Star. — London, England, 1804-03-01 00:00:00

• so- 'was lima's' , to our rtuffion informer years. It was A right; and would conceive themfelves extremely infultiog to common [core to draw fuch a crimped- P 1 aged, were they thus unexpededly to be deprived fon. Another defence of the Admiralty had been, of it. Government ought not to have engaged the that the public were latisfied, am) that the rate or in- Volunteers in the defence of the Country, if it did finance was haw, becaufe d:underwriters found that •not intend to ad honourably by them. Was'it, he very few of our merchants' veiled were taken, This would elk, conliflent with the :relive defence of the he could ealily account for ; it was becaufe the cue- Nation, for the Secretary at War, at the very mo- my at prefent did not aim at dcflt o oar com ment when he was (invading throughout the king- merce : on the contrary, they rather withed to en dow the reports of an immediate expectation off courage it, in order afterwards to reap the benefit of titration, to fay, by this Bill, that if the Volunteers our riches, when they effected our lubjugation. lie do not-comply in depriving themfelves of the right had heard it furmifed, that very great neglect at of election, that he will forthwith &band them ; the tached to thole who managed the late blockading very force in which Government had led the nation fonadron ; for it otos afferted that the guns were not to depend for fafety. Such an idea having been fo received on board in proper time. To return to the much as hinted at. mull necelfarily occafion uneall. land force ryttem t when he confidered the means we nets throughout the country. Such then were the had at the commencement of the war, the willingners principles on which he had rifen to oppofe the motion of Parliament to grant pecuniary aid, and the general of the Speaker leaving the Chair. Such coufidera- difpofition of the people. he kill thought that Mini. Cons, he thought, ought to occupy the Houfe pre- (Jeri had been deficient iu exertions to do their ',lout to their entering farther upon the Bill, in order utmnft. He then alluded to the flare of the regular that the nation might yet more thoroughly under- army at the commencement of the war, which, tho' Rand what their real dangers are with rerped to the not very numerous, had never been exceeded by any .immediate attack of the enemy. He trotted, there- army in the world in point of fame. Minifters, he ewe, that Government would deal openly and can- thought, ought to have endeavoured, as it were, to in. oafs =every particular on which information could lute the foul of filch brave heroes as thole wiio fought be o:quired, for 'fetch he conceived was of much more at Alexandria, into the great mad of the people, by real weight and =poi tame (our immediate danger diaributingtheo(ficers of the army in a juciicinto man being confidered) than any (Auer matter which could ner amongßthe armed population. 't here were mire come before the Houfe. officer, toEngli fh regiments than were mall y nece Wary : CoIoneICItAUFORD role alto, be faid. for the in every cafe the officers of any regiment might be expects purpofe of oppofing the Speaker's leaving the flifficient to lead on s a,oeo or 14,000 men, as was Chair. When he refielled on the magnitude and the prafaice of other nations. He law no reafon why importance which mull now necelarily be attached an Englith regiment fhould require more than a to the military defence of the country, he could Dot French, a German, or a Pruffian one. Such was the belp feeling. that to come to tech conclufions as tke manner in which he would have difciplined the irre prektat Bill propoted. would be attended with very iculAr army. Befides that, the pretence and inflow. difakroos confequences indeed. To adopt fuch a eons of fuels fuperior Officers, would have infured Bill. or any thing like it. could neither be conftdered that *it de eerie into the irregular army which will by the pisblic. nor by his ilajelly's Minillera them- offierwire alone •be friend amaze! the regulars.