Star. — London, England, 1804-03-29 00:00:00

lit ti.s of 70,076; the Ira Anti& tst,mi Marines. 50001 Seamen, 46,500, &c. ; and all this in a time of pkn ty, when provitions were cheep • and no manufac tures impeded. Let the country have the credit due to its great exertions. As far as defence, futficient means were provided ; but the only queftion that remained *as, whether it were not defirable to ex tend the difpofable ofenfive force t The meatus be meant now to propofe was, an augmentation of the Regular Army. It had extended hitherto only to the Cavalry and Font Guards t to the former of which had been added sow men, and to the latter 33 Soo. It was intended to rail, two regiments of Infantry of moo men each • and ten new battalions Alb of moo men each, to be added to the old regi- Meets of the line, nattily Infantry. It was intended . .to segment the body of foreign troops in our fervice, ,by aMblg eight ft:maraud men, though the ditfi tatty et obtaining fuch was very confiderable in ,the patent war. For American and Well Indian Service. 4000 men were to be added. Thefe, with .anriacts augmentations to the Cavalry, Artillery, Arc. : Would amount altogether to about 40,000 men. The melt point for confederation was, by what means Such an augmentation was to be acquired, and by trim collateral means the prefent regular force could be rendered more difpoloble, for the pit-pole of fil ling up my void in the difpnfition, or application of it in foreign (mice. It was not his intention to at tempt . to bring forward any perceptible change in the. plan of our military ettabliflnent, as it now Rood, or to determine the point, whether or not it would be proper to introduce into that tyllem a li tithed fervice in point of time; that was a queflion of the °molt importance: and though he entertained his own private opinion upon the fubjeet, he did not .think it proper to enlarge upon it in the prefent inftance, it being a point which fhould be examined by thole who were judges in military matters ; fuch was the nature of the fervice in Auftria, Hungary, and Silefia ; but the matter Was very different when it regarded &4WD regulars.. On the fulled confide ration at to the mull dire& and immediate means of encouraging &di an augmentation to our regular force, in the prefcm fituationof the country, he was of opinion, that the molt eligible mode would he to remove, as far as potlible, all competition which in. terfered in any degree with the general recruiting *tyke. and to put an end to the high bounties, which created not only a peat grievance, but affeEt ed the army in a material point, by encouraging defection. He was awdre that tome Gentlemen would be inclined to think fuch an opinion coming from him was a great vidlory, but it was now only that he laid any Arefs upon thefe mcafurea, after having already fee the country upon a mon relpenaltle footing.— The mullion then was. from whence did the great Competition as to the recruiting it 'vice arite ? It was firft, from the Militia, and fecondly, from the Army of Referee. There had been a necetlity for endea vouring to raife the whole of the militia at once.— The deficiency in the BIWA militia was -not above s_ooo men, and in Ireland it was only about goo.— He *Anted not to meddle with the Militia at all, or to enter upon the fubjea of the competition which arofe from them; he would allow the vacancies in that fpecies of force to be firpplied 'from time to time. As to the Army of Referee, however, al though the laws which conflituted that body were molt ufeful and falutarr, yet confidering the pre lent fituation of the country, he very much doubted whether it would be expedient to continue to the full ace, the operation of dente Aas paired on the 6th of July, as to Great Britain, and upon the it th of that fame month as to Ireland. That fyftem had already gone on very rapidly. On the aoth of Augufl. the &ft return from Scotland, during a pe riod of only three Weeks, was. that ts,stes men had been railed. On the 33d of September, dining a period of little more than two month, there were railed in England 34,431 men, for the Army of Referee ;—and about the beginning of November, the number amounted to 25,459 men. Let any mar. atk himfelf, by what other pooffilile means 25,000 men could have been railed in fuch a Ilion (pace of time, arid could have attained an equal degree of dit cipline. From the army of referee there had been no lefr that t 0,646 men who had cnlitted for general fer lice. From theft circumilances, it was plain that a great deal of mifapprehenfion had pre v,,iled upon