The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-16 00:00:00

THE MII.IIIA BILL.

(Freet the Pu.ly News.)

. -
TOE Duke of WEl.Ltsiiiros; Last night gave the
limes: of Lovas his opinion upon the militia question.
When the proposition for such a force was first
placed before the Ileum of Commons and the coun-
try the public were as much surpriaed as annoyed.
What does it mean r was the general inquiry.
Many members of parliament who opposed the plan
evidently did so on various views of the ease—more
or Icsa indicating their ideas of the real intentions of
the government. One party
.contented themselves
with saying a militia was simply an unnecessary
absurdity ; another alleged that the new force
must be absolutely °whim as a cheek, should
the then rumoured-invasion really take place, and
that our real dependence must be upon our fleet in the
channel ; others laughed outright at the idea of France
or any other foreign power attacking this island;
denying the need for any additional force what-
ever. (in the morning after the militia proposition
bad been mooted in the I louse of l'omnions, we pointed
out what seemed to us the real meaning of the
government. Ilere is the passage:
On the plea of the changed conditioner European politics,
we find a liberal =inkier sugaesting, not the return of our
ships, or of the regiments now in pay ; not any plan for the
pacification of say quarrele we may have on hand, show-
ing how our faeces may be released from foreign squab-
ble.. and be made ready to meet emergencies that may arise
at hinne,•—but prono.ing, on the con • levy of raw
ttsilitia men—an English conscription, in truth. Wirioning
with nadaM men, but ...telling neat year to 110,000,
out h a tome. seer Waited at all, iroutit he wawa either
to hap to NI, the ranks of the line for (army* 'erring, or is
required io take perisiateria seilitaido lot, as regular militia
rroirivors soldiers. Poke the regiments of
thn lime were text altimil to fiyht more battles 4.1 the continent
for the turtheralies of as iiiferneritillosy policy.
'Our debt is surely large enough already ; our taxes see
quite heavy enough: aml we have fought often enough
abroad to prove we do not lack courage. We have paid our
money, spilt our blood, and won our fame. Let us, then.'
have no mire continental wars, no more inttrferences with
the Vans of the people of Europe; no more setting up eif
Bourbons, or pulling down of Bonaparte.. Who shall rule
in Franck, or in Spain, or in Portugal, is the Maniere of
the people id those land., not our.. Yet this orimiasstioit
of said a, suoyriteil on the ph u of national delimee, upia
Me p yak. told, It. fore the country was to be involved
in an gurestsesa contert. Let it. twware Mat sePitia at home
are mot tuteed to release reyufors for service abrunit.—(Daily
News, Feb. 17. is32i.
In some quarters our notion was adopted and reite-
rated, but peop'e in general were unwilling to believe
that foreign aggressive war could be the real ob-
ject of the furnish:re whilst they preached only
about national defence. But time, that reveals so
many things, last night indicated who was right.
In the House of I.orils the Duke of WELLINGTON,
like a plain straightforward soldier, let out the whole
truth, when he said last night:
The noble marquis says very truly that them 50,000, or
Knelt, or 120;100 men will not be tit fat active service in
Ma months, or twelve monad—not in eighteen months, 1
say. (Item, betel But, my lords, they iei.l be fit Joe
same merits. r„y trill -srt mat liberty, and nimble us to
emphai is the held tollwrs ielioorria for sireire, (('heers.)
And &may soessp!oyed, they will theism:re, become fit for

sow. then, we know why we are to have a militia.
It is nut for mere defence; it is not that we may
le•sen the number of our regular forces ; but because
from these raw levies soldiers can be manufac-
lurid for home duties. teariny the regular army
hrr for military ccrrire abroad. The Duke of
'W I.I.I.INGTON has put this beyond doubt. When the
$41,000 minim men arc in order, we can spare our
30,000 regulars to garrison Antwerp to help the
House of COUVRC., or to occupy Lisbon to aid the
House of llawmcz t; or—if it please the powers
that be—to take part in a new continental war on
behalf of any tottering legitimist in Europe. We now
know, at all events. what the militia is really meant
fur. It is not to render us more secure from invasion
at home; but to make us more riatly for warfare
abroad.

IRELAND.

Jems 13.