Statutes of the Admiralty, in which the Navigation Act was included;
which act was directed to admirals, captains, &c. to see it carried into
execution. On producing and reading these laws to Sir Richard, to use
Captain Nelson's own words, "he seemed convinced that men of war were
sent abroad for some other purpose than to be made a show of;" and, the
Americans then filling our ports, orders were issued for all the
squadrons to see the Navigation Act carried into execution.
When Captain Nelson went to his station, at St. Kitt's, he sent away all
the Americans; not chusing to seize them at that time, lest it should
have appeared a trap laid for them.
In December, to his utter astonishment, he received an order from the
commander in chief, stating that he had obtained good advice, and
required that the Americans might not only be prevented from coming in,
but permitted to have free egress and regress, if the governor chose to
allow them. He inclosed, at the same time, a copy of the orders which
he had sent to the governors and presidents of the islands. Some, on
this, began by sending letters, not far different from orders, that they
should admit them in such and such situations as they described: telling
Captain Nelson, that Sir Richard had left it to them; but, that they
thought it right to let him know it. These, however, he soon silenced.
The commander in chief's was a more delicate business. He was under the
necessity of either disobeying orders, or of disobeying acts of
parliament which he conceived the latter was disobeying. He, therefore,
nobly determined on the former: trusting to the uprightness of his
intention; and fully confiding, that his country would not allow him to
be ruined by protecting it's commerce. He sent to Sir Richard;
expatiated on the navigation laws, to the best of his ability; and
frankly told him, that some person, he was certain, had been giving him
advice, which he would be sorry for having taken, against the positive
directions of acts of parliament. He expressed his conviction, that Sir
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