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London, England, 1806-07-12 00:00:00

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the Volunteers. He beg.n. by ariveltir.g tr.
Marcy disadvetinitmons opi/A4,:i• unered in nest
House, by the Right lion. Gentleman opposite him
(Mr. Windham), against that highly usetul and pa-
triotic body of men..
.From those opinions of the
Right Hon. Gentleman he totally clif /red. lie
thought the Volunteers were deserving of the highest
praise, for the zeal, ardour, adivity, and patriotism,
with wl ich they had come forward, in defence of
their country, at a moment when it was threatened
with the greatest danger. He thought that, in fad,
they had been the means of saving the country ; and
he bad, therefore, an inteution to propose a resolu-
tion in their favour, as he was desirous that such re-
solution should be a record of the House. to strew,
at least, Meir opinion of the me-its, and the enninept
services performed by the Volunteers. He adverted
to the unremitting exertions they had made, to bring
themselves to a state of discipline ; and the zeal acid
alacrity they had shim, on every occasion, when-
ever and wherever an alarm had *eel created. In
Yorkshire, when an alarm took place, every man
who had been, at any time, enrolled in the corps,
though, at the moment, withdrawn from it, turned
out instantly, and joined the corps. femur to march
at a moment's nonce • and, at Sheffield cad other
places, they did aduely match. The same was the
case in Roxburgh, where they turned out to a man,
with the greatest alacrity, and actually marched 300
miles through frost an snow. He adverted to the
...woe. wade by the Inspeding Field Officers, in
which some of them were described as tit to join the
line of the reguler army, and to tight in company
with them ; others were mentioned to be in a state
of the highest discipline, and, out of 300,003 Volun-
teers, he thanked God, there were very tow indeed,
that were not fit to be reported. He said, those Van
lunteers who had been most oil permanent duty
were the best disciplined, and those who had seen
the least of that, went the worst. He could not.
therefore, but consider the abolition of Inspeding.
Field Olken, as a regulation meant to get rid of
the Volunteer, which he deemed a very unbecom-
ing return for their eminent and valuable services.
It would have been mote decorous in the Right'
Honournble Gentleman to have come forward, and
told them fairly and cartiidly—" You have done
the State some service, and they know it, but
they have any further use for you." To such a
manly declaretioa he would have had no objention.
He paid a high compliment to the speech delivered
by Mr. Shetidan in favour of the Volunteers, which
find contributed to draw forth the zeal of the Vo-
luntee.s, and stimulated them to make the exertions
they bad male in defence of the country. He
thought no reasonable objention could be made to
a resolution of this nature, as he was sure the Vo-
lunteers could not go on after dor repeated declera-
tinny of the Right llonoureble Gentleman resp ha-
ing them. 'lacy wish to know how they are to go
on, and what they are to event ; and they will
draw chit mach more satinfantorily from a declara-
tion of Parliament, than from the opinion of the
Right Hon. Gentleman. He thought them a body
ot men nitre'. better calculated for the defence of
the country than those reluderit conscripts which
were to be raised under the favourite Sill of the
Right Hon. Gentlemen. !le wou:d not linger de-
tain the House, bat conclune by moving as tallow,:
In Resolved—that this House doth highly approve,
and thankfully acknowledge. the services of different
Corps et Yeomanry and Volunteers, in toe United
Kingdom; and that they think it necessary to re-
cord the opinion "tehich they entertain of that esta-
blishment, and ot the zeal, energy, and patriotism,
with which they have contributed in so essential a
degree to the defence and security of the country."
Mr. DENT seconded the motion. He spoke for
some time in great praise of the patriotic exertions
of the Volunteers ; complained of the contemptuous
manner in which that side of the House had uni-
formly been treated by the present Administration ;
bad heard they meant to meet this motion with the
previous question, but he did not think they dared
to do so, notwitnstanding the very old ivooreble
opinions which the Right Hon. Gentle:nen had de-
livered oa the Volunteer system.
Sir R. IaiILBANKE said, he had the honour of
commending a corps of Volunteers, who were as
leelou; as any set of men in the world. He enter-
tained the same opingoo of the whole body ; they
w, re hocen, he knew, and, he believed, bold ; and,
therefore, deserved the thanks of their country.—
In this vote, therefore, he concurred with all his
heart ; bin he wished very much that the Hnn Gen-
tlemen had confiiieJ himself to the Vote of Thanks,
as lie conceived that His .lajeaty's Ministers should
have a p.maer of regulating the force ot the country
in witaitmr way was considered best for ha sup-
port.

