The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-06-30 00:00:00

THURSDAY. JUNE 30, 1803.

IRELAND.
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I.IIPERML PiRLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDS E-13 JVINTZ 29.

Tie Irish Qualifying indeln-iiti Bill, the Irish
Corn Bill, and the Irish Ship Proteaion Bill, were
read a third time. and passed.
Lord WALSINGHAM moved, that the consi-
deration of the Standing Ord,r, No. 126, be ad-
journed till Friday next.---Ordered. And that the
Standing Order, No. 154, be taken into considera-
tion at the same time.
The Tonnage Duty BiJ, the Raw Hides Duty
Bill, Two Excise Duties Bills, and t!..e Militia Offi-
cers Augmentation Bill, and two Priv 'e Bills, were
brought up from the Commons, and presented by
Mr. Alexander and others, and read a first time.
Adjourned.

The House resolved itself into a Committee on
the National Defence Bill.
The SECRETARY at WAR observed, that in
several clauses of the Bill words had been left out,
which he would introduce in order to have them
ned up. One of them respelled the enrolling of
the Volume.:r Corps, and he would propose that
the Honourable Artillery of the city of London
should be inserted accepted.
Mr. C. WYNNE said, he understood when the
Volunteer Corps were disbanded, tl,t they were to
be enlisted again on the appearance of war. If
two corps were to offer their services, one in the
month of May, and the other after the subsequent
regulations, he did not see why one should he placed
in a worse situation than the other. He though:,
upon the whole, that the word " accepted " should
he altered in the clause for "offered."

The CH AN CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
sa;J, that no persons who had tarred their services
in a Volunteer Corps, since the 2e2d of the month,
could be accepted. The Gocernment had adopted
'that resolution fin- the public good. 11411 Int.l been
accepted who had offered their services, there would
have been no end of exemptions ; they would have
been carried to such an enormous extent, that the
public service, in the present instance, would have
been prevented. It was done to reduce the pressure
which would have fallen on the population, and to
avoid affording an unjust exemption for service, that
would have proved inadequate to the public neces-
sity. He deferred entering upon the offers that had
been made since tne settlement of puce in the king-
dom. The argument of an Hon. Gentleman, he
understood, went to prove, how far the different
corps were entitled to have their services accepted.
To disturb the regulations would appear unjustifia-
ble, and he trusted the Committee would not sane-
' tion the receiving of any offers of service, on the
part of Volunteer Corps, after the 22d of the present
month.
Dr. LAWRENCE said, it appeared that all the
'Volunteer Corps had formerly been invited to enter,
how it was then, that the door was shat against
them, he could not tell ; he thought the Govern-
ment might have told them how far they could be
exempted from the present service, when their offers
of service were presented.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ob-
served, that his Hon. and Learned Friend had said,
that the different Volunteer Corps had been invited
by Government to make offers of their service—it
was true, such offers had been made, but the dis-
cretionary power, at the jutaft ire on which those
services were offered, did not accept of them. The
House and the Country had reason to know, His
Majesty's Government were justifiable in such a re-
fu,al. The Honourable Member had thrown an
imputation, as if there had been a violation
of faith on the part of
.Ministers. No exemp-
tions, at the time the offers of service were
made, was held out, as no specific plan for the de-
fence of the country, like the present one, was then
known. He therefore contended that Government
Were restrained from exempting any body of men in
preference; and no willingness of receiving volun-
teer service was held out, as had been intimated.

Dr. LAWRENCE, in explanation, said, he still
contended that his Majesty's Ministers had not given
the Volunteer Corps notice of the motives for reject-
ing the offers of their service as early as Govern-
ment should have done.

General GASCOIGNE took the question in a dif-
ferent sense; there were many corps that had made
application to srve as volunteers, merely to be ex.
empted from the levy which would ensue. It was
against his sentiments that the present time, viz.
the 22d of June, was so recent, it should have been
before that. The motive through which many
had applied to serve as volunteers was to he
exempted, and if th' list of such was examined,
it woald be found they consisted of persons who
were immediately fit for the proposed estab-
lishment. He wished the date of the time of ex-
cluding such persons had been fixed on the first day
of June ; but he should not say any thing further
on that subjea, as he did not wish to oppose the
Bill in question.
Doaor LAWRENCE said a few words further
in explanation.
Sir WILLIAM CEARY spoke in behalf of Vo-
lunteer Corps.
The SECRETARY at WAR explained.
Mr. PIT observed, that if it was understood
by His Majesty's Ministers in the eatliest stages of
the papet then laid before the House, at least if it
was considered at an earlier period than that on
which the House came to discuss the subjeet, he
could not see any ground for tolerating exemptions
which might savour of injustice. If Volunteer
Corps had shcwn a fair and honourable zeal to de-
fend the country, he could not suppose they were
entitled to any imputation, otherwise than honour-
able. The motives for the general defence made it
appear necessary that a certain number of volun-
teers should be raised, and the public exigence he
I trusted would render such persons desirous that a
force should be raised to co-operate with Om ; in
order that all might be trained, it would be neces-
sary to form that discipline among all corps, that
volunteers might rally. He trusted that Volunteer
Corps, who were comparatively small in their en-
deavours, when compared with the great bodies
which would be united for the national defence,
would fly to the main body te co-operate as necessity
should require. There was no one less inclined to
undervalue the services of Volunteer Companies
more than he was, but our public exertions at the
present period must be attended to, and a large
force might be necessary to meet the public service.
He did not wish to interfere with that regulation
which raised the volunteers. He could wish, how-
ever, that the term of serving during fbur years,
might-not amount to an exemption after that servi-
tude, provided the war went on. Ministers should
guard against abuse ; but whatever exemptions they
allowed, they should not lose sight of that force
to which all volunteers must rally for general
security. On Abase grounds he saw how Tar
exo e ptitouis with 'era to Volunteer Corps. ought