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

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regulars. The opinions delivered en
rather of a novel nature; for ogre Hon.
dared that, sooner than interfere with t.
.fin. the Regulars, be should lie contented
for the defence of this country
great error to suppose that the two -
so materially with 'each other, or
portion to what they had been re
facts would be far from bearing out
don; for, within the last three
many men had enlisted, both into
regular service, as at any period whatsoever. In con.
sidering the relations between the recruiting for the
two services, and the effeas which it was contended they
must have on each other, it so happened that we were
not left to vague cnnje!Lural calculations, but had
the advantage of positive experience. The result ef
this experience was, that at that period of the last
war, when the Militia was most augmented, this
country bad the greatest army of regulars that ever
it possessed, in so disposable a manner as to he sent
abroad to ad without the co-operation of other
troops. Let my reasonable man then, judging from
these faits, decide, whether the recruiting for the
Militia interferes, in any material degree, with that .
of the Regulars. Yet under all these circumstances
the House had been adviied to resort to compulsory
measures for the recruiting of the regular army.
He assured the House that he should be as ready as
any man to employ any means, however violent
or strong they might at other times justly be
considered, for the defence of the country, should
circumstances arise which could make it necessary
to recur to them. But before the necessity ar-
rived we must not proceed to that extreme point at
the present moment. Our situation, however Jan.
gerous it may be represented, was by no means
such as to warrant such an extremity as to force
the people of the country to join the regular troops,
to leave their homes, their occupations, and connec-
tions, and embark for military service in all quarters
of the world. There never was,a time when the
people of this country could better be relied upon)
there never was a period when they displayed a
higher spirit. They looked to that Rinse for wis.
dam and sound judgment, and the House mighe
depend upon the people for support and libeled
exertion ; aird thus circiimoanced, the subjeas of
this country had no right to expea that the
House of Commons would, before the last ne-
cessity, overstrain their means. Between them and the
House confidence should be mutual, and our situ-
ation must be infinitely worse before he could think
to give his consent to a measure so •harsh and
constitutional, and so utterly repugnant to their ha-
bits and their feelings. The danger to which we
were exposed, however serious, was by no means so
greet and alarming as it had been magnified into.
This would be manifest, in considering that we
had now, or at least should, in addition to our
present force, have fifty thousand Militia, thirty thou-
sand Feacibles, besides Yeomanry, Volunteers, &c.
the Right Hen. Gentleman next ado erted to what
he called the groundless charge of Ministers being
criminal in giving false representations, tending to
lead the nation into a confidence in the duration of
peace, instead of having sooner apprized it of it;
danger. Little, however, was this charge of crimi-
nality supported by the fads. Notwithstanding the
exultation manifested at the conclusion of thel-eece,
the Ministers were very far from expressing, either
by words or aaions, any great confieence in its per-
manency. So far were they from lulling the nation
into a false security, that not more than a very few;
days chipsed-after the exultation alluded to, beford
his Right Hon. Friend (the Secretary alVit:r) sufft. .
ciently indicated the sense of his Majesty's Ministers,
by proposing to the House an establishment of
90,000 men for the subsequent year, which was in
the proportion of two to one, or more, to any former
peace establishment. The same spirit and vigilance
had, down to the breaking oat of the preseet war,
pervaded all the departments ; and since the time
first alluded to, not a sinele regiment or single com-
pany had been disbanded which could pos,i:dy be
avoided. In allusion to a former argument, of the
Militia service interfering with the recruiting for the
line, he would take this opportunity to observe,
that though et one time 9.0,()00 Militia had been
disbanded in Ireland, the recruiting for the Regis.
lays, derived no benefit from them. So likewise in
the other great War department, a Naval establish-
ment was kept up, three times as , great as had ever
before been done in a time of Peace. lie would not,
after this, detain the House with any argument upon
a charge which had already been before so
often brought forward, and as frequently refuted.
Such were the means by 'which he r.ow met that
charge, and the minutes and journals of the House,
which might be referred ere would be found to
curtain the vindication of his Majesty's Ministers.
Reierting once more te what had fallen from the
R:glit Hon. Gentleman opposite to him (Mr. Wind-
Lan) lie declared that he never heard a speech
in his life with so great a degree of astonish.
mere. He w.ts ready to allow what he was
very fully coevinced of, the ardent and patriotic
feelings of the Right Hoaciarible Member, but
to this he must adl, that if any man was ace
tuated by the most opposite motives, he could not
take- a course better calculated to unnerve and
deaden the spirit of this country, or to rouse and
animate the hopes and-confidence of the enemy.—
As to our comparative means and lingers, his Ma-
jesty's Ministers never wished to overcharge or to
conceal any thing; but the people were too sensible
to be affeaed by language tending to magnify their
dangers. The people of Eugland loved truth, and
the truth they were acquainted with. They knew
very well, for they had too much confidence in their
courage, their means, and the strength of their own
arms not to know that there could be no danger
to their capital. There were means sufficient to
render this country impregnable, and these means
would be made use of. It was said, that a wiser
and patriotic man never despaired of his country ;
and it was astonishiofind, from the speech of
li the Right on. Gentleman, wise and patriotic as he
was known to be, had reversed this maxim, and
seemed to despair of the safety of his c'ountxv.—
From the language held by that Might Hon.
Gentleman and his friends for the last twelve
months, it was surprising that, instead of calling
upon this House to disapprove, they had not come
forward to hail the present measure. For his own
part, he felt confident, that till the enemy meditate
and prosecute any projeas he may thick proper
against the credit or the cossets of this country,
. they would all prove equally fruitless, and be at-
, tended with nothing butter than shame, agrace,
ind ruin.
, F.Dlista 934 ielanp

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it.onnth bjc . is sun
inet were
de-
with the recruiting 111
ttented with 30,000
country. It was a
f
wo services classed
or in any near pro.
represented.. The
out Any such asset-
months, nearly as
to the Militia and