The Sun. — London, England, 1806-06-03 00:00:00

was a good o?ie, and. becatp:s something extras rtonary was requisite. In 1803 an extraordinary nieasure had been devised by as man of powerful understapd. ing (the Additional Force 'Aft 'of- Mr. Pitt) ; but it had .failed. Whatever plan was adopteci, - it should carry thepublic mind along with it in brder. to -be, successful., That-there would be no feeling of jea lousy in Seamen or veteran Soldiers was dear, from no,such jealousy having 'existed when there were much stronger motives to- excite it. In the-Ameri can War these dangers were urged' With tenfold force, to skew that the measures resorted twin that Country• would be . unsuccessful. The same course of:argument :was used-against the measures' adopted by. France in. the Revolutionary times. Yet it was to her perseverance in these measures, in spite of all opposition, that France owed her wonderful suc cesses. A Nation determined 'to sacrifice its life in support of such principles may meet 'with .such a thing as defeat, but it could see no such thing as 'danger. The MASTER qf - the ROLLS Well knew and greatly respeded the abilities of the Hon: Gentleman Who spoke last, but he thought him mistaken in his view of the Noble Lord's argument. The Hon. Gentleman argued,' that if the measure did not,pro duce men it would not be attended with expellee • now the obje&ion was that it wouldbe attended with immense expence without producing any Men. The Hon. Gentleman-commended the measure for merits it did not possess ; for it did not go 'to give any new civic benetits to the stibjea: The Hon. Gentleman also dittered widely front what the Right Hon. Mover of this measure thought the soldier ought to be. If the Hon. Gentleman had heard the Rt Hon. Gentleman's opening speech, he would have heard him say that - the' character of the 'soldier aught to 'be distina frOm every thing else. The Honourable GeOtleMan Con tended, that it ought to be united and blendid with the character of the artizan. One general objection to the trial of this experiment was, that we had no experience to dire& us.* For there vas no example olany country trying it in the same mariner to the same extent, and under the same circumstances.— The example of France was cited, but with 'an admission, that there the principle Was . found in convenient as soon- as the American War broke out, and departed 'from by a precise ordonnance, that no man was to be discharged during: the war. If an Aet of Parliament:could be violated With as much levity here, as a royal ordonnance was there, the consideration would not be so serious. He was sure the Hon.olficer opposite, when besaid the other night, that the Country would have.the be nefit of this nieasure ten years, before it would have any of theill eifeCtS, did not mean that when the ill effects were approaching the Bill may be repealed. Before the public faith was . pledged, it might: to be . considered whether it could be kept, rather than lightly t 9 give occasion for eireullistanees in , which the public faith and public safety would be at vari , -ance. As to the authority of the' Crown, the Mutiny Act took no power from the King Which- bv ,the. -Constitution he had, but came in aid of his authority by fresh powers. Without the power of the Mutiny Abel(log could-not keep the Army together, nor govern it, in time of peace; and in many 'respeal , there would be Much difficulty ingoventing it in time' of war by the mere force of the prerogative.* out this Bill went to take from the King a power which: by the Constitution he was entitled to exercise, that of enlisting men on any terms of service he should, think proper. The idea that the same faith was not to be placed in a pledge from the Crown and a pledge from Parliament, was highly to be censured. The faith of the Crorwo bad been always most scru pulously adhered to, though sometimes particular Officers may have been guilty of misrepresentation . or misconception. When a trial was made under the prerogative, the antieot system would be more easily reverted to, if the new one was found not tote sa tisfactory. In recent times several species of enlist ment had been tried by the authority of the Crown, for life, for term of years, for service unlimited in space, and service more or less-limited in that respect, and all these without prescribing any onecause,so that the general system 6f unlimited service was easily re verted to when it was found desirable. But now when the Nation was told it was relieved from a slavery, by the discontinuance of