The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1804-06-19 00:00:00

1 1 tions to it. It was not applicable to the /urgent • situation of the country; it was not calculated to .Ineet the circumstances of the present times.— lie did not mean to enter into a discussion on the various parts of it ; but he must say, with re gard to the principal objeft of it, that so far as he was able to falculate, it appeared doubtful whether i it would ultimately- succeed in raising the number of men required by it. It was stated, that all cram (petition of hooleks In rar :lig lereelutts would be elene away by the Bill. He wished to know how it could produce that Life& h The Bill said, that every perish Cern to raise its quota of mot; that if those were rei -ed. the paris'es \wield be at no expence ; and th.e if they failed in raising, them, they should be obliged to pay. certain sum of resiety es a tine. I It so happened, that it lela felien ‘-equently to his i Jot to be me conversant in pAeieh affairs, as to know something more or the; disposieion of those mem who ailed as parish officers, than most other "persons ; and, as fad♦ as he could judge ' of them, as well as of those men who took a lead in pan& affairs, this would be the mode of their proceeding under the present Bill. They would consider among themselves, that if they could not raise' men, they must pay a flue; that /if the men were raised, they paid nothing, because Government would allow them a bounty. But unable to procure men upon that bounty, and on- ' i willing to be fined, they would put their heads to- I *ether, and agree to subscribe a certain sum of money, suppose half of the fine, and add to it the ' bounty, in order to obtain recruits. In that case, a huge bounty, instead of a low bounty would. be given. and thus world he cempletely done away the whole of the argument, that this measure' would destroy the competition of bounties. The parishes would be obliged from necessity to give large boun ties. It was sleet stated, that this Bill produced the good effeet nfUeing away the ledlot, which was said to have bees se oppressive to the people. lie cer tainly had himself seen a great deal of hardship by the ballot, and often pitied those who suffered 'eider such an hardshijr. But, after all, that was no more thin what was absolutely to be done. And it it wes abso:uteiy necessary to have tecourse to cennpalsion, there ceield be no injustice; 'and consequently isa hardship in it. The Bill itself admitted that compulsory . measures were tie eeseiry, fer it said, if the men were not raised, the pa es stun. .be fined for not doing their duty. Barely that was compulsion; and of the two kindi of compulsion, he ihought that by ballot was far less oppressive.. Under the ballot, gaiety man bad his fair and equal chance; but • there was me fairness of equality ;on the contra ry, unfair and improper means could be used to get i men into the service. Ile was sorry to see the Right Eon. Gentlemen bring forward a measure so defec t, V r as this ; and he could only say, that if there was any one thing in which tiok Right Hon. Gentkman appe tred less informed tit another, it-was the in keine! situation of this eountry. -He had many other nbjeftions to the Bill, besides those he stated. He was confident it would fail of producing the effeft tiltimately intended by it ; and its operation would be a heavy land tax on the country. It was not a direft land-tax : but it would have the eft& of ooe : by pretending to be one thing, it would op.- tit. Pits another thing. He had another strong objec tion to the measure, and thee was, the etre& it would %lye oa the V oluntesrs. He would not then enter into the question of the wisdom of that plan, by which the volunteer force bad been raised. He believed it was chiefly raised by means of the great vital spi el' of loyal, patriotic, and ardent zeal, that pervaded ill ranks of people, at a moment when their coun try and their independence were threatened by a ferocious enemy. They had gone a great way in raising' the force in question ; but, at the same time, ao men doubt, What was a plain matter of truth. that the exemption from ballot granted to the Volunteers, had * very considerableeeffea in producing the Volunteer force to the extent at which it now was ; because every man who enrolled himself in a volunteer corps, had so many personal advantages by doing so. Were they to enjoy those advantages any longer? No, they were all to be taken away from them in an