rld; his books are not, lightly, nor for any ordinary
purpose, to be taken out of his own hands. The secrets of his
business are not to be too curiously pryed into. The books of a
single merchant may betray the secrets, not only of his own
affairs, but of those with whom he is principally connected in
business; and the reciprocal confidence of the whole commercial
world may, by the authoritative enquiry of these commissioners, be
shaken. All this, at least, I should have feared, as liable to
happen, if the persons who are named in the bill had not been men
whose characters are above all suspicion of indiscretion or malice.
I may presume it to be the common conviction of the merchants, that
in such hands they will be safe: since they have made no opposition
to the bill, in it's progress; and since they have offered no
appearance against it, by counsel at your lordships bar. And,
truly, my lords, if the bill be, thus, superior to all objection;
I can affirm, that the necessities, the wrongs, of those who are
employed in the naval service of their country, most loudly call
for the redress which it proposes! From the highest admiral in the
service, to the poorest cabin-boy that walks the street, there is
not a man but may be in distress, with large sums of wages due to
him, of which he shall, by no diligence of request be able to
obtain payment; not a man, whose intreaties will be readily
answered, with aught but insult, at the proper places for his
application, if he come not with particular recommendations to a
preference. From the highest admiral, to the meanest seaman,
whatever may be the sums of prize-money due to him, no man can tell
when he may securely call any part of it his own. A man may have
forty thousand pounds due to him, in prize-money; and yet may be
dismissed, without a shilling, if he ask for it at the proper
office without particular recommendation. Are these things to be
tolerated? Is it for the interest, is it for the honour, of the
country, that they should not as speedily as possible be redressed?
I should be as unwilling as any man, to give an overweening
preference to the interests of my own profession; but I cannot help
thinking that, under all the circumstances of the business, your
lordships will be strongly disposed to advan