The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-24 00:00:00

PRICE STXPENCE.

'AR of Henry VIII. respedirg a Non-residencd
of the Clergy, Were read and apt& to; and ordered
to be read a third time to4norrOw. • ,
The further consideration of the I3ill for regulat-
ing the office of Surveyor General of his Majesty's
V%roods and Forests wad' deferred till to-merrew.
Mr. ALEXANDER brought up the Report of
the Militia OfficetS Bill. On the Motion for a se-
cond, reading,
Mr. WINDHAM said, be had no intention of
entering into any discussions on the subject to which
the adoption of the present measure was attributed.
He had lately said, that, on the whole, bp did not
object to the measure proposed ; but he wished to
explain, and to have It understood, that his appro-
bation was a qualified one, in so much as this, that it
extended only to the selettion from taro evits, of the
least ; for certainly the adoption of any measure for
the Militia, was better than that it should
not he'officered. Birt, he .would still contend, that
ir went to do away every •principle of the Militia
'constitution. And, according to any idea ever
entertained of that establishment, the present mea-
'sure could not be applied to' it. The Absolute de-
parture from the terms of qualification, and substi
, tuting officers of a different descriptions IN. longer
placed it in the view of a constitationel force. He
also contended, that the Militia was carried to too
great an extent, and that the country Would be
over-militia'd, when carried farther. than you could
conveniently and constitution: 4y do. , It was the
'other day objected to a 'llhble -I,eird, now in the
House (Lord -Folkstone), that ho "person should
bring forward objections to a measure without hay-
, big a better to propose. He doet 'not know who it
was that said so, • but certainly it could not be any
'person who was long, on, the side of Opposition in
1-I•_ease. . But it was certainly
„a strange argu-
,nient,; for a person might object to a passage in
poetry, or a piece of painting, op just grounds, with-
out bring either-poet or painter enough to substi-
tute a Netter; and he conceived the case was similar
to the point in question? tie phitested against brin-
ing • the Militia' to a similarity with the standing
armY; but he had not the same objection to .the
bringing of the standieg armyld a srsat degree Lei a
shwilerity with the 'Militia: 'lre said; the '.lslMtia
systekn was caltidated to rob' the' army, and that
the proceedings of the othei -high; went direaly iv
'that object. Igor if 'nine guineas is given fora
trlilitia übstittne, where 'will a recruiting-panty
fnd men for the line? He would wish to hie.e the
army recruited fora term of years. He had heard
the opinions of the first military 'men on the 'subject,
and- they carrided with his own. it was tree.
Some men of veri respedatle toilitarY tale is were
of 41 different °pillion. Ile saw no danger of broach-
ing ttijesubjed now; it could create no tfiscoritent,
as 'it would not ailed those serving at present
under a different engagement. •He said, it was
well known, that Militia Colonels were dissa-
tisfied with the measure proposed ; foe the more
officers of this description you i.,:roduce, the More
the evil will encrease. And' now you rob the regi-
ments of the line In both ways; first, by depriving
them of men, and secondly, by inducing their ofß-
cers to enter the Militia Is it not a better way to
enlarge Ike regular force at once, by enlisting fOr ai
term of years? Recruiting for a term of years,
was practised in every other service but our own, and
why not adopted in this country also ?
. .
The SECRETARY at VAR replied, that this
was not the time nor Ole occasion for considering the
best {node of recruiting in general,. or whether it was
betterto have a large army and diminished Militia,
or the contrary. 'll&e were all subject, of distina,
and. deep consideration, which he should not enter
into at present, when the real object was to make the
best use we could of the materials we possessed, and
derive the greatest strength, we could, from our mi-;
litary establishment as it stood.. The Right Hon.
Gentleman (Mi-. Windham) in his observations,
seemed to lose sight of the difference between our
military force and that of the powers cf the Conti-
nent, whicti had their force at hand, whereas ours
was *distributed, in a great part, through our
Colonial, possessions and on foreign service.—
This necessarily engaged . a great number of
those persons who, it' at home, would be qualified •
for commissions in the militia. He should be n2ad,,--
at any time to discuss any of those topics, when re-
gularly brought forward; and, at present, in order
to obviate the objedions of several Gentlen:en, he
should propose a clause, that though the Lord-Lien-
tepants possessed, in ether respeds, a discretionary
power, they should not be enabled to cants on ane .
unqualified persona higher rank than that of cap-
tain. Another dense he should submit would he,
that, when'requ:.red, officers who have served in th:.
Provisional. Cavalry and other Volunteer Corps,
should he' admissable to the same rank in the al
litia, which.thev held before. As to the pradice
drafting, the kight Hon. Gentleman who spoLi•
last kneW tsat it had been, in a groat measure, dine
away long since, even under his own auspices ; hot
he couhissee nit reason why there could be an occa-
sion for my expiess provision against it, as it never
had been resorted.to but as a matter of necessity.
Lord STANLEY,, said, that in the county where
he resided the greatest. part of the property was in
the hands of the Roman Catholics. The only oath
usoally.demanded of Persons of that persuasion was
simply that of allegiance ; and he wished to know
whether persons of that persuasion were admissable
into the VMirtia uuderlhe present Bill ?
To this question no answer was returned.
Mr. KINNAIRD wished to know whether the
provisions of this Bill were to extend to Scotland :
The SECRETARY at WAR replied, that a die.
cretionary power was meant to be left to the Lord-
Lieutenants in Scotland ; but he did not know that
it was his wish that no other th to qualfied persims
should be appointed in the Scofch Mil ti t, but If is
was thought otherwise, there would' he an opperta.
nity of proposing it on the third reading.
The Report was then brought up the Clauses of
the Secretary at War agreed to, and the Bill card:T-
ed to be read a third time ou :Monday
journed.

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