indite& way. by a kind of side wind. For, although they were literally • eze o from the ballot; now that the ballot was done away, they must contribute money towards railing men, accordi g; to the mode .which was to be subtituted in the room of the ballot. —Such a proceeding was particularly objeca tionable at this time, because, the fear of invasion being removed, it would seem as if the personal ad vantages granted to volunteers had been taken away from them on that account. On the whole, he thought the present Bill was one which the Reuse ought not to adopt. Mr. Serjeant BEST said, that notwithstanding the discussion this measure had already undergbne, he would trespass" I'r a moment sin the time of the House, whine he made some observations upon it. He considered it a measure so unconstitutional in its principle, and so pregnant held mischief to the country, that he could net content himself with giving a silent vote open it. The Ho nourable Gentleman who just sat down, in the lineecif condu 1 which he pursued that night, fur nished one of the strongest arguments that could . be advanced against tins Bill. Ile head declared to the House his attachment to the Minister; that he had voted with him in two stages of this Bill , 1 but could not vote for it any longer. It was en i ieent, therefore, thAt the lion. Gentleman was not against the proposer of the measure, hut egainet the measure itself. it had been often and truly said, thet the people of this country had trade great sa crifices, and ribmitted to reereberless privations. He was convinced they would submit to many more, if it were necessary. Bat there was one thing which they never weuld submit to, and that was, the pri vation of the liberties they enjoyed. This Bill, if suffered to pass into law , would be a dire& violation of the freedom of this country. It militated against one of the grmt and principal maxims of the constitution. which was—that the King could net call out a standing army without the consent of Parliameet. Ou that evening there was, indeed, an alteration midi in the Bill, which rendered it different from what it was beiere. Had not the Right Honourable Gentleman made en amendment in it, he never could suppose any thing else than that the Bill was to be permanent, that the force to be raise by is was to continue during war and peace. The oply taereece, bc W. v et - , now a Ail shat C.lis J. army was alwayii to he kept up in time of war, and only sleep in time of puce But, although this Al teration was made, the principle of the measure continued still the same. The force migktsleep in time of peace ; but it was still a permanent force; it would still be it; the power of the Kirsg.to call out an army of 74,000 men whtelever he chose, with out the consent of Parliament. Was it consistent then with the principles of the Constitution that such a force should exist either •in a dd.- mant state, or in a state of adseal duty? Let the House consider that this force was to be commanded by officers, not constitut.:l like those in the Militia, but by officers dependent on the will of t!--. crown. (A loud cry of hear! h, from the opposition r.enches). Nu man could deny that the existence of such an army eras contrary to the Bill of Rights, which declared that there should be no standing army, without the consent of Parliament. It had been argued by some Gentleman, that this army would con:c within the operation of the Muti ny Aft. He now went upon the supposition% that the army was to be raised ; for he entertained hopes that the 511 would never pass. Now the fal lacy of the argument to which he alluded, must be very apparent to any one who considered the ques tion for a moment. Rite difference between they present force, and that raised by the Mutiny Bill, was this, that the force in question was to exist by virtue of a special Aft of Parliament, and would continue, whether a Mutiny Bill was ever passed or tot; but the Standing Army could not exist without the Mutiny Bill. If the Mutiny Bill did riot pass, that Army must be put an end to; but this army would not be put an end to. The non-re newal of the Mutiny Bill could coilly have the effeß of putting an end to the force which it had raised; but the force in question would continue, because it was raised by a particular and p%rmanent A:t of Parliament. Ilse Militia of the country did not exist by virtue of the Mutiny Bill ; nor was atleaed in any manner by it. So it was with . . the present force. Thts was not a raere na