General PHIPPS said. he was ono of those
who were appointed to insped the Volunteers, and.
he lad certainly stated, in his report, that many of
them were fit to serve in the Line, and better than
s' tier ot the but there were none of them
sunericr to the Regular Army. He did not wish,
be said, to make any severe remark on the condud
et tlis Majesty's Ministers, but he really thought
the Volunteers had been dispirited. It was much to
be termed, he thortatit, tha: they no longer had
Ilse advantage of the Fuspeding Field Officers, and
also :hat the drill seijeanis had been discontinued;
as without the advantagts !a he derived from those.
he did not think they could be of much service to
their ciointry. The Hon. General then concluded
hYdulanng, that, Irons his high opinion of the Vo-
brown, it WAS impossible he could azt otherwise
than support the motion.
Mr. Secretary WINDHAM said, his Hon. Friend
((.terra) Phipps) seemed to labour under a msutake,
ssith rasped to the drill serjeantst; hey were tint abo-
lished, nor had such an idea ever entered into his
round. His inzentitu was met ely to reduce their pay ;
still, however, leaving as much as would make it an
ajrll for them to continue is the service By the
slew regulation, the pay of the drill•serj Pant, would
i.e, seven shills or a day, ior every day they were
cakd out ;vvi,ich was, in it .s opinion, fully siillicient;
as they were, in general, nretribets of the corps. and
attended their hthimese on the days they were uyt
nut with the corps, like any of the pt ivate n.• -
hers. The other point to which his Honour-
Friead had alluded. was with reaped to
tae opinion given of the state of d'scipline of
the Volunteers. For his past. he always under-
stood it as the opinion of the In‘peiaora, 11,41 the
greater peat of the Volunteer. could go tlatouzh the j

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general man,xlvres With as much prcci>ion is the
Regular Army ; but even though they could do
thi, and aft with troops of the line, it Was nut pre-
tended they were so goed as troops of
the line.
There was something, therefore, beyond the more
mil:tary manoeuvres, in which .they were sle.l,:ieat.
Was this courage ? Certainly not ; the Volunteers
were as brave men, as the. men who composed the
line ; and men who were not Volunteers, as brave
as men who were ; but, as a body, they had not all
the qualifications of the Regular Armv. The regi-
ments of the line, even though filled with recruits,had
the advantage of experienced Serjeants and Corporals;
each regiment had a rame, which it was necessary to
support, and which never died with the individuals
who perhaps acquired it; they were also inured to pay
severe obedienee to their office's, which the Volun-
teer were not ; and for all these reasons, it 'NA{
impossible that they could be as desirable a force
as the Regular Army. With respect to the resolu-
tion proposed, it was first necessary to see whether
the reasons given to induce the House to vote it,
were sufficient ; and, for his part, he did not think
they were ; as, in the first place, the Hon. Gentle-
man had not set out on facts ; for, after stating that
His Majesty's Ministers were about to get shot of
them, he advises the Howe, at least, to give them a
be»r drectrit before they go. This was the misstate-
ment he complaieed of ; for it was not now, nor was
it ever his intention to get shut of the Volunteers.
It could not be expected that the system should
be kept up its the manner it was begun, as
the private subscriptions, which were double the
5,000,0001. advanced by Govetnment, never would
be repeated; and he, therefore, thought it should
be considered that any reduCtion made in the ex-
pence, did not tend to destroy, but to support
the system. The Right Hon. Gentkman then ad-
verted to what had been said with respeZt to the
