The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-03-19 00:00:00

MUTINY BILL.

Lord Ilswatiousse rose to move •• That the
Houseshould resolve itself into a Committee onthe
Mutiny Bill," which was agreed to. Several chimes
of the Bill were read,. and agreed to ; when the
clause which grants to soldiers enlisted for limited
service, an option to continue to serve for a limited
time, or receive additional bounty by entering
ou unlimited service,
The Duke of Gtoncesna row and addressed
their Lorrlships--“ I should feel myself guilty of a
Rost culpable negligence, if, when such an import-
ant question as the present occupies the attention
of the House, 1 should dissemble mg aeutimeists on
the principle which, at this moment, seems to
actuate those who have introduced the present
Uill, especially when I reflect on the situ-
ation which I have the hooour to hold in that
rank and description of men more immediately
affected by the provisions of this act; a situation
which I principally prize from the license and char-
ter which it particularly confers on me, of protect-
ing sad defending the military arranges tints of
this country from innovation, and I hope I shall
never feel less grateful for the opportunity it af-
fords me, or lets eager to stand forth its time defence
of the military character of this country, than I
do on this occasion. I fret an objection to the Bill,
tint, on the principle of innovation ; I ant always
sorry to God the Ministers of this country recom-
mending any change whatever, especially when
there is ao proof exhibited of the probable advan-
tages resulting from the adoption of the proposed
change. 1 have heard nothing oirthis head stated
by the Noble Mover ; I never have heard it satin.
factorily stated to the House, that the present Bill
would place the military establishment on a better
footing in the country than it is at present; on the
• contrary, the greatest part of the military. churac-
ters with whom I have conferred on the subject,
seem to he of opinion, the present system is far
better calculated to raise effective men, and invi-
gorate and stimulate those eageged in the service,
than any hitherto submitted to Parliament.—
To propose to those who enter the' service an
a/liminess, most be productive of the bests-Ifeets
on the general habits and exertions of the anny.
By this system they have something in prospect,
whereby the:. milky obtain a competence sifter the
hazards and fatigues of war. It adds au air of in-
dependence and security against the assaults of
se,,e, and the accidents or casualties of life. This
system has not only proceeded from time matnre de-
liberations end reflections of one of the greatest
statesmen of the dor, but also has proved its supe-
riority to all others •by the effects it has produced.
The imny has become a respectable and admit-
tageous profession. I litherto it has been in gene:.
oil the refuge of want and despair. This stem
has produced, since the commencement of its ope-
ration, a greater number of recruits than has hi-
therto been enrolled by any former plan during an
equal period of nine. The army has in effect as-
stiied it new eharie-rer, and because the receptacle
of men of respectability. Desertion hes at length
ohnost vanished in the calculation of toilitary•ar-
(-Went* and defalcations, and the 83 stem seems to
have undergone a complete reformation. I con-
gratulate the country on this prosperous state
of its f 'rem. nusl ever shall I lamn,•nt the cir-
cumstance. if it -;could happen, that the v:.te
of this masiit shatald go to overturn the syrtem r,•-
connucudc•d by one of the first politicise), of the
tlay, ■nd sup carted by experience. Since the
e:wmmeilt el' t' n• measure, it has onceeede.i beyond
expectation. • Vet let use here observe, that it call
scarcely 1.0 said yet to have had fair phn•. The
result of its complete execution may be antici-
pated from the etfec•t of its continuance for a short
tune. In roaformitv to the sentiments which I
nose entertain. I shun move your Lordships ••That
tin• douse 1 have objected to be left out of the

Lord Bonyv cnoN said, that was he of opinion
the pvt,eot %eat to overturn the iorineiple of the
hPe te!:tihdiftits. he would moot willingly subscribe
to the amendment proposed by tbe Noble tuid
ptr•>n:to.7c. Ile cossidered the present
rn ..i•s 17. le,t there ►hould at any time
~:iger a; i•e to the patine service, from the possibi-
h• which exi..t.tl of a numb••: of the sot-
iers en a fori.....l%tation brim; entitled to demand
almost ut the ',aisle period. This
4 a btrious evil, utot impi:d the preveat

