with vigour the ufe of Spinning machines, which I would earnedly recommend to them; nay, if the last measure only was pursued, their manufactures would be made much cheaper and better, and they would have fome chance of forcing their way to foreign markets, of recovering those that have been loft, and of producing demands from New ones; but in our prefent involved and intricate fituation, I apprehend the only effectual remedy for the alarming decline of our manufactories and commerce, and all our other calamities, will be for us, like men who have recovered their fenfes from a strange infatuation, who have opened their eyes upon the brink of a precipice, to tread back our deluded steps with anxious fpeed; and to finish a tragedy of errors, with the happielt catastrophe in our power.'

Few of our Readers, we believe, will be difpleafed with the length of this quotation, which gives a melancholy indeed, but nevertheless a faithful defcription of the prefent fituation and circumstances of Great Britain. The means of retrieving our affairs, as far, perhaps, as human fagacity can difcover them,' the Author points out with that clearness and fimplicity which is well adapted to the practical nature of this fhort but comprehenfive performance. When we meet with a work enriched with fuch fubftantial advice, and deduced from thofe general principles of which the truth is equally fupported by reafon and experience, our admiration is naturally increafed for thofe authors who first adopted, illuftrated, and confirmed the juft theory of national ceconomy. The doctrines which they have difcovered and explained, lie ready, as in a magazine of arms, to be employed against every affault of popular frenzy, or of political delufion. The line of conduct which they fuggeft and advife,' is fo congenial to the feelings of men, as well as fo obvious to the unperverted dictates of natural reason, that it is frequently pursued by the people before the principles upon which it is built be fufficiently, or even in any tolerable degree, understood by government. But unlefs thefe principles are unfolded, afcertained, and proved, there is no fecurity that the conduct to which they direct will long be obferved, Falfe refinements may be introduced; paffion and prejudice may interfere; and thus the general intereft of the community may be, and often has been, facrificed to the low concerns of a few of its most worthlefs members.

ART. VIII. A Solemn Appeal to the Public, from an injured Officer, Captain Baillie, late Lieutenant Governor of the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich; arifing out of a Series of authentic Proceedings in the Court of King's Bench, on Six Profecutions against him, for publishing certain Libels (as it was alleged) in a printed Book, intitled, the "Cafe and Memorial of Greenwich Hofpital, addreffed to the General Governors, in Behalf of disabled Seamen, Widows, and Children;" and the Evidence given on the fubfequent Enquiry, at the Bar of the House of Lords, in confequence of the feveral Profecutions being discharged with Costs, Folio. Price 21. 2s. fewed. With a fine Engraving of Capt. Baillie, by Watfon, from a Painting by Hone: or feparately, 11. 1s. for the Book, or the Print. Almon, 1779.

NAPTAIN Baillie affigns the following reafons for pub

of Richmond, and other noble perfons:

'Where,' fays he, can a perfecuted and ruined feaman fly for refuge, with fo much propriety, as to thofe illuftrious perfonages who, during the late tedious and intricate enquiry into the management of Greenwich Hofpital, ftood forth the feamen's protectors, and with fuch zeal and abilities pleaded, though in vain, the caufe of the aged and oppreffed ?

Many reafons tempt me to publish the proceedings at large in the court of King's-Bench, and at the bar of the House of Lords.

Firft, Becaufe my enemics have induftriously circulated, that there did not appear the leaft proof of any abufe in the management of the Hospital, in either of thofe great inquests of the nation, and quote the report of the Select Committee of Directors, and fuch other flimfey documents, to authenticate their falfehoods.

"After the various and unparalleled perfecutions I have fuffered, it would be giving too great a triumph to my enemies, to let fuch extraordinary tranfactions die away in oblivion, without tranfinitting to pofterity one trace of the oppreffions I have endured, and the caufe for which I have fuffered. This is a fecond motive for my leaving an indelible monument of the cruelty of my oppreffors; and though it will exhibit, to future ages, portraits of the moft fhocking deformity, yet it will be fome confolation, that the difabled and aged feamen have not been entirely friendless; and though the support their cause met with from your Lordships, has been at present ineffectual, yet it may give hopes to the defponding feamen, that on some future day they will be reftored to their rights, and their charter preferved inviolate. To attain this great end, was the favourite object of my life; and if I perfevered in the pursuit with the fpirit of a reformer, and the zeal of an enthusiast, I am not

even

even accused of any interefted motives to myself.-Though ruined, and deprived as I am of my honourable and valuable office of Lieutenant Governor, earned by long and faithful fervice, all is not loft in the conteft: my character, I trust, is preferved to me unblemished.

That Captain B. perfevered in the purfuit of his plan for remedying the abufes that he conceived had crept into the management of the Hofpital, with the fpirit of a reformer, and the zeal of an enthufiaft,' is indifputable; and it is equally certain that fpirit and zeal are univerfally received as the genuine indications of an honeft intention,-whatever may be deemed of the prudence or policy of the purfuer. But prudence appears to have been little, and policy not at all, regarded by this honest man in office; who has, in courfe, experienced the common fate of reformers.-To men of this description, however, the public gratitude is eminently due; for to fuch felf-devoted fpirits it is, that mankind are, generally fpeaking, indebted for all active and vigorous inquiries into public abufes, and for all great plans of reformation, in matters where the common interests of nations, or the rights of particular inferior communities are concerned; nor fhould their failure in fome points (as perhaps, in the prefent cafe of Greenwich Hospital) preclude them from our acknowledgments, in refpect of the general merit of their ultimate and difinterested views.

