Irttrr hi iljr &fan'.
TM PRESSMENT.
Sin—Your eorrespoedent W. B. C. appears to have lmt sight of the fact that a mob of uediseiplined seamen " impressed " front the Merchant Ser- vice would bc wholly inadequate to fight our fleet etinetively on any sudden emergency. Our ships would be useless, unless manned by.Ne:(llidl grinners who have had some training ou board men- of' war. Provision for this may be easily made during the time of peace, by enrolling, as a " reserve" force, a well-se:inn-a proportion of our maritime population, ulna would be willing to " quality'' for a certificate, to be renewed quarterly on testing the quali- flea tion, or rating, entitling them to a small annual stipend as a retaining fee. The conditions of such pay would be that the reeiMent sheuld repair on board the newest QUCCII'S Ship, en a declaration of war, whether in a home or foreign port at the time, for six months' service if required. Front the returnwof the Merchant Service for list year—and an estimate of the number of seamen employed coastwise, in the fisheries, nee.—it ap- pears that such a "Reserve Force" might be enrolled and organized at a very moderate cost, to the amount of 30,000 inen.
Two-thirds of such a Force would be, probably, always at hand ; and would be far more effective than any number of the ordinary class of mer- chant seamen shipped by the press-gang.
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