Star. — London, England, 1804-04-24 00:00:00

nouralsle Gentleman, in common with every man who valued the charaarr and fafety of the country, fo much admired. Minifters determined at once, that the Volunteers timid not be increafed any fur. ther, but that, on the contrary, their numbers fhould be diminifhed. The notice of this determination was fpeedily circulated among the Volunteers, ac companied by the Honourable Gentleman's Vote of Thanks. Thus the Volunteers were compliment ed for that, which Goverment at the fame time told them they did not wi(h for, they would not accept. There is a word in French recorder, which literally implies returning thanks for proffered fervices, which it is not intended to accept, and this word has dote analogy to the conduit of Minifters in the communi cation of the motion of thanks, which they agreed in, in company with the (range rcfolution which I have already mentioned. In regard to the enrolment of Volunteer Corps, fo far as fuch enrolment is connelled with the prorrifions of the Defence AEI, I mud again repeat the complaint I have often made, of the total emiffion of Government to execute the powers veiled in it by that Aa, and any difficulties that have trifen is the progrefs of the ballot, I do conceive to be attributable to the nonexercife of the power I have referred to. As to the refufal of adequate pecuniary military aid to the Volunteers, I mull ob ferve, that it is amongd the mod culpable and in. confident part of the condo& of Minifters. Without going minutely into the confequences of fuch con dull, which it would be more convenient to detail in the propofed Committee, I have only at prefent to remark, that whatever difference of opinion may elift between my Honourable Friend on the lower Bench (Mr. Windham) and me, with refpea to the Volunteers, and the pralticability of rendering them perk& in military difcipline. there can be no dif. femme between us as to this point, that they ought to be furnifhed with the bed indruClion that is attain able, and both he and I have a right to complain of Minifters in not followimg, up their own principle, by giving the necelTary aid to promote the improvement of the Volunteers. My Hon. Friend has always maintained that the Volunteers cannot be rendered equal to, or fit to all with regular troops; but Mini- Beta have uniformly refilled this opinion. Why them bare they not piovided adequately for the execution of their own ideas ? No, they have only allowed pay for twenty days in a year, although in the opinion of ell mditarwmen no new raifed regiment of the regular artny,with allthe advantagesoffuhordination, martial law, itc.: could be difeiplined fit for fervice in lefs than lrweeks, or two months. Will any man fay that fo Ilion a period fhould be deemed fufficient for the dila pline of the Volunteers ? But I fhall be told probably that itwas expelled the volunteers would,inde pendent ly of the so days, attend to drill on every Sunday. If they were. Mould I maintain, that, Sundays included, the time was not fufficient to indrua them, and fhould not be relied on in the exiling eircumftances of the country, when we were daily menaced with invafion, that invafion which Miniflers have been perpetually telliag us was daily to he expelled fince the middle of hit fummer. Nctwith (landing this apprehenfion, fuch km been the behaviour of Minifters, that I much fear • if the enemy fhould not attack us until even the middle of next fummer, he would find the Volun• leers very imperfe&ly difciplined. I cannot help . expreffing my furprife that Minifters could have ever farioufly calculated upon the probability that the la• bouring claffes, of whom fo many of the volunteers eonfift, would be In prompt to devote the only day they have for recreation and repofe to the (Ludy of mi litary difeipline. It certainly did not betray any po. liey of eonfideration fo to calculate ; but even fup poling the? were fo to Aerate, and alfo to attend the twenty days, how were they to attain the inftruc tins -dewed from the prefent mode, and from that which .has prevailed uniformly ? I fuggefted to Mi- Lifters a plan of indruCtion, which I was told fhould be confidered ; but as they have never yet ailed upon it, nor appear at all to confider it, their promife of eonfideration upon this, as well as upon other points, reminds me of a practice in the Legiflative Affembly of a neighbouring nation (the United States of Hol. land), in which, when it was determined to get rid of a queftion, the rcfolution was ad refers dune, which meant to take no more notice of