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 fpeaks principally upon his own knowledge, and has attefted 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 unwholefome, 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.

He objected against fixteen quarters of groats furnished by one Pew a contractor, which were very foul and bad, and which Pew had attempted to conceal, by fraudulently putting about half a bufhel of good groats at the top of every cafk.

The like fraud was practifed by one Smith, a contractor. Lloyd had returned thirty feven facks of Smith's flour, upon which he was oppofed at the board by Mr Bl-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 use.

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 answered 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 reason 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, attefted the following facts. L12

That

That they have been frequently obliged to kill and falt meafly hogs, and bull ftags, for fea-ftores.

That one L- a contractor, frequently obliged them to weigh the fcullpieces of oxen and hogs, and kidney-fat, to make up deficiencies of weight; and when the weight has notwithstanding been deficient, he has put his foot into the fcale to weigh it down.

That hogs have frequently been falted after being found dead in the fties, and frequently weighed with only the feet cut off, that they might make weight. If these facts can be fupported by indubitable teftimony, it will be no longer difficult to guess why fo many more die on board our men of war in a month's cruife, than on board an East-Indiaman during the whole voyage; and a better remedy against the fcurvy may eafily be applied, than any that has yet been propofed by thofe, who being ignorant of the true caufe, have argued from falfe data, and produced many an ingenious hypothefis, which experience has fhewn

to be erroneous.

It is but just to add, that Thompfon makes honourable mention of Mr Henry Pelham, the prefent fecretary of the victualling-office; from whom he declares at the fame time, that he neither has received, nor expects to receive any fa

vour.

Som

Gent. Mag. March 1757.

A POLITICAL ANECDOTE. Ome time in December laft, letters of intelligence were dispatched to the Admiral [Kn-s] who then commanded our fleet in the Bay, of the deftination of two fquadrons of the enemy; one, confifting of fix fhips of war, for the coaft of Guinea; and the other, of five or fix fhips, to convoy their outward bound trade; together with an account of fome French Eaft-Indiamen homeward bound. In the fame month the Admiral received this information, and immediately dispatched the Dover to acquaint Com. Howe with all these circumftances, being obliged himfelf to make the best of his way to Plymouth to ftop a leak. From thence he wrote to the higher powers, to inform them of the above neceflity of his return, and alfo of the diminution of his fquadron, propofing at the fame time to get ready

all the fhips in that port for the important fervice recommended to him. This letter was foon followed by another, mentioning the leak's being stopped, and that five fail of fhips were ready to put to fea as foon as orders were given for that purpofe. Why, inftead of being fent on this momentous expedition, thefe feveral fhips were directed to proceed to Spithead, and the Admiral, who had been fo active and vigilant in forwarding the preparations to return to fea, difcharged from that fervice, with leave to return to town; and why this important cruife, where there might have been an opportunity of striking fóme confiderable blow, was poftponed, is not easy to difcern, unless with a contracted view of ferving a relation; too mean a fuppofition, when the interest of a whole community was concerned. However, it was well known, that the court-martial would detain Mr W—————t for fome time; and furely in that fituation an able and spirited admiral fhould not have been fuperfeded, more particularly as he could have put to fea immediately as the fervice required.Whatever was the cause of this extraordinary delay, an enterprise which required inftant execution, was made to ftand still till the month of February; and even then the admiral that was destined for it, waited, though the wind was fair, for an answer to a moft extraordinary letter, and then failed upon compulfion.

Some account of the marine fociety.

N order to make an account of the

IN views of this fociety generally underfood, it is neceffary to premife, that the officers of every fhip of war which carries 60 guns and 400 men, have a right to carry thirty fervants, and to receive their wages, which wages are confidered as part of the officer's pay.

Thefe fervants are generally boys between thirteen years of age and eighteen; for when they are at or near their full growth, as they can then rank as is not to be fuppofed they will be confeamen, and receive pay in that class, it tent to enter on board as an officer's fervant, for fifty fhillings a-year, which is their ftated wages.

The

The government therefore has allow ed this number of boys to officers, not only because they are neceffary in the fhip, but because by this means every fhip becomes a nursery of young feamen, who acquire skill and ftrength to gether, and are not only able, but expert failors, before they are one and twenty years of age.

Thefe fervants, however, it has been found very difficult to procure. The poor vagrants, who are covered with filth and rags, and fubfift either by begging or by pilfering, had no immediate inducement, wretched as they were, to enter on board a fhip, where they must at once renounce their lounging and idleness for conftant activity and labour; and if they had at any time a tranfient wish for fuch a change of fituation, they did not know how to apply to bring it about: the officers who wanted them, had neither time nor opportunity to search and folicit them; and the gentlemen who refide in the country, though they might be inclined to render the children of their poor thus ferviceable to their country, there being no establishment to which they could apply, had no means of putting their intention into practice.

