard to the increase of their number, and with regard to the enabling us to prepare for war, upon which alone our hopes of an honourable peace can be well founded; for fuch a peace can never be obtained by fawning and cringing, but by fhewing, that we are as ready to appear fword in hand, as we are to bully and threaten that we will.

I have now, I hope, Sir, anfwered all the arguments made ufe of by the Hon. and learned gentleman against this motion. But before I fit down, I muft take notice of a very extraordinary doctrine that has been broached by another Hon. gentleman upon this occafion. He was pleafed to tell us, that the property of all the fhips already taken is vefted in the crown, and that confequently we cannot order in a bill for difpofing of that property, without the previous confent of the crown, fignified to us by meffage. This, Sir, is a doctrine which I wish had not been mentioned upon this occafion. It has already raised a flame in a neighbouring kingdom, and, if ever infifted on, it will raise a flame in this. It is very true, that our Kings have of late been fo gracious as to fignify by meffage their confent, as often as any bill was, or

could not order in, or even pass such a bill, without any fuch previous confent: and I hope no fuch thing will ever be contended for in this kingdom: for every property vefted in the crown by our conftitution, is so vested in truft for the use of the public; and either house of parliament may, without the previous confent of the crown, not only inquire into the application of it, but may punifh those minifters who have, in their refpective departments, advised or confented to any mifapplication. Surely then, a fortiori, a bill for the application may, without any previous confent, be ordered in and paffed by either house of parliament, though it cannot obtain the force or effect of a law without the royal affent. By the royal affent's being neceffary for the paffing of every bill into a law, the rights of the crown are fufficiently guarded; and the parliament neither can, nor, I hope, will ever attempt to dispose of any property vefted in the crown, without the royal affent; therefore no wife and faithful minifter will ever infift upon a previous confent being neceffary, before fuch a bill can be paffed by either houfe of liament; much lefs will he infift upon a previous confent being neceffary, before leave be given by this house to bring in fuch a bill; and confequently, without enlarging any further upon the fubject, I believe I may conclude with decla. ring, that I fhall moft heartily give my affirmative to the previous question, and my vote for leave to bring in the bill which the Noble Lord has been pleased to propofe. [xvi. 123,74.]

[This Journal to be continued.]

Abufes in the victualling. Mr URBAN,

par

Pamphlet has lately been publish

property of the crown might be affected; and this houfe could never, in common decency, refufe to accept of fuch a gracious meffage when it was offered: but I believe it has never yet been pretended, that such a previous confent was abfolutely neceffary, or that this houfe

the

navy mens advocate, dedicated to William Beckford, Efq; Alderman of London, and member for that city, which contains fuch a charge against the perfons who have been concerned in victualling the royal navy, as no man who is not hackneyed in the vileft practices,

and

It is, however, of the utmost importance, that the public, to whom the accufer has now appealed, after having in vain folicited to be heard by others, fhould take cognifance of the affair. And for this reason the following fummary is fent you, which will make it more generally known than it could be by the original publication.

William Thompson, the author of this pamphlet, being employed as an under-cooper in the pickle-yard of the victualling-office, made feveral reprefentations, in the year 1745, to the late Mr Revel, of the badness of the flesh part of the stores; and offered to fhow whence this evil arose, and how it might be remedied.

By Mr Revel he was referred to Mr H1; to whom he gave the following account.

The dirt of the labourers fhoes is fuffered to mix with the flesh; and when they are mistaken in their tale, it is turned out upon a dirty floor, and much naftiness shovelled up with it.

The casks are not always well made, nor of found timber; the hoops are fometimes mouldy; and the cafks are frequently putrid, foul, and ftinking, besmeared with dirt, blood, and the excrements of oxen and hogs.