In a prefatory advertisement, our Appellant farther states his reafons for this [large and expenfive] publication. He obferves, that feveral unauthenticated pamphlets have been diftributed, injuriously reflecting on his character and conduct; that the feveral profecutions againft him for a fuppofed libel have been mifrepresented, or but little understood; and that the evidence given at the bar of the House of Lords, in the feamen's cause, has been mutilated, or retailed from memory only; he therefore feels it a duty which he owes to his own character, to the feamen, and to his country, to ftate and fubmit the proceedings at large to the candour and difcernment of the PUBLIC: to-the end that THEY may know and judge on what ground the Lieutenant-Governor of a national inftitution was turned out of his office. He conceived it to be his indifpenfable duty to lay every fraud and abuse that came within his knowledge, before the general Governors, as foon as he could authenticate the facts, not doubting but a fair and efficient general Board would be held, agreeable to his requeft, that juftice might be done, and a refor mation take place. But, inftead of that,' fays he, what has been the confequence? And what is the language now proclaimed to the public? That no abuses exift: and true it is, fome of them do not exift at the prefent moment, because, during the intermediate time of the representation of these stub

Q4

born

born facts, and the enquiry at the bar of the House of Lords, one whole year had elapfed, in which time, though the torrent of abuses was politically checked, no permanent remedy was applied, either by the removal of the Landmen*, or the con tracting Butcher t,-the two great fources of all the evils, heart-burnings, jealoufies, and difcontents, which grow in that Hofpital.'-The Captain here draws this inference As the management of the charity is ftill under the fame influence, in the hands of the fame perions, is it not rational to fuppofe that fimilar practices will be reiterated on the helplefs penfioners? efpecially, as the man who dared to attack abufes [he dared to attack Lord SANDWICH!] is facrificed, in order to deter others from pursuing fo dangerous a precedent.-A man difabled in the fervice of his country, and placed in Greenwich Hofpital as a reward for thofe fervices, is, at laft, in the evening of his day, -driven out of his office, in the face of the nation, without a fhilling in his pocket, his wife and family ruined, his goods and chattels fold by public auction, to pay the expences brought upon him by his merciless perfecutors and profecutors, whofe 'great object was to commit his body to a prifon, after they had deprived him of his office, worth near 10,000 -Yet it is fill to be hoped [the fpirit of our veteran Appellant, we fee, is not yet broken] the hour is approaching when a reform will take place, and that the lazy, luxurious landmen of the Holpital, who have only fought the battles of the Borough of Huntingdon, will 'find themfelves removeable by a virtuous minifter, or at least by a public writ of quo warranto, &c.'

The principal contents of this volume, among other original and authentic papers,' are as follow:

Captain Baillie's Letters to the Earl of Sandwich, to the Secretary of the Admiralty, the Court of Commiffioners, and the Select Committee of Directors, with the anfwers; alfo his Memorial to the general Governors, pointing out abufes, and propofing remedies.

It was one of the principal causes of the complaint preferred by Captain Baillie, that landmen were provided for in the Hofpital, in prejudice to the rightful claims of the feumen, for whom this most noble charity was folely inftituted.

This butcher had been profecuted, at the infance of Captain Baillie, and was twice convicted in a public court of juftice, of ferving the Hofpital with bad meat (i. e. bull beef instead of ox); for which fraudulent offence he was, on his fecond conviction, fined 500% on fifty penalties. This fam was compounded with the deinquent butcher; and fresh contracts were made with the fame perfon. N. B. Our Author, in another part of this advertisement, fyles him the Huntingdon Butcher."

· A lift

A lift of landmen appointed by Lord Sandwich to offices of eafe and profit in the Hofpital, in preference to the honeft claims of feafaring men; a lift of navy chaplains who actually receive an annual bounty from Parliament, as a reward for their service at fea, while beneficed clergymen, who have not been at fea, are faddled upon a charitable inftitution, principally supported by the contributions of feafaring men; and alfo, a general lift of landmen in and belonging to the faid Hofpital.

Authentic proceedings in the court of King's Bench, in confequence of a rule granted to fhew caufe why an information fhould not be exhibited againft Captain Baillie, for publishing certain libels, &c.

Speeches of the counfel, and judgment of the court, taken in fhort hand, by Mr. Blanchard.

The whole evidence as given at the bar of the House of Lords, with fome occafional debates, in the courfe of fifteen days inquiry, &c.

The fpeeches of the Duke of Richmond, at the opening and clofe of the evidence.

Abstracts of the arguments of other noble Lords, with fuch papers and letters as are neceffary to corroborate the evidence, and elucidate the whole proceedings, carefully transcribed from original papers, private notes, or other authentic documents; all which have been collected with great labour and expence from numerous materials, in order to render the work as accurate and complete as poffible.'- We would not omit to take notice that there is, likewife, a general index; which will be of great ute to the Reader, for occafional refearches.

Among the fpeeches of the counsel in this memorable cause, we diftinguish thofe (in the court of King's Bench) of the Hon. Mr. Erskine, and Mr. Peckham; the former gained great applaufe by his very eloquent representation of the MERIT of Capt. Baillie's active and public-fpirited proceedings, in order to procure a reformation in the management of the Hospital concerns.

The Duke of Richmond's fpeech, at the close of the evidence in the Houfe of Lords, is a mafterly performance. In the course of this oration, his Grace took notice of the plea urged by the profecutors of Captain Baillie, in excufe for their turning him out of his office," that he is a man of a vexatious temper, and of intractable manners."-In reply to this, the Duke very pertinently obferved that admitting Captain Baillie to be a man of that temper, and of thofe manners, before his being vexatious and intractable becomes a reason for punishing him in fo high a degree, or perhaps of punishing him at all, we ought to know upon what forts of matter he is vexatious, and in what fort of fociety he is intractable. Nothing in the world is fo vexatious againit abuses as enquiry; nothing