permanent duty; but, he conceived. the expence
was so great, as to warrant his taking it away ; and
with regard to the system of training, he thought
that would evidently tend to iocrease the Volun-
teers. He ag,rin contended, that the reasonings of
the Hon. Gentleman were incarrea certain it was,
that he thankfully acknowledg-d, and highly ap-
proved of, the condua of the Navy and Army for
the last year; but he had not any idea, of moving a
vote of thanks to them, a, there was no instance
which pointed out the necessity; thetefore, he did
not think thanks should be voted to the Volunteers,
as there was no particular reason for it ; that stated
of their being dispirited, not being well founded. It
would not, however, be proper, he thought, to put
a negative on the resolution, as some parts of it
were true ; but, as other parts of it were untrue,
and unsupported, he thought, the best way would
be to move a previous question ; but as the Hon.
Gentleman had said he would not himself da it,
he hoped some other gentleman would, and he cer-
tainly would support it.
. FULLER insisted, that the Right Hon.
Gentleman had spoken in the most disrespeetful
terms.ot the Volunteers, and advised him to make
up the breach, by sopporting the motion.
Mr. Secretary WINDHAM, in explanation, aide
-hat he always entertained the same opinion of the
Volunteers, that he this night expressed, and had
on all occasions expressed it in substance.
Lord OSSULSTON, after a few observations. in
which he differed from the opinion entertained by
the lion. Mover, concluded by moving the pre-
vious question.
Mr. BANKES said, it was argued that this Vote
of "thanks should not be given, because there was
no change made with respeill to the Volunteers. A
great change had been made in the army and n ivy ;
as in consequence of the high opinion tne country
entertained of them, their pay had been augmented.
Now, with regard to the Volunteers, the dire et con•
Crary course had been taken; and he, therefore,
thought it was necessary that the country should
declare that they entertained a high opinion of them.
I he Hon. Gent. then expressed a degree of sorrow
that certain words had been dropped by the Rt. Hon.
Gent. and he really thought, that by his words. and
not hip aS.,he had injured the spirit of t*Volunteerst
with respeift to the latter, he had generally sup-
ported him in them; bat the former, he said, had
been spread All over the country ; and therefore
became Parliament to declare that the services of
the Volunteers were acceptable, and a continu-
ance of them hoped for. He then entered into a
particular detail of the advantages which would
be derived from the new system of training,
which he thought preferable to the Volunteers, but
which would be subsidiary to them. He would
ask his Honourable Friends belts e him, with what
view they brought forward this resolution ? (A
cry of bear! hear! from the Miltrterial Ben:hes .1)
Was it with a view of embarrassing those who had
the conduet of the nation entrusted to them ? (Loud
(rift of hear! beer! free the 1.2101$ ,a,“arteri . lie also
called on the Right Hon. Gentlemen opposite him,
to join him in excluding from the resolution whatever
would cast a reileCtion on the mai. e ity of the House,
by calumniating the measures which had been adopt-
ed by them, and then pass the vote of thanks to the
Volunteers. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by
hoping that the motion for the previous question
would be withdrawn, and that his Hon. Friends
would allow some words to be struck out of the Re-
solution, which, to him, appeared exceptionable.
Sir ROBERT WILLIAMS said, he could not
conceive a milder or more proper minion than this,
which had for its objed to thank those who had
merited well of their country. and be gave it his
hearty concurrence. _ _