it. The nature of the projea I thought it my duty to recommend to Miniflers, related particularly to that which I have often mentioned in this Houle. Fur the advance. ment of the dilcipline of the Volunteers, I urged the neceffity of appointing Adjutants to a certain number of men. This has been in part acceded to, but in what manner ? An Adjutant is appointed to fuch corps only as amonut to 400 men, and to them only in cafe they exercife So days in the year, although the men are allowed pay but for 20 days. Where, I would put it to the common fenfe of any man, can be found a lironger intlance of weaknefs and incoufidency than this order furnieues ? No pro. vifion is made for the pay of the Adjutant unlcfs the corps exercife 8u days, for one fourth of which on ly the men are made any allowance. Is not this alone enough to expofe the mind of Miniflers ; to , thew their unaquaintance with the means of ex- I ecnting their own purpofes ? Indeed, I am per fatly convinced oftheir want of vigour ; every cir coma:ince ferves to Phew it, and I have therefore the droned erinv:etion upon my mind that they are incapable of lilting upon any thing like fyftem, of adopting or executing any well•digeft:d or eller. getic plan lot the thlence cf the country. I do not of courfe place any bore on their e7.eitions, and, therefore, concur in the or pi go.y of the propofed Committee, where every pie tin conneeled with our fecuiity may he fully iov.atigated. One reafon, I 'recollect, for In cerd.lv adopting the plan for the ap• pnintment of Aejotaias was, the difficulty of pro. curing Officers from the line to fill thofe Rations. I reconimended that se, ' rant Majors fhould be cholla); but to chit. I was told that Seijeant Majors could not be perfuadcd to give up their fituations for filch Ad j ui.o.c•es, wilds they Were allowed half pay. I law nu go. d reafnit (or declining to make this allowance, and I, therefore, addled it in December left. I w•s prornifed that the fubjea would be taken into confiderati .n. I afterwards applied in March to ktow the rehili of the minder/trots, but I a as Knitter. with regard to the eonfufion 'which pre veiled among the Volunteers, the Gentlemen who applied were defired to wait until after the Chria• mar reeds, when a digefted plan would be brought forward by Minifters which fhould remove and pre vent the recurrence of the evils complained of, and communicate to the Volunteer fyflem all the perfec tion of which it was fufceptihle. This digefted plan has been laid before the Houfe, and at length made its way, after various alterations, through it. Thole alterations were added in the Houfe of Lords ; and now it is returned to us, there is fcarcely one feature remaining of the original meafure—of the well digefted plan of Minders. The fuggeflions made to them by others they reluelantly adopted, and the ob jeft of thole fuggeftions they in tome inflances have almolt defeated, as in the cafe of inviting the Volun teers to permanent duty, and applying the guinea propofed to be given them as bounty, which is to be difiributed in fuch a way as to hold out no induce stunt to the men or benefit to their families. Mini. (kers have been equally injudicious in every other pro jet of defence, from the Army of Referee to the enrolment of claffes under the General Defence An —an Al which I had the honour of a large (hare in 'fuggefling, and I lament much that Minifters did not adopt it at a more early period; but the (aft is, that fo far from Minifters having fpnntaneoufly taken any vigorous proceeding for the defence of the country fence the commencement of the war, I (tare broadly that no part of the meafures for the increafe of our military ellablifliment has originated with them (a ery of boar ! bear ! is which the Chancellor of the Extoe• pier joined.)—Mr. Pitt proceeded. it; Paid he, the Right Hon. Gentleman means to deny my affertion, I (hall appeal to the recolleftion of the Houle, whether, in June lea, when the Army Efti mates werkunder dilcutlion, I did not alit the Right Hon. Secretary at War (Mr. Bragge), after he had finilbed his ftatement—l did not all if what he had mentioned comprehended all the provifion that Mi nitters meant to make for the defence of the country ? —To this I was anfwered in the affirmative ; and I accordingly gave notice of my intention to fubmit a meafure - founded en the fame principle with that of the Army of Referee. Any benefit that may have relished from that meafure, is not, I affert, attribu. table to Minders, who were quite at a lofs what courfe to take—who knew not, in &Et, what urea. fares were applicable to the dangers of the country. —I will not dwell on the execution of the Army of Referee Aft, as I (hall go into that fubjeft very fully on Wednefday next, and if I thould not then have the good fortune of perfuading the Houfe to accede to the propofition which I would with to have ingrafted on the Army of Referee Bill, in or der to provide a conaant and regular fupply of re cruits for our regular army, I (hall feel an advantage in the exifience of fuch a Committee as the motion before the Houfe propofes to eflablith, as I may thus have an opportunity of again prating theprojed upon the confederation of the Hctufe—a projeft which, if I am able to demonftrate its prafticability for great ob jeas in view, I am lure that every man will feel it to be defirable, and all will be ready to give it their con currence. If I can (hew that even a final! increafe can be derived from this projea to our regular army, it is impoffible to doubt, that any Member will refufe it his fupport. The mode propofed by Minifters to raife any addition to the regular army, to fupply the fulirention of the Army of Referee, I confers I cannot underfland. They have not flared any in. dueement to men to enlift beyond eight guineas bounty, and how they can procure them for inch a Cum, while thirty guineas and more are giving ltir Militia fubflitutes, it is difficult to imagine ; milers the intention be, that which no one has yet avowed, becaufe all have been unanimous in condemning the praftice, viz. that of railing men for rank. It may be laid that this praftice has prevailed when I was in power, but then the experience of tl.at proCtice afford ed a complete warning againfl it. lam quite ready to declare, that I am forty for the (hare I had in that meafure, and experience convinces me, that it ought never again to be rclot ted to. Other Gentlemen have appeared, and profcffed to be equally advelfe to that meafure, and their minds mull be of a ftrange charafter, if what they have obferved is not fufficieot to diffuade them from it. Nothing can be more ab furd than to fuppofe, that if they perldted in the old and fcandalous praftice of crimping, all its attendant frauds and impofitions will not return ; and it is equally abfurd to fancy, that only eight guineas boun ty will be given. Why not let the Army cf Referee go on along with this new plan, whatever it may be ? If Officers ate to run a rare together for rank, as under Rand they are, for although the intention is nct avowed in this Houfe by Miniaers, applications are known to be made to and by feveral officers ;. why take away the competition of the Army of Referee ? I cannot conceive any thins more irrt. tional. When a new mode of railing recruits for the regular army is propofed, it naturally brings to my mind an opinion which is much difputed, and upon which, becatile it is to ditputed by fome great military authorities, I cannot prclume to pronounce a decided fentimenr, I mean the propriety of ra , rng men for limited fervice in poinr, although I certainly fhould think it the more eligible policy, and heft cal culated to render the army relpeCtable and efficient. Huwever, military objtaions as to the difficulty, if filch a fyflem exiii,:d, of fhpplying our foreign Na. tions, mutt be overcome before the fyficrn be at tempted. As to the plan for bringing the Irifh Militia over here, I do not approve of it under esiaing circumflance , . No a•:-:irnent can be drawn in la viait- of filth a plan sit p. , .ltnt, from a precedent which recurred infinite a slierent fituation of things. With rtiptet 11,.. in iirriiianze r f the militias cf the two couwtic, , their are many objatini.., to it that would render u a meafure se • y iiifogretAble to the officers connected with brill ; end here I mull notice a rumour se: .rl. !:as gone ahr , ...d, th•t applications have been lately made to thin privates of the Wcll Kent rnlitia, without the Lnowlcdge of their officers, to vilunteer their fer...re, for It ; this praeticc deltrvcs to be repriJottsd. What, to trr to prevail nn men to . ; •iit their ono coa3 differs from mine. I do not man to dircufs this fubjed at prefent ; but I mull obferve, that nothing thea clearerppe s atrastehasa right to m t o thanthiscAtallon th p e ro p p e o o fi p t l i e on t , o d d i that fend it, and that in the Crown, being the depofstary e of the power of the State, is yelled the right of fo calling out the people upon a great emergency. This right, I think, I could thew from a feries of pi ece dents, to be recognized by the conflitution and