The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-06-24 00:00:00

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the CoMmktee on the King's Niessage night be re-
vived. and observed he was as much for strong, bold,
and vigorous measures as his Hon. Friend was ; but
when he talked of balletingfor the line. and having re.
course to compulsory service, he could not possibly
agree in sentiment m ith him. No man, who wished
to proceed upon constitutionatprlnciples, could ever
reconcile his mind to such a measure. The whole
power and property of the country were in the hands
of Government, for the defence of the country ; but
it would be a most unconstitutional stretch of autho-
rity to send people abroad, against their consent.
We were all bound to exert ourselves for the defence
of the country, and were liable to be called upon,
even by the Sheriff so to do, if the necessity re-
quired ; but the Government had no right to force a
man, by ballot, into a regiment of the line ; such a
plan would be reversing every principle upon which
the British Constitution and Government was found-
ed ; however, when the subject was discussed, he
should have more to say on this part of it—for the
present, he had only to recommend that the Bill
might be permitted to go to a Committee.
Islr. CALCRAFI' said, he was ready to go as far
.
as his Hon. Friend in support of constitutional prin-
ciples ; but when he heard it stated that the boun-
ties offered would not produce soldiers, and know-
ing, as he did, that it was necessary to set on foot
offensive measores, he was of opinion that extraor-
dinary means must be resorted to for the defence of
that Constitution, which he knew how to value as
much as any man
Sir GIL3ERT HEATHCOTE was of opinion
that vigoreas measures were necessary.- He trusted,
that if the French were preparing to land at Dover,
the people would not see their country insulted,
without a bold effort to resist and punish the inva-
ders. As for rising in a mass when th - hour of dan-
ger arrived, he looked upon that as'sidiculous. If
the people of this country were so degenerate as to
look with a gloomy aspect, on the prospect of the
danger that presented itself, and were adverseto thOse
extraordinary exertions which could alone insure
their safety, he feared the country was irretrievably
lost. He thought something vigorous should be
done; for himself, as a Member of Parliament, and
as a subject, he was ready to come forward and
support Government to the utmost of his power.
Mr. WILLIAM ELLIOTT said, he rose to or.
pose the Bill ; the objection he felt was shortly this,
that it was necessary to procure as large a regular
army as possible ; it was necessary to have a large
disposable force for offensive purposes, as well as for
those of a defensive nature. proposition stood
upon such obvious reasons that he would not pur-
sue it further • the difference of opinion only was as
to the prallicaility of raising such a force. He was
persuaded there was no man who considered the
subject, who was not displeased that the amount of
the army bore no proportion to the population of
the country reasons certainly might be stated why
such was the case : first, our marine required a con-
siderable number of men ; next, the situation and
commerce of the country demanded a vast supply
of its population for civil employments, for manufac-
tures, and agriculture ; but these causes did not sa-
tisfattorily account for the deficiency of the army ;
the experiment of recruiting had never been fairly
tried, nor could it, while twenty or thirty guineas
bounty were given for home service ; it was impel.
Bible, while that was the case, that recruiting tor the
line could go on. He said he had always been a
friend to the principle upon which the Militia was
founded, because it was a principle of compulsory
service which rnight be most essentially applicable
to the defence of the country. He wished, that if
personal service was to be dispensed with, that a
fine should be paid to Government to be appropri-
axed to bounties to men for recruiting the line. He
had no hesitation in saying, that he knew how ad-
verse it would be to the habits and manners of the
people to adapt a compulsory system of recruiting ;
but it was his solemn opinion that
.we rims: have
recourse to compulsion, or the regiments of the
line could not possibly be filled up. It was im-
possible but the Militia must always consist of raw
inesperienced men, consequently the country could
not avail itself, in times of danger, of the assistance
of the Militia, unless it was is conjiindl'usts with a .
large mass of regular troops. He believed it was
the opinion of military men, that new soldiers were
soonest trained with old experienced troops. No
doubt, in the coarse of three or four campaigns,
the domestic force of this country might become a
very fine army ; but if we had not a disposable
force of regular troops with which to commence
our operations, we were inviting the enemy to our
own shores. Without melt a force, even if we sue.
, needed in evening the French, we should have done
nothing. He referred to the ample means the north-
em pates of Scotland afforded of providing troops for
the line.and censured a system adopted some years ago,
of raising 5000 Militia in that country, locking them
up, and sot suffering them to advance beyond the
borders. He next observed, that hole good was to.,
be expisited from the mode of raising soldiers by ,
such officers as recruited for rank. In the first place,
the regulations with resiseift to recruiting were dis-
regarded ; and, in the next, the promotion of the
officers did not depend, as it ought to do, upon merit,
but upon wealth and interest. He thought we were
treading back, step by step, all our former errors.
While such a disregard was shewn to the recruiting
service, though he would not despair, yet he could
not look forward with any sanguine hepso or ex-
pectations to the issue of the contest in which we
were etigars.ed. He remarked that his Majesty's
Message was on the table, stating that the country
had been receiving a series of aggressiosis for a
ecmsiderahle time past, and among others, that the
enemy had employed military spies. 'What he
condemned his Majesty's Ministers for was, that at
the very time when these aggressions wcre taking
place, they were coming down to the House, and
making dielarations of the splendid state of our !
finauctal system, promising a duration of peace. and
recommending us to husband our resources; when,
instead of so doing, they aught to have been i
occupied in preparing plans for the defence of the
country; they had conducted themsolvee in,a.manna
by no means conformable to his idea of what ought
to have been their duty. He concluded by stating,
that he should vote against the measure, because be
thought it was inefficient.
The SECRETARY at WAR observed, that if
' the Hen. Gentlemen, who had spoke in the :mire
of tile debate, had waited till the Bill had been
priness4 in all theliHeod, many id their observations
might have been spored ; he night probably have
received such smisfitelien uponahesubjeot, as atuald.
have precluded the'nsuessity Of his ritskinic theft.
lJndoubtedl T he ruse justified is some- el tier itOsple''