The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-05-07 00:00:00

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'Mee in Ireland, would, he believed, incteese our
military force to 'ZOO,OOO tesular troops. It would
also, in his opinion, be destrable to omit the fine
upon such per sons as were unsealing to serve
ro
person. Such fines were not in tie contemplation of
the Legislature, when the Militia was originally
established. The Rule was then, that every man
should either see personally, or find a propci
substitute where he could ; but a false lenity had
since provided, that halt the fine should be paid be
the parishes, which he considered to beenery den i-
mental to the service. as ens also the practice,
which of late ye-ors prevailed, of insuring against
being drawn for the militia.
General GRAHAM adverted to the statement
nude on a former day by Sir :times Pