The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1805-03-07 00:00:00

Aad one Centlama s awe. as he asserted, ✓ bettet than it had we have either trw r , rce, or 31)y eff e a„,„ l we ate told •ong, so signs out . , if our present Ada'', 110 W became e the greattst cola. ) formed as the pr, nitration is chang e d is a chan:e infinito v heridan then ran over pen befort the y, u se , the at my. of the Liu Corps, for th e rk suit amounted, in the foreign Corp ` , ,, airy, of 4,0(10; bu t , )n of $5l mon inued Mr. Sherli s West Indies. - , could be said . ce At hum, is !ased force at C ssed danger to ~,. • ust as it you mt. Ist necessarily est hat I contend is, th..: t home, whilst it Right I lan. Gem,. spoxable lilantry of that there is some in. to be ascribed, hstt frequently held i Gentleman and his icient, milk and also, whether snra :tanking it would ig ate Administration !, ght in, merely to kite pestations of the increase t!..it table, not to the lt , g' Ade Lord (Sidm,wl ) Majesty's Counri:, n not I do not pie,e. Hop. Gentleman ken taught to am), lcarry on any 71, Lord Sidinouth w, gruer4l laugh.] , able that the Bill such etre& on 3 it has done nothi:.4 ir the Bill for fire tul and Mars, amoult this number thine ves the number F .men 14i,ed throu:i!:- his all the kcal kn'ine. ympat'letic f sting at work 40 , ,0 n 41 nl. 3 fat Au . Boil. In charged, not 330 MI ind.ed, we find which certainly lefLia c of those colceme2. or, we do not find Mt •ed for general serene. tails which liner C.. MA t proof, that the moat mrs is infinitely corm The objedi of the h. respedive paric'!le. WAS more parictsisly riming counties. Ac. Lancashire, no fewer ,we since deserted. In t, you have ',induced see, demand! and what ordinary, even in the ;ht Hon. Gentleman's viler. his example . ailed, and where, At A (universal laugh), ! I dare say, Sir, ruit that even imagisw may litter to the towels here awbave but recollee t Sir, that is minding officer eng4i. •on. A puny individual Here I am !' &webs the Volunteers of us Bill this recloubtel nd say, Here I mutt .' titer./ But, to be tat I give full (re.lit are but one heart suit, to put the coun.s, , either feu offence ‘a to destroy the beggar, tel the part of a buli7, you do not put menu shall be compelled lut these threads, ul," nown, are VAill• to take measures en to be rai,eJ re' eve j nor, aaing u if the !vit.:, oh. 't I should wish a •. rivy Council, it t: s entrusted to then , have not yet o. Pore • procted in the ill it, Sir, what should se projeetor were to ggons and niachinei tor y--destroy -get twenty men, 3n• or and back again m it the expiration of come back ?'—' na—they never got we say of such n were to put into empt to fire it, and . n, and the maker's ' ags fire—have pate ' but if I continued nd still it refused --- I not be van. ineiple of its cols' then, that the of ton of this B i ll is impraflicakle ; it is its its na ture radically. defedtve ; it can no more be made yr ic•• ical benefit thin a soup-ladle can be con ye: ted into a tea-kettle! la latish). I do not, in &ed. tyke upon me to assert how fire the. genius of Rm. Gentleman may be capable of con yiating this Bill into a measure of finance ; hat this I venture to declare, that the Right Hon. Gentle man has not thereby added one man to the military defence of the Countryt: I say also, that the naval defence of the country is not now viral to what Earl St Vincent accomplished. When you come to examine those fifty ships of war, so Much boasted of, to have been added to your navy, it will be found that more than thirty of them are el ! West InJiamen ; one of them has been found incapable of keeping company with her convoy ; an ither brt ke her back in the river; and others have been found unable to leave the river since they have h• ea purchased. And how have we obtained them ? Why, by dismantling seven ships of the line, besides frigates. It is true, there has been an in crease in the marines ; btu when you compare the yreat increase o' men during the exertions of the Noble Lord lately at the head of the naval depart :ne t, I con ,ider all the puny attempts at increase by the present Administration as contemptible. I con- Hy, therefore, Sir, 1 feel sorry that the threatened attack upon Earl St. Vincent has been abandoned ; for. I am sure, the Noble Earl wishes for nothing s o much as an opportunity for a full vindication of his conduit ; and, I think, this House is bound to make this inquiry, for the honour of that Noble Earl. I consider His Majesty's Ministers to he deeply responsible for the injury they have done him, by representing him as a harsh tyrant, degrading those under his command, especially should the moment ever arrive, when it might be deemed ne cessary to call upon that Noble Earl to resume a command, after being thus, in a manner, half de glade& This Hill, Sir, from beginning to end, founded is presumption. It professes to raise eigitty-thousand men, and which it never once tfitibts of accomplishing It assumes, that it has ob tained the whole numh.r into unlimited voluntary services It then has the condescension to say, provided the number does not exceed 9000 sub. s;iutes, it authorises and obliges the parish of ricers to recruit either in their own parishes or neigh bouthrind, whilst the regulating officer is at liberty to ltd men in any quarter.' It limits the bounty to 51.—Gi)vernment have, at the same time, the power to lea r 201. and 401. penalties on all the delin quent parishes in Lagiand, and by procese before the of the Exchequer, so that all the parishes in England are liable to he called before this court tor their delinquency. Now when it is manifest that this bi•l cannot raise men, whilst it is equally nia nifeg that it is calculated to raise money by fining the parishes, it is a &ice to say that this fine goes to provide men. But surely no argument can be ad duced to reconcile this House to empower the Crowa to raise taxes; and, as a mere tax. this bill com mits the most atrocious a& of in: istice possible. beiieve that the Right Hon. Gentleman sincerely wished an administration to be formed upon a broad hails, but 'surely he must be as sincerely dis appointed from having fail .d in his endeavours. suppose he soon bond his Administration war, too strong—spirit above proof; therefore necessary to dilute it ; the gold wasloo pure, therefore it re quired an ;Boy that such a constellation of vi:rour was coileaed as to be too great for the eyes to lie. bold, therefore hecessiry to diminish it by inter mixing some of the drugs of the old Adtniaialcae Sion. Bat can the Right Hon. Getaleman suppose that he really came into office with the same lustre as when be went nut of it? He weut out because of the great question respetting Ireland ; and whel out, he warns the Cabinet of Ireland to look to him and his friends alone, and to regard his re-ettablish funt into bffic,e as the signal of their slizcees. But has he, since his re-establishment, taken one step, or given the least encouragement to realise the espec tations he has raised? Nay, has he not come hark to office with the stigma of having broken faith ? He will recolleft also how he has cashiered the Noble Lord (liawkesbury) from the clisarernent of Foreign Affairs, whom he had held up as the fittest man in the world, and afterwards degraded him, by turning him over ttithe /tome Of fi ce. Is it no thins., that he has shewn an incapacity to judge of the htaess of men to conslua public affairs ? I confess, then, I do uot think he has the same claim to the confidence of the country as he had when he went out of office. But supposing, as has been insir.u ated, that he has refused to sit in any cabinet in which he could not sit sole master, I cannot be lieve that these noble, independent persons would condescend to sit in it as mere puppets, as if they had nn eyes, no noses. But if such be his ambition, that he will not only not be placed in a susorlinnte situation, but even that he will nut be on a footing of equality with the ablest men in the kingdom ; what shall we say when every thing chews. at the same tittle, his want of judgment and discrimination ? As to one and another of the component parts of the present administration (and sops also formed pelt of the last), I suppose they were all thought as capable of doing their offices in their former situation, and under the former admi nistration, as now. But as to the Secretary of Stare for Foreign Affairs, whom the Bight Honourable Gentleman held oat as the most able man, he has now cashiered him ; and first, Lord. Harrowby— and now Lord Mulgrave is introduced in his place. What superiority of talents has this last Noble Lord discovered ? I recollett be got somehow into Totilon, and he then thought him self in a state of comfortable security. Whether he findshimself is a state of equally comfOrtable security now 1 know not. But this I acknowledge, the Right lion. Gentleman has never told us that he was the fittest titan for his ofFsco, and hence I augur that he has somechance of continuing in it. But if there bz on such striking proofs in these high departments of it change tot the letter, Surely in the Admiralty something of the sort rrmstle visible ! But whether the Noble Lord appointed to the head of that Re ment be the finest for iii, I have not the means cnowmg. But I may be asked, would yon have tat Noble L or d (Melville) aOhated the War [mister? Oh, No! h e was fortninly adept enough that line. When I ricolled our expeditions Holland, and even to Egypt. where so much was incurred in sanding oat such a force, and face of such an eremy, I am not anxious:to hun attempt to-dative our car at ilailigarr earl' one Gentlemaa as he assert e d, stet than it had sve either ma r , sr :11iy effea n 4 vet, wt are told so vigorous, s u r present Admi. became nect. ; .. greattst eon& med as the pr... tion is chan ge d ; change infinito t an.thea ran over sefore the 1-h use, it my of the 'Ps, for the us., sit amounted, in foreign Corps of of 4,010 ; b ut , f $5l mon n; I Mr.. Sheri,fin st Indies. , - Id ba said . hunts, is , force at C danger to 5.,.• s it you ext. ecessarily est contend is, ti.:: ne, whilst it st.ic Ist Ilan. Gem:, 2ble Infantry ct there is some in- be ascribed, h.,: uently held 1. ? Litman and 1: , milk and V.A. r, whether snra ng it would Se kdministratien n, merely to have tions tudualo, he increase o.e. , not to the .ord (Sit:lmo.! ) tsty's Council. I ,to not rove./ I. Gentleman ~ aught to ertic, T on All/ gr.r. 31611..11th 11741 laugh.] 1 that the 13iii ch etre& on One Bas done nothi..4 ie Bill for fire id Weirs, amoum number din,- he number throto!:- 11 the fecal at work 40 'no qt yst a of in. a sus li , ll. In red, not 331 MI deed, we find 'fa a certainly ief1.,:73 those coerce:; 'e do not find out r Bimetal service. which have c. of, that the moat is infinitely IfOTSAI objeFt of the tor- espedire pari , !le; more parliettialy • his vsaimple and to office %sill I. and where, AS A He will re retrial laugh), they Noble Lord dare say, Sir, this Foreisn M that even imasits• man in the itttr to the Anse by turning 1 vrw.have but el thins., that I nee, sir, that in t the htiless of ding officer eng.ilf. then, Ido A puny individui confidence •e I am !' &odes out of Ace Volunteers of ace ated, that in this relic:nitwit Which he c 14 19 • Here I am: hove that ,) But, to be candescent' Igive full , they had but one heart i ambition, to put the cour• suhor, not be on Al :her for offlnce lestroy the begg in the king thing thews du not put twent. and discrim all be compelled component hese threats, alatS who also f, n, are vain. The Were all the take meastuet t r their forme to be raised rr nistration, a nor, siaing • for Foreign the pribl; G•orleman should wish • has now cas Council, it a and now trus ted to then, - Place, w it not yet last Noble , proceed it: the t somehow 4 whAs should sa self in a stat rjeetor were to ,so Endshimseg Is and machine; w n ow . I kn ow —destroy these ni•t• 'ion. Cinch twenty men, Via 1 cues t titan i ah d back vain id ;IA nas some expiration of th b.! an suc h I me back ?'—• Ni', nf A chanv they never gut fat- r so imething c we say of such a pro. ~ Noble Li ere to put into A Parrment be of tto fire it, and d . knowsnr. nd the maker'. isks that Nobly fire—have patio • • mi st"? C if I continued In that still it refused to °}4*Uaed. not be wiatotel " 14 w a , de of its con" • i n dr.! face that the opt! s e 4 him ;t e • • But it may be Considered u a load argument, that the man who has . proved himself but ill capable of conducting operations by land, is ergo incapable of cendncting operations at sea. This brings to my remembrance an anecdote of the Lite Mr. Garrick —He had a Scotch friend, named Moncrieff, an eccentric, but friendly character, and, who gene rally went by the appellation of Honest Johnny Sloncrieff." Ile attempted to bring out a tragedy of four acts, which Mr. Garrick, to whom it was sheen, advises! him not to complete, but to ley it by. Next year, however, he brought a come dy of fire ails, which Mr, Garrick pronounced execrable, and plainly told him that his Abi lity neither lay in tragedy nor comedy. " Where dot the der! then," said Johnny a it tier . (A gemerni laughin throoyh the Misc.) Mr. Sheridan then proceeded to declare himself to be a great friend to the whole system of the Militia. The high bounties given to the Militia did not arise from the system itself, but from the abuse of it. Ile con demned the modern praftice of removing the men far from their own homes, which tended to lessen their attachment to the service, and, of course, to increase desertion ; and, when once faith was broken, and they were put in a situatiod different from what they exeeilled when they first entered, it was not likely that a Militia could ever be so soon raised again; and, when parents found that their sons were in danger, when they entered the Militia, of being af terwards entrapped for foreign service, this, of itself created the cause of an increased bounty. o As to raising men for r ink," Mr. Sheridan continu ed, " I admit that, if the army could otherwise be recruited, this method is objeCtionable ; but, I do not think that the army, as a body, has suffered in this respeet, for. I