cut: torn of this country ; that it is a right inherent in the Crown to exercife this power according to the neceffity of loch cafe as may aria, and to be limited by that neeellity. The Crown, it mull be admitted, poffelles the power of putting any difirift of the king dom under martial law, in t.ufe of invalion ; fubjed, however, to that refponlibility to which Minilters would be liable for the abufe of any fuels power. The Right Honourable Gentleman took a view of the propolition of the Honourable mover, refpeling an armed peafantry. Of this meafure he approved, but not univerfatly. If it were adopted in Time coun ties on the coaß, fuch as Kent, Suffix, Efrez, Suffolk, Devonfliire, part of Yorkfhire, and other places, which might be confidered in the propofed Commit tee, he thought it would be unneceffary to rtfort to it in the inland counties. It was remarkable, he ob ferved, that no orders had yet been fent to the Lords Lieutenants of the different counties, to make out the claffification or enrolment of the kveral males capa ble of bearing arms in their refpeflive diftrids. This furnifhed another inßance of the negled of Minilters. After recapitulating the different grounds of his ob. jedions to Minillers, the Right Honourable Gentle ' man took notice of the Rate of the navy, in which he obferved, the very gundarigs which he recom mended on a former occafion were now building with all poffible difpatch, although when he recom mended them he was condemned to fuller fome ob hiquy and even ridicule, which officers were brought from diflant commands to AR in promoting. (.1 try of heat ! hear ! from the Omfition Botcher.) He pro; ceeded to comment on the negled of the fortiF.ca tions fo often pointed out as necerfary on particular parts of the Coall, when the expenditure of a few thoufand pounds might prevent the employment and Cave the lives of many thoufand men. In allud ing to this negled he did not with to be underßood as at all Paying any thing of the Commander in Chief or the Matter-General of the Ordnance.— He defired to (peak only of the Cabinet. With them relied the refponfsbility—to them attached the duty of providing for every part of the pub lic defence. In conclufion, the Right Honourable Gentleman Rated that, judging of Minifters from what they had done and what they had omitted to do—from their flownefs to adopt and their incapacity to aft upon any vigorous plan for the public defence —from the very long copfsderation they required upon even the moll trifling topic's, and the very crude and ill-digefied meafures they, notwithflanding, uni formly brought forward—from all thofe conlidera tions he felt himfelf urged by a firong fenfe of duty Ito the Houfe, his country, and his Sovereign, to vote for the appointment of a Committee to confider of deviling tome effedital means for our proteftion, and for the fecurity of all that a great nation could hold to he valuable. The opinion he gave on this occafion he walled to be quit:: undifguifed, and trolled that it was not likely to be confidered as lightly taken up, but rather that reafons he had Rated were amply fulticient to fullain and ' unify it. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER explained, and fisted, that he had not laid, AS im• puted to him by the Right Honourable Gentleman who had jolt fat down, that it was not within the power of Parliament to inflitute fuch a Committee as was propofed. It mull be in the recolleftion of the Hcute, that he admitted the competence of Par liament, although he doubted' its inclination to ap point fuch a Committee. Mr. Secretary YO'RKE laid, that it was not his intention to follow the Right Hon. Gent. through his eztremely long, brilliant, and powerful fpeech.— Though many arguments and fads had been urged by the Right Hon. Gent. which went to infer a cul pable conduft on the part of Minitters, of which, if guilty, he was ready to admit the Right Hon. Gent. would have abundant reafon for making them the fubjed of a criminal charge againa them, he could not allow that they fell properly' to be dircuffed under the prefent motion. The motion of the Hon. Gent. was for a Committee of the Houfe of a two-fold nature. Fiat, it embraced the conlideration of the ads already In force for the defence of the Country ; and, in the fecond place,. it called on the Houk to adopt fuels other means as it might judge proper, with a view to render the fyflem of defence corn plete. How is it partible to go into the confideration of the latter objet:, without calling before the Houk All the military and naval officers