tional distinaion ; the ease here was, That the force about to be raised, could not be put an end to without the immediate interference of both Houses of Rarliament : whereas the other force, namely, tile standing army, would die a natural death at the end or the year, unless it was revived by an All of Parliament. This distinaion, therefore, put an end to .111 arguments as to the controul of the Mutiny L. Another obje&ion he had to this measure was, that while it professed to be a permanent force, it diminished and seduced that force which was our true and constitutional defence ; namely, the Militia of the country. Scarcely two years had elapsed since a considerable increase took place in the Militia; and for that a& the House and the country were indebted to those who, at the time, were at the head of the executive reernment. It was thin stated that a large Militia force was es sential to the liberty and security of the suhjc&. Yet, in twa yeats after, the House was called on ' to contradi& that language; to unsay what had been declared at that time; and, instead of a na tional Militia, to establish another kind of fume. He should like to hear what defence there could be set up for a force of this kind. Would Gentlemen say that it wculd have the advantage of regular 1 officers, which the Militia slid not possess ? He be lieved, in the present circumstances of the coos try, no such advantage could be expefted. If this intended army could be officered by men of militaryskill and experience, and who had seen service, it would certainly be a great advantage. But where were such men to be (found!— Every man el that description was already em ployed; it was found ;mp,..ssible to get them for the Army of Reserve': avd, therefore, another new army could not he furni,hed with regular offi cers. But they would be regular its one respite. They would regularly receive their pay. an.!, on being disbanded. they - would r(gulat.y c all on Goveinnsent for their half-pay. But with re-" spe& to the officers of ti,e Militia, they were as• well disciplined as men could be, who ad nut seen; a&ual service—they reeeired no halt-pay—and no man could hesitate which of the c he should give the preference to. Tneretore it struck him, that no reason could be shewn for doing away the Militia • and raising such a force as this. And it must he evident. that, even if the Bill answered the object proposed by it, that could be no benefit to the country. • But it never would answer the object : there was not evenso greet a chance of its doing. so as the Army of Reserve Act, which was found uneqtral to its pu. 'that Act pro. posed to raise men by ba ba mode now con demned for its severity : and if the men could not be raised in that way penalties were Whled. This Bill did the same thing, and the difference between them was, that the. former' All had all the benefits derivable•from the latter, with somethinic more besides.. He would therefore ' ask whether this till cotild.effe& what the Army of Reserve A& could not do? He was 'no military man; but be would put a plain Simple case, which must be obvious to the meanest capacit•.— If an officer sho'ulthe sent on an expedition with 5000 men, and should be beaten away by the enemy, with the loss of almost all these, was it to be supposed that he would go back to renew the enterprise with no more. than 2000 men . ? And 'if he did. could he have any pmspe& of success! Why did the Army of Reserve fail of its objeA ? For the very same reason for which this must also fail, should it ever be attempted. The fines impo-ed upon people could not be pail ; nor would it be possible to pay them under the present Bill. Now, the exp:dient must, in his opinion, be a most ruinous one. His next obje&ion went to the mode in which the men were to be recruited.— The churchwardens were to be converted into de cot-ducks, for the purpose of getting men; and he ' believed they never would have any influence, ex. cept what they were to derive from the abuse of their power. He was warranted in concluding, that they would take advant age of the clistresser,not only of the men whom they should endeavour to inveigle, but i of their aced and indigent parents. (Here there wzs a cry cf no ! no I from the Ministerial side of the 11,11%4 which was answered by * loud cry of t, zr ! 