The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-03-22 00:00:00

REDUCTION OF THE MILITIA.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
rose to make the motion of which he had given no-
tice relative to the reduaion of the Militia. He
began by stating, that instead of keeping the Militia,
as had been some time since proposed, to be ;ma-
dually reduced to 4.0,000 in England and 8,000 in
Scotland, it was his intention to =limit a plan to
the House, by which it should be done in a more
expeditious way, and so as to give a very consider.
able disposable force to the uses of the Regillat
Army. The total number of Militia at this time in
Great Britain, amounted to between (9 and 70,000
men. By reference to Aas of Parliament, he be-
lieved it would be found, that the portion of Eng.
land was 41,000, and for Scotland 8,000. These
numbers were, however, only applicable to rank and
file men ; and, in order to ascertain the exalt num.
her, it would be necessary to take in the corporals,
who in number were about 2,300. This would
bring the number altogether to 51,000, as that
which was the force of this kind originally intended
to be kept up. At the present moment, it stood
at 611,000 men, of which excess he meant to avail
himself ; and if his proposition should be acceded
to by the House, it would give an accession of
17,000 men to the regular and disposable force of
the country. Not merely the number of men to
amount, but 17,000 trained and disciplined
soldiers, f• and ready to go upon any service what-
ever, at even the ;,lasrtest notice. It was, he
said, generally allowed by all, that it would be
a great and essential addition to :I_,e army, and
which, in the present circumstances as r.I state of
Europe, could not fail to be attended i7ith
effeas the most beneficial and important to the
interest and welfare of this country. He should
not, however great and important as measure
appeared to him to be, endeavour to propose
it, if he had the least idea or doubt that it
would prove any serious detriment to the Militia, for
he was one who looked to the zeal, patriotism, and
usefulness of that valuable body of men, with as
much pride and respea as any other Honourable
Gentleman could do. He thought, however,
the circumstances of the country, and the
♦ery considerable excess that at present prevailed
in the numbers of the Militia, fully justified him
M making the propositioa to the House, which was,
at present, the objet of this address to them. He
had, for some time past, formed his opinion, that the
Militia ought not to be continued at a higher number
than he had abovensentioned, on the same ground

as °then Han. Members on the Opposite side.of the
House, who had all repeatedly stonetsored in genii-
menu, that it was wrong to beep so many men
locked up from being used as a dispmeable force,
and from the still more urgent and forcible argu-
ment, in which all were equally agreed, that it
tended very considerably to detriment and prevent
the recruiting and maintaining the regular army.
And, added to this. he had also received the decided
opinion of many principal officers in the Militia, that
continuing it at such an extent as it had lately been
carried to, was rather against the original principle
on which the Militia was formed, and tended, in
many respeas, to weaken it. That point being de-
cided, an aft had also been passed, that from that
period, when any vacancies shall take place in any
regiment of Militia, they shall not be filled up till
such regiments shall become reduced to the ori-
ginal number at which it is to be permanently
kept. This would, however, be a means of re-
ducing the Militia, which would be very tedious and
dilatory, and much impede the increase of the Re-
gular Army ; and it was, of course, highly desira-
ble that some more prompt and allive measure


