§ EARL TALBOTsaid, that a rumour had gone abroad to the effect that the Government were about to discharge the continuous-service seamen; and as such a proceeding would involve a breach of faith on the part of the Government towards those men, he thought it extremely desirable that a contradiction of the rumour had been given on the preceding evening in another place; but he could not help entertaining some suspicion of the perfect correctness of that contradiction, as he found that in a circular issued from the Admiralty on the 13th instant, it was set forth, that "the continuous ordinary seamen are to be discharged on shore." He 483 wished to know whether Her Majesty's Ministers could then furnish the House with any information upon the matter?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, he could hardly conceive anything more detrimental to the public service than the prevalence of a belief that the Government had been guilty of a breach of faith towards the men whom it employed for the national defence; and he was, therefore, very happy to be able completely to contradict the rumour to which the noble Earl had referred. The circular to which the noble Earl referred, conferred a boon and not an injustice. The number of seamen had not been diminished to the amount at which it was proposed they should stand. By the terms of the enlistment, these men were bound, if they should quit the service, to pay the sum of £12. Now, this circular directed that such men as chose to quit the service should be allowed to do so without any payment at all.