When they are filled with flesh, they are often suffered to stand expofed to the weather for months before they are coopered; fo that they are fodden by rain or fnow, when the weather is wet, and fhrunk by the wind and fun when VOL. XIX.

flesh is rendered foft and flabby; and being divested of its falt, it begins to decay. By the action of the wind and fun, the juices are exhaufted, and the flesh is left rufty, and unwholefome. Casks that are brought to be refilled, are laid down 90 or 100 together to drain; and it often happens, that the bung-hole being stopped by a piece of flesh, the stinking brine does not run out. It alfo often happens, that if the bung-hole is clear, the ftinking bloody brine in the drains fwells fo high as to be over the bung-hole, the well into which they discharge themselves not being properly emptied; fo that instead of draining, they take in the filthy contents of these channels. They are notwithstanding turned up without examination, and filled with pickle; in confequence of which, the foul bloody brine that frequently remains in them, renders the flesh putrid, and gives it a rank fmell. The wells out of which the pickle is made, are not leaded, nor are they emptied or cleanfed; fo that the timber ftinks beyond the power of remedy: and the brine they contain is polluted with the filth of pot-fcummings, urine, and o ther naftiness of various kinds; and has often been known to putrify in the backs even before it has been used. The offals are fuffered to remain in the flaughter-houses till they yield an intolerable stench; and fo putrify the air, that the fresh-killed carcafes of the oxen and hogs are manifeftly affected by it, even before they are cold.

Thus far the accufation extended only to faults by which no money was got, committed by poor labourers, who had no power to screen themselves, or baffle their accufer. The commiffioners were willing these enormities fhould be rectified, and therefore appointed Thompfon, who had propofed fuch methods as were thought effectual, to be fupervisor of the cooperage and flesh stores, and whatever related to the pickling, cutting, and packing of flesh.

But the fame zeal and diligence which enabled and inclined Thompson to make thefe complaints, that affected only laLI. bourera

bourers and falters, alfo inclined and enabled him to give fuch an account to the victualling board, of the causes of the badness of provifions, which had been loudly complained of by the admiralty-board, as affected perfons of fuperior influence and power: they therefore, upon pretence that these complaints were founded in great measure upon defects that had arifen from neglect of duty, discharged from their employment three of the oldest coopers in the yard, and with them Mr Thompson. By this ftep, a dangerous perfon was removed from farther opportunity of getting materials for new remonftrances; and an appearance was made of taking a proper ftep upon a juft complaint.

Thompfon in vain remonftrated, that the ftores of which complaint had been made, were packed at least a year before he was appointed to fupervise, and intreated in vain, by repeated applications in writing, to be restored. He applied to the Lords of the Admiralty with as little fuccefs: he was told they believed the victualling-board to have done very right in difcharging him, and would have nothing to fay to him. He was, however, more fuccessful in his application to private gentlemen, and was at length fent with a meffage from the late Hon. James Brudenell, Efq; to Thomas B-ton, Efq; requesting him, either by word or writing, to affign the true reason why he was discharged; and B-ton rifing from table, and clapping his hand upon Thompson's fhoulder, ex preffed himself to this effect, and as near ly in thefe words as Thompson, who attefts them upon oath, can remember.

"My dear Thompson, I do not think you was in fault; none of us think you was in fault; but the thing hangs hard er upon us than it does upon you. We are all of us men of fortune, and men of place, fubject to be called upon before the Lords of the Admiralty, and before the parliament; to prevent which, we thought it was better for you to lofe your employment than we our places." The fum of the feveral charges brought by Thompson, is this:

The overfeers of the flesh-ftores, when

their men refufed to cut and falt what was not fit for fervice, directed them, as their bufinefs, to cut and falt what was brought to them, and afk no questions.

Some hogs having been taken notice of by one Lloyd, even while they were driving, as unfit for fervice, he was call ed to the board to give his reasons; and though his reafons were irrefragable, and though he declared to the board, that if the flesh of these hogs took falt, he would himself submit to be falted; yet these very hogs were killed and falted.