am sure, that the more property and rank that arc introduced into the army, the greater will he the security. Why not attempt enlisting men for limited service ? But I will not dwell on arguments which press upon the humanity of the House. I say that it is un constitutionsl to take lads, and put them for life from the enjpyment of the privileges of our free con stitution. Enlisting for life, no doubt, stands in the way of recruiting for the army. If a boy he taken from his parents to serve for life, is it not farcical to tell him that he is to fight for the best constitution upon earth? It you were to take children in a foreign clime, form them into a corps, tell them to fight for a tree country and the best constitution. would they not naturally say, Delightful ! When are we to see that country r The answer that they ate never to see that country, nor to enjoy its bleesiegs, but that they ate to fight t r it, how much would this tend to lower their zeal and weaken their attachment ! So I say, let our eoldi,rs, after a certisii, 'mother of years of service, return an let that friendly shade which proteCted them in cattiest life; let them taste of the fruits of that delightful ,tree. and this will prove the best subst;tute for any such wretched system as is comemed in the present Bill. I B eine I conchide this suirjea, I wish to mike a se rious app-at to a description of Members in this House, wee are peculiarly imercsted in the repeal of this wretched Bin ; I mean the country geode men, who shmaticonsijer the measure, in the present insult% as proceeding de HO:V. I ask them. will they give their sanetioe to this additional tax on the lankiest property of Great Britain, after it has been proved to be a StIeASUN that eels never be attended with any of the good effeEts t: at were promised by it, and has been sheen to be fraught with the most atrocious injustice ? Nett to • t :em, and certainly . only in the secnuil class..l mesa call epos those who' were the sup/setters, and nutty of them Members of the laie Administretinn ; I call upon the col leagues of the deposed Mini s ter, on his colleagues and his friends, among.: whom I am entitled to class a number of the country gentlemen, to preserve their coosistency, and to be mindful of the arguments they themselves used last year, in opposition to the at of which lam now moving the repeal. I t in common with .them, gave that Minister my feeble support as far, as it went. I did so in an inde pendent, and, 1 trust, an honourable manner, with out detaching me in the least from my honourable friend near me (Mr. Fox), nor from any of those other friends with whom I am proud to have uni formly acted. and whose principles I shall never abandon. I supported him, because I considered him to have aged generally with a view to what he considered to he the good of the cousury, with an honest disposition, and with a proper resped for the sound principles of the Constitution; hut most of all did I support him because I considered him as a bar to the return of the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite me to power. I now appeal to all those who acted then merely upon similar views with my self, to concur with me now in voting for the repeal of a measure which has already totally failed. and which they themselves have previoudy Condemned. I surely cannot exped them, after :di the reprobation expressed of this execrable law, before it had a trial, now having been proved an ineaftive, cruel, ails oppressive measure, to turn round upon ins sit !- dents'. and, without assigning any new reason, say, This is a good, a just, aad.a very humane law !' I implore of them not to an in such a manner as to make us ashamed of having opposed the measure on its first proposal. It would not be regular ua me to allude to any thing which might have passed in debate in another place, where I em told a Noble Lord (Sidmiith) did not speak of this measure in such a manner as I might have expected from him ; but, perhaps, Noble Lords, when transferred to the other House, may not think themselves so much pledged to what has passed here, as we do who re main. Let all these descriptions of Gentlemen to whom I have alluded, put their hands on their hearts, :Ord say, as men of honour, whether, it the laterecou ciliation had not taken place between the Noble Lord alluded to, and the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite me, they would not vote with me on the present question ? If so, how can they reconcile any oppo sition to my motion, with the opinions they before so loudly proclaimed, and which. after the trial, has justified the condemnation they before pronounced upon it? Let every Gentleman reflea, that the taxation of this country,from the nature of the warm which we are engaged, is drawing towards a crisis, and . that. unfortunately, cite mums:ince of hosti lities will impose upon us thaatnavoidable necessity of levying many additional bunions on our fellow subjeas I that, in, line. these can be no cessation of these unavailing taxes. 