4, ai ! trom the other side.) The Learned Gentleu,..n then obstrvesi. that if some arsea, red to c-ntridii: :lii s:, emery tniiets supported it ; and Itli,nei . :.! :i.e should conclude that what he said was c r• .a. tie r.utild maintain it was possible i tat j,ist.ir,cc‘ might occur in which pariah of as a..s :r. - ------- ~- tees would commit alts of tyranny in order to obtain men. He hoped and trusted this Bill would never pass ; and if it did,that it might contain a clause by which it could be repealed in the same Session. The supporters of it had falsely rrpre.., seared, it. as a boon conferred on.the people. If it 'was, he hoped the peoph for the first time, ;mild. prove ungrateful, and return back the favour offered. to them. In his opiuion, the best thing the oppo nents of the Minister could do, would be to let this .Bill pass ; for, sure he was, that if it did, his conti nuance in office would be very short indeed. Sir KOBILit PaILE rose to support the Bill, and in doing in paid a high compliment to the pre sent Minister, whose energy, when once before in office, contributed to the salvation of the country; and who was acknowledged on all sides to have the ben political knowledge of any man (a loud cry of No! Na!) The Hon. Baronet then took notice of the variety of opinions given by those who opposed the Bill, the opposite grounds on which they re sisted it, and from thence he drew an inference that they must be wrong. The 'measure itself would produce all the benefits of a standing army, with out the inconvenience of drawing men away on a sudden, and hurting the trade and manufaftures of the country. It was the cheapest mode of proteCting the kingdom ; and all the forces of the country united would not be more than sufficient to prevent that greatest of human foes, the man who was at the head of the French Go vernment, from carrying his threats against us into execution. _ _ Earl TEMPLE observed, that if there was any one thing more deserving of blame than another in the conduct of the late Administration, it was the want of preparation to protect the country. He and his friends had dwelt upon this point day after day, and hour after hour. The situatton of the country Was now precisely the same that it was when ,the Right }lnn. Gentleman had made an appeal to the House on the unprotec t ed state we were in. The result of all his eagerness for the defence of the conn try was this measure now before the noose, which did not provide any one thing that was expooed, or prepare far.our future security. The Right lion. Gentleman must have brought the measure forward to cornea the blunders of the former Administra tion, and to redeem the pledge he gave th-. when he said that the country could not prosper under the] condua of these men, with roost of whom he was now content to associate. But so d.:icient was it in every respea, and so different from what he himself had promised, that one' would think lie had brought it forward iu compliment to those of his colleagues, who formed a part of the late Adininiotration. His principal obrilion to the ni?a.a.re was, thit it did away a great part of cur Militia force, for the sake of trying a douhful experiment. - FL lost one grout advent soe ot the isllitio; by deiog away the ballots, there was no stimulus to prroore a substitute. The dijicnity of jeOcurinz ; Men w.. old then be increased. It was •kaid, that men would be furnished out rifthe public purse. XN'ht was not the public money issued at on :e, for the poopose of procuring recruits for the Rego' r Army, ? Ile could not see the necessity of going this r ondahntit way to recruit the arm). Au 11 o. Morbel had *dared this would not op:rote as a t !< .11 lard : now, if it would not, he should be glad t where the money was to come from ? If this menset e was merely intended to meet a certain difficelty, a:!(.1 to cease with that difficuley,then . a great part of the objection againsti: would bercrnoved ; that was net the case, for the measure Was to be permanent, and, a. such, was calculated to excite the most jealous ap pear:lions of "Parliament. For these reasons he mist oppose the Mee owe. ".• T.r. CANNING began by claiming some portion nt the indulgence of the House. on account or his I:.its having till now risen to speak on the present questing. It was remarkable that most of the• 'Gentlemen who opposed this measure, judged of it only by the standard of their own Imagina tions; and that they diffeed• from each other in their opinions concerning it; and the question, opal the whole, was nevor fairly st ittd with regard to its real Merits. It was said that somoOir.g very different had been expe.rted from his Right lion.