-- films (wheo they had had more experience of its There were a great marry Officers who might have /Fees.), as a proper parliamentary fy!lens, adequate been thus empkayed is training, and even retained in tit the Moll formidable attack. he might venture to order to lead fuch an armed population againft the thy, *at ever bad been prepared or *alight of, enemy, and they might have tended.to prevent that rthis or any other country. When we retie& enthutiafen. with which the people are pc:frilled. epos the immenfe numbers of the enemy that fro th proving their actual deltudion in the daz t o ri f lot brought upon oar &ores. their excellence danger. He would have ceconotnifed thee o is eapitary elltcreffine. and the inveterate fpirit of hot- in the regular army as much as ;gable, and refereed trs wax to induce them to embark. together them for this other fpecies of military efixbliihment, extraordkutry enthufiafm. the excellent not that kind . of ellablilhment already railed is the 1 . and the Neill more extraordinary fortune:of country. He meant a body of armed men, who oil" who is to efirea them, we mull. no doubt, might properly be called an Army of Referee, in . *propriety of being amply prepared, and pro- order to repair the lofts which might occur among' laises. =that paratino to the threatened danger.-4- our regular force, in cafe of alloal Meath'''. Such a *she ditap p roved of the meafures which had fupply, in his opinion, did not at prefent exiti in been taken by his Majefiy's /distillers. yet as being the country ; for the term of Army of Referee tie great means by which the country was now to could nut with propriety be applied to what was at ba Attended, he Minted to Goo that their meafures• prefent fo denominated. By this mode loch an Ar woold saline (meets. They were firth, however, as my of Referve might have been railed. and the term would. at fume future period. be more minutely ex.. would have been more intelligible. It was, however, mined and confidereer by the country itrelf. It fuch an Army of Referee as, in his opinion. might would be crtfpraceful for Engliffienen to reflect in fetch Hal be inbreed without creating the knit dirgith to a. war even as the preterit was, that they had merely the people. He &Gold propofe to mile it from the confined their views to repel invafion from their tint clefs mentioned in the former Bill ; a elate Mad. His opinion was, that, even under all the which comprehended all the you'll of the country, prefent 4retwaßances of our fituation. we ought to chore who hid no cares and no families particularly be prepared. not only to repel invafion, but to en- to attend to. To fuels a body would he furnifh a %Interior melee* the total defiruilliem of that army certain prisportion of Officers from the Regiments of which had prefumed to threaten to let a foot on this the Lime, and he llionld require thcfe Officers to ex- Maid. Such not being our Rate of preparation, he mire them in a very Reid manner. He thought that therefore had rifen to arrell the progrefs of the Bill, their inllrollions might be entirely confined to teach is( order to firggefl Come ideas upon the Cubic& As i-g them the ufe of the &dock ; and he could ven t? the Bill kited; he conceived it to have been entirely tore to fay he I)ioke from experience, becaufe be bad bungled and mirmanaged. and, in thort, to (peak been witnet to the adive exertions of a corps Mei. plain, he thought thatlfinillers might as well have phased in a &niter manner. With fuch men he would put lane leaves of blank paper into their betide, it fupply the occafional deficiencies in the Regular being fo completely confuted as to be rendered un- Army ; and one reafon of the are of the firelock intelligible. He kill, however, had hopes that mat- being the only inftrudion that would be necefary tees might be put on a more liable footing. The Bill, was, that chore men would be called out into fervice which had been originally brought in at the con- in very fmahl proportions, and when fo mingled with mencement of the war, was intended for the purpofe the Regular Army, they would loon acquire a ftitE• of railing a great portion of the population of the dent degree of experience to aid in difcomfiting the Country; avail faults were then difcovered, which enemy, Such a fyflem could not be deemed any were correaed. The foe elation of the prefent Bill, great hardthip in the country, as fuch a clefs of the however. was fo narrow, the outline fo limited. and 'people would not be called out till the period of ac. the errors and omit ions Co complicated, that it was tool invalion ; and they would not be expofed to itnporfible to engraft any great or important decifion dangers by being oppofed to the enemy in an inju on it. or to frame it into a proper fyltem of defence dicious manner. It muff be evident, he thought, to Ihdequate to the danierous crifis in which we now every one, that loch a plan was led dangerous than five. One might as well think of building a palace any other (pecks of defence which had been yet on the roof of a cottage, or a line of