The contracts for furnishing hogs are made by diftillers, but the flesh of hogs fed by distillers is loofe and spongy; it is indeed rather flush and blubber than flesh; and while it is under the hands of the randers and messers, a stinking oil has been feen to fly up to the beams of the cutting-houfe. These hogs frequently ftink while they are flaughtering; and laft year 800 of them were found stinking as foon as they were dead. Sows are often killed, when so near the time of farrowing, that when their bellies have been ripped, the pigs have fallen out alive; fome of thefe pigs have been reared by hand, fome thrown to rot on the dunghill, and the loofe flabby flesh of the fow falted for the navy.

The hogs furnished by contracting diftillers, are often fo difeafed with the murrain or cough, that they cannot ftand to feed; confequently not being able to walk, they are fent to the victualling office in waggons, and there flaughtered, falted, packed, coopered, and pickled. The fkins of some have been covered with scabs and blotches: thefe, inftead of being rejected, have been flead, to conceal their condition.

That these carcafes, fo deficient in flesh, may come up nearer to the proper weight, they are killed, by first stunning them with a bludgeon, and then flightly wounding them in the neck to produce an appearance of blood; they are then thrown into a copper of fcalding water, where being recovered from the blow, they fcream and struggle, till being half fcalded, and half drowned, they die; the flesh thus full of vital juices, which should have been drained

out,

out, and thus fodden in hot water, is weighed, pickled, packed, and given to our failors for food.

The oxen furnished by the contract ors, are in general Lincolnshire fteers, not ftalled, as the fervice requires, but grafed, after having been worked as long as the contractor thinks proper. They are of a large make, but fo lean, that a candle being put into the carcafe, a glimmering light has been feen through as through a dark lantern and it has been known, that 150 of them did not produce more pieces than 80 that were flaughtered in Q. Anne's time.

To make good as far as poffible the deficiencies of flesh, the fame method is ufed with the oxen as with the hogs. They are not half blooded nor dreffed. When the hide is ftripped off, they are dragged through their own filth, and hung up for falting. Many oxen have alfo been falted that died of themselves. Several eminent butchers being brought by the late Mr Guy, to examine fome oxen which he refused to falt; they all agreed that they were not fit for feaftores notwithstanding which, they were falted, and fent as fea-ftores on board the royal navy.

Thus far Thompson speaks princi. pally upon his own knowledge, and has attested the facts upon oath. The following particulars relating to the dry ftores, are fworn by one Lloyd, late infpector of dry ftores at the victuallingoffice in London.

After he had objected to meal, flour, groats, and other flores, as foul and unwholesome, they were frequently barrelled up and fent away.

One hundred and fifty quarters of unwholesome peafe, were by direction barrelled and put on board, which Lloyd afterwards got a fample of, and procured to be brought back.

Thirty-fix barrels of rice that were full of maggots, were by direction barrelled off, but ftopped by Lloyd; who, when the affair was brought before the commiffioners, and he produced famples of the bad rice, was told that he muft have collected them fomewhere elfe; and instead of admitting his complaint, impeached his veracity.

-t, who infifting

on the goodness of the flour, produced fome good flour from the mouth of the fack; upon which Lloyd immediately demonftrated the juftnefs of his complaint, by cutting open the bottom of the fame fack, and producing fuch flour as was not fit for ufe.

Upon examining the bread at the King's mills, he daily found large quan tities of duft or afhes put into the bags amongst it; and upon his defiring it might be cleaned, he was anfwered by the men, that they were to mind their mafter Mr T-ghg-d's orders, and fo would not do it.

The grinder keeps his mill fo rough, that all the profit of the corn goes into the bran.

The ftorekeepers forbid the men to mind any thing he faid, and he was ordered by Meff. H--ll and R—1, to give grains of allowance to the contractors, if he had not a mind to be discharged. Lloyd not being willing to give grains of allowance, foon after incurred the punishment that had been threatened, and was discharged from his employment.