in the fervice— without calling for all the plans of operation, and for all the discuffions which had taken place rela tive to the modes of defence to be adopted, fo as to enable them to form a real - canal:de judgment on the fuhjcd ? lie did fay that they might not have reafon to go into the Committee, but he was convinced that at prefent fuch a Committee would be eitremcly irennvenient, and ()zooid not be gone into unlefs on llrong grounds. Now, what were the grounds ? There was nothing in our fituation fo melancholy—nothing in the want of defence of the country which could war: ant Inch a Rep. The need= fity of the meafure mutt therefore originate in lonic great negled of .lklinitters—rome diteuntent in the country—fomethmg in the meafures of Goveisanent fo incongruous, as to require invelligation. Had any Irlisi.ll:l!it, however, occurred ? Had any vaotAge !seen gained by the enemy in confequence of our w..nt c t defence ? Certainly not. That part of the fub:.td, th ere f ore, lie should dirndls. Did then an ) ddeont cut cut in any part of the country ? If fo, he fhould be glad to hear is Hated. He knew that Come ' elircontem did esid in th.•t I joule, but he was core dcia it operated no farther. He was aware that beim.: the meatures for the defence of the country- which Go vernment had adopted were retorted to, at the firll alarm of an invafion, while the means of deknce were rot explained, for.:e diffatis'A.`t.on had mar its.t • more eirellual force for the defence of there :ot);1.;es at this moment than the whole force which the, • contained would have been in the year 177 9 . H e was furprifed that the Hon. Gentleman had brought forward his motion in the way he had done. He had long admired that Hon.Gent.'s charaler, though not his political principles, and he thought the way in which he had brought forward the prefent motion was incontinent with the manly and independent fpirit which had fo charaelerifed the Hon. Gent. The Rt. Hon. Gent. who fpoke bin had anted with more can dour. He hadopenly confeffedhis object, and had can didly declared that his old friends, the.prefent Admi- nifiration, had loilthar confidence which heonce enter. tained for them; and undifguifedly profeffed the objett which he 1141 in view, which was to difplace the preknt Adminiftration. The voluntary force of the country, the Right Hon. Secretary contended, was fuch as had aftonifhed all Europe. The armed pea. fantry too, which had been fo much recommended, might be reforted to when found neceffary, under the compulfory claufe in the Defence Bill, which he could not agree with the Right Hon. Gentleman in thinking had been done away. This fpecies of force lie did not think could be of filch fervice in this coin. try as has been reprefented ; hut he was happy to fee the Right Honourable G entleman did not agree with the Hon. Mover in denying the King's prero gative. The Secretary then went through the difk• rent Defence Bills, and fupported the efficiency of each. On the fubjeft of the navy he maintained, that the number of flips building at prefent was equal, if not greater than it had been at any period for the laft 4o years. Mr. G. VANS/TTART oppofed the motion, which hp thought, if encouraged, would fubjeel that Houfe to all the Cabals prattifed in the French Go vernment. If any Ai s reqUired amending, a motion for that purpofe might be made. Sir WILLIAM PULTENEY raid, he, could point out much greater faylts in other Adminiftra. tiOnA than in the prefent. There were others in which very *roc, and culpable errors had been committed. • Captain MARKHAM defended Sir Edward Pei. lew from the charge of having turned Mr. Pitt's ob. fervations into ridicule. His gallant friend, he faid, after being nine weeks at fea, came into pori, was fent for to the AdMiralty upon bufinefs, and net to attend in the Hoge of Commons, as had been infinuated. The ATTORNEY GENERAL, in a fpeech of much neatners and force, replied with great energy to the feparate arguments of Mr. Pitt and Mr. For,. After paying repeated cotnpliments to Pitt, thy Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by requefling th Hoge not to give their fan(tion to the prefent quer tion, without the matureft confideration of what would be the refult fhould that queftion be carried. Horiever bad the prefent Adminiftration might be, he was afraid that wbich, in all probability, would replace it, would be fill work, compounded as it mutt be f fuch heterogeneous materials. Mr. WINDHAM had heard nothing from the other fide of - the Houfe that was either inftrative or entertaining. The