But befides that it is defirable for every fhip to have its complement of boys, it is defirable in a time of war, that not more than one third of the number should be lefs than fixteen or seventeen, because it would be too long before those that are younger can be rated as feamen; nor can they create a quick fucceffion of youth into the fervice of officers, as a fate of qualification. It must also be observed, that the youth that are procured, lose several advantages by the difficulty of procuring others: for an officer, when he lofes a fervant, lofes his wages; and he will naturally be unwilling his fervant fhould be rated as a feaman, when he knows not how to get another.

The view of this fociety, therefore, is to encourage the induftrious poor to fend their children to fea, and invite the vagabond and pilferer, not only boys and lads, but men, to become ufeful to the ftate by the following advantages.

1. They shall be received immediately upon application, and taken care of in a proper place, where they will be accommodated with fire and beds, and three meals a-day, of good bread, and broth, and roots, and meat, till they are fent on board.

2. If any that offer are diftempered, they are immediately put under proper methods of cure; and when they are fent on board, they are completely fitted out with cloathing and bedding.

As

Thus are men and boys ftripped of their rags, cured of their diftempers, and fent clean and well cloathed, with as good bedding and accommodations as any common feaman on board. to the lads, if they are fixteen or seventeen, they are very foon qualified to receive wages as feamen; and as to the men, the diftinction between landmen and feamen on board, which used to create animofity, and fubject the landmen to fome hardships, is loft, as they are no longer known by their apparel.

These accommodations, befides that they are an immediate inducement to lads and men to enter, are so necessary to health and life, that for want of them many have miferably perished, who might otherwife have been of fingular fervice to their country.

The advantages are not lefs to the community than to the individuals; for it procures a speedy supply of stout mariners in the room of those who in the profecution of a war muft neceffarily be cut off, at the fame time that those evils are prevented which the idle and diffolute poor of the rifing generation would produce if they had continued at home.

To obviate any ill confequence that might arife from this encouragement, and prevent the entering of children and apprentices unknown to their masters and parents, fuch mafter or parent who miffes an apprentice or child, are invited to fee the boys at Mr Fielding's, where they attend every Thursday from nine to eleven for that purpose; or at the Seamens office over the Royal Exchange, where the fociety meets on the fame day, and fits from eleven till two,

and

and upon producing the indenture of an apprentice, or reclaiming a child, they will be immediately discharged.

Those who would take the advantages offered by this fociety, are to apply to the fociety at their office over the Change, to Mr Juftice Fielding in Bowftreet, or to the fecretary of the fociety in Prince's street, near the Bank.

REASONS of DISSENT from a vote of the general affembly of the church of Scotland, of May 21. 1757, receiving the commiffions of feveral elders not attefled in terms of a& 9. aff. 1722. E are fenfible, that there may be

would be unneceffary, nay indecent, for a minority to diffent; but we judge the above sentence of fuch dangerous tendency, that we are bound to testify our difapprobation of it, in as ftrong and public a manner as good order, and the refpe&t we owe to this venerable court, do permit. On this account we entered our diffent; and, in fupport of it, we now offer the following reafons.

1. This fentence appears to us a nia nifeft violation of a ftanding law, by which, until formally repealed, our ordination vows bind us to conduct ourfelves. Our commiffions from our conftituents impower us, in all caufes that come before us, to determine according to the conftitution of the church of Scotland; but veft us with no power of determining in a manner contrary to that conftitution. It is the glory of our church, that the hath noble and excellent laws to direct every part of her discipline; laws, which, without the confent of a majority of prefbyteries, even a general affembly hath no right to abrogate. But claims of difpenfing power will as effectually invalidate laws, as even a formal repeal of them. It is the very effence and fecurity of a free conftitution, that there, not men, not judges, but laws, bear rule. When laws are fufpended, difpenfed with, or fet afide, by the decifions of any executive court, that fecurity ceafes, and defpotifm prevails.

2. This vote opens the way to other

and greater breaches of our conftitution. No laws can be better guarded, than those now fet afide; and therefore we may fear, that others may, in like manner, be turned out of doors, if a majority of men, who find them unfavourable to their caufe, fhould get into the affembly. The diftinction used on this occafion, between fuftaining the commiffions in question, which it was yield. ed could not be done, and receiving the gentlemen who bore them as members, which actually was done, expofes rather than vindicates the fentence, as it proves it a violation of a law acknowledged to be in force. Any perfon, on this prin

bly; though he has no title, the court can receive him!

