Star. — London, England, 1803-07-19 00:00:00

ma!' endanger Its fubordination. I beg pardon for b swum detained the Hook fo long ; but I thought it n.tce airy to thew my own impreffioias, and the feelings I have upon this fubiea. hey certainly differ very widely from thole of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Windham), and though I am convinced, that so Hon. Member can have a ftronger attachment than that Right Honourable Gentleman , to every thing which affeas the honour, welfare, and interefis of his country, yet there Teems on this fulled to he no other feeling in his mind, than an unqualified attach• mint to regular troops, which makes him behold all others with a jaundiced eye. lam convinced, how ever, that this mode would not be Co effentially fer vice;ble to the intereas of the country; and for this reafon, I have been a firenuous advocate for railing the Army of Referve, and an equally fo for the adop tion of the prefect meafure. as that which will be ma likely to ferve moll effentielly the fafety of the kingdom. Ddr. Fos-" Sir. I Stall not trouble the Houk at any great length ; more efpecially as the prefent mea fure will have my hearty concurrence. This is the firll time that I have made my appearance in the' Houle for Come weeks putt ; and I am by no means alhanted to Rate my rcafuns for having fo long ab- Canted myfelf. Having already affigned my reafons for not approving of the prelent war, I did not with to oppofe thole meafures which mull of courfe be ne ceifary for carrying it on with effea. Every one. knows the obloquy that was attached to meafttres of that nature ; and I was defirous of avoiding the im-, putation of intending to obtirua the meafures of Government, or to embarrafs his Majefty's blinifters. This is the firli meafure which I could, confifiently with my own opinion, come down to fupport, being 1 , a meafure for the defence of the Country. I could not have voted for the tales, nor for many of thc,l other 'mecum; which have been already adopted; but, Sir, I came to vote for this meafure, on the ground that it was asneafore direaly oppotite to that which the Noble Lard lays it is. The Noble Lord fayithat the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr.Windhim) looks with a jaundiced eye on every other than a re gular force.. I think quite the reverie.. The Hon. Gentleman Pays. there are two kinds of force (and I • a gree with him) which ought to be kept up, and par titularly attended to, in a Country which is invaded. We ought to have a regular and difciplined army I that is, as great as army, and as well difciplined, as .the nature of circumnances will allow ; but I never underltood him to fay, indeed I am Cure he could not by it, becaufe he has Iludied the fubjea too minutely to fay fuperior in numbers; I hope we flail have an army fuperior, that in safe of an invafion, be would troll eatirely to the efforts of a regular army. I hope that we (hall have an army in difetpline, and alto to- 1 perior in officers ; but are we then Pure of viaory ? Has any man read. in the moll extenfive refearches into Lino:try, ancient and modern, that in war there I was any certainty . I believe. at this tine of day, there are few men who know any thing of the nature of inva6on of one Country by another, who Qand in need of fo high an authority as that of Julius Cofer to inform them that in fur* eafei we mull rely on events; and as ruch e it is itnporfihle to fuppore that the Right Hon. Gentleman could rely for fecurity on the regular army only. That, like the naval depart ment, is liable to many vicirfit tides and aterefore, I am fore, the Right Hon. Gent leman. as well as niyfelf, would be very lorry that we bad not other refources to recur to in cafe of any onforefeen ac cident happening to thofe modes of defence. There is another force which is lets liable to cbjedion, and which, however calamitous events may turn out, we may look up to with more hope and fii tisfaaion. When 1 fay this, I am peculiarly lock-, ing to, not the regular army, but the mall of the Country ; zling. not in tingle regiments, but as a great mars of armed citizens, fighting for the pre fervatinn of their country, their familigs, and every thing that is dear to them in _life. La it pot be fuppofed, Sir, that I have no the greater re . (pc& for, or that I would fay any thing that could convey the (mallet intimation