Mr. WILBERFORCE said, he had not thought,
upon a former occasion, when the thanks of Parlia-
ment were moved to the Volunteers, that they had
then done any thing to deserve so high a distinc-
tion ; but he was now fully of opinion that their
continued anJ valuable services highly merited
that acknowledgement. It should be remem-
bered, that they were that deuription of force,
that could only be encouraged and main-
tained by this sort of commendation; and the great
sacrifices of time A n d money they had made, had
well earned this :need. With respea to the utility
of the Volunteers, he believed that, in addition to
their other recommendations, they had much as-
sisted the recruiting for the regular army ; and he
p.witively knew that some corps Lad furnished
great numbers of men to that force. The Ho.
nnurable Gentlemin proceeded to state, that per-
manent Ju:y to a wort pet sseti:d contribute to

pat the Volunteers under . more mditary restraint,
and better conduce to that state of discipline, which
it was desirable they should be in, than the pro-
posed drilling on detached days in the year. He
exceedingly lamented, that the motion should
have had the previous question put upon it,
and thought, that if the than'ss of the House
were given unanimously, as proposed in the first
part of the motion, it would be of more value
to those whom it interested, than the last part,
carried by force of numbers in that House; and
unless the words of the motion could be altered so
as to render the whole unobjectionable, he wished
the question should he di•ided.
General TARLE FON observed, that the House
had lately concurred in allowing an increase of pay
to the Army and Navy, and the present motion was
calculated to re-establish that credit, of which the
Voluoteers believed themselves to have been dz-
prived, by what had been advanced respeCting them.
It had been, on a recent occasion, suited, that we
might again begin to look for a visit from Bou-
logne ; arid it would not be said that the Volun-
teers, in such a case, would not eminently contribute
to our security. For himself, he was firmly of
opinion, that the metropolis would be better proteted
by '2.1,000 Volunteers, than by so many regular sol-
diers. The necessity, therefore, of preventing their,
diminution, by applying an antidote in the ifi'ape of
the motion proposed. to the disgust which they
The
lien. General
stated the result of some experiments which he made
to prove the utility and efficient celerity of some
Volvnteer Corps in the neighbourhood of Bristol;
and concluded with the observation, that he attri-
buted the dying words—" Oh, my country,"---of
a much-lamented Statesman, to his convidirm of the
versatility and unfitness of the Right Hon. Gentle.
man (Mr. Windham) for the office to which he
would succeed.
Mr. SHERIDAN was indneed to rise thus early
in the debate, in consequence of what had fallen
from the two Flonourable Gentlemen who had last
spoken. He had always admired the reverence
and affeftion with which the friends of the Right
flonourahle Gentleman lately deceased, (Mr. Put)
spoke of him. Whether the Hon. General (I arle-
ton) was one of them, he knew not (e i.regb
but %hen he said that the dying lamentation of
that distinguished man was uttered because of
the prohabrlity of the Government falling into
the hands it had d me, he could not but observe,
that rime likelihood, at that time, was, that it would
deeclee into the hands of those persons whom he
:.imself most wished (Hear hear .7. The milita-
ry measures which had lately come under discus-
sion, were not exclusively those of his Right Hen.
Friend (Mr. Windham), but were the plan. adopted
and supported by the whole of Ira Majesty's cabi-
net ; and he (Mr. Sheridan) WIS thereraie particu-
Lily sorry to differ in opinion, as to the propriety
of them ; but he continued to thiuk, that the coun-
try should not rely solely upon a force of
one description, as nO country relving upon
such means only, had ever been saved. He
never would consent to reduce, by a single man,
rims! great constiortinnal force, the Militia; but, above
all, he never could alter his opinion of the Volunteer
system. At a period when many thought him pre-
mature in his proceedings, he had moved a vote of
thanks to the Volunteers, and frost the entire con-
viction he entertained of the vast service they were
capable of rendering, he had ever felt it to be his
duty to do all he could to promote their interests and
maintain their charader. From the returns which
had been laid fo:forethellouse, it wasevident that they
had persevered until they had attained a state of disci-
pline that entitled them to the thanks of the coun-
try ; and he could not allow that the reports which
had been made by regular General Offi,:ers, of the
sate of that discipline, were not to be attended
to, and relied upon, as it could not be sup-
posed those Officers would deceive the Govern-
ment ; if they would, what became of that superior
respell due to Regular Officers ? He had formerly
stated a fad which he had acquired a knowledge
of from a correspondence which he held with a
ge stleman in France, that no circumstance had ever
isioned so much dismay to Bonaparte, and his
Minister, Talleyrand, as that of the invitution ciL
our Volunteer System. From the moment of
its commurieation to them, all idea of success-
fully invading this country, vanished. If ever
unanimity was desirable, it was in the case
of this Tuition : but, for himself, he could not ac-
cede to the words of the motion, as they at present
stood, and hoped that those Hon. Gentlemen who
supported it, would consent to the adoption of that
kind of middle poposition, which should go the
length of thanking the Volunteers for the services
they had rendered, without having any perspective
declaration. The Hon. Gentleman then proceedesito
vindicate Mr. Windham from the charge of having
disparaged the Volunteers. He had himself for-
merly had several bickerings with that Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman on the suhjed ; but he was
sure that, in the present case, pains had been taken
to give to his words a meaning which they were
not intended to convey. As the ads of the
Right Honourable Gentleman were admitted not
to bear out the words imputed to him, no disgust
WAS justified from the rumours, as an unequivocal
negative of them had been afforded, and a hope
expressed, that the Training Ball would increase
the number of Volunte.a.. But a vote liks
what he (Mr. Sheridan) proposed, must at once
satisfy all parties. On a former occasion he bad
moved the thanks of the House. to the Yeomanry
and Volunteer Corps, for she alacrity with which
they had stepped forward, in that moment ..
crisis, for the defence of tie country, and toe
motion had been carried unanimously. What
bad passed since that, made it necessary to renew
the vote ; the Jed of which would be entirely to
refute the machinations of the insidious, and
allay the apprehensions of the suspicious. He
wished the Hon. Member to withdraw his motion
for the previous question, and thought that. by
substituting, instead of the latter words of the
original motion, the words " That the House
continues to maintain a cordial sense of the
service of the Yeomanry and Volunteer Coils,
and highly approves of their perseveranc...s." all par-
t:es might be reconciled. He concluded by saying,
that :here never was a count, y so indi bted to a body,
as this was to the Volunters, and that they would be
iatitled to everlasting gratitude..