service for life, and that a boon was given in the enlistnufnt for term of years, how could .the ancient system be resorted to with justice, or with safety, if at the end of 10 years it should 'be necessary. The difficulty of re-engag ing men would be 'in proportion to the desire to have the men. In the denial of the production of the opi pions of the General Officers, the House was left to its own lights to judge of the question. He was, par ticularly at a. to conceive how the Right lion. Gentleman's Plan retold be applied to the Colonies ? This was always-the opinion .of military men or this subjea, so- titr as he could coiled, The Right Hon. Gentlenian ought to have shewn how the Plan could be reconciled- with the service of the Colonies. The Right Hon. Gentleman was. averse, to his Plm.beiog called' theory; but it was the theories, lilt- was to be considered without reference to pradicability. What would the Right Honour able Gentleman have said to any of the Consti tution makers seven years .ago,* if they had of a particular Constitution, saying, it is very good as it stands, burl-know not whether it will be applicable in pra&ice. When the exigency was put to the men tat the end of their term pt - years, they would not, understand any thing taut their dis charge. The- removal of the men whose term was nearly expiring to the Second Battalions, when the Jtegiment was ordered to the Colonies, was a' re newal of .the odious 'system of drafting ; it would keep at borne the Veterans exchisively fit for Colonial service, and send 'out raw Recruits to wham - the di rnate-tisss ptot , iesdarly 'fatal...This:was to-render our best Soldiers an lndisposable force. The enormous expeuce's.vas t.niost - 4mportant- consideration when our, financeriabOuseci'-set vitally under the burthen , btoughOon by this :: , war. These burthens would' make it.a question,; viiiethei an actual increase of our disposable fOreewas desirable, at an expence likely. to be naitaous~ But When that ruinous expence was to be inctured;f4 and uncertain increase, there Wag-reason toAlesitate.iiideed. He wished the mea-:' Mare to.be withdrawn for the present, and brought . forwardirtia separate form, iwith the proper-lights to , dire& theijaxdgruent-of the. House upon . * Iu its Prtgent shape the-measure- would - countera& the very good it was expeaed to prOduce: Suppose it did not add to the number's produced by : the ordi , , nary recruiting, and the vast ProportiOnofdischarges "Ic 0010 Cciin&Vn SeMi years, hOvi would they be [ilea /or f It 'afE p ble ,t110:11 ice M, provi w Rossi, prcuu iay be - sVikieet to cover the drescharges, but that, or the probability of it : should be made to appear. The discharges_ would operete when the . Meer were per- : fed in discipline, It was true the Right, lion. Gen tleman calculated that the n.en would re-enlist ; but •the Housecould not take the RigheHon.(3-entleman's Word fig that, particularly when hegavethemen the. option of so great a benefit. A less eumerons.&tiny in perteEt state of diseipline was more desirable than a: more numeroth olielessperfed. Vacua man thought of ping iitto the Army 1 lid L....-not calculate the time., 4 -Seven years was besides almost as much as a matt's life, with .respect to a removal from any ;occupation -to which "the soldier might wish to return, after hay ing gratified his desire of military glory. When the period was near 'expiring, they .would think of nothing -but home. He saw no' reason why a mail may not be content to become a soldier for life 'as well as a carpenter, a blacktmith, tic. unless the disgust for snah long service was created by the 'supporters Of the preseet system. The instance of Genet:al Washington's Army, in the American-War, afforded a Most suiking example. -tut the Ameri cans resorted to the means from necessity, whereas, we were about to resort to it from design, and with out necessity. It vas only in 'cases of compulsory service that a liMitation had been hitherto adopted; - now. it was proposed -to extend it to Volunteers.