battle (hip on adopted. He Ihould next allude to the irreguhr the keel of a jolly boat. It now behoved us to di ell force at prefent in the country. He defied any man a Hill greater plan of national defence. Were fuch to quote an example in hillory, where a body of it. confiderations in the prefent inßance to go to undo reoular troops had ever been expofed to an experi. pny 'Wog which bad already hem done, they might enced a-my. tinted loch irregular force was com- perhaps be diladeantageous, but any thing which he minded by Officers of experience and (kill in mai. then intended to people would, in his opinion, ra• tar, miners. As to the prefent trifling force of Cher contribute towards the improvement of the fyf- thi. defcription, he begged leave to fay Hill, that be tem already adopted. He too thought that the pc- m o ll heartily difapproved of the whole corrilitution tioi was now fall approaching, when an invafion of it, and. with the permiffion of the Houk, he Aright probably be expected . The conflant eagerly would Rate his reafrms for thinking In. He muff winds which generally occurred at this feafon of the allude to what he had formerly Rated to the Houfe year, as well as the forward Rate of the enemy's pre• as being a blonder in the Bill a he meant the predict perariims, were what led him to form this belief.— of allowing eicmptions. Such a claufe in the for- Ile thought it proper, before proceeding any further. ener 13.11 milli, he thought, have originated in a to notice that his Majefly's Chancellor or the Es- pet fed millake. Such exemptions as it contained. cheqw.r had frequently held out a defiance to any had neiiher been expected by . the Parliament nor by Menthir of that Knife, to fay that his Majefly's the People. The only exemption which he recollect- Ilintliers had not done all that could poffibly be done ed feting in the lag Bill, when it was diktilfed in the for t::-: defence of the country. He for one would Houle was, that no ballot fur the Army of Referee be extremely ready to accept of this defiance, be- or Militia thould take place in any dittria which had carafe in his own opinion a great deal more might furniffied a certain portion of Volunteers. He thought have been dote; and he believed that he could that further than that any exemptions &mad not prove that etfertion to be the fad, to thole who are have b;en propored ; for it was a libel upon the pew viteired if impartial and unprejudiced minds. He plc err large to fuppnfe that they 'equated any in wraild thelefore proceed to throw out fame übferva, ducement of fuch a nature to 'moire them with na tions which might. tend to thew what further men. thufialm. On this point lie proldied himfelf to direr lures might have Leen ad.ipted ; and he the more very widely Ito% an Honourable Member. who erpecially thought this was the proper time to men.- he did then lee in his place (Mr. Sheridan). who, in ton them, as it was impoffible that the Houfe could a Ipeech he had made in that Houfe. on a former be very impatient to go into a Committee upon loch ditcullion on the fame tohjea, had conferred upon a confuted and snifmanaged produtth-n as the prefent him (Colonel Crauford), the hcmourable appella- Bill was acknowledged to be. The (pecks of de fence, tion of the • regular Co wrel.' He, for his part, was which, from its magnitude and importance. fiat ~c- certainly far front vincLiving fuch an appellation in curled to him, was our Navy. lie was far from tie_ :Mallefl degree difiLlPeaful ; for li e ns. ne d that pretending to bring forward any accufati.-n a g aiiiil Le L. itainly was a ' regular Colonel.' Thole who tli.ne • lin managed that department of his Mar it y' s . etia. iv our ea t. attain the qualities neceffary to ar- Government t becaufe he had not procured fufficient I rise at ii.cla a flotation in the regular army, in w bleb iisformation on the hle& Ile could lust, hosrerer, I they were to endanger their lives for the faf e ty of 1 ) .4 acknowledge, that he wis very much arlonillied , 66: country, fliolild •11, in his opinion, he c all e d at tl.e kind o! anfwcr which had been made, to any 1. regular Col inels.'—(.4 Cr ; of Ler ! 1-. re !)