Learned Gentleman, however, had determined to break the dullnefs that teemed to overfpread the Hoge, and had chaunted the funeral obfequies of the Minifiry in melodious Brains lie fang DARICS. great and good, Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen, " Fallen from his high elate, " And weltering in hi. blood.' But he did not teem to think the caufe altogether dcfperate ;and as he proceeded, " He burn the hand, of fieep afun der, " And road Lam like a nittling p..l of thender" The Hon. Member then proceeded to notice the ar• guments of the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General, more in detail; and remarking on the lat. ter, Aferved, that he ought to have !hewn more feel. ing and regard to :!scfe with whom he was conneEled. Mr. TIERNEY (poke againa the motion, and Colonel Hutehinfon for it.—Mr. Fox replied. The Houle then divided,—Ayes, 204; Notes, :o.—Ma :!ority, againfl the motion, p.—Adjout net! at Four. I:c.'CLocx. LONDON. TUESDAY, APRIL 2 4. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS D.XY ATONE 0 CI OCR 41 Conf. for rnonry, 55i 56—Ditto for May ace. 36. Reduced 54; 55-4 per Cent. 704 i Old 5 per Cent. pott—New 5 per Cent if,. Lux a Wtorr has taken the kith Loan at 89L for every coal. R..ck, bearing 5 percent. The price In Ireland at the time was 8) l; in Loglandabc lath 5 per OCIIIL :la only 82. We are concerned to Rate, that this morning about lix o'clock, an OfSeer arrived at the Admiralty Office, with an account of the capture of the APOLLO ft izatc, and ten fail I f her convoy, on the coax of Portugal. They failed from COI k for the Wefk In dies on the 26th of lall month. Similar intelligence has been brought to Lloyd's, by the Prercot, BLAND, from Oporto, which arrived at Dartmouth on the 22d. The Echo, KENDALL, from London for Antigti!, is captured•by a French privatcer, of 12 guns, and carried into Guadaloupe. Yeflerday, foon after twelve o'clock, the Arch bifhop of CANTENSI , RY had an audience of his MA. jISTV. At CDC o'clock his MAIL ITY held a Privy' Council, which was attended by the Archbifhop of C•NTARSCRY, the LORD CHANCELLOR, the Duke of PORTLAND, the Marquis of SaLissuity,Vifcoutit CAS. 1I I RFACH, Earls of ST. VINC ANT, CHATHAM, and s 7 MORELAND, Lord HOBART, the CHANCIILLOR *of the E xcituayr it, and Mr. Secretary Yote. Ibis was the firlt Privy Council which has been held firi , :e the Sib of February ;and we have the liappinefs to Rate that hi; MAJI STY looked remit kably well s was in high fpirits, and entered into convetfation as ufnal with his fai , itful forvantr. Among other im portant but:inch, proclamations were fined for a ge n e 1 . 41 fall, to be held is England and Scotland on the t 7th and ttrttlt of May. A prornotitn nt Flag Offi cers uas all, determined upon, in include C.spta;•l CltAr FOA E. tbe PI felicity ittetti, Bridge Lasater Crewe 11/aydei R IC fu die pre The Mrl.o. tfiet I w. Thirty Lind off Tbc I !cep tilt Ire It tl ir prod, at frivol to the I. Tbcn t , -g. to / .17,1 be ...scrttd • -• • ca t ' s to kti , w Inc or goe connueration, nut t. was coati ulthm h..,t-a trAd iisci•ion was made, and I undetßand to the c' lance ttt itt:•lnd t lion M . over of the however nothing, of the kind exiled. The hirer in R. Sg4A and b,r SyDNEk, ,'=n • tt.e r:w 1. Li ig is `.1.16.1 , 1 , -.1 It.!. tic difc;Pline nt time Vu- prnpoL,.nn undo 6(1,41c has a i t ,lo th e c; „,t, every part of 11:e country was greater than at Any t'or. Colonds ri Marines, in the room hi Sir Eni. - ar.o t lutneeh. d• and has for months hack lo impera• his free:h to the is/ - wei scli;cl), iii my op.1••••n, oc.• :•gs mer period . In Leland it was greater ih in syhe,l w, Ca: rain poirrvv, and 'IHUMAS t • p. tively called r .trt irrtrrlekliate dccilion refpzeting its to the Cross r, e.ll rut the yi ., pilai . oh• of the cow,- I loche arrived there with t5,c00 men. fn CollEtt y he MC:6 hr - v/ Rear Admirals. tot •,tlt. sh•s was of the dcfAs in the. Volunteer I try in 11:c event of int ..! . :(•!t, as csi rt..!•.d in it was greater th an when the Bikini Channel Wl5 ill ' 1 - g ,%y k... st lik:tn promilid to cure. When: the pre..mble to l;cneral I) . .tc 7 .ce Ac:. I per- the poffeaion of 4 French gerr. 'the isoklitceis of the tc*• s. kr. or•lca. ?L. t. ',dint last cloistmas all plicalsou was made to, ceive, that sLy glk C k eng4m4L's i ct om fni 4vuligiey m . -1 smd 'ACV: :"!.;:tt !‘..t 1.-,,'"..•.1.*" I NUI emir 'A ben LIAI A LAN Mao . Prt aid L iltraoo lift. i A' FEW Emir To Mac (goad iresb I Ing It redo C Par Iltacy 104 o Antic, femur ; Pen whei Thom Payin Apr