againil the ra lue and importance of the Regular Army—l would with to have'as great and as good a regular army as can poGibly be ebtaineel. As to the motier of railing it, I fhould certainly resift the neceffity of railing a Regular Army by compulfive means : but if it was I not to be got without, I wilklay, you mull have it ; and in the hour of neceirgy, I ihnold not fcruple to ure ruch means. The qnefiion in Pugh cafe is not what it ought to be but we will fuppofe that cir cus:titmices are to licuated, that all meafueas molt be reforted to whichahtnecerfity ofthe cafe could require. The Regular Army. therefore, is out of the queflion in this cleft. There is another fpecies of force, and that is the Militia. I will not go into a minute detail of its eonftrudioa or cleft ; but I have my doubts whether it is not an anomalous fort of form, par taking more of the Regular Army than it ought to do, for the purports of mere defence. The Militia and Army of Referve, therefore, I view in the fame light as the Regular Army; and I cannot but believe on that serousg. that this meafure is the bell calcu- laced for the defence of the kingdom. and to defeat the daring iditurts of au invading enemy. He may have a great relc.lar army, cornpofed of the braveft and WI difciplined foldiers; he may have Officers of the &ft talents in their profel ion, to divert theft fol diets. and to s kad them on to virftory ; but he cannot have an arnied mars of a country, who are hound by every feeling and by every tie to defend that coun try to the butt drop of their blood, before they will give way to him and his invading forces. I am lorry to fay, Sir, this Bill is not framed in the way I could have wiflied. I would have its op e rations to b e vu. luntary, and not comptilfnry. The Noble Lord has mentioned volunteers; and that where in any diftrifts volunteers came forward in any particular number. fuck diatiels &fluid be relieved from the operation of this Bill. I do not like the word ' relieved.' I would not have this creature thought a burthen by any one. is certainly my %%arnica with, that whatever ought to be done, may be done; but I would rather have the means vclusitary. He who intim& hirnfelf, and goes out at his hiajelly's call, when the enemy lands, does no more than he is obliged to do by law. He snay be compelled to get ; a•tel there is' nb merit in hiltless of fuck A kind ; on 1 4 . e corrrary. I would with it to be a vt luntary futee, and that you fhould beround from houfe to bottle, to know who wool) willing to go and fern their country in the hour of danger ; and that thof e w h o agree d to go, Gould binithendelses ft+ to do s and &mild be immediately I called forth, to be inftrueted as often as the cireturt- Rances of the cafe will allow. lam convinced. Sir, from that good fenfe which the people of this coun try polfefs, added to their love of their country. and the connetlions they..have in it, that there would not be five refilfals in five hundred. You would then get the objea of this Bill, but in a way nuich more popular and more extenfrvely beneficial to the coun try. It has been laid, I will not compel one man to go into the army, in order that he may be inftrua ed ; ' but this Bill lays I will compel a whole peo ple to be inftruited." icon eafily believe a man may be compelled to'go into the army or the navy, and. may thereby be. made a good foldier or fa for L but,j can never believe, that a whole people can be comp& led to enter into any mode of 'nitration by which they may be enabled to defend their country, if Inch cc,mpollion be altogether againa their fenti magus and inclinations. I will put the cafe of an in. vader coming into this country ;—I will not name any particular invader, but fuppofe he may be fuc cefsful, becaufe the people wifhed him fuccefs; where as, if the people were in a great mars adverfe to his coming into the country, and date mined to oppofe him, it would be impoffible that he could ever make any prozrefs which could, or ought to be, alarming to the Government or the country. I own, Sir, that, at the prefent moment, I approve the fyflem of this Bill, by which you are to get a large force; but in doing that, my opinion is, that you ought not to wait for too much inflruaion. In loch a cafe, a great deal of ;Oration is not necefrary. Perhaps ntay he teld," theft are not foldiers. Be it to; lam not attempting to give you foldiers, but armed citizens; men, whole bo toms glow with the lovt of their country, and their cos nedions ;and who, in defence of theft, would be as ready and willing to fight an enethy as the belt dif ciplined foldiers in the world. I cannot bring myfelf to agree with the Centiments of the Right Hon. Gentle man on the fame Bench with me, relative to the exifting danger of an invafion. I mention this with confider. able deference, for I confider him as half a Military. man.