1100 the arcival of the aow seemingly distant . period ofpeace; and with these im pressions on their minder, let than be careful of she burthens they now impose, and be cattt4Oui• dad eiey may not be such as peculiar!y to aggravate the feelings of the people. I remember the day when the charaaer of the independent country gentle.. men, for whom certainly no man can have more respeft , than I have, stood much higher id this House and in the country, than it does at present: I hope Vey will this night recollea, that their rank and japntation never were dimmished, till they were sunk during the seventeen years of the former administration of the author of this measure, whose corrupt and unprincipled system of bestowing titles to the number of more than one moiety of the other branch of the legislature, at the same time, lowered the ancient dignity of the Peerage, a•td impaired and undermined the independence of the House of Commons, and the confidence reposed in it by the people of the country. I know that it is sometimes represented as in►idioes to deal in distinaioos be tween one description of Members and another ; but, it would be unmanly in me, feeling as I do, to abstain from them. when, by detaching from this House, those to whom the mass of the people look with most veneration and confidence, there is a gra dual introduaion into the constitution of the ano maly of a popular assembly, uncontroulable by the sentiments of the people. I therefore once more conjure the country gentlemen to keep themselves, on this occasion, aloof from the political prejudices or the bustling of parties. I.et them call to mind that, in the midst of the dangers that surround us, it is only by gaining the cuntiticnce of the people that we era stand upon an impregnable grour.d, and meet any circumstances that may possibly arise without fear or apprehension. It is by securing to ourselves this confidence, that we can best secure the co-operation and assistance. of those powers on the continent who may be disposed to make a com mon cause with as; by convincing them that, in stead of having no more than treaties with the Mi nisters and with Government to depend upon, they are making an alliance with the hearts and hands of the people of this country ; and, most of all, it is by this reliance on the hearts of our breve countrymen. that we can hope, with a just confi dence, to be able to set bounds to the vast aad dar ing ambition of an overbearing, perfidious, aaive, sad enterprising enemy; who employs against us, with unparalleled craft and animosity, the same in struments that have already overwhelmed the most ancient and magnificent monarchy in the world, and. by doing so, have probably for ever. desuoyed the liberties and happiness of a polished, brave, en lightened, and generous nation. I now, Sir, move for leave to bring in a Bill for the Repeal of the Defence Aft of List year." • The CH INC: LLOR of the EXCHEQUER— '. In proposing, Sir, to idler slime reply to the very few parts of the speech jest delivered, which bear any relation to thereat merits of this question, I by no means • feel myself ender the necessity of follow ing the (tor,. Gentleman through all those collateral topics which, h .wever irrelevantly, he has thoaght proper io Weed with it. I shall not take up the tin.e of the House iu making cominenti on the two preanahles which he delivered in the outset. tfr that which, I suppose, he thought very impo: mars, winch he inuodoced towards the • conclusion; but I .7.innot fOrhen on., or L•vo remarks on what he supposed to have passed is, the min Is of lain opyoner.o. at the time when he gave notice of his intention to bring forward his pre sent Mfaion ; though. iu truth, I arn,raih-r of opinion, that he was himself th inventor of tha surprise or indigos deo %drink, due rxri, erns .eapeessed on thittairkrof the House, mere( to give him an opportunity of Answ-ring what rtrvett 1143.1 any enhaeace, except in his CAV4 itnaginatino. It is, iodeed, true, that there was one of those cbullitinlis wifich sometimes are found to break oat. but it came from a kind of an acclamation asised by his Honourable Friends be hind him, and after a formal manifestation was given of his opinion in another place out of the dim, a of this House ; but the Hon. Gentleman might have taken notice, that the loudest declamation was made by those who reluiflantly and sulkily went out to divide in favour of the motion for a Committee of