The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-06-28 00:00:00

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to go further, and propose that a person ballotted for
should receive a fie ther bounty of two guineas in-
stead of one. The next clause was, that which en-
ahled his Majesty to model the Army of Reserve.
He would state the outline of the manner in which
those battalions would be formed. No officer would
be entitled to command them who had not the rank
of colonel; the commands were to be given to co-
lonels end not to generals ; field officers would be
taken from the half-pay. He should propose a
clause enabling his Majesty to direil officers to dis-
c'iarge such as were willing to serve in the Ene. He
observed that regiments of the line might be ap-
poiused to receive those men upon the same princi-
ple as was done last war. He stated that it was his
intention, as far as possible, to form regiments from
the same counties. In large counties he should
form one or two, and in the other counties where
there were not enough for a single battalion, lie
would fill it up from the neighbouring countries.
Having adverted to something that fell from
an Honourable Member (Mr. Windham) on a
• former night, he observed, we still had consi-
derable rescurces ; there were a great number of
serjeants who belonged to battalions, who had not
been called into service. In the next piece,
the recruiting staff would furnish a considerable sup-
ply, particularly if it was made part of a plan, diet
these battalions of reserve should be considered as
battalions of the 'regiments of the army., and that
they were to be permitted to wear the semcfacings
and badges, and in faSt be deemed as supplementary,
to the army. He should hope if this tocik plate, it
would be understood,- to the honour of 'the
State, that no man was to he Made use of
for any other service then that of Great Britain and
Irciani ; that they were to be, at liberty to go into
. the line, if tiles, thought proper; hut that there was
to be ao power to Compel thesis to do so. He was
not aware that there was any material arrangement
'different from what was in the. Bill. He had thought
it right to state what the Amendments were,-
. which he purpoied to iritroduee, in order that
he might not be subjeßed to any cross firing.
He meant farther to propose, that the Cinque
Ports: the City of London, and tile Tower Hamlets,
• should each raise their quotas. The Cinque Ports
were to raise 404) men ; London had been callelon
to finish their quota, but they were to raise the men
in their own way ; there would be a clause, saving
the privileges of the City of 'London, and that this
should not be drawn intc a precedent.
Mi. PITT said, he could not, standing in the re-
lation he did to the Cinque Ports, avoid observing,
that the quota of 400 men for the Cinque Ports,
could not have been fixed with reference to any for-
mer Bill, because they had always beeu.sxempted.
He did not use this as an argumentagainst this
. plan, which was a levy of a new charader, the plan
being, that whatever was furnished was to be under
regular officers ; but, as one standing in the relation
to the Cinque Ports, which by his Majesty's favour'
Ire did, he wished the Committee to consider, what
was the Proportion of men they ought to raise with
reference to their population. He had no reason
to believe, that what he recommended would'make
• .any material difference in the number of 400, but it
would have mole the appearance of justice if there
. was a clear criterion. After suggesting an ahera-
. •tion in a clause in the 17th page. Which also referred
• to the Cinque Ports, he observed, that it was lirs
wish this extensive plan of national defence should
be Made complete in every part.
The SECRETARY at WAR stated, that 400
. would not be found too many for the quota for the
Cinque Ports.
Sir WILLIAM YOUNG objefted to the num-
ber proposed far Buckineliani—he thought it un-.
reasonable that county should raise 435 men, when
. there were already 523 of the Yeomanry.
The f.CKEIARY at WAR replied, that the
quota for Buckinghamshire Was Only in the propor:
tion of S 3 in 10,000 Men.
Mr: PlTTehought this competition for exernpe
- lion highly dangerous, and observed, that if Buck,
ingearnshire had in its zeal gone a little'beyond its
. proportion,it would have been laudable. • , -
•- . When they came to the clause for imposing a
quota of 656 for the city of London,
Mr. Alderman COOMBE reconunended, that
the clause should he deferred, as the city of London
claimed from its charter an exemption feom
c4uty. There could be no doubt of the spirit and
, patriotism of the city, and he only wished the eub-
Jed to be postponed to avoid disputes, until" some
communication should be made. on the subjed to
- his Majesty's Ministers.
. The SECRETARY at WAR said, that in this
clause he followed the precedent see hint in farmer
times, when 300 men were levied by Ad of Pasha-
. meat on the city. However, if it was thought de-
. eirable, he had no *Nation to let the clause be post-
Edn
'1 he LORD MAYOR said, that. he was as de-
sirous as any one that every place should furnish a
proportionable quota, and was assured, that if the
citizens of London were left to themselves, they
would zealously and cheerfully come forward. It
was then aeseed that the clause should be post-
poned.
. Eight hundred men were next voted as the quota
of the Tower Hamlets.
The Comniittee then divided • the Bill, for the
purpose of making the regulations with regard to
Scotland a separate measure.
Sir ROBERT BUXTON wished that new lists
should be made out for the ballots.
The SECRisTARY at WAR said, that there
was a power in the Bill to make out new lists if
necessary, but at present he thought it. best to abide
by the old ones.
On the clause for the ballotting persons from the
age of 16 to 15, and to subjed nodes from 45 up..
wards, who pail 301. a year to the assessed taxes,
- to find substitutes,
Mr. W. SMITH said, that if persons above the
age of 45,years, should be compelled to find sub,
statues, of course it was manilest that it was meant
to operate upon property as well as personal. sets.
vice. In that case he did not see how women, and
those persons of property who were exempted,
should,not take share of the burthen. If the mea-
sure was for the protedion of property, and not for
. personel service, surely the man of 90 years of age
had as good a sight to be exempted as any woman
. in the, kiagdom. He was aware that this might not
be cousidered as a very gallant proposition on his
part, bat really, if protedion of property was the
pi iticipie of the measure, be could not conceive why
bit women should be exempted more than old men
who had out-lived service, end probably, in their
younger days, might have served befoie.