Naval Discipline : Subordination Contrasted With Insubordination: Or, a View of the Necessity for Passing a Law Establishing an Efficient Naval Discipline on Board Ships in the Merchant-Service

Naval Discipline : Subordination Contrasted With Insubordination: Or, A View Of The Necessity For Passing A Law Establishing An Efficient Naval Discipline On Board Ships In The Merchant-Service" by Christopher Biden serves as a historical treatise arguing for a formal maritime code to govern discipline on merchant ships. The work surveys the volatile state of the merchant-service in early 19th-century Britain, contending that without a robust legal framework, insubordination and mutiny threaten life, property, and national commerce. Biden supports strong, but humane, command and the swift application of coercive measures when necessary, illustrating his points with numerous, well-documented cases drawn from East India Company ships and other vessels. He contrasts English naval discipline with the lack of maritime laws for commerce, advocates centralized authority, and envisions a codified system to regulate punishment, impressment, and manning practices. The author also emphasizes the intertwining of discipline with national security, economic prosperity, and humanitarian considerations, arguing that a codified maritime law would stabilize the merchant service and deter lawlessness at sea.