this fubjeft. If the recruiting had not been increal. ed. he was convinced it had not in the 'Mallen de gree decrealed in confetrence of any menfures adopted by Government. Notwithaanding all that had been laid, therefore. agamn the Army of Re terve. nobody could convince him that it was not, at the time it was firll adopted, a laisetAry and prodeot amain/. For the loft two or three Lion-hi, how. ever, the Army of Referee had tint continued to n. create in a limiter proportion, owing to the number of delertions, which had got to a high pitch, particu larly in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, notwith- Banding all the means the had been Wed to prevent it; the bounties have not dimitothed ; and the perni. eious and &tellable fe Item of crimping n ll prevail ed. and ought to be put a Ilop to. It would thus ap pear that the maleficient effeele 01' the lyttem were about to increafe, while the der clis.ciu cff..ft, were diminithed. Under all deck circtimltAnces he thought that it would be advantageous to forpend the opera. tion of the A& which tims railed men by ballot. for the period of twelve months. I:e would not propofe to repeal it, becaufe the doing to might ale& the men already railed. ft would be proper to wit a pecuniary compenlati-n from those ci•ein• ties in lieu of the men they oug:ot to have tiertsilb ed tinder the Alt, h- R. 11(.„ as it now flood, impoksi • fine of 601. for each man &fettles. He thought it would be advitabk to toilpend the operation of ' that fyftem in Ireland for the tame length of time. If the Honk would thus tufpend, for a limit ed time, thew A.Rs,dative to the Army of Refit ye, it would in a great degree do away the competi tion which prevailed in the reel witing of the regular army, by lowering the high bounties & it would put an end to the fyftem of et impang, and would mate tually contribute to the key of the augmentation which be proper - ed. Ellisnates of the whole summery mien would afterwards be laid us the table of the Honk. The whole fyftem of recruiting would thin be in the has& of the Adasiainration of the country. fro that the t.ounties would. in future, be regulated aec , rd'alt to %iliac theuld be thought Writable. it Lad beer, ale t s round proper to iterate bounty fixed at a certain tar bath during tie tint. of peace and vat, becauk e ,area it coatiaacd atdatramosed. the Mtn Wert always lying by, and when WAN! dirt were encouraged tb defer tion. The bounty. &mild not exceed the levy money of ten guineas. It. was, however. Perfealy a military qbellion, and he defied any man to get up and givt an opirriho upon the foll jeft of boonties..without being (killed in military matters. He (poke from the information of others, as to the proper allowance to be given to encourage men to-calift into the regular army, fo as to increafe that force to a high degree in a very Otort time. As to the collateral means of augmentation which he had, alluded to, theft meafures wooldiciperate by feting free a greater quantity of the dirporable forced the country. There collateral means were chore adverted to in his Majefly's Maar. the availing himfelf of the voluntary fervices of a limited number of the Mi. litia of Irelands who may be difpofed t.' collie over for the fervice of Great Britain. The Militia of our finer Country were, fuch as vrould render infinite fer. vice to the defence of the realm, for they were in general poffeffed of a high degree of military ardour, and had a certain isofiebalanee (to ore a French expref fion) about them, which tended to render their pa triotic exertions highly advantageous. We mutt not, however, 1 're fight of what would be proper to (upport and maintain.the garrifons of Ireland in a fufficient (late of (tenth y. With a view, therefore, of replacing them, he (heuld propofe to carry the frith Militia tyftem up to what it was during the .aft war. Their numbers at prefent were nearly complete, being only defellive by about one hundred and fifty men. Their total number, by the prefent Alt, was only to amount to tkooo men; but in the lag war they were augmented to the extent of allowing 70 or So men to each company, which would carry the amount up to 25,000. He would propofe, there , fore, to fine to his MajeCty, the readiners of the Houle to enable him to avail himfelf of the patrio tic offer of the Militia of Ireland, as he thought ' there could tie no difficulty in increafing that force to the extent thought proper in IA war. He would afterwards propofe to bring in a Ball for the purport of enabling his Majelly to accept of the fervices of the Irifh