. _ z.-., ... ~

should be adopted. He had also a further reason
for accelerating its progress,which was, the great ne-
cessity there was for officers to carry on and keep up
the discipline of the Militia, there trot being, at the
present moment, a greater number than was abso-
lutely requisite to officer the several regiments, ac-
cording to the numbers to which they are to be re-
duced. If with this, said • he, you couple the cir-
cumstance of the great want of men in the Regular
Army, he put it to the serious consideration of the
House, whether there ever was a moment in which
they could, with more likelihood of success, appeal
to the zeal and patriotic ardour of the Militia to
volunteer their services, than was the present ? and
whether, by any cold, unnecessary delay, they
would lose so fair an occasion of adding so con-
siderably to the strength and efficiency of the Re-
gular Army ? These, he said, are the general
grounds on which the measure rests, and he thought
them so very plain and evident, that he should not
have thought it necessary to have dwelt on them at
so much length, if he did not know, from certain
communications which had taken place, that the
measure met with the disapprobation of certain Ho-
nourable and respeftable charaders, for whose judg-
ments he had the highest regard, and whose con-
currence of opinion he should always be proud
and happy to possess. Highly, however, as he va-
lued their judgment, and desirous as he should ever
be to pay every proper deference thereto, he had a
public duty to perform, that was paramount to
every other consideration, and he must persist in
what he conceived to be necessary for the general
interests of the regular army at the present crisis,
though he would be ready and desirous to take
every opportunity of consulting them, and so modi-
fying his proposition, as to make it as consonant as
possible to their general wishes. He did not think
it necessary, he said, in this early stage of the busi-
ness, to go into any greater length of detail in
opening nu plan, than just to state a mere out-
line of its principal points. In the first place, he
said, the proportion that can volunteer, will not
be such as can risk the depriving the militia of
such men as the officers think the best, and the mode
he should propose was, he flattered himself, such as
that there was scarcely any difference of choice,
whether Government were permitted to take them,
or the officers were allowed to have the selection.
There were, he said, two ways of obtaining the
quota from each reiment, which he would men-
tion. Having fixed-the roportion to be allowed
for each county, and this having been communi-
cated to the commanding officers, they shall be al-
lowed to choose such men as they themselves shall be
most ready to part with, and having so seleded
them, if the number amounts to four-fifths of the
quota they are to find, that regiment shall be dis-
charged from any further call. That was one pro-
posal. The other was, if the four-fifths were not
seleCted, the Commanding Officer shall, out of the
whole number, set apart one half, which he shall
actually wish to keep, and out of the remaining half
Government shall be allowed to enlist such as may
be willing to volunteer their services into the regular
army, so as not to exceed the number apportioned
as the quota of that regiment. He illustrated his
meaning further, by supposing that any regiment,
at present consisting of 1000 men, was to be re-
duced to 700 ; the Commanding Officer, according
to he last mode, has the choice of setting apart .500,
a 4 out of the remainder. the quota of latch regi-
mnits will be enlisted, if they choose to volunteer
their services. In proposing this mode, he said, he
hoped he had proved what he at first set out with,
that the measure would not operate so as to de-
triment the Militia, and yet will, in fad, most
essentially augment and strengthen the regular
army. This, he said, was the general outline of the
plan, and he was not aware that there was any ne-
cessity for enlarging further on it at present, unless
any explanation should be required of him as to any
part or particular point in which he might not have
made himself understood. In that use, he should
he ready to give every information and elucidation
that was in his power. He would, therefore, only
trouble the House to read his motion, which he did
to the following purport :

" That leave be given to bring in a Bill for allowing a certain
proportion of the Militia in Great Britain to voluntarily enter
into the Regular Army."

The motion having been read from the Chair—
Earl TEMPLE rose, and addressing himself to
Mr. Pitt. asked him a question relative to orders
for recruiting from the Militia having been already
issued, and the recruiting parties gone down to the
olacea when the Militia Regiments are severally in
quarZzrs ?
The (3.9ANCF.LLOR of the EXCHEQUER
answered, that he :ziew of no such orders.
Earl TEMPLE then proceeded to express his
surprise that such a measure as :he present should be
at this time resorted to by the Right ;-7.011, Gent.
who had only twelve months ago made such mag-
nificent promises, that the regular army should be
most speedily and effeaually augmented by his own
famous Defence Ad—under the provisions of which
the Militia was to be allowed to be gradually re-
duced, and the army perfetked without profanely
touching and trenching on that constitutional
body of defence. That wonderful Defence AO,
which, till it was passed, the Right Hon. Gentle-
man was counting days and even hours, that im-
peded the immediate necessity of raising such a
mighty force, as was not only to defend us against
all attacks of the enemy, but to hurl back defiance,
and threaten vengeance oa his own shores. He
' was, therefore, much surprised to see him now bring
forward a Measure which was so very severe a rebuke
and censure of his once favoured and all effeaing
Defence Bill—which was, among the other nu-
merous wonders it was to work, to abolish the ballot
—and by the present measure he restores the ballot,
and abolishes hit own Defence Aa. Having thus
indulged himself in his remarks on that particular
AR, he adverted to what bad been said by the
Right Honourable Gentleman in his opening this
business. The Right Hon. Gentleman, said his
Lordship, has assumed. that we all agree as to the
necessity of augmenting the disposeable force of
the country. It were peihaps to be wished and
thought that all ought to agree on that abstrati
question, but he could by no means allow that he
was bound, or ought therefore to be called on, t
agree to the Right Honourable Gentleman's mode
of bringing it about. So far from doing so, he dif-
fered from him on the subjeß altogether. The next
point advanced by the Right Honourable Gentle-