I iirir
cons.d•:e

yriumweetiet completely rtmedy it. ileelMull
therefore vote for the clause ulsjecteil to.
The Earl of BIJCIINGuAmnitta.: supported the
deux: of the Dill. He thought theta was but one
way of making soldiers effiLiesk, namely, enlistment
to: life. lle considered the topic of desertion 44 al-
together loreigm to the preseut discussion, since
men were not induced to tleaert fro:u the prosi.er t
of emitinuir• long sit the service, but rather thwo.igh
the disagrde:ble nature of the drill service. The
greatest danger was to be appreheuded from e set
of men who had ever made a trade of desertion,
goin4 into uhuost all the rei.;itrients of the liaie or
militia, after having pri. vionsly deserted from e teh
in succession. These men were denominated
" The ( :rand Tonr Men," and were in effect the
soarer of the greatest mischief hi the army.
present system he thought sullithelitly long ilnkeri
in practice to prove its merits, if it had tut,; lie was
hence much surprised to hoer it bail uut Karl fair
Way.
Lord Dar.st w.r and Lord KIN:: spoke in favour
of the Amendment of the Noble Duke.

Earl (iitosyssua conaidervd the system laid
down by the able and c.ilighteued statruna,i, so
often alluded to, as the critei on of human intellect.
It was founded on an accurate knowledge of butauo'
Linton., and as such it would stead iu despite Of
the sisters or assaults of prejudice, or open hos-
tility. A competence was the object of every man
in the pursuit of his trade—

Impiger extrernos curie to-rcator ad lados
Per mare pauperiem Atreus, per sass, p.e4vars

Hence a competence wait the tirat thing to be
secured to the soldier, iu order to nerve his arm,
and give enzirgy to his motives and actionA. lie
warned the [hate of interfering with the arrano-
anents of the military. The army was a fabric of
delicate texture, no force or inapreienou could be
applied to it, in any one branch, hat it would v-
-I,7.ire through, and proportionably alect Every
delairttnent. He, therefore, cautioned thetn from
innovating, through the mere anxiety for innova-
tina. kit it should shake the whole fabric to dis-
'solution. ,

I.urd MEL/lux rose to =prep his approbation
of the sentitusiits which had fallen from the Nesbit
Fad (Buckirighturishire) in the course ofthe even-
iuq sentiments founded on ulatni•s. reflection and
military experience. Ile thought it necessary to
call their attention to the oriAiiral. state of the
army. Froin time immemorial the %stern pro-
trrl to be again revived by the present jlill lied
been that in use in this country ; earl. history would
abundantly testify the excellence of that system,
by the noble feats of valour performed by our
troops in the field. The Illustrious Duke had ex-
tolled the 'tat! of the army. They were, without
doubt, the finest collection of vas:it'', on the face
of the earth. hence he would advise Noble Lords
to be cautions of changing the system which had
raised them to so respectable a force—a force which
had never failed to viodieitte,the character and
interests of this country wbeu called into action.—
He adverted to the means which had, during Mr.
Pitt's administration, - been resorted to for adding
to the forive of the country. In the year 17R3,
the army of this country was in numbers compara-
tively- nothing to the emergencies of the country ;
but though small then. shortly sifter Mr. l'itt's ac-
cessioncsourtver, in the benevolent idea that war
had e and become unnecessary, he vat him-
self down to retrench the peace establishment • and
so eager was this great men to obviate all those ex-
penses which he then thought unnecessary, that
he minaret totally neglected the army, sod re-
duced it to such a state, that in the commence-
meat of' the war with Prance, we had not a single
regiment fit to take the field against the turbulent
and revolutionizing spirit of that country. Yet
Mr. Pitt had been accused of needlessly and cri-
minally itivolving the country in war, through a na-
• total propensity to mixing in scenes of bloolsberl.
—On this occasion, such was the emergency, that
the army was obliged to contribute to the service
all the flank companies of the line. A measure
which totally cut upthe resources and strength of
the establishment. Of this retrenchment, thotigh
extremely well intended, he soon after severely re-
pented, earl began by all possible means to effect
a renovation of the army—vigorous recruiting. rais-
ing recruits for preferment, additional bounties.
the parish act, were arieceesivelltried, and proved
advantageons ; but what moat deserved applause,
was the Act for permitting Volunteers entering
into the service from the Militia ; this complete-
ly repaired the army. Hence he would infer
the itemizer of cutting up by the roots the
sources of our military strength. In these re-
gulations he wee happy to say he bad alvrais
cow:tined, and on some omissions assisted In
their operation. He had felt equal satisfaction in
twist of the measures of the present 31inistry, whose
conduct since they had come into office had ever
had his cousitenatice, support, and sanction. This
system, so productive and competent to every
purpose required, the later acts, pissed by the re-
commc ndatios of a loan, remarkable, it wu true, for
his great military cariosity mules perienee, rusd by no
means impregnates.' uith the airy visions of an exu-
berant and wild fancy (a general langlil had gene
totally to subvert. lieze he could not help beisig
surprised to find a Noble Earl oppwite observing
the anny ass of an extreme delicate texture. and
therefore beseeching the house not to interfere
with the arrsngeurients awl foundations on whieli
it stood. r• No innovation" was the cry, when Ca.
new military matron was attempted to he 1:1!-
pmvestl; but when the whole anticnt foetid:aim
of military policy were overturned, riot a %lord WM
been suffered to be *aid ou the impoiire of thi,3111,-.
irreeedented measure.. He was not Col, is the
habit of attending the debates of that house ; but
he bail eninignnicated the sem:me:AA he c:.terti,i tied
of that iniartatiou to several of the Noble Lords
about him, who could bear witness to the slcsilw.d.
enc. he ever entertained of the sneers* of that
measure. Much had been said of the ,nperior hu-
meri/id returns of recruits during the opt ratites of
the late visionary schemes. He could assure the