—Such challenge which had been l a t e ly offer e d or. :hat head. 1 i.:Lii% id ial. Shoot,' no doil'a terve that hole gratifi• A competitor' had been drawn bete ha the prelent cvi.,ti left to than, acrd be denominated • regular ILee of our Navy and that of fi fOICOCArS. ' Phis IC. II Is :' but accotinig to 1 . ,e prefent fyfiern of ki n d e: aofwer, 'lna ever, be could not approve u•f,' ;i:1..ir.1.c Imola lie a Mc; c 11.4.0. .. !milker, nt any whe t . .... tud.t, it could be thosu that not pram% fotratku io,i!::.eis or pa uti.tio.ni, bot. IL AL of a Clergyman, and yet be tolled a 'Tx/dr Camel Rai be 14 p efe that the nest tl:p would be, that even a Clergyman would become entitled to the appellation—(o m:h.) Exenptions. he thonght, tended to eat up every dela iption of force which had been ellablitbed in this country. Four hundred thoufand Volunteers were lid to be enriulgh for the defence of the nation; but for his part he did not think fo. When he men tinned the word mush, however. he wilted to be undernond to refer to the ultimate fisb;tsgation of the country, and not the mere aft of repelling in valinn. It had been laid that the Volunteer torte did not comprehehd above t4th part of the firs clal in the kingdom. Throughout the whole coun. try he Should have liked to have Peen, not only the lint( chili, but even the fecund. and third claffes. of the population called nut. not for the purpufe et driving away the cattle from the coalls, but to de. (troy that enemy who Gould venture to admit us.— In other words, he Should have liked to fee an armed peafantry in the country. He had now come to the quellion, what was an armed peafantry ? An armed peafantry, he declared. was, what in his opinion was a force which was much preferable to Volun teers. He bad heard a Noble Lord formerly Say, that we have had already w fpeeimen of the fidil in military matters, and pre:weft in war, of Volunteers, which we have not had of an armed peafatiti y.— Need he mention the famous battle of Je‘mappe, to ittßanee the eiferilual exertions of pealantry Te troops there employed were perfeetly unlike Vo lunteers: they were formed on the foundation of the old army of France. The Regiments of France were not aceultomed to emigrate from their coun try on being dithanded, and even the officers were but little dilperfed : fu that, ip faCt, fueh a body of tnnops compered, formerly, the regular army of France, and were headed by one of the greatest men in Europe—General Donovan". He thought, if the French plumed themfelves on the battle of IN [mappe. they were Much to blame. We had, in the pillory of a war. which is Rill (refit in our memo ries, an intim= of the ufefal esertions of peafantry. At lee Vendee, although attacked by an artily pro. vided With an immenfe quantity of artillery, while the peafants had festively any fire arms, but were provided with a number of pitchforks, they totally annihilated the Volunteers of France, and even got poileflion of their arms. He &mild be happy to have an oppostonity of leading loch peafants to a field of battle, and if be did To t perform tome anion worthy of them, he Should think that he ought to be difmited his blajelly's ferviee. How would fuch an armed peafantry then be difiinguithed from the Volunteers ? It was in the drefs alone, which was not to be viewed as a ridiculous, but an important confideration, for he Mould propofe to dillinguith them only by giving them a great coat. He would arm them with a malice, and if none could be got, he would then pot a pike into their hands. He ear. tainly would prefer a Game-keeper, or a Poacher, to any other dekription of men to train as an irregular force. All the teaching which would be neceffary for any pedant. would be to intim& him to Shoot his enemy without (booting himfelf, his neighbour, or his inftrueor ; in other words, to make him able to diainguigh his enemy. He would net be very ptecife about teaching him to bold the make, on his right (boulder, nor would he care whether he held it on any (boulder at all, provided he could in fix-0( him to handle it in the way moll proper to (hoot his enemy—that would be all he Should with for as to manativres: as to evolutions, he would ei ther teach him none. or be fatisfied with a few of the mot( Pimple. and fuch as could be acquired in three or four days. He might accuftom him to run rapidly, to leap over a hedge mach, to turn quick ly through a gateway, or turn a corner with expe dition, fo as to harafs the enemy's line; for hedges, ditches, tee. will always prove a great means of de fence. Such a fpecies of ontruClion would be looked upon as pleafant, instead of irkfome or vexatious.— Such, then, would be the defcription of armed pea tants he Should propofe to mile and he would with to know what additional meairsof defence the country could pnirtbly find in the Volunteers, when called out to aftual fervice. We have been told that the Volun teers look like foldiers. So far, however, was he from thinking that circumftance tended to their advantage, he wasconvioced that it rendered them fo much the waste. becaufe they were not foldiera in reality.