Militia, to a limited event, of about torooo men, the increafe of which would be effeaed by the adoption of the plan of lag War. He would alto propofe to bring in another Bill. for the purple of furpending the Army of Referee AO for a limited time, both in Great Britain and Ireland. While we purfued there meafures, we were not to lore light of the aaual , slate of oar Yeomanry and Volunteer Corps. By the lateß returns he had teen, and which had been fent by General Officers. after aaual in , fpeaion of fuch Corps. there were; upon the fi rft of this prefent month of March, 27,000 cavalry,-4,000 artillery, and 300,000 infantry, all effective men, and prefent on fuch infpeCtions. There, however, were not completely armed, though he could Rate that the majority were to, there not being above so,ooo tii docks wanting. The whole of the mari time counties of England were completely provided with arms. He thought himfelf jußified in laying, that of the Infantry tyo,ooo might be confidered as being at med with &clocks, and the remainder were armed with pikes. He was perfnaded, that were the enemy to land at this prefent moment, they would find that the Volunteers were as good a body of men as the Militia were during the IA war. Ultra then was the Rate of dircipline of thefe Corps, Gentlemen ought not to make ufe of.* fame arguments in the month of March. iBo4, l 4hich they bad formerly ufed in the month of Augult, ttloy. There were ay,ooo Sea Fencibles, who would render themfelves to 'ireful even on board of tithing boats, with earro. necks. as to render our invaders exceedingly fick.— Mr. Yorke then concluded, by moving an Addrefs to his Majefiy " returning him thanks for his molt gracious Mefrage, alluring him of the anxiety felt by the Finnic to participate in his feelings as to the attachment and zeal teltified by the patriotic offers of his loyal fubjeas in Ireland ; and that the Houle would take meafures to enable him to avail himfelf of (itch offers of fervice, and to grant Inch provifions for thole Regiments of truth Militia which may come into this country, as mightte deemed expedient." Mr. PITT raid, he did not rife to oppole the pro. pored aclrefs. which had been moved by the Right' Hon. Gentleman ; nor did he rife to enter minutely into the plan which had been laid down that night before the Houle, becaure he thought that Inch men fires would be more properly confidered and dil. cuffed when brought forward in the shape of a bill. He only rote to ezprefs his approbation of that fyr tem, which he had long walled to fee adopted. It could not be contelled, that as far as numbers will go in averting ordinary dangers, the great numbe rs ! of mess railed during this war were fufficient for the purpole. The queltion, however, was, whether his Nlajcily's Miniliers had made a proper application of the population of the country, or called out a Cu& dent military force to repel the threatened dangers. and to provide for any kind of operations during the continuance of the war ? As to that poet there might exit. a oiterence of opinion, but as to the zeal and ! the clergy of the country there could he none ; for there adorded a better pledge than even the fuperiu. my of numbers, againd the dangers we had to en ci enter. While he joined in the propriety of aug menting our regular force, he did not with it to be uoderfrood that he it all departed from thole opi. mons he bad formerly 'speared upon the rubjea.— He thought that the vacancies in the militia ought I not to be filled up' with frelh recruits during the war. ' He heartily agreed in the propriety of preventing the Militia read Army of Referee interfering with the re cruiting of the regular army. and th e p reven ti ng ! enormous bount ies. He approved of the plan. and wilted the Right Hon. Gentleman every faeces ; but he was not perfealy convinced of the propriety of fufpending any part of the Army of Referee A. bceaufe he thought it might be a channel by which the !actuating might be encouraged. In the bra in. Rance. men were always more deforms to enter into a limited fpnie. of &rake, and when they have ac quired military habits and Centimes's. they are /Ally invited. by a moderate bounty. to enlarge their ter vice' by caning into the regular army. He thought it would be mach hater to new model the Army of Referee. than to MOW its operation. granting. at the tame time. a INserty to a (pinched number. to en ter into Ms regular army. Mr. WINDHAM laid, he approved of the firft pan of the &Liras proposid. hot Jifapproved of the tall part l it, becaufe er was nothing let's than a de• parterre. in a certain dem,. from keeping good faith via the Manta tof lresad. Great incoureaiescs ' had been felt, when fimitar uteri were formerly en eouraged as to the Englifh Militia. It wasltraining the engagement, and putting the men into an un pleafist predicament, beeanre it was really impolfi ble for individuals to rellrain fuch offers. It had 1 bad effca upon the temper and difpofition of fuch Corps, and it was not fare to a& favours of military bodies. A neceUlty would thus be created of tied ferring the reprices of to,ooo of the Englills Militia to Ireland, when thought to he in a Rate of danger.