house the army Ina been trarely kept up in its
establishment. One objection had been admitted
on ell hands, namely, Abe evil 'to be apprehended
from the time of service of several troops on a fo-
reign station expiring at the same period of time,
it was eertainly better to, at ic,ni, permit the
Iwo soeeirs of raising recruits to go *nand in
lumd tosetLer, sad :et thew have a fair trial. His

'majesty's affeadts were seil!inglo kt the late sss
tem be proved to the stomas. ; tot it was not tit.'
‘otieu.mail that the whole three of the eouota
should be employed in trying the experiment.
h.
cause Jiinistens were not so weak, in which condos
tt
he felt himself happy, the new model ,„
the forces run riot, and exclaimed against the
sme. Was it then exp.xted that the country
should admire the new system, merely lievitu
they had nothing else to adn,in: ? This was 4,de,
blindfolding the man, wlsose opinion you want„
to talc of the comparative brillilusey of colours.._
Much had been said, also, of tie superior mod,
of recruiting under the present system, as,
the imitietate returns made. In his bust, about
three hundred parties were employed in that err
vice, at the present boor, there were emir 100 e
the expeuie of maintaining all these inertia
parties fell on the *et vice. whilat the picked hoop
of the country were employed than in this compar,
tivelv useless employ:neut. Yet it was required tl,
Miawters should exclaim, " Oh, what greet ton:
you have etteeted!" It was really lutlittous to Lc
such appea4s (hear! hear !) There had Leen
espeetations held out to the Ilouse lag year, 0
better men would enter into th.! service. NO
- -

his lain he did not know what they Meant by L.
into. Was it tall tr? thicker. stio.iger?
these might be objects--No. It was, he supp ;th,
men of higher rank in life. Pray did men of
maks alorie make prill soldiers ? Ask Serjennt
Farquhaea play of The Reersitiv Officer ?—fle
reply, " give me the fellow undutiful to hisparents,
hampered by a Jembel of a wife." I want only t'
stout active follow, and then I have a voldicr.--
The very vice*. of such men qualified thew fur :
life of restlessness and enterprise. Such men
was an advantage to drain froin the large manufat
turing towns, where they were a public nuisantv
to the field, where, by discipline. they might bt
come good soldiers; except the Noble Lori
thought it better in take the honest industries
tradesman or mechanic from his successful
hours, by this new scheme of getting btu,
,net, awl leave the rabble behind thew I
annoy the peaceful inhabitants. As for I
part, lie would reply, " I am content with ti
worse men, they might keep the better