— Their drefs had been attended with great expence to them, and it was, in fail, a great defeft, Meanie it made them appear to •Je what they cannot be. The whole fyilem had certainly proved a very had ea• ample to the regular army ; but the cafe would have been otticrwife. had the Volunteers been in a drefs fimilar to peafants. It had been Paid by Come, that the Volunteers having thus the appearance of fol. Biers, would tend to be an advantage, 'meanie the enemy would, perhaps. minake them for foldicrs. He could not fay whether that circuniftance might have a good or a bad effcet. It might. indeed, be beneficial if they tended to frighten the enemy. put him in mind of the Rory told when the French landed in Wales, who having teen old women re• turning from market, with red cloaks, to 4 them for foidiers, and intiantly laid down their aims. He did not pretend to (peak in the Houle as an officer, or military man I for he there Mould ever confider himfelf merely as a Member of Parliament, and as, fuels he Ihould therefore venture to differ from the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Secretary Yorke) in hit ideas tit the Volunteer by item, because lie thought it would altogether be produ.tive of llamas mischief. The Volunteers were at prefent exercising in the manner which they imagined they will have nceallon to ptaCtife againik an enemy; but he was convinced, from en:et-mice, that they will find their ideas totally ill-grounded. Then was a fmall book, called A Compenoium of the Military Syltera of General Dundas.' which, though very convenient for the pocket, he mull fay vcty inarpkeable to the pur pose for which it was interatth I.et any man go inn to the field of battle, and endeavour to put fuch in. firuClions as are contained in that volume into aftual pranice, he would (son find it pliyfically impotlible In (l u st, the V. loweei, bun be I..und ti he able to do nothing mote thin what peaFaiits Can do, which to att .ck ILL CLlo,y, and haters them from behind hedges r ellobrv, of in aiiy other irregular rminra.r in which they belt erulcl, or which nity might i•fier to them. V.. 1 en day r , m< to mart:, to the ti.ld rt Mettle. they will 1..0n find:hat they can p?..ttice to•thutig lie e. hat they have I.etti taught. They will, no doubt, naturally look for as enemy, and they will Coon bind that it is whit Mashy tiftir eau (Bilinguals them. AU will be involved n fanol te , an d on many occafions nothing, will be to be (cent° dd . . tinguifli where they are, bd. die firing. Such I k now from my experience on the plains in India. Thlsmight .11 perhaps, prove a difappointnrcot to the Volunteers. bat it was what they ought to be aware , or,.as it might lead to politive defeat, ette thif to preterit themfelves to an enemy in a Colid eompaet body. Such ad inflame had lately occurred in Ireland. where a body of militia had been orderfd nut to cover an incloTure ; the commander put litmfelf into the Micla of the field, attended with his whole regiment' in one folid compaa body, induct of putting they into an irregular pofition. The coofequences of fuck a nilicanduCt were foots felt, and the regiment fur= feted cnbfiderahly. If Volunteers found in the field that all they had learned had been in vain, it would no doubt have a bad effce, and fo far from ail aimed pedant, y not being fo defirahle a farce. it was quite the reverie. As to the deficiency ef a l as. which bad been complained of, he fill thought that there bad been a coatitierable -want of exertion fomewhcre, though he could attach no blame to the Board of Ordnance. The excels was not ahoy, 30,000 fiend of arms, which had been .prepared tince the commencement of the war. It had beeq fad, that Government have arms in fore. Oa a former aeration he had not been informed of that circumllance, but was now glad to underha nd i t was in s as he muff naturally be led to fuppna that Covet nment had alto an army in !hire, svhieh might, perhaps, be forma hat more Smiler to the Army of Heave be Lad defcrlbed, than angfperies of force that Minillers had adopted. There was no occafion, ih his opinion. for keepOsi . 