Thompson remarks, that this admonition of the commiffioners, to give grains of allowance to contractors, affords too much reafon to fufpect, that the contractors are not the only gainers by the fraud they practife; efpecially as commiffioners have amaffed in a fhort time the fum of 300,000l. which is more than their whole falary would amount to in 300 years.

'The fame enormities are practifed at the victualling-offices of the out-ports. Four men at Portsmouth, have, upon oath, attested the following facts.

That

bourers and falters, alfo inclined and enabled him to give fuch an account to the victualling board, of the causes of the badness of provifions, which had been loudly complained of by the admiralty-board, as affected perfons of fuperior influence and power: they therefore, upon pretence that these complaints were founded in great measure upon defects that had arifen from neglect of duty, discharged from their employment three of the oldest coopers in the yard, and with them Mr Thompson. By this ftep, a dangerous perfon was removed from farther opportunity of getting materials for new remonftrances; and an appearance was made of taking a proper ftep upon a juft complaint.

Thompson in vain remonftrated, that the ftores of which complaint had been made, were packed at least a year before he was appointed to fupervife, and intreated in vain, by repeated applications in writing, to be restored. He applied to the Lords of the Admiralty with as little fuccefs: he was told they believed the victualling-board to have done very right in difcharging him, and would have nothing to fay to him. He was, however, more fuccessful in his application to private gentlemen, and was at length fent with a meffage from the late Hon. James Brudenell, Efq; to Thomas B-ton, Efq; requesting him, either by word or writing, to affign the true reason why he was discharged; and B-ton rifing from table, and clapping his hand upon Thompson's fhoulder, expreffed himself to this effect, and as near ly in these words as Thompson, who attefts them upon oath, can remember.

"My dear Thompson, I do not think you was in fault; none of us think you was in fault; but the thing hangs harder upon us than it does upon you. We are all of us men of fortune, and men of place, fubject to be called upon before the Lords of the Admiralty, and before the parliament; to prevent which, we thought it was better for you to lofe your employment than we our places." The fum of the feveral charges brought by Thompson, is this:

The overfeers of the flesh-ftores, when

their men refused to cut and falt what was not fit for fervice, directed them, as their bufinefs, to cut and falt what was brought to them, and afk no questions.

Some hogs having been taken notice of by one Lloyd, even while they were driving, as unfit for fervice, he was called to the board to give his reasons; and though his reafons were irrefragable, and though he declared to the board, that if the flesh of these hogs took falt, he would himself fubmit to be falted; yet thefe very hogs were killed and falted.

The contracts for furnishing hogs are made by diftillers, but the flesh of hogs fed by diftillers is loofe and spongy; it is indeed rather flush and blubber than flesh; and while it is under the hands of the randers and messers, a ftinking oil has been feen to fly up to the beams of the cutting-houfe. These hogs frequently ftink while they are flaughtering; and laft year 800 of them were found stinking as foon as they were dead. Sows are often killed, when so near the time of farrowing, that when their bellies have been ripped, the pigs have fallen out alive; fome of thefe pigs have been reared by hand, fome thrown to rot on the dunghill, and the loofe flabby flesh of the fow falted for the navy.

The hogs furnished by contracting diftillers, are often fo diseased with the murrain or cough, that they cannot ftand to feed; confequently not being able to walk, they are sent to the victualling-office in waggons, and there flaughtered, falted, packed, coopered, and pickled. The skins of fome have been covered with scabs and blotches: thefe, instead of being rejected, have been flead, to conceal their condition.

That these carcafes, fo deficient in flesh, may come up nearer to the proper weight, they are killed, by first stunning them with a bludgeon, and then flightly wounding them in the neck to produce an appearance of blood; they are then thrown into a copper of fcalding water, where being recovered from the blow, they fcream and ftruggle, till being half fcalded, and half drowned, they die; the flesh thus full of vital juices, which should have been drained

out,