- Friend (Mr. Pitt) ; mid the , qocstion 'was argued a; if it had been in his power to rais! at once a great regular army from a•r:dst an abundant population.' This, he moot repeat, was not the fair mode of discussing the question. Gentlemen, in arguing in that way, should consider the situa tion and circumstances of the country, as thee wore al this moment, and ask whether it was possible, tin der all the 'circumstances, to do more than what was already done? Now what was the case at resent ? it Was necessary to encrease the regular army ; it was found that ballots were injuroos to the recruit ing service; that the militia was larger then was compatible with the service of the cOunory ; And that between it and the troops of the line. there 1 1 /.ls a little fOrce, which, by being' increased, was capable of supplying the latter to that extent which wag necessary to render it disposable and really wear:. It his Right Hon. Friend should SUCCeed in [hat, he did a great deal to redeem the pledge be had given to the public. It was impossible to conceive how far 'he imaginations ofsome men might carry them a: to whit plans onght to be adopted. But it did not follow at the plan of his Right' Honourable Friend so.t.i bad one because it did not cone up to such 11 pitch of perfeCtion, as to fill every range of their theories. The objet of the present Bell ss as to have a home force, which, in its nature, acid in its effeds, would be better 'lion the Militia. It was free from one great objeraion which had been made to the Army of Reserve ; and that was the removal of the ballots. At the time the Army of Res-:rve AEI was before Parliament, the constant cry against it was, that it would extend the ballots and the bounties to a most enormous exteto. These wore done away in the present Bill, and now, for the tiro time. poor ballot found its panegyrists. Poor bal lot hid many faults once, but now all its perfcaions and excellencies were revived. It had been said oo a former day, that the only praaizable plan for recruit ing the army, would be to strip the recruiting sor vice of all its impediments, and let it go on in Os ea. tural way. To this he would observe, ih it the pre sent plan would answer every purpose ; there w.. s very little difference between the one and the ether. All his Right Hon. II ;end asked in tl-e first instance was, to let the too:ltd.:log first be tried, according to the cad constitutional principle; s• and, if that failed, a fury), eitestild Pe 'raised, nnd th e busiooss =lid fall into 'Oie bird; of officers n o theicrown, so that in• either ease it' should be i n . effeanal. His Right Hnn'. Friend was not for any brilliant scheme ; he merely proposed to have the badness coaslucted in the old way. Innumerable o hj o Hons were now m r ilelo to parish officers being concernedin recruiting; and some Gentlemen vent so far as to re, .eninend crimps' liiitead of ;rein, a n d to praise and c.etol a set of mot who hid been long consigned to execration and infamy. 1.- - or /its own oar., he thought there was no mode 543 fair, and so 'tree from compulsion, as that of permitting church wardens to Ask men to enter into the service of their country. They woulsi not inveigle them, in s crimps mielit be supposed to do, but would fairly state the whole of the contract for which they were to serve. Heelenied thatthemcasure would in any degten operate as a burthen on parishes ; nor could he con •ceive how it would be an injustice to volunteers, to 'do away the ballot for this particular service. It 'might as well be said it was unjust to call on Them to pay any tax whatever, as to contribOte, in coin. mon with others, towards raising the genus of men under the present Rill. Now, with resp e a to the exemptions from ballot, he contended, it was a thing which the Volunteers had never expelled—. it came as a matter of surprise upon them—the spirit of the country was at its highest; and the To. lunteer system was on foot when this exemption un etpeetedly came to them as a boon they knew no thing of. If Gentlemen would cast tbair eyes over the state of Europe, and see whether it was necoo sary to have a great militia safeguard, the question then would be not whether there were burthens to he borne, but ho . we were to bear ? And every question of burthens defence ,should be considered with ref once to the great dill eulties we had to encounter. Now with respea to Old opposite opinions entertained on Co . 