second report of “the Select Committee on Papers relating to the Repairs of H.M. ships the Romney and Sensible, while under the command of Sir Home Popham;” which Committee were also empowered to “enquire into the circumstances attending the impressment of Mr. Bartholomew.”
“It does not appear that any case which can be called a precedent fur this proceeding has been brought to support it; and on the questions, whether it ought, or ought not, to be deemed a violation of the usage of the navy, or likely to be injurious to his Majesty’s Service, your committee find it to be the concurring opinion of three naval officers, namely Admiral Berkeley, and Captains Garden and Winthrop, which opinion, however, is opposed by those of Admiral Markham and Captain Richbell, that the impressing of Mr. Bartholomew was a violation of the usage of the navy; Admiral Berkeley in particular, speaking of it as a most arbitrary and violent act, that must disgust all young men who have nothing but their merits to recommend them, and likely therefore to be highly injurious to his Majesty’s service.
“From the testimony of Admiral Markham, on the other hand, that the impressing of Mr. Bartholomew appears, in his opinion, to have been perfectly justifiable; and Admiral Markham declares, that though he docs not recollect any instance of impressing a person who had been a Midshipman or Master’s-mate, and had passed the examination required for obtaining a Lieutenant’s commission, yet that he would have impressed 500 men in circumstances similar to those of Mr. Bartholomew. Admiral Markham further states, that Mr. Bartholomew, whom he himself had not previously seen, was represented to him by Mr. Parker and some of the messengers, to have the appearance of a Boatswain; and on his personal appearance and original situation in life, as well as on a conclusion which Admiral Markham declares he drew from one of Mr. Bartholomew’s letters to Lord St. Vincent, that he intended to go into the merchant service. Admiral Markham appears to have founded his opinion that it was perfectly justifiable to impress Mr. Bartholomew. Upon the last point, however, your committee observe, that the only letter from Mr. Bartholomew to Lord St. Vincent, which could have led to any conclusion that he intended to go into the merchant service, is that bearing date the 20th of November, 1803, which was written at Chatham, before Mr. Bartholomew was desired by Lord St. Vincent’s orders to come to London for the purpose of calling on Mr. Parker at the Admiralty, and cannot therefore be considered as the cause of his being impressed, at the distance of nearly a month after it was written, without supposing that Lord St. Vincent directed him to be requested to come from Chatham to London for that particular purpose, which your committee do not see the least ground to believe. And with respect to Mr. Bartholomew’s original situation in life, and personal appearance,