— He was at opinion, that after the removal of the ballot, of the Army of Reserve Ad, and :the. Additional Force Ad, and competition incurred by them, the erdinery recruiting would, do great. deal, and he,Wislied the experiment to be tried. It was not so much the engagement for life that kept men out of the Army, but the things that sxad Men cenneded• with it. He wished the Right-. Hon.. Gentleman would consent to- withdraw the measure for the present, for the purpose of trying what we could do withont it_; if the Right Hon. Geetleman would not consent to that, at least that it should be sent back to the place froth :whence it carne, to be brought forward again in a more digested- form. , The SOLICITOR-GENERAL telt as much dis appointed that his Right Hortourable Friend had not treated the suhjel in a constitutional point of view, as his Right Hon.and Learned Friend had expressed himself to be that the Hon. Gentleman who pre- - ceded' him had'-not - adVerted to the calculations of the Noble Lord. He had expeded from his Learned Friend a check le those novel doCtrines' and dis tinetions Which bad been that night intriximed.— The form in which the question was brought before the House had -been objected to; it , was said like-, wise that it onghtmet to be a subiet.c.t of Legislative consideration, and -a Noble Lord hid asserted, that the - discussion of it in Parliament, was attended with danger to the Royal ,Prerogative, He would ask,the House what they werediscnssing ? The Mutiny Bill. In that Bill it was declared lawful for His Majesty to make Articles of War for oneyear only. In that Bill it was declared lawful. for His Majesty to este . blish;Cotirts Martial for one year only. In that Bill the Bill of Rights was recited. Inthat Bill IN - as con tained a declaration limiting the power of I Ls Majesty to quarter his soldiers on his Jawtial subjects. And now in the Clause under discussion, the oath to be taken by each recruit was , to :serve His Majesty for at : least seven years, and yet it was 'asserted that 'the prerogative of the Crown had been lift - ringed ! Uu less the Gentlemen opposite were prepared to say that the doctrines bithertomaintaieed on this subjett were erroneous,' it would -be impossible for them to defend their. position. His Right Hon. and Learned Friend had said, that 'if the treasure now Under discussion had been carried into effed by tfbe Crown, it might easily be undone; but that being 'aecont plished by Parliament,' it would be difficult for Par liament to retread their steps. - He had argued, that if Parliament once prOihnigated the great advantages' which • the soldier 'would derive from 'enlisting for a limited time, no - man would in future be found willing to enlist for an unlimited time. And yet his Learned Friend had afterwards 'said, that the consideration Oflintited or milimited.time would,were the proposed measure; to - be adopted, be a-matter of indifterence to the reerint. - It seemed; therefige; that the recruit was thought to be so completely ignorant that be could not judge on, this subject for hithself, big that he must avail hiceself of the sentiments of. Parliament, and of Parliament alone, for if his Majesty expressed that opinion, the . House were told (not- . withstanding that_ a Noble Lord had said, that the Army might to . leek up to' his Majesty, and that the soldiers should suck in .with their very existence the convietion that the favour and countenance of the Crown ought to be their chiefieward), that the Army would not listen to his Majesty's representations.— He wished much to know how the Gentlemen oppo.- site could reconcile their declaration, that, in the first place, it was ungracious to give this boon to the Army through the meditnia of Parliament, and not through that of •the Throne, wifh their other., declaration, that it was in reality eo boon, as it would not succeed Mauling . risen to enlist '? With re, (Yard to the objet which 'had been started,- t 'that this measure shefild not have been contained in a Clause of the Mutinyßill, but should have formed a distind Aet of Parliament, he replied, that any novel ty in Military - ArinieS was usually included lathe Mutiny Bill, and that this especially belonged to its, character. if such an alteration were proposed in our military system as the abolishing of capital punish ments, he would ask, ought that not to be contained in theMetinyßill ?If the constitution of courts-mar tial were to undergo a reform, would not that be prescribed in the Mutiny Bill.? Now as to the policy of enlistment for a limited term considered constitutionally, he differed entirely from those who -contended that it was a dangerous innovation. , He had always understood, that iii the.best times of the. British history, jealousy had been ever excitedagainst standing Armies, because the men had been enlisted for an indefinite time. The preference given to the Militia was grounded expressly on the circumstance that they were enlisted for a limited time. For a while they took, up the charader of the Soldier, afterwards to resume that Of the