—(oa fame notion cfliertrifi being (NO-led either b Lel. Windham orlon, other perfon, Mr. Fox fail) I declare Ido : I know the Right Hon. Gentleman has paid par. titular attention to the army, and read very deeply on the fubjeft; but Rill I do not temple to fay, that I think there is far lefs probability in this invafion than he does, and than many others do. The Right Hon. Gentleman may fay to me, what figaifies your opi nion, you know nothing of matter. Yet, Sir, my opinions are not formed on my own jildgment alone ; I have *deiced and confulted with others, who I thought were capable of fully underftanding the fub jea; and it has been on their opinion, as much, or perhaps more than my own, that I think on that fubjea in the manner I have already mentioned. I by no maul confider an invafion as impoffible—that, I am lure, would be going infinitely too far : but as to the probability. I mull differ very widely. As to the obfervations made by the Right Hon. Gentleman ' under the gallery, (Mr. Pitt) as to the cortfequences l of an invafion, lhould it prove fuccefsful, I can by bo means fubieribe to them. If I were to know that I was to be fent to the Weft Indies, and there fold as a Rave, I fbould not think it worth my while, when any particular perfon was about to purchafe me, to enquire whether he was a good tempered man, or what were the leading features of his difpofition. So in the cafe oleo invafion, it would be matter of equal indifference, who was the ruling Power in France, upder whole direfion the invafion might take place; nor do I think that it is of any effential confequence whatever. lam one of thole who are willing to go to the greatell lengths in the fuppofition, that the people of this country will de. tend it to the let extremity. When the Noble Lord talks of one acre of Englifh ground being only left in nor poffenlen I certainly kook upon that as a figure of oratory : but I will admit, that if the enemy gain portfmotith, Plymouth, Chatham, and even London atilt, that (oratory quite out of the quellion) the people of this Country would fight to the utmoß tiretch to regain thole places, and would never fuller an invading enemy to continue long in poleffion of them. The landing of the French mutt certainly be confidered as a molt mirchievous event, and from which the greeelt iaconverti:nce could not fail to be felt. If they get to London, great and eaten five would be the mifchief indeed. But there were three things, which our duty to our Country molt energetically pointed out to us firlt, by our nasal force to prevent this mifchief, by impeding their landing ; fecondly, to flop their progrefs ; and, idly, to prevent their getting back again. As to the pre. fent meafme Ido not by any means approve of the Right Hon:Gentleman's idea of ranging the people under different dares. Why not make it confili of one clefs, who would voluntarily bind themfelves to go f It is a mealtime that would be well worth the trial. I think the people ought to be called on for that pu pae. and in that manner ; and if that is done. I have no doubt, but the numbers will be more extenfire than at prefent any opininii can be formed of.— This Bill is intended to ltrengthen the prerogative. —ln the name of Heaven, Sir, why has it not been thought of before ? Miniirs mull have forefeet' the danger of an invafion from the moment they made a rupture of the negatiations with France; yet the prefent meafure has never been mentioned between the Bth of Mardi and the sBtb of July. This is fonaewhat late. His Majefly's Servants mutt have known the danger clan invafion long ago ; they could not fuppofe the French were arming in Holland in order to attack Jamaica. or any of our diftant Eat or Well India poffellions. They mull have been fenfible that the great danger from any armament of the ene my. mull be by a blow aimed againli this country it. felt; and invafion alonewas what they had to dread and to cosmteraft. If this is the peculiar weapon by which to refill invafion, why apply all the other weapons fir It? In anfwer to all thole obfervetions of the lame kind which have fallen from the Right Hon. Gentle man, it has been allied, Why not call for enquiry?' The anfwer is extremely obvious. The time of thole inquiries mull depend on minute and particular cir eurollances. If the Right Hon. Gentleman on the fame bench with me (Mr. Windham) had called for enquiry. the cry would immediately have hem.