— He agreed as to a great part of the plan Rated by the Right Honourable Gentleman, it having been long very familiar to himfelf and many Gentlemen who were near h.m. They had all been labouring for a reduaion of the Militia and Army of Rcferve, to take away competition, and decreafe the bounties, by putting the recruiting into the hands of Govern- ment. There were (themes which to him were aot new. In his opinion, indeed, it appeared as if there was a certain period for realon to come to maturity on the part of Minifters, in the fame manner as they would keep certain fruits fora twelvemonth, in order that they might get ripe and lit to be ufed by there Eight Hon. Gentlemen (A largh). He did not with to enter into a dircuffion upon the plan now propofed, nor to Rate at prefent wherein he (till differed from the Right Hon. Gentleman, becaufe he thought the only quellion before the Houfe was as to the propri ety of voting for the prefent Addrefs. For the few reafons which he had thu, taken an opportunity to Rate, he fhould vote an ameadment to that Addrefs, which was, that indeed of the latter part theieof, which went to enable his Majelty to avail s himfelf of the offers which bad been made, there should be ftib llituted words, purporting, " that the Houfe would I proceed to take the matter into confideration with. l out delay." Lord CASTLEREAGH confeffed that the fitua• lion of the danger of the two countries at the two periods, Was not exactly fimilar. He however would intik that the frith militia owed a debt of gratitude to this country for their former fervices towards their country. Ireland could not be luppoled to be in jilted in the nature of the effeetive force which was left to defend her, when it was confidered that fhe had now 4,000 regular troop. for her defence, in eluding the cavalry upon that eftablithment. The prelim plan was alfo particularly ceconomical, as it would be recolleeted, that his Right Hon. Friend bad fisted, that he col* meant to move fur an addi tion of 30 men to each company, by which plan there would be a laving of the additional expence which the officers of lath a body might occafion if they were to be formed in detached corps. The bounties in Ireland, for men to be thus mired, was not to exceed four guineas in Ireland, whereas if they were to be rail - ed by the ordinary mirk of balloting, and after. wards providing Ifubtlitutes in England, each man might in fome counties probably be railed at the ex. peace of 4o or so guineas. The men here would be railed in lush a manner with regard to the bounties, and the nature of the fervice, that he was coo6dent it would molt effedually prevent the interference of one levy with the operation of the other. A Right Hon. Gentleman (tented to triumph in the circum. Rance of his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Yorke) having altered fome of his opinions, but he thought it rather a matter of exaltation to think, that under the ex traordinary preffure of the moment, fo large a body of troops had been railed, and with fo (mall a charge upon the public pork. Mr. BASTARD hoped that the Right Uonoor. able Gentleman (Mr. Windham) could not perfia in his amendment, and maintained that the principle of the Bill did not in the leaft interim with the fyllem of the Militia in Ireland. Dr. LAWRENCE declared that the flotation of Ireland was not fuch as could afford the number of 'troops which were fpoken of being fent out of the country. He was willing to accede to the ftrongetl terms which could pcffibly be adopted with refpeet to the loyal and generous offer of the Militiamen of Ire land, but he could not fee that it was equally politic to accept of fuch offers now, as it was that of the Englilh Militia in 1798, when it was evident that every thing was wanting to truth and beat down a violent and powerful rebellion in their country. If a perfon was now to afk him in what part of the empire do you moll want ten thouflind additional troop.? he mull anfwer, in Ireland. And yet if he was afked from what part of the empire are to,coo troops to be drawn by hie Majelty's Miniflers ? he mull fay, from Ireland, He knew that there might be borne. thing of a doubt as to the propriety of buffering all,ooo of fuch a force as are called Militia, to temain in Ireland with a regular force amounting to only about so,ooo. But this could by no means jullify the witadraning of a diiiiplined force from a coun try which was particularly threatened with danger, and fubltituting in its place a new levy of recruits.