citizen. Nor would this jea,;. lousy of the one class of men, and preference of the: ocher, be sin-prising,' when it . .was considered iIQW . inestimable were the privileges which a recruit re figiaed pe, entering, into the Army, and how ditfer ent must be the charader of the man who stir-. rendered them for ever, and the man who sur rendered them only for a short period. He was - unwilling _intrude any authorities ,on the HouSe, upon this sebjeet;. but he could . .taut refrain, from quoting the opinion of that most respeetable and venerablo Judge, whose Sentimeets yo , every sub :eCt, and mote particularly on those subjeias duty conneeted.with the care 'of Our - free ConSfitu. tion, were such aSentitled him to the most profound' at:cation. Judge Blackstone, in thefirst . Volume of _his Commentaries; says, that in a land of libo-ty it' is extremely dangeruts•-to make a distinct Order of the prOfes' shin Of arms.: in despotie country, where the Gokernment was maintained by the influence of le,ar, such a ,sPitein becoMes necessary; but in a free State it is a warrantable obje& of jealousy. The Laws and .ConstitUtin' of Great Britain, therefore, .know nothing-ofh perpetual soldier. • No evirshould be more carefully guarded against than that of ered ing a military .power uncenueCted with and inde pendent of the civil charaeter. . The enlistments of sOtdiers'should be fora short and iiinited time; the soldier ought to mix intimately with the people, and for that purpose there might • to be no Camps, no bar racks, Sze." -tie wished to know 'what had happened since this was written to induce a cltange in our, mi litary system ? Was i change neeessarybecanse the.. standing army had become three times as numer o u s '? Was a change necessa r y beciusecamps and barrackS had been so infinitely Multiplied? Was a change necessary because a 'military despotism had spread '. over all Europe, which had destroyed. the 'freedom of modern States? 'Werethese the, reasons why we should be'less attentive to • this important subje&, and .wish to Tender the soldier a character completely distinct and insulated from the citizen? In the con test in which they were engaged, it was' Of the ut . moat. consequence that the people should know the value cif the blessings. for which they contended, and ; learn; that in fighting for the liberties of their coun try, they fought for their own.. It was in this cir cumstance that the difference must ever consist be tween our Own troops and those of the enemy. The eorporeal, advantages of . the former, their superior skill,' discipline, and power of sustaining fatigues and privations, could be but small. In one . view they indeed possessed th e ad v a n t a g e ; the superiority of the cause in . which they were enga g e d. The Armies of our Enemy fought only to eistend the glory and to satiate the ambition of a:master, our Amies fought for their own rights, and those of theirCountry..lf our soldiers triumphed, it Was the triumph of justice and freedom over' injustice and despotism. If 'they fell, they fell the martyrs to patriotisin and .the love-of liberty. In another point olview . he approved of the Plan of his Right Hon. Friend; While, on the one hand it made the soldiers 'citizens, on the other it made the, citizens s.oldiers. It had been objected to this plan that the execution of it would be attended With considerable expence. Ad verting to the talculatiens of his Learned Friend (Mr. Perceval) the other evening, he contended that they were formed on erroneous grounds, and that his Learned Friend was not justified in saying- that ".the ,present Administration had economy in their , mouths, btu extravagance at their hearts."----The calculations of his Learned Friend had for the me meta made him forget that . humanity and liberality, which lie well knew belonged to his real charaeter. The Gentlemen okOsite seemed to think that his Majesty's Ministers had succeeded t o a l uxur i ous. situation. He ()DIY wished.that some of th em h a d , been present: (as it certainly was their duty tci be present); at the discussions of the Property Tax; that 'they had heard the various claims.. on the hu manity of his Noble Friend, first Or . tie small annuitants, then for widows, afterwards for per-. suns with large finuilies, Bcc, ; that they had wit- . nessea the pain#ill situation or his Noble Friend, .compelled by the imperious sense of his 'Milk duty -to resist every demand however strongly urged ; that 'they had been in the House to see his Ncible Friend I (to quote an expression ofcruel