— ' Inquiry !I I What, you call for inquiry? You, who think the french pre already at our doors P'— And every idea of enquiry would be feasted as sm. learnable, and as interrupting the rneafures of his Majeßy'a Milliners at foci an awful cries as the pre te It might then be silted, what could be the roods* hir the Right Hook Goldman fit joking - t• - filch oblirvetioas ? It was estientely obvious ; it was to find fault with, and reprehend Milliners for the de lay which they had been guilty of; and, certainly, if no other good (tic-mid arife from it, it would at leak have this effett, that it would put them on their guard and make them more cautious in future of being guilty of fuch tardinefa. There is one point, Sir, which has been mentioned,which I beg leave to obferve upon, and that is, the danger of arming the people in gene ral. lam convinced, that the prefent meafure can- not be attended with any danger of that kind. Thofe who thought they had reafon to be difcontented with the Government of this Country, for many un coollitutional ads which it had been guilty of, and who boldly (poke their fentiments on thole vari ous oecalions, as they feverally arofe, now when the danger of a French invailon threatens them, will be • united as one man in defence of their Country. To (hew confidence in the way, is to draw forth zeal. If you apply to the people for voluntary efforts, I have not the fmallell doubt, but you will meet with the molt ertenfive fuccefs ; and you will have a large army of atmed Citizens, ready and willing to march whenever commanded, and to whatever place, cheer fully to meet and bravely to fight the enemy. But if the Bill is to operate in a fimilar manner to thofe paired for railing the Regular Army and the Army ofiteferve, and as a means of recruiting thofe, I very much fear Is will not be efficacious." The CNANCSLLOR of the Excnsoyea.--ir I non detain the Houfe, Sir, but a few minutes. It gives me the greateft fatirfnaion to find there has been no oppofition to the motion of my Right Hon. Friend. Every Member who has delivered his fentiments on the fubjeft, has given the meafure his unqualified approbation and the only difference teems to be as to the voluntary efforts. My Right Hon. Friend, in opening his propotition, had fait, that the preroga tive of the Crown was undoubted; be was, however, dafirous, that Parliament &mild interfere fo far as to make the power of the prerogative efficacious. and not have to refort to the flow and formal proceedings of the Law Courts, is which alone a parlament could be awarded for not obeying the fummons of the Crown. The Bill provided, however, that if any Diftria Ibould give voluntary affillance ' filth Diariff Ihould be relieved. I declare Ido not like the word relieved, any more than the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Fox) but that may be modified in the paffiage of the bill through thehoufe. Government has beep arraign. ed. Sir, in two or three intiances, for the milliners with which they have brought forward the feveral meafures in defence of the Kingdom I and the Right Hon. Gen ' tlernan has among( the reft. obferved, that his Ma jelly's MelFage was delivered on the Bth 3f March, and that it is now the tkb of July before the prefent area fore is introduced; but Sir, I can appeal to the Houfe that Micillers have not been tardy in all that time. When that Mefilage was brought down to the Houfe, it was pending a very deli.:ate negoeiatioo, during which, armaments were carrying on in the Ports of France, not to any very great extent indeed, but large enough to call forth caution en the part of Minillers. The Waage produced the immediate calling fordrof the Militia. After that, in a very Ikon time, the Sup. plementary Militia was ordered to be embodied; and diretll) afterwards, the Army of Referee was pro