§ Mr. Wilberforce, pursuant to notice, called the attention of the House to captain Manby's invention for preserving seamen's lives. Captain Manby had already received a public reward for it; and animated by this, he had made various improvements in it. The whole had been tried and approved by a Committee of general officers. The invention added greatly to the utility of Mr. Greathead's life boat. Upon the whole, he thought it highly desireable that the apparatus should be established on different parts of the coast. The arrangements had better be left to the executive government, who, he hoped, would grant re-wards to those who exerted themselves in preserving the lives of seamen. He him-self had in vain attempted to procure a reward for some persons who had, at the risk of their lives, preserved several from wreck, and these very men afterwards re-fused to go out in a case of distress, be-cause they said they had families of their own, and could not expose their lives to imminent hazard without the conviction that, in case of the worst, their families should be provided for. The expence of this would be trifling and the benefit would be great. He concluded by moving, "That an humble Address be presented to his royal highness the Prince 626 Regent, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions, that such measures, as may appear expedient to his Majesty's government, may be adopted without delay for carrying into execution, on suit-able parts of the sea coast of Great Britain, captain Manby's Plans for saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners; and that this House will make good the expenses attending the same."
Mr. Roseseconded the motion; remarking particularly on the utility of the invention, as it enabled the life-boat to reach vessels in distress on many occasions when otherwise a boat could not possibly be launched.
Mr. Bastard,although he highly approved of the invention, yet cautioned the House, after the experience which they had already had during the present session, as in the case of Mr. Palmer, against addresses stating their disposition to make good any payments of money.
§ Mr. Wilberforceobserved, that the expences in the present instance would be very small.
§ Sir T. Turtonsaid, that the remark of his hon. friend related not to the amount, but to the motion itself. There was this difference, however, between the case to which his hon. friend alluded and that at present under consideration, namely, that in the former instance, the vote of the House was against the opinion of ministers, but that in the latter it received their sanction.
§ The motion was then agreed to.