mockery) " reposing upon a bed of roses !" For his part, heavy as - Le felt that the burdens were ii;hich had been iMposed on the community, he was convinced that the very' poorest would cheerfolily part with a portion of their scanty pittance,. to reward the val Our of these whO fought todelend that, without which, property, and life itself, were not worth the preservation. • General NOPTON opposed the Clause, and con cluded, Iby moving, as an AMendment ; that the period of service after the seven years do extend to the termination 'of any war in which we may be then engaged, and for 'six , months after the conchs sion the Definitive Treaty . of Peace ; and where the. Corps should happen to 'be -serving -in the East Indies, for eighteen months after that period Colonel CtiAUFURD slimed .the fallacy of Lord CaStlereagh's statement' of the expence of the inea sure, by noticing, that his Lordship had on the one hand 'taken the Army as it now stood, thereby giving no credit to 'the plan for raising recruits ; while on the other, he had in estimating the additional ex pellee, calculated it at 250,000 instead of I eO,OOO snen, thereby making a ditlin'ence in their state - ments of 1,001,0001. the Noble' Lord's. being 1,938,0001. while, according to his (Colonel' Cran furd's) calculation, it only amounted to 637,0001. Sir VILLIAK LEMON congratulated the House on having heard. the most constitutional Speed) .from the S;icitor 7 General,.which, in th:: course 'of thirty or forty years, he had ever heard in thael-touse..-- The greatest grievance which could attend • a 'free Country was a great Standing Army; If such must be maintained, the molt constitutional way in which it could, be established the better. On that ground he approved of the Speech of the Solicitor-General. Lord LOuvAINE asked,. if the present Army in this Country was not a constitutional one ? Lord DE BLAQUIERE supported the Clause. If Gentlemen who opposed the measure thought it of the supreme importance they pretended, why did .they Objea to its being agitated in Parliament, rather than that it should emanate, as he agreed it might, from the authority of His Majesty ? General STEWART, notwithstanding every thing he had heard from the Irish Orator (Mr. Grattan)", while at the same time, he did not urge his own mi litary skill to .be such. as should give weight to his opinion, disapproved of. the system. . Mr' GRATTAN agreed that the Hon. Gentleman had displayed , some proofs of Irish oratory; but be would wish to See a little -Irish understanding. He could not say that he felt much weight added' to the' part which the Hon. Gentleman espoused from his military opinion. • G6I). STEWART replied, that he did not pretend to,be an Irish Orator; but he. hoped he should al- N,vays preserve the chara&er of an Irish Soldier.— (Loimi cheers Of hear ! hear!) . Mr.. BA ICES approved of the measure. If it should fail of success (which he did not believe it Worddythere was nothing more easy than to return to the old pratlice. Lord GARLIES; • after complimenting the Master of the Rolts on his very argumentative Speech, de clarect:his main objection to the measure to proceed fruT• the bad area it must have (m the Naval Ser vice.. - It might happen that . we had an Expedition going out combined both of navAl, and military force, and that one part-Might be - Mtn - led - to demand their discharge, while the „Other' could • not. He would ask how it could 'be possible to reconcile the one to the idea of beingtboutid to continue in their sq.: - vice While the other was diScbarged ?: • • • ' The. Question being 'then very generally 'call for, the House divided— For the Cluestion 206 - Agaitist 105 , 7 Majority The blanks were then filled up, and flie passed through the committee without any fartha discussion. After which, the House having, re sumed, the 'Report Was'brought up, and ordered to be taken into consideration to-morrow: The Chelsea Pension. Regulation Bill was ordered' to be taken into•eonsideration to-morrow: The third reading of the Treating Mt was post . poned to Monday , next. The other Orders-of the bay being then disposed • of, the House adjourned at Two o'clock. AME.PICAN PAPIRS, : NEW=YORti SATURDAY . , APRIL CG.-4The British Ship Leander, of 50 guns, the Cambrian, of 44, and the Driver Sloop . a War, were off SandyOok yes terday. We are informed that th'v brought to and boarded every Vessel that has left thIS Port 'lately, and. have pressed several seamen from them. At a late hour last evening we were informed that 'the Nimrod, Captain -MANNING, from Cur:lcoa for this Port, was captured off. the' Hook yesterday by the British Frigate Cainbrian, and sent for Halifax ; also the Ship .41trora, from Havannah, and 'the Brig Ceres, from Martinique, and Sent for Halifax. PHILADULibHIA, Arttio en.—Extract of a Letter ' from. New=York; dated Saturday evening ,last : " The body of the man murdered on board the Sloop from Delaware has been exposed all this day at Burling's Slip to . thousands of spettatorS: It is to be lodged to-morrow iii the Tontine Coffue-house or the.city Hall for public view, and on Monday to be buried, attended by the Corporation, &c. The Minds of the inhabitanti were Wrought up to . a pitch of natral madness. Two - Schooners armed, and full of Volunteers-, have sailed, and two others are ready for sailing, to regake - the Vessels captured by the blockading Squadrtiii: The Purser of the Leander came to town yesterday, and purchased three boat-loads :of all kinds of provisions ; two of the boats were stopped on the Wharf; the thirkhaving sailed early this morning, was overtaken near the Hook by a PilOt-boat' dispatched for the purpose, and brought back. Thu provisions are now in light carts, : parading through the streets v, wit drums, fifes, &c. and are intended to be left at the Poor- House. An ExprosS was ' - gen'tolF this morning to Washington." NEw-Pons, SUNDA+, Ari IL . 27 ! —" 1 haVe only time to add, that two or three Vessels, with armen each, have;been dispatChed through the Sound, to re-take the American Vessels which have been seAt to Halifax.,, P. S. " Just as this Paper was put to press - ten cart. /odds of provisions, which had been procured in thi4 city for the British Squadron now blockading onr Harbour, and Which had been arrested on the way to the Ships; and brougliz back to town, w'Zire'con veyed to the Aluis-house, zupidst the loud huzzas of the; multitude,". At a Meeting of the Federal Republicans, at the Tontine . Cotiee-liOuse,,,,NeW-York, on the . 6th, to take into consideration the de:i!.:lcJes-s state Of the Harbour ;among other Resolutions it was yesoire4, 1. " That tht-: repeated Outrages comMitted bsr" foreign. Ships of Warat.the mouthsitit our HarbOurs merit the resentment and indignation of every friend to his Country. _ _ " That an Administration which consents to pay money to avoid foreign insolence, or to the violation or national rights, whiie it sells and dismantles its Naval Force, instead of increasing and preserving _it, for,t he defence_ of our Ports and Com merce, •prostrates the national honour,, endangers the public safety, and invites both injustice and in sult. •3. " That the suffering of :foreign armed Ships to station themselves off our Harbour, and there to stop, 'search, and capture our Vessels, to impress, wound, and murder our Citizens, is a gross and cri minal neglect of -the highest cluties'ot Government ; and that an Administration which patiently permits the same, is not entitled to the confidence of a brave and free People, .; • 4. " That solong as the British Ships of War which haVe assumed a station at the entrance of this Port are 'suffered to : remain there, it is earnestly re commended' that 'no supplies, provisions, or' suc cours of any kind, should be afforded them from our Markets, nor any' intercourse held with . them in any shape whatever; and that our Pilot-boats should ab stain from visiting theM. • 5. " That the murder of Jonrr PIERCE, one of our fellow-oitizens, by a shot from a British Ship of War, at the entrance of our Harbour, and within half a mile Of the shore, while he was engaged in the peaceable navigation of a coasting Vessel, _laden with provisions for our market, was an aet that ex . - cites our detestation and abhorrence, and calls upon our Government for the adoption of prompt and, vi gorous measures to prevent a repetition of such • Wanton • and inhuman condu&, and so flagrant a • 'Violation of our national sovereignty. 6.." - That this Meeting approves the condua of those persons WhO intercepted the supplies which were sent from this City to : those Vessels who now blockade 'MY- Barbour, and who have., murdered our fellow-citizen, JouN PIERCE, • • 7. " That we will attend the funeral of the des ceased--and that it be recomtnended to the Ships in the Harbourlo display the customary signs of mourn ing.' • CITY OF NEW YORK.—Jcssr, Pisson, Masterof the Sloop Richard, a'Coasting Vessel of Brandy-wine, being (Idly sworn, deposed and says, tha,' as he v.- r i approaching Sandy Hook, and was about a quartet of a mile from the Beach, and two miles south from !( ~~~