's question, his Right H a. Friend, on the o.lter .side (Mr. Windham:, reccri mended a large stand'Og army ; and a Learned &s -pent said, ruch.a rould overthrow the C o o.. stitution. . The latter certainly was a deep autho. rity in the midst of .his Peck .kter literary ; but in ordi:r to prevent alp ..ifferenro of opinion between this Learned Gentleman and his Right lion. Friend, he aronld advise them, when they went out into the lobby, to settle their difference there, and Come back with a better undantanding ors, the subjed.— He was aot one of those who comphshied of a saug gle in-that House, elle obj.Ol of which was to ascer tain whether Ministers tools.; the confidence of the House or net. Nor ,hound he complain of the • opposition of the Right bloniurable Gentlem (Mr. Addington) s on thto, contrar/ it Lea: his aperobation . ana his ' , praise, . far reetantly as suming a maiicy, cJosisont, and. systeinatic Fe*. Out he- must consider a iittic the :notices which might art sate many mho would veto con'rary to iiini to-night. Ile considered the change in Odoi &oration curs as it reearded ' lie meant, as-it regarded Ova' r.is On "%licit he !I Ilc had di ti-pTry"...loi the imbecliity vi the late adn-,:u7stration of. the • engem:at of fineign asfairs ; Ow navel and rss 1i ter, dcpartmeet ; and, above of the sup:a - totem - ling p inohe goyim. went. In this last, all that would this nieht vete arinet his side of the liouSe would aoree ( 4 f MI MI), almost, all slioold ine of opinian. He had not changed his t pipit u. li.Ouwever, lee wcre asked, whether lie would adulitc Night ifu nnurable Friend so far as to 'a;, ire wis:iod to see him hold Cie rein: r.. G..vionmoto :1:11.1 :tar of those gse mt t..11%!at on the other side of the ilra• he woald r sts er negetive. wishedilis Ho I. Friend had oetter sups (a ',coo:). Mabee -ex the,G.,vercare.e. is not all he could wish, is at e b..u:d not to give it his support as it is? He felt himself the more relied upon, locause of the • difneulties of his kieiit liononrabie Fiiend, to `share is the &nem He denied, however, that there was e exclusion, any proscriptioa, as bad been s ie forming the present government ;, and, Alta. e admi tad of the principle of a straggle to a- co ••1 whether Government poseas;eloh.• confidence . flee House or, not, he was persuaded the an/lice:on 4 it, in time present instance, could not ire sheO:od 'from motives of a different nature. Mr, SOMLIZS .COX expLtined. Mr. BRAGGE defended Mr. Addingt. , nf , :m the charge of a systemati: posi• ion.. fie sa; Right H. Vrie.i.t could no: be c•zpcned to turn loa back at onco u,:O his own measure, hut must tr expeaed to bring the two plans ir.!o n fair corprisoa. The Right Hon. Gentleman (*.d.. Cand• - •s) had Jet cat with promising a statement of to? t• scheme": ; but had not stated each of them c r lc aii.l had forgo:, that it was no • bal.,: • Arm) of Reserve tl.at was to be . the presewiplan, bit the srs,:en.ien r x::5 Lou: II. said,he - wa Al out try Ci; by any imaginary standard, Ism 1r) it, o'j.,a, fitness oft . e means Its oLjerr was of a m .rsl zaruz it was b rth a requisiti..n and a tax. .1, .t ~:ctfsi•ti:- . it was oppressive and utterly truitlcss ; as tax.:: was marons•itutional and partial. The a - ark not, he w:11 knew, w:v•llier it wia a bUrel , Pit :;' Isurshen • but wherhar tho burthen was cyna! or la: ccjual ! iklany cr-a:ies and pvistles svesuld bx tale.i. when others would not be so. Ir places w.. 2 7: nuraa:•'r es gave Lmplaymant to the Iscr - ,•;;• - • ''• • the pnisi; • - :•.:.•rs cont.! nct ". t ine n, ~.;.I•ucli plaso; , 7 pay the insc . • He re rz.hate.l the cp.:: 3-;ft rake it v impart to re: OT :ars. 1: ..• - • fore, in chiii:ng these, 5 , .:5-icy, and dr.. • • moan .; a;:tili:e were deemed J 4:7.251e • but now the parish otliccr must ••••• the test •g must be a cramp and a prod.gate. Tha t• neaion betwten the firs•. and seconJ bar a ' must • 1114110 W, instead of (atm:ling. t::: into the ksgu:ars. Hew was a Y•aksii::tr m•al ••••••- tmer ins:aaly t become a Kcmish Yeoman 1:1 intercourse Letween the two batrali•ms reinirs.l•3 him of an ancTicte. The Emperor .1.-coi •-• being ai• o A7ci!clnke of Florence, some p 1• 43 prop. .0 din his Itihar, territories to erms-ale •- • her? s ; eloin rermissian, on this cs-n..:•'. 3 (.111r. 'LA; • - rant shoul I write a *re: , lii• . . • Ic:ln'gs 1::: con!. ; • a -• •o . . • • • • ''• :Nu t • I . :y st tr .• • ,•• • ..;. (' a A. or Ili I 7 . • i • - • ;.1 t He ci , ..Fera7, , ,: : • t 11.: .rs,r talion would be .. tc,licittd by their