shore when in any harb our; and when we have completed the duty of our ships, after our return from sea; and that no man may incroach upon his liberty, there shall be a boundary limited, and those trespassing any further, without a written order from the commanding officer, shall be punished according to the rules of the navy; which is a natural request, and congenial to the heart of man, and certainly to us, that you make the boast of being the guardians of the land.
Fifthly, that if any man is wounded in action, his pay be continued until he is cured and discharged; and if any ship has any real grievances to complain of, we hope your Lordships will readily redress them, as far as in your power, to prevent any disturbances.
It is also unanimously agreed by the fleet, that from this day no grievance shall be received, in order to convince the nation at large, that we know when to cease to ask, as well as when to begin; and that we ask nothing but what is moderate, and may be granted, without detriment to the nation, or injury to the service.
Given on board the Queen Charlotte, by the Delegates of the Fleet, this 18th day of April, 1797.
The Lords of the Admiralty, who were at Portsmouth, sent to Lord Bridport the following answer to the petition of the seamen.
By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, &c.
Having taken into consideration the petitions transmitted to us by your Lordship from the crews of his Majesty’s ships under your command; and having the strongest desire to attend to all complaints of the seamen of his Majesty’s navy, and to grant them every just and reasonable redress; and having considered the difference of the price of the necessaries of life at this, and at the period when the pay of seamen was established, we do hereby require and direct your Lordship to take the speediest method of communicating to the fleet, That we have resolved to recommend it to his Majesty to propose to parliament to increase the wages of seamen in his Majesty’s navy in the following proportions, viz.
To add four shillings per month to the wages of petty officers and able seamen.
Three shillings per month to the wages of ordinary seamen; and two shillings per month to the wages of landmen.
That we have resolved that seamen wounded in action shall be continued in pay until their wounds are healed; or, until being declared unserviceable, they shall receive a pension, or be received into the Royal Hospital at Greenwich; and that having a perfect confidence in the zeal, loyalty, and courage of all the seamen in the fleet, so generally expressed in their petition; and in their earnest desire of serving their country with that spirit which always so eminently distinguished British seamen, we have come to this resolution the more readily, that the seamen may have as early as possible an opportunity of shewing their good dispositions, by re-