•
• .
man was, that diem cook% be nom ike the
present, for appealing to the soot oil *Oa* ej at
Militia, to volunteer their services hto the Regular
Army. In this too he differed from him, and be.
fore he made that appeal, he would beg leave to
call to his recolleftion, as well as to the recollex.
tion of the House, that when this measure ses,
first and last adopted in the cake .of the ex.
pedition to Holland, a most solernri' jeomile and
pledge had been given by I lis Majestlrts then co.
vernment, at the hard of which the Right Has.
Gent. himself thee was, that a measure of suck a es.
cure should never be again recurred to. At A klb.
sequent period, a similar pledge had been given by
another set of Ministers on the same point. He
did not, he said, mean to refer to • the
had been said in another House, for
irregular and improper ; but he :as
House to it, as a matter well known, and
part of the political history of the country, digg—liese
of His Majesty's Ministers had again seasmit
pledged himself that this measure should never be
recurred to again. "Yet behold," said his Lo; I.
ship, " these two Ministers, making these pies
in two different administrations, are now become
united; and, in defiance of both their solemn pro.
mises, this very measure is again brought forward,
and the Right Hon. Gent, this eight has decisec,4
that there was never a moment when the zeal it., 1
ardour of the Militia were so great as at the present ,
period to volunteer their services into the regular
army. There was, perhaps an ardour at preen
existing such as had been described, and I e as g
Militia Colonel, could tell the HOWe bow rim
ardour, which had been so warmly and forcibly as.
scribed, had been roused." In doing this, he
would not mention it as a matter of doable
or hearsay, or mere belief, but as a dntird*
charge, whiclihe thought it his duty to bring for.
ward. Government, his Lordship said, had givers
orders to recruiting parties, under the command of
officers or serjeants, to go into the different places
in the country where Militia Regiments are quar-
tered, and to take down the names of such men itt
the several Militia Regiments as are willing to so.
lunteer, and to use eve' y means in their power to
induce them to do so. In proof of this, his Lord.
ship mentioned that a recruiting party belioneinutd,to
the Ist Battalion of the 3d Regiment Of
had gone to the place where the Militia Regiment
he had the honour to command was quartered,
and had taken down the names, and endeavoured
to seduce and crimp several of the men. Oa
being informed of this, he wrote to the commantfing
officer of that regiment, the answer to which letter
he had in his pocket, and would beg leave to read
the first three lines of it, which he accordingly did.
and which purported, " that it being onderstoOdit
was in contemplation to reduce the Militia, he had
received orders to send down recruiting parties to
enlist such as were willing to volunteer their wt.
vices,"— thus, said his Lordship, have Govern.
ment given orders, before parliament has agreed to
the measure, to send out recruiting parties to crimp
the men serving in the Militia, and to seduce them
from their colours. The Right Hon. Gentians*
had, with his usual eloquence, and flow of fiss
wdrds, expressed his respell for that body of Ga.
tlemen of which he had just been speaking; but,
after such orders as he had Just mentioned, le
hoped they would no more hear of delicacy, at lot
towards Militia Colonels. It karibt yet, he 410311.
tended, been decided that the militia was aCiellyi
at a higher number than it ought to be. If it Ids
then Government have shown the high reaps& they
have for those Colonels, by sending ordeWbsfore
the Legislature has authorised and sant/imbed the
measure, which will prevent the Colonels of the
militia from keeping up discipline in their several
regiments. Orders had been sent down lately to
stop all courts-martial from being begun, and to
suspend those which had been begun (a cry fire
Mr. P.tt If bee-. heir. heir!). his Lordship sit)
the Right Hon. Gent. seemed to differ from hie
this point, but he was sure that stopping and st-
ing courts-martial at this moment, and
purpose, could not well produce any other eft
a certain injury to the discipline of the militia.
House had been told by the Right Hon. Gent
all agreed to the necessity of the augmentetion
they did not all agree that, if it was necessary
sirable, that it should take place at the -
the land. There would be another tar

~ „

alsc
as
had
Rif
litig

posed for this, and then he supposed we
have another pledge, the measure should
recurred to again ; but, after such repeated'
promise, what security was the House to
the due performance of any future pledge
could they be sure that in a few months I
may not be applied to in order to reduce
to 20,000 men ? His Lordship then
some part of the plan which had by
cated to him by Mr. Pitt, which differed
present.
CHANCELLOR of the
spoke to order, stud thought his Lordship
to allude to any thing utich he, in the way
rate communication, and to facilitate the I
of doubts and difficulties, had mentioned
He would leave, he said, to the Noble Lou
to determine as to the propriety of doing se
must appeal to the Speaker for the order of
Earl TEMPLE said, the co*'—

, -
is Lordship said.
lifer from him os
slug and suspend.
nt, and for this
other effee that
the militia. The
Hon. Gent. the
gmentetieel be
necesseret
t the ovens
r tax to le ie.
aced we ilide •
should mew is
epeatcd breach cf
use to eapee for
pledge; and hoe
onths more the/
reduce the Milita
hen adverted t.
been commusi•
differed from the
EXCHYQUEIt
edship aught n,x
the way of pl.
tote the row., .1
entioned to h;„,
oble Lord hint- .•
doing so, but it
order of the thing.
nmunication
e might therefore
, that in doing ss
ion, and was, 6
d found fault ail
a to enlist. The
and then goverr
lunteer as far ss
the refuse to the
lion. Gads':
ice of the teeentl
in 40,000 militia
being to fight the
:fend it against a.
.00ps, and not the
been too short is
detain the Houta
d in, he experl
Id give every ot
,sed in detail.
measure
t with injustice'`
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.!fyHto d
He
th'eouwghtl4":