rose, pursuant to notice, to move for a return of the number of seamen drowned or lost through the upsetting of boats from the 5th of June, 1811, to the latest period at which the same could be made out. Upon a former occasion, the hon. baronet observed, that he had been told by some gentlemen on the other side, that it would be impossible to make out the return he desired. But he, on the contrary, understood, that it would be perfectly easy to prepare such a return. He had, indeed, a letter from a respectable naval officer, stating, that it was the usual practice to record, in the log-book, the number of seamen lost, whether by drowning or otherwise; and all these log-books were notoriously transmitted to the Admiralty. Nothing, then, as he was assured, could be more easy than to make out the return alluded to. Then as to the cui bono of his motion, he was anxious to ascertain the extent of the injury which, as he was informed and believed, might have been prevented by the adoption of the ingenious invention of Mr. Mallison, commonly called "The Seaman's Friend." Of the utility and efficacy of this invention, the committee appointed to examine it, had expressed no doubt whatever; but, on the contrary, had made an unanimous report in its favour. Why, then, was not that report attended to, and the invention patronized as it deserved? The House had lately made a liberal vote to captain Manby for his invention to save the lives or seaman; 2,000l. had been granted to that officer himself, as a reward for his personal merit, while from 6 to 7,000l. were voted to promote the use of his invention. He had no objection to the grant of a fair remuneration to capt. Manby; but he could not conceive any just reason, why Mr. Mallison's invention, which, according to his information, possessed considerably more merit, should be entirely overlooked—that the latter should receive only 100l. for an invention which promised to be universally useful, while captain Manby's invention, which was only applicable to particular stations and occasions, should be so liberally considered. By captain Manby's invention, it was proposed to save seamen exposed to danger immediately off shore; but by Mr. Mallison's invention, seamen would in all cases be rendered incapable of sinking, and of course the latter was superior in merit. His motion also had in view the establishment of what was called a parliamentary ground for the proposition which he meant to bring forward for the adequate reward of Mr. Mallison, and for the due advancement of his invention. He therefore, thought it material to ascertain the number of lives lost since Mr. Mallison's invention was made known to the Admiralty and the public; for if those lives were numerous, the Admiralty was seriously responsible in neglecting to avail itself of an invention calculated to prevent such sacrifices. The number of lives lost by drowning in the navy since the year 1803, had, he was informed, amounted to no less than from 10 to 12,000 men, and as to the proportion of that number lost since June 1811, the Admiralty, for its own vindication, was peculiarly bound to show some reason why it declined to adopt so simple, so easy, and so inexpensive a plan for saving the lives of seamen, as that presented by Mr. Mallison's invention. The life of a man, estimating it even according to the scale of the West India slave owner, was worth 80l. and what, then, must be the estimate of our gallant seamen who had suffered death in the way described; or what the responsibility of those through whose neglect in rejecting Mr. Mallison's invention, such suffering had taken place? Here the hon. baronet reverted to the statement of gentlemen on the other side, as to the impracticability of making out the return to which his motion referred, which statement must, he was assured, proceed either from ignorance or some other motive which it would not be proper in him to name. By that statement, however, his motion, on a former occasion, was baffled; but being convinced of the fallacy of the assertion, he now felt it his duty to resume his motion, in which motion he should persevere, unless he had some good reason to the contrary.

expressed his regret that he did not happen to be present on a former occasion, when the hon. baronet brought forward this motion, although he had twice waited in the House in the expectation of it. He declared his belief, that it would be quite impossible to comply with the hon. baronet's motion, at least without the labour of twelve months, or probably double that period, with the employment of a special clerk—without, indeed, wading through the log-book of six hundred or one thousand ships, which log-books were periodically transmitted to the Admiralty, some accurate, and others the contrary. It was impossible, in fact, to see the limit of such an examination. And for what purpose was it proposed to institute it? Why, to ascertain the character of that which, notwithstanding the hon. baronet's assertion and information, was as little entitled to the name of an invention as any thing which could well be imagined. It had, in fact, to boast neither of novelty nor of utility. He thought it one of the worst of the cork jackets presented to the consideration of the Admiralty; and, therefore, were he obliged to employ a cork jacket, Mr. Mallison's was the very last to which he would have recourse. The committee to whom it was referred had not, indeed, called this plan an invention, although that committee reported in its favour. But the fact was, that it could not be called an invention; for it was merely an alteration of the plan used by boys in swimming, by directing, that instead of placing cork under the shoulders, in the ordinary way, some cork should be placed under the breast, and some on the back—and this, truly, was called the magnificent invention of Mr. Mallison! The Admiralty had, however, given Mr. Mallison 100l.; but that gift proceeded rather from a desire to encourage the application of talents to a subject of this nature, than from any favourable opinion of Mr. Mallison's invention, as it was termed. But if this plan of Mr. Mallison were of such immense utility as the hon. baronet was led to believe, why, he would ask, was it not adopted in the merchants' service, over which the Admiralty had no controul? Had Mr. Mallison sold one hundred of his jackets to the merchant ships? He believed not; and, surely, if it were so useful, thousands would have been so disposed of. After some further remarks, in which the hon. gentleman ridiculed Mr. Mallison's plan as a trumpery invention, which he said he was warranted in describing it, upon the authority of several naval officers, he concluded with repeating his dissent from the motion.

declared, that having been a member of the committee appointed to examine Mr. Mallison's plan in 1811, he could say, that that committee unanimously recommended its adoption; and among the committee were some naval officers of the highest respectability. One of these officers, who was a particular friend of his, and who, from illness, was prevented from going to sea at the time, assured him, that were he to go to sea, he would employ Mr. Mallison's invention, from his conviction of its utility. The peculiar advantage of this invention was, that seamen might use it without being disqualified from acting in their ordinary engagements, and therefore it was preferable to any other cork jacket, although the hon. Secretary of the Admiralty might not think proper to use it. Some persons out of doors had, he understood, objected to the plan, lest by facilitating escape it might encourage desertion; but this danger might be guarded against. The objection, however, it must be observed, furnished some proof of the efficacy of the plan. Of this plan he fully approved, thinking it useful in many cases, where captain Manby's plan could not operate; and also thinking that it would even serve materially to aid that most important invention.

said, that 2,000l. had been given as a remuneration to captain Manby; the rest of the grant, was to cover the expenses that had been incurred. In cases where there was any danger of limbs being broken, he did not see how a life-preserver made of cork could be of any service. The House was called upon to reward inventions that had been proved to be of utility, and not such as, by possibility, might be so. The question for the consideration of the House was, would this invention save lives, and had any instances occurred, of its having actually preserved any?

said, in explanation, that the office to which he belonged, would give the information sought for, if they could.

replied, and mentioned a case where this invention had been of singular utility. Conformably to the suggestion of an hon. gentleman, he should limit his motion, in the first instance, to Portsmouth and Plymouth.

stated, from the number of ships that visited those harbours, the difficulty of procuring an exact return, would he equally great, as by the original motion.

agreed to withdraw his motion, from the implied admission of the gentlemen on the other side, that many lives had been lost through the upsetting of boats, &c. which admission he deemed a sufficient ground for the object which he had in view, and respecting which he should not fail to move early in the next session, in order to provide for the benefit of the navy, and to secure justice to Mr. Mallison.