/

•
Mr. PERCIVAL objected, that the prop-sition
of tire Right Hon. Gentlemap s( Mr. Sheridan), was
merely expiessive of approbation for past services,
containing no perspective expression, and contriblit-
' ing, in no deeree, to r,.move the doubt which ex-
isted of the iuteution of Government to continue
the Volunteers. After what had fallen from the
Honourable Gentleman, by which it appeared, that,
during the pfogress of these BA:s thr nigh the
House, for the effeaing of measures. which he had
to-night so generally condemned, he had retired
from the House, in crde: that he might not be
to the necessity of objceling to them (a tied raj
Hear! bear! from the Oppotitim 8.-ne.414.1 •
His sincerity, in the present case, appeared very
doubtful, and his proposition s e v much like a com-
promise to shield his ll;ght Hui;. Friend ( Alr.Wind-
ham) from the effeet of his indiscreet ensure. If .
any thing could have the efred now, of recenciline
the Volunteers, it would undoubtedly be a grave par-
liamentary recognition of the ♦alue of titer services. •
arid a wish for theircontinuance; and if she Hon Get . '
could induce his Right Hon. Friend to accede to
such a vete, no captious adherence to words on his
(Mr. Percival's) side of the House would prevent
theit unanimity. If there had not existed a fele
doubt of the favourable intention of the Right Hen..
Secretary towards the V.oltrnseets. the manner is
'Which the previous question had been to-nigin rneve4
upon a motion of thanks to them, would haw*
created one. The opportunity was now afforde#
of proving that he had been misrepresented, and of •
letting him join in a wish for their continuance
and if it was evaded by the previous question being
carried, the doom of the Volunteers could so law*
be considered doubtful, a '
Mr. SHERIDAN explained.
Viscount HOWIC said, the inference wave
not correet. that, because the previous questi,i4
should be carried against this motion, the Right
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. NVindham) was, theretore,
to be set down as having decidedly avowed a
inclination to continue the Volunteers, AS the original
motion would merely be by that means di• pored ot.
because nn ground was shown for its adoptinn. He
thought. Ware objea of the Right Hon. and Lem-tied
Gentleman (Mr. Tercival) and his friends, had been
to make thY• Volunteers beiieve that they etre ag.
grieved, and make them discontented with the mu
of the Legislature, they could not have pursued
any better course for th,•ir purpose, (hear ! herr !)
He concluded an aide speech, by reprobating, after
so many lengthened and vexatious debates duriog •
the Session, this attempt to create another general
debate on tit- ,tosject of the Volunteers.
Mr. CANNING ably pursued the come* of ear-
giment of Mr. Percival ; and detlered, that by the
course pursued to-night, when. after a loag suspensor
the subjea had been decisively brought to an issue.
the blow was struck, if, instead of altuwing the vote
of thanks to be ca.ried, the previous question was
persisted in.
Mr. WINDZIAM denied that that would be the
consequence ; and said, that the only crecasien
which the previous question could be moved, was,
when it was not wi&h.:l to negative• a niotivb,
although a clonist was entertained of its propriety.
Lvrd DE BLAQUIERE, and Sir H. MILD►
MAY. spoke in favour of the original motion.
Mr. WHITBREAD gave every credit to the
Volunteers, hut thouee tins war nut a time to press
for a vote of thanks to them.
Viscount CASTLEREAGH supported the Mo-
tion ; and,
Mr. CARR replied to Lord De Blaquiere.
A division then took place. when there sere, for •
the previous question, as maved by Luta Ossulston,
Ayes, 75—Noes, 4l—Majority 3k
On our re-admission to the Gallery, we found
Mr. SHERIDAN en his legs, who, to remove the
doubts entertained by the Volunteers, of the inten-
don of Government towards them, and to prevent a
relaxation of their laudable services, moved. " that
this House continues to retain a cordial sense of tLe
zealous e xertionsof the several corps of Yeemanyanet
Volunteers associated for the defence of the country,
and doth highly approve of their continuance to be
SO associated."

Viscount HOWIC said, feeling as he did, that
this motion was moved in a time that did not
justify it, he was under the incesitry of moving the
previous question as bad been done before.
Atter a short debate, the numbers, on a d:vision.
were, Ayes Ca Noes 39—Majority 50.
The other Orders were then disposed of, and, at
FOUR O'CLOCK. the House adjourned.

•.• An unmerited censure west the state of Lie pubis,
Press, appeared in The Career of List night. We r. pet wet
the length of the Paskamentary Debate obliges us 14. defer our
refutatoin of the foul slander, until Mooslmp.