3. The fentence diffented from, was not a ftrained interpretation or tempo. rary fufpenfion of a ftatute in a private caufe, but a breach of it in the conftitution of that court which has the decifion in the laft refort of all other causes, and a great share too of legislative power. No class of laws are more juftly accounted barrier-acts, and ought to be more facredly preferved from contempt or violation, than fuch as these. A power to dispense with law in other inftances, will not infer it in this; becaufe, if a court is limited in any respect, it must be limited by thofe laws which regard the admiffion of its members. While fuch laws ftand in force, no perfon whose commiffion is not agreeable to them, has a right to fit in a court. The giving therefore a feat in this venerable affembly to men who have no legal title to it, appears to us as great a ftretch of power, as it would be to exclude one whofe title was clear and uncontefted. Other laws, by distance of time, may lose fome of their force; but the laws in queftion are annually applied, and therefore may be justly confidered as annually renewed.

4. Of all the laws regarding the elec. tion and qualification of members of affembly, few or none are more important than thofe now in queftion. They require elders to be faithful in the difcharge of their office, tender and circumspect_in

their walk, punctual in their attending on ordinances, ftri& in their observation of the Lord's day, and regular in keeping up the worship of God in their families. To fecure the choice of men thus qualified, commiffioners from royal boroughs muft be first attefted by kirk-feffions, as belt acquainted with them, and leaft capable of being impofed upon; next, they, as well as the prefbytery's own reprefentatives, must be attefted by the prefbytery itfelf; and, laftly, a committee of affembly is appointed to canvafs all, that fo no man of doubtful character may be admitted to fit in this court. The stress laid in fcripture upon the pofitive religious character of church-officers, fufficiently warrants all this. In the office of deacons, an office inferior to that of el ders, the fcripture infifts, that they fhould hold the mystery of faith in a pure confcience, and first be proved; and being found blameless, admitted to that office. Whoever are not attefted in terms of act 9. affembly 1722, for a ny thing legally known, may be perfons of riotous and diforderly lives, defpifers of divine ordinances, and unwilling, afraid, or afhamed to worship God in their families. And fhall a door be opened to admit fuch to bear rule in the church? Can the interest of religion receive a feverer ftroke? The man who is void of true piety, is but poorly qualified to be a civil judge. But here the danger is vaftly greater. Civil laws may be thoroughly understood by a wicked man; and if he is poffeffed of a juft and found judgment, he may fee it for his intereft, at least in general, to act up rightly but the laws of our Redeemer's fpiritual kingdom, his enemies, as they do not love, fo they cannot understand. Such may be expected to turn the edge of difcipline the wrong way; to inflict the cenfures of Chrift's church, not upon those who despise his laws, but on thofe who obey them; and in all struggles be tween the intereft of religion, and that of profanity, to add ftrength to the laft. Would they not give their votes and influence for filling vacancies with ufelefs minifters? would they not difcourage all attempts for cenfuring immorality, and

exercifing difcipline upon ministers or others who live unfuitably to their pro feffion? and would not diverfions of the moft infnaring tendency, find in them affured patrons and zealous fupporters ? We charitably hope, that no member of the affembly who gave his vote for receiving the unattefted commiffions, had this view of the matter; and no fuch thing may have hitherto happened: yet, as it is evidently poffible, we truft we will be forgiven, for expreffing our fears, left, in any future period, fome fuch event should take place.

5. Such a decifion is peculiarly unfeafonable at this time, when the decay of religion is fo great and vifible. Is it poffible to conceal or diffemble the great progrefs of impiety and irreligion in Scotland thefe laft thirty years, the remarkable desertion of the house and ordinances of God, and neglect of familyreligion, especially among thofe of higher rank? Is not the Lord's day openly profaned, by unneceffary travelling, idle vifits, and ill-timed amufements? And is this a season to make the world imagine from our conduct, that neglect of the worfhip of God is a light crime, no way inconfiftent with a religious cha racter? If prefbyteries cannot find gentlemen whose characters they can fafely atteft, fhall the affembly but feem to give any fanétion to this depravation of manners, and thereby contribute to accelerate that corruption, which is evidently ruining us both as a church and as a nation?

6. We apprehend, that by this vote the affembly have acted as much against the fpirit of the law, as against the form. With refpect to feveral of the commiffions received, it was not fo much as pretended, that the defect was owing to miftake or forgetfulness. Why then did not the prefbyteries atteft the commiffions of these elders? Was it from averfion, or want of refpect? Their honouring them with their choice is a demonftration of the contrary. Was it from ignorance of, or inattention to the neceffary forms? The printed form which prefbyteries have before them in atteft ing commiffions, makes this highly im

probable.