1* arms in the manner Ile alluded to. afi Mended the bringing into fdhiun the nfe of pikes._.. As blinillvs had neglrEted to foresail arms, they thould confider the' brit means of (implying the de. riciencv. He inflanced the cafe of the Vendettas, who, when they fir engaged, had no Sri arms, but only pitchforks. When they were attacked by arms, they threw themfelves on their faces, darted up this moment after the explofion, and boldly milted to feize the cannon of their enemies. There lass alto. ter inflanee of a fimilar nature in our own -von. try—that of the Highlanders, who. even when rile in force, had totally. defeated, not Volunteers. bin Regulars, and had cut them in pieces; placing. little confidence in fire arms, but boldly mating on with their broad (words. The fame thing nad happened in India, in the province trf Bengal, wha t the Seikt. in the year on* attacked twelve bat. talions of Sepoys drawn up upon a plain, they threw down their matchlocks, and though the vidory was afterwards gained by the Sepovs, yet it was achieved by other means. He prated it upon the attention of Minifters to infufe into the people' confidence in the ufe of the pike : it had fueoeedel elfewhere, and why flenuld it not with the people al England ? He'cumpared the objea for which the Vendcans fought, and fitewedthat it was much infe iior to nuts. Were the choice acted bias of being ruled by fuck a man as Rulufpierre, could loch ano ther monfter be found, or even by Henry I.V. be would prefer the government of Cods a wretch as Robefpierrc, if a native, to the Tway of a foreign enemy. There woe one of two other &Wefts which he had to mention ; and Grit, with repeat to the Gornmittees in Volunteer Corps. The Bill took no notice no thi. point. It was impoffible Seth Commit tee could confine themfelves to their proper parte. and be therefore fupported the opinion given on a limner night by an Honourable Member (Hu Whitbread) that Government itfelf mould under. take to defray the charges cf Volunteer Corps.— He tidiculed the idea of difiniffing them : they fhould at once be declared illegal. Dn not fat, .‘ Let them commit the fault, and then putailk them" At relent, lie was fatisfied, they trete aduated by the bell Habit. They were brave, generous and loyal ; hot no man could fay what might happen ; ()mold they ever manila a contrary difpolitien, it might not be fo eafy to counteraa it, for it might be general. Now, therefore, was the time to (peak out. Nor was it likely that 'lnk men, difmilfed from one Corps, wou'd go to another. In foam Corps, of tOOO men, it was Hill the pratlice to sf. femble them together, and deliberate and debate; in which cafe they were fo many armed Parliaments. — The 13111 Should at once declare the Committees ale. gal. There was another topic, on which he mull es profs a Prong opinion, namely, fnnification. Mai ners fhould have let to wet k as form as they bad nude the Treaty of Amiens. They could not help fordo:- ing war, as they had fated that ever fine the period of that treaty, the whole conduB of Fiance had been en uninterrupted (cries of aggreffion. If one deciSive remontlranee had failed of its deft, they lhould hate followed it ap by a declaration eil war. No man who bad a particle of military knowledge, or was the lead acquainted with hillory, could fay that we might not have effentially Arengthened mans. —lf the enemy did land. we might (ufer form difilftert, which would have been prevented by a judicious Iyftern of fortification. He did not mean to recommend fuck a fyllem as bad Inca purfued at the entrenched camp at Chelmsford , —he was happy to find that in many placu that camp had already crumbled down, and he thoull rejoice if it all did (o, for then no troops would occupy it. It could only be at advantage in cafe the enemy were fo much difpofed to fight, and to have their he.rd, broke, as to come and attack k. As to the all.irions which hail been made to hun ' ll Pamphlets and Newfpapers, lie did not CI: .1. a worth while to at laer them. He had heard in :;e• land an Hiker lay, that all the cavalv there In • , 1 be atiembl..d in the Curragh of Kildare, beear:.: they could aa, as it was a plain. With refp:ri to the Camp at Cheltn , ford, the enemy had only to match two lartly.r ratii.d than they Cooled, to avoid it. Dole were onto roads e quallc . at go-d. Tlo Imnry's plan to foccecd wend,: b:. it ire landed a lat h e arm,. to match as q i;ck aa rrtr;!'ie to the capi:al. It , •r:r army remained eircaron'. 4 would be e;pnfcd danger of hirrrn4 its r in. minication cm of. lie might be ca:.cd .O:i• tu•us in their flatuntrit,, but if art i.men , c .IjlG4TiCd, he was ffidr to n.ret tf , cr:l. had roa done all they lure d , ox could prove c. 4 olati..n. indd l t.;•Ole• It en:m.7 were not tho 'l,ll Co tit:: 1art...,. mall ctotaioly mot h itif :def. V), ,` out vi our magavii.. wa, Lof. fr.•