vided. Volunteer Corps have alto been known to have offered. whofe numbers in Great Britain alone, amounted to upwards of 60,000 men; and now on the heels of all, the prefent meafure is brought &matt!: fo that I am confident there is no real ground for muting Minillers of tardinefs and unary delay. There is one point, Sir, to which Ilona bag leave to offer a few obfervations, and that is what has been in linuated as to the danger of arming fo great a num•. ber of the people. I know, Sir, there have been pe. riods when there were perfons in this Country who would have overturned its malt excellent Conn it ntion; but thank GOD, thole times are pared ; and I do not believe there ever was a minute when the people were more univerfally fatisfied with their Government. or more unanimous in their determination to fupport and defend it; and it is with Tome degree of pride 1 can fay, that the chief carafe of this as the fo much reprobated Treaty of Peace. There had for fume time prevailed an opinion. though an unjuft one, that the War might have been fooner terminated: but though that was not the cafe, the obtainment of Peace gave the people time to refle4l; and now, though it is fo loon renewed, every one is fenfible of its injuhice on the part of the enemy, and the whole people are ready to join heart and hand in de fence of their King and Country, and to clic, if ne ceffisry. rather than become the flares of an invad ing and infolent roc. I know. Sir. it was neceffary for the fecurity of the kingdom to continue for tome time the fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Aft. and Come others which the neceffity of the times had produced;—but I know that to the peace we owe the reftoration of thole valuable bulwarks of the Con aitution, and they are not. ansonga the leaft of ill bkffings. Iha -e the ratisfadion to reflal, that in adopting this meafure it will be found one that.is fm gularly adapted to the genius and Centimes's of the people, as it makes with them a common eau& ; and their zeal, entbuftafm and love. of their country are too well known to dou bt for a moment of their moll aeiveknd Vigorous exertions in defence of their eons mon rights and common country. My Right Hon. Friend propetfes, with permiffion of the Houle, to bring in the Bill, to have irread a fira and fecond time, and then to be printed, and a day fixed, for taking the report into confideration.'' Dr. Lawmen went over the old grounds refpeffi irtg•the delay of Minilters. Sir Jamas Pot:camas did not with to give a fluent vote on this great queftion. He heartily . approved of the plan. tie never had hid is a former delete that the taking of London would decide the fate of the country, and thienwafareput that out of all poffibdity. Colonel Ca•o rose faid • few words, explanatory of the reafon that had induced him to delay his mili tary opinion on the ifairs oldie country, till the dif. claim took place on the Army of Referve Bill. Mr. Aislauest and Col. Valiusa alfo (poke. On the acuities Oleg pot. it was unanisnougy agreed to. The BSCRITAaT WAR then brought in the Bill, which was read a fin and fecond time, ordered to be committed ta-morrow and p r i nte d. an d the Report eo be taken into eop6deration on Wedoefikj• On account of Ile laieettefs of the boor, the-Celan celmse of the Eacnagjatt bo#pewed ths dircuirma dis ladre4= 2 l4 l ll till to-marrow, ex lig, Stink 0' • htikB beientwilre• LONDON. TUESDAY, JULY !9 PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK S Per Cent. Confabs for apg. 554--Eedueedj4iii New per Cam 94.—Onsaiwn Laft night the SICRITAKT at War brought for ward his plan for calling forth the population of the country, in cafe of invafion. It will be read with much interek and mutt, we think, be generally and heartily approved of. For oar own parts, we hope, now that this connitutianal mode of defence is retort. ed to, it will never be allowed to fall into dilute : that Adminittration which mall ever attempt to fa it aide, will deferve the execration of the country.