Inquiry, and who, no doubt, were glad to find that the lion. Gentleman *as made a convert of by the eloquence and brilliant talents of my Right Tian. Friend who brought forward that motion. I, in common with that Hon. Gentleman and every other Member of this House, could not fart admire the spleodid eloquence and brilliant talents displayed by my Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Windham) on that as well aeon every other occasion ; but my admira tion did not so far sun away with my judgment, as to induce me to concur with him. The whole Hou-e observed the Hon Gentleman taking very volumi nous notes throughout the whole of that able speech, and the general impression assuredly was, that he meant to have immediately answered him; but, to our astonishment, instead of doing so, and after having taken ten Jays to consider of the matter, he now comes forth to direEl the artillery of what little argument he has advanced against the speech of my Right Hon. Friend near me (Mr. Canning), and these skulkers, who failed of success, when aid ed by the shining talents of the leader of that night, are now happy to engage again under the more au spicious banners of the champion of this evening.' The Hon. Gentleman, I Assure him, was in error to suppose that we on our part shewed any surprise or indignation; for, if we espiesseid auy thing, it could be no more than our present re/311110n to meet him. The next preamble of the I lon. Gentleman was evi dently directed to conciliate my Right Hon. Friend near him by a stream of panegyrics on his well known abilities, but unfortunately, in the subse quent part of his speech, he quite forgets him self ; aod, by doing away all his former strain of eulogy. dismisses all the soothing qualities of his format associate, and openly attacks him on those very points which he most strenuously retied upon. He even 'larded all those as leading points of eon devastation, for which my Honourable friend was most strenuous, and pitrucularly expressed his ap probation of a varied force. although my Right Hoomwahle friend's beautiful theory was built upon the system of uniformity of force. Withal* same infelicity of conciliation he eapressed, as well now , as on many other occasions, a pride in being the champion of that voluniser system which has been so utterly espieded by his Right Honourable friend. Bet I skull two proceed arm this pint of contradic tions io their seasinsessts, as I wide not to breed any taiskief between them. sr sow any dimension be tween two oewlysecescilediriends..Basorithout pro. seeding on this strain any further, f mint he entered to observe the Hors. Gent. did C:lllt!'..;it the leader of the former nigh!, than my ; its ! Friend at that time iiivselt contraßiied tht onlin e of his own condal and reaseaiagelpoe fernevele casiens, when I had the pleasure and the !amour of co-operating with him. Can be forget that meat of those systems which he now eta vet/erne:l4 rine o bates were introduced at the time that be was him self a Member of the CAbinet, Jed Secretary At War? lam very ready to admit. 4•A' people may co , ;(-ur in tier views of meesures, and ce-operate with each other in advencing them for years:Mß - deer, and in time time Aherwards might Live reason to Alter their opinions, :t r. tel view thing, with a di Erma asps 1. But, in such cafes. I always c essidered it to be more natural, and bnieve it to have beets tee , prAdice, when these topics came into discussion, that the dissenting party shined relied with silent regret on his former applobAtion ; but I fancy it has sel dom happened before, that a person so circtrin• stance], should so soon become such an enthusiast in his conversion, as to take the lead in the reprolexii of tho e measures, of which he himself was oile ;- natty o , e of the principal framers. Of the 'net .t:r now se vehemently condemned, I nettt temitti Right Hon: Friend, that there were three. vie.- - The quantum of the force to be raised h; the diffee ent counties; the augmentation of the Militia and Provincial Cavalry ; all passed in the year 179 G. or which he and I were the joint authors and arep perters, and of which I shall take some furs titer notice, after having previously disposed of what I consider to be the main question. Its judging of this. I cannot admit the question on the ground of repeal to be, whether the measure has as yet fully answered all the purposes shish were hoped fur from it, as I consider the question rather to be, whether it would be more advantage ous for the public service that the Bill should now be repealed, without further trial, or whether it should be suffered to remain till sonic better judge ment could be formed of its future operation ? Ffie utility of the Bill I am willing