— This fort of wisdom in Miniiter., together with their vat inns alterations of opinion, he thought could only be accounted coLfittently for by a comparifon with their condlid upon a former occafion, where they committed and re committed, and, to prevent the ridicule of Inch re.commitments, waited two days, in order to bring forward a volume of new claule.. Colonel HUTCHINSON &dared that the Ad &refs had his moll hearty approbation, 11, far as it went with refptd to the Irith Militia. but he was Corry to fee the word !weal in the refolution, when he Was certain that the examen:as determination of the Irith Militia might he del-ended on, it their fervices were required. Howescu. their intentions were laud able and generous on their part, to aditt the Crown in any part of the Empire, and to make a return for the liberal affidance which had been afforded to their country at a former perird. Would any foli.ery man fay that it was confident vci , h fi•und petits to withdraw difeiplined troop, from a country wltit.h Was particularly and a-owediy threatened with an immediate attack, and to place in their !lead the fame number of raw, undifciplined trrtoro. ah;ch might require two years bef tre they would arrive to an equal date of perfation ? Was it wile, or was it jud or politic. he would elk any country gentleman, when a country was threatened w ith immediate Mys tics.. to withdraw 10.000 of as flue peafant y as any in the world, from its native refources of defence, and to withdraw along with them the Gentlemen of the fink refpeltability in wealth or influence within that coon. try, from the affluence which they could otherwifc Alford it by their wifdnm.their power and their cortege -4101210 If England was limited as Ireland now is i wnoW the country gentlemen of En :and think it reafonable? He lase. that has Hajar'. llaia4crsdid ant pads the p ~.. ••• ! It ; r . poWer to enforce the lids force, but he implored did nottotrY tonfider whether it would not birbetter to a change of the Militia of the new Male leave to,ooo recruits to be railed ht dkleitstiStait equal number of well difciplined troops ) Ail:bone 6b be withdrawn from its defence. He had of 'Ni'moo mended to his Majefty's Minifters c) inquire ise6 fhb Rate of that country ; but unfortunately fora people, and to the difgrace of the Miniftere they . never thought fit to inquire into the bagadk- was convinced, however. that, if a enlightened part of this country, the of the Militia, were ;o go over to rr time of loch peril as the prefent, and wet' to fh-uggles that would be made by the great • of that people in the defence of their King aid s their Conflitution, they would, nay they stiall. eto fiftent with their own good fence, come hack whet the contefi was over with a thorough convlllie• 00 their minds, that thofe people deferred better treat. went than they had hitherto received from dm fee rants ot that Crown for which the! were ready d , face any foe,however formidable or however (peon* might be his pretences. He would not confider bin• ftlt bound to the fupport of any future meafure that might be brought forward by the Bill ; but. nut. . much as the Addrefs expreffed an Approbation'of the loyal and gallant offers which had been made, he ' would for the prefent give his vote in rapport of it, but wool.tat a future period declare his fentithents freely with relped to any provifinn which might tend to weaken the native defence of the country in a mo. ment fir ittIOnTIATIT as the prefent. Mr. BANKES raid, that what happened ie Plot with refpeet to the extenfion of the fervice of the Engli(h Militia to Irel;ind, he had then been among a (mail number of that Houfe who 'had oppored it upon conilitutional grounds; but in the prefent fitu ation of Ireland he thought that it would be more becoming of the Houfe to vote that max) of oar bed troops Should be fent there in additibn to any force that might be at prefent in the country. The vote of 1798 he fuppofed to be not only woman in the principle, but to have been the means of inag the recruiting for that clefs of our fortes ever Mr. WINDHAM and Mr. BANKES ((vet* • explained. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQ_UERtio poled the amendments and in anfwer to what had fallen from a Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr.Windbans) in atierting that he was not an 'slier and warm fop. porter of the meafure in the lei ware for enabling hi. Maje'ly to accept the offers of revival regimes of the Bridal Militia to ferve in Ireland r and dots • fo far from eagerly fupporting that wafers, be had Paid nothing on the meson, he could not bat en. ceedingly regret that the Right Hon. Geatiensms had, .on that ocenfion, fat fluent. inllead of (peaking shore objeltions to the conflitutionality of the meafure he had offered this night. His very lilence ea the fonnse necafion was in proof of his approbation to it thew ; for if he entertained the(' opinions on the former neon. lion, which he had expreffed en the prefent, then bed he aged very inconfiftently with his duty as a liensher of Parliament I and after being filent upon the dee ' introduaion of loch a menthol. it ill became bine on ezyrefs thole objeBions now. Bat whatever dlipe fitton the Houfe might feel to indulge the Right Hon. Gentleman with a delay of this anafore, it fhould not be forgotten that a prompt refpee was doe to the gallant and patriotic ardour of the Iris Militia ; for what mutt they think. on being told the fci vices which they fo gallantly offered could not be accepted without a breach of faith with them Honourable Friend who bad laR fat down (Mr. Bankes) who oppofed the meafure, did not fano to obferve, that in approving the ar dour of the hies Militia on this occafion, and promiling to take inter their confideration his Majelly'. recommendation. the wording of the propofed Addrefs was extremely guarded, and only propofed to enable his Majelly.,to a certain limited extent, to accept their Cervices; but Surely it . was not fitting that, during the whole pe riod of the approaching reed's, thofe gallant Militia Regiments, and the Government of Ireland, through whom their offer came, Ihould remain in Rif= and uncertainty on this fubjed, and be left in whether or not'the Parliament would enable his Ida jelly to accept their loyal and fpirited offer. As to the idea, that there could be any intention fuddenly to 'trip Ireland of to,coo men, nothing could be more erroneous. The objet which Government Ind in view was, that fo often defired by chore Gentlemen who nowoppoled this meafure, namely, to let at liberty a difpofable force of to,ooo men for offenfive opera tions. It was not intended fuddenly to withdraw the whole of the to,occ from that country; but yaw brought hither would let at liberty as many troop' 6( the line from the eftablithment of this country, and thole might be replaced by so, - .o of another fpecies of force to Ireland, which would fet at liberty ;woo troops of the iine there ton. But it was by nn swans Abe intention to diminifh the ftrength of Ireland. It had been nhjeaed, that the meafure of Menai% jug the Ira Militia to the eftablifhmeut of bat war, by the addition of thirty men per company. would be a meafure of flow progrefs, bet he bad the . bett authority for thinking it was one that would be effected with the uttnoit expedition ; that it uas the molt economical as well as the molt rapid mode of increaling the public force in Ireland. and the (pee dick for effeSing the dilcipliae of Inch an additional force. No time was to be loft t such certai n ly would be loft by the delay propofed. The moll ge. neral opportunity Should be given to the Irilh tia regiment., on this occafioo, to manila* their zeal, and &play their loyalty. He ur.derflood waft I ~iimbers were ready to come forward with their Cervices, and (m:y awaited the fatiftion of Parliament, a fartftion which ought not to be withheld for a mo ment, and therefor, he gave his vote for the original addrefs. Sir JOHN NEWPORT fpoke with fervent es. citation in the expreiGons tikd this night. by one at lean of his klajetWs Minitlers, and he lived they' all concurred in the Corr fentirnenth in vindication of t?e loyelty of the great bulk of the people of Ire. land, which certain perform. high in office in that country, wholly ignorant of that people. sod per. fuaded and mined by the Watt- advice of others. bad thought proper wantonly and unfoendedly to afro*. He believed there was no country in whie liras were net to be found many, animist the lower pit of the community. whoa hearts were dlthadkelloll fettled Gave:lmm, sad irlivis etylaarprOMMlN