— By following it up with proper attention in all ks de tails, not as a temporary, but asa permanent men fare, it may be made eventually the means of laving; a great pan of the expence of a bo ding army ; and. whatever other means may be retorted to at any dna, by an inveterate enemy, to alarm us, threats of iuvalion will never more be made ate of—they will only expote to contempt and derifion *bole who may have recourfe to them. Invade an snood pm* l— a Nation of Warriors—polfeffing the energiespeadier to free men I—the idea is ridiculous. _ . By the plan brought forward, all Malta dodo* out Great Britain, from the age of sy to gg, are im mediately to be enrolled, and divided intofour dais. The firil to comprife all unmarried men from n to so, and married men of the fame age, having no children ; the fetond, all from thirty to fifty of the fame defcription ; the third, married men from revelltCatl ito thirty, not having more than two children; the fourth, all ranks and defcriptlons not enumerated in the preceding claire% to the age of Ss- There different claffes are to be infirutled in the de of arms, and his Majasry, on the appearance of in valion, is to have the power of ordering them out to a certain limit, according to their refpedive de fcriptions. The forces embodied to be fubjeft to mi. litary ditcipline, and to terve with any of the esiftiog corps.—Such are the general outlines of the plots; —for the laurelling details, as given by the Sleet- Titer at Was, we TCfar our Reader to the Parlia mentary Report. The meafure, though bearing a firong charafter, gives little or no more power to his blejurr than the Conilitution has given him, by calling out the Poi; Comitatur in cafe of danger ; but inllead of bringing forward an uninformed mail, It enables the •I‘s o to bring gradually l to the field troops to a certain degree trained anddifciplined, and that to an almoll indefinite extent. A Cabinet Council was held yellerday on the trig patches received from Psteriburgh, and Mr. Su**. the Mefrenger. fet off with difpatches for that Coots. There can be little doubt that they relate to die may diation offered by Rufsa toterminate the prefent war, And particularly to the appeal which his MAJESTY had made on the fubjcA of Hanover. AwurlcAL INTELLIGENCE. FALMOUTH ' JULY t 6 --Paired this port, this day, his Majeßy's (hips Stanottie, of 38 guns; Atom., of 30 guns; WASP, of so guns; and PRITOTADTR, armed en flute, with a large convoy of to 7 veffels for the Mediterranean, Laois, and Oporto; and were joined from this port by the Harmony, Captain , Wattassoron, for Oporto; chip Penfent, Captain D•w sow, for Lion; (hip Starling, Capt. BRITTON ' for Smyrna; the Jane, Mar, for Lifbon ; the Vine, HATNORIITNW4RT2, and Providence, Vl:Luaus, for St. Michael—Arrived this day a brig tranfport from , the 'onward, having on board about 150 foldlers, of the African corps, for Pendennia Garrifon : about Sop more are expelled in 4 day or two. AM the Pendower, MALLARD; and Duke of Cumberland, Lawaanca, from London.—. Sailed the Rat cutter, privateer, on a cruise. • PRTIIOI/TH, JULT 17.—Came in the French•brig Vengeance, front St. Domingo, for Havre de Grace, liden with fuser, cofee, and logwood, captured by the Two Brothers privateer, of this port.—Sailed hit Majelly's tblp Ataims. of ye guns, Captain Feteeers with the following !hips under convoy lot the Isal Indies NOITHAMPTIPH 1 GLISRAL Stuart s Aug t GLoat ; and Astra kvetal other iltips,and : yell& failed at the facile time to the wetiwrd,u4rO the Melville, or 9 B guns and it.USSILL, of ye ga4 to join the Channel Beet. PORTSMOUTH, JULY IS...Arrived the Caerwent, . Amnon, from Jamaica, for London, retaken by the Acarra frigate; and l'Efperience (Prep& brig), • from New Weans, taken by the APOLLO frigate. &Mau see. JULY 111..-Arrived his Matey's (kips Sore's and Zesaa. T he Catscesikand• gathers come down to Long Reach from Chatham, where they are detained by contrary winds. This d a y failed la blithest French gun vetrel up the River, to be' fold. There are a number of velkis here collated for theilaltie ' to fail under convoy of the Houan, but as yet there is no day fixed for their departure. —the Vesuvius bomb has arrived at the Nore. Diet. Jute tB.—Sailed the Fusty bomb, on a curiae.—Arrived the Ramose loop of war, and I Courticr gun vefel, from a cruise.—Wind N. E. PROM LLOYD'S LIST. Ciannania, die linsetiWns. for tMieat ilemk —; intlO•danensing, MeeVer itetandatit I jam, Catharine. Pm for Otani ; Path. Ulf. nark ; Llitart*Pailfen losfeery.Dndiena; awl Mbar.. ft* PIWOMWO; AM, Herchinfan, far Riga; ea, *even g and 011116 QM, Pimp, kr 14, Took. Primal ..d pahlithal ) 4" •:• 11 P .. LiMbedl) at the Sytta Onus. N.I. Cant die pi Os Isaa Ornes,T aft bis. I ,„,