to confine to the (Area of it in raising the men ; for I deny that the purpose of raising the money bed ever 'ueeis reasoned upon by me, with refereece to tiny other °hied than et of obtaining the necessary 'levies. To every argument, therefore, of its being a pa:u nitary measure, my answer is short, simple, and dis tils°. It never was thought of as a pecuniary sure, otherwise than as it would be instrumental to the raising of the men. That such a,: objed was ever disclaimed on all sides, through every discus sion that took place lest session, antithat it has been only invented by the Hon. Gentleman en the pae sent occasion merely with the view of casting an odium on the U. If it had in it any thing of the chArAebr of a pecuniary measure. I should be one of the foremost to propose the repeal of it ; but even in that worst point, it would be found milder. than the penalties tieis i e in- Rifted by the Bill for which it was subeilßee. I come now, Sir, to the shrr: question of Lite raid hitherto produced by the measure—and here I find it necessary to state, that it did riot, in fad, comineece its operation till the 14th of November, at which time, recruiting parties were first sent into the dif ferent parishes. If the reason should be akeds why it was retarded, and why thi rev uiticg parties were not sent out bet ere ? I answer—that is a sepa rate question, and may, at any time, be made the sinned of a distinct discussion. Dismisetig, there fore, the delay which intervened in the opertekin of the ?fill *ern idly to November, ter- as tee what men it hey fur iihed int the last twelve or tour:vets weeks, and the returns will ;nova t at they Antonio to no less upon the average than Soo men per week, and during the latest of these weeks the return was eacreased to 180 risen weekly. Proceeding upon the calculation of even this aver age continuin the result would be an aedition to our Regular Force of from 9to 10,000 men an neelly. Upon this hare statement, 1 think myself fairly justified in putting it to the House, whether a measure, which already was making such progress, ought prima facie to be discarded? But the Hon. Gent. has with his usual boldness haz trded that by this mea sure not a single man has been produced ; while, on the other hand, I am ready to prove that this inef fedual Bill, as it is called, by furnishing only 9 or 10,000 men annually. doubles what has been here tofore the recruiting power of the country. Thus the matter stands upon the fad; and, if the House admits the necessity of having recourse to extraor dinary means, I think the experience of the last three months will justify the continuance of the measure, and the inexpediency of repealing it at this time ; and though I cannot say th e expe rience pf the last three months should be consi dered as decisive of its merits, I have a rivht to assume, that it cannot be conclusive proof against it; on the contrary, indeed, it would afford a fair presumption that the measure was such as would satisfy all for wit:eh it was intended, Mosel it mint not satisfy All those whose expe&stios front it might be extravagantly high. Its all fainters it should be considered, that this mean* was brought forward in a period very inauspicious to as rapid success. After the renewal of the war, a great draft was made upon the country, and all ths ballots set in activity to supply the deficiencies in the Militia and the Army of Reserve. Coming is the midst of this dirk, the experience of its final pro. gress could Affiird no test of what it may prodare - after the country should recover from the greet draughts of the ballots, and carrying with it the drawback of very moderate bounties, *hilt the extravagant bounties gives, while the different services in competition with each other, were fresh is people's minds, I positively deny that this mamas was represented as calculated to have a very raji4 operation in the outset. (e/ reeked cry cf lisor, Agin nem the Opposition side). I repeat, Sir, thm the measure was at first partial as to its retest and its description. ha first operations were con fined to those places 'where it has been before found more difficult to raise recruits, ail i ts pro duce applied to the filling up of the deficiencies sit other urgent services. lc was also impeded by the in - duary with which the opinion was circulated, that is c w a a rri s e mla b n y t t a o be sma s i b l ar m il i oj o se r d, ity en lia d that, y eAr as , it i s t eas sosi onl d y of course be repealed in the preset t year. The 4. fusion of such opinions must at course have daubs: ed that aaivit T which otherwise would be egunad a and will soon be eserted,if the decision of ett u r should prove to the country , chaise great mai :of qv • ••,.. s! • • -