Robert Fulton and the Submarine

by William Barclay Parsons

To the Right Honorable

Lord Grenville

My Lord

Lord Howick will have a conversation with your Lordship on the mode of finally setteling with me, As the papers which I have from time to time written to Successive Ministers and to his Lordship may not be at hand at the time of such conversation, And as a right understanding of submarine Navigation with all its probable consequences Is I conceive of much importance to this government I beg your Lordships attention to the following observations which shall be as concise as possible, And I hope it will be admitted by your Lordship that whatever may be the effect of any Scientific discovery on the interest or politics of this country, It is better his Majesty’s Ministers should be acquainted with it than remain uninformed, And I conceive Investigation the more necessary when it is considered that discoveries in the Sciences have from age to age changed the whole art of war and the politics of nations. That being slow in the operation their consequences cannot be traced by ordinary men, who being creatures of habit and Guided by existing things consider new discoveries as Visionary or trivial Such were the Ideas of the Inventions of printing, gunpowder and the Mariners Compass had their authors Shown their consequences they would not have been believed by their Contemporaries.

So my Lord when I say that I have discovered a mode of attacking Ships of war which if prosicuted to its Ultimate powers and rendered fameliar to all nations must from necessity destroy the existing system of military marines and alter the whole politics of Europe I do not expect to be believed by any but men of penitrating Judgement and Sound Sense nor do I expect them to believe me untill they have see the whole of the engines and had ample proof of the simple mode of using them and their certain destructive effects Now my Lord if this be a truth it is certainly important to know it, if it be false the conviction that it is so will be equally important for then there will be nothing to guard against, hence to place this Subject in its true light I have proposed to Lord Howick to form a committee compossed of Your Lordship Lord Moria Lord Sydmouth Lord Erskin Mr. Fox Mr. Windham Sir george Shee and Alexander Davison Esqr. the members of this committee are all friends to government to them I will exhibit all the machinery and modes of using it and Reasoning from Experiments already made endavour to Shew what may be done leaving to the committee to Judge whether my preceding assertion is true. And for Such communications I make no demand, but Should the committee find my assertion supported by facts It will be acknowledged that I have a high Interest in this produce of my own mind and that I have a right to prosecute it to the acquirement of fortune or fame, I have mentioned to Lord Howick my Views on fortune, the committee will Judge whether it be the interest of government to acceed to my proposal and whether the terms Specified are the best security which I can give that this subject shall not be further prosicuted by me My Lord I beg you to be Assured that I have every disposition to act in the most liberal and honorable manner towards this government At the Same time I must Acknowledge that I never will abandon my private interest Till satisfied by specific Stipulations and I hope my Lord that this fair proposal to investigate all the principles and this undisguised mode of Acting will inspire your Lordship and Every member of the committee with a confidence that what I agree to Shall be scrupeleusly and honorably adheared to. Should your Lordship require any private conversations on this subject I shall be happy to wait on you at an appointed hour.

I am my Lord your Lordships

Most obedient and Very humble

Servant

Robert Fulton

P. S. Just as I was finishing this letter I was informed by Mr. Tucker that Lord Howick and your Lordship had decided not to have any thing to do with the submarine boat My Lord I never wished this government to introduce such boats into practice. But it is Stipulated in my contract that if for any reason government do not think proper to practice my mode of war Arbitrators Shall be appointed and if it appears to the majority that enemies Vessels can be Destroyed by my means at less expence and Risque than by any method now in practice I shall receive 40,000 £ hence as the Submarine boat makes part of my System it must come under the consideration of the arbitrators.