themselves." first"regnisit; of soldiers a
spirit, and this the worst usen,he thought, po:
seed more of, than those dignified by the title
better. l'his Pystem, then, was not as it had be
said, founded on a knowledge of nature and lit
No; it was a pervirrsion of every principle in pol
tics or morality. lie professed this Bill did not Ko
destroy the other system. as it had been said, Ii
side wind. \o; he would scorn such a means of r
ceeding.; he would never advise the Ministry of tl
country to attack it by this underhand proceedint
it would be cowardly and unworthy of them. TI
clause in the present Bill only went to give the t'
systems a lair trial, aid enable the country to Gi
the preference to that which was beat. From these
reasons, he shankd sapport the present clause et•
jetted

- Lord Stvisourn applauded highly the viten
pursued by that gveat rano, Mr. Pitt, nod Nl-
usaiutainel by the able advocacy and nee
tious of the Neble Lord who had so anifomik
'appealed his measures; yet,. is this country
where the spirit of a free danititatioa

strongly pervaded all descriptions of subjects,
it was impossible to introduce any measure of
the nature of conscription. The system of the
late Administration was then the only one which
was likely to keep up the intitary establishment of
the country, without violating the constitutional
privileges of the subjtct. It never promised any
increase suited to an immediate exi , but
tended, by gradual progress, to the most
efficacious mode of supply, The present clause
W6S, strove ull others, calculated to excite very
strong fisdings of jealousy amongst the various de-
scriptions of our military establishattent.
The Earl of Motaa thought it unnecessary to
argue the general merits of the system introduced
by the late Administration. The result, as ap-
peared from the retainni placed on their Lordships'
table, fully juatillea the hopes which its advocates
had entertained. It proved itself to- be a system
oilenitiug Leith progressive advantages, extending
thmtighout the country a military feeling, parti-
cularly amongst the working classes of society,
onionpt wl a strong prejudice against the h.fe
of a soldier had previously existed. .Ruch as had
been said by the Noble Viscount (Melville), in
ridicule of the moral wmlity of the soldier—yet
still lie woithl over eo..tc_sid, that it was the true
and safe policy to make your army consist of men
who felt the honour End interest of the country a
lemaniount cons.irlenction. The Noble Earl here
reviewed the various immsares which were thought
neressery to he resorted to. in order to meet a
imt!:leas prisAure. They, therefore, could not ii
colitnuited to the dimdvantiage of a system calve,
hoed to afoul progressive, certain, and pernianel :
resourves. for the support of the military service of
the country.

The mail or WVIITYORT AND WU/ surprised at tl
presumed omnipotence of the Noble Lords opr.
site, Meow-J..lring That Parli.tinnt had not a lig!
to alter oral repeal thi4 ;nlO4l trn-J3ure of
Pont which and, geewt henct:t. were predicted. h:
0.1.11 little effectual Ipearlit ,:erived. He contr.:, 1.).
thut the prcseut clause Rale a c,:rtainty to the ;9: .-
tar) e,tailli-liitwot, and c, en well its counti.n.
ere,h,. the :I:en o:ac e 4 ti'st .
o hie h w.m1.1, tit mie uuder the

of the hAr grand tiN deprive the
of thirty ti ))))) 'aro. ex, Indin4 the avers,
waste of the tadatary for,e 'J the country. Ii
btront;lh or god the illou.e to the adte.d.on of C
etun,e, ai the only' mode of ditninisl.ia•; the et
effects which the eModny,..a. of u nUlnbCr
mea for limit.-41 settle,. tw•tui.l 1./O'SW!
Ile was therefore tietz,-:atai.d to sole agair.ht
amendment.

Lordilo;.l.AND r-yr:2J to the nun:tete:
objections of oppo,, d
atiNotioe;.t. dri:ira o:at any I:9es, tither
tort e.tettv or rajii advmutnAe, IA ere held otit
authors tf the ci.:ange in the mil;taty sydent
etititttu, as :JAI been fn.i4l ; Car relia;:ce pl• "
1)V thtin on its prove, operolit,a. Ytt,
it, s'o.:rt rtcpQriet.,:, • it ‘,..nt.0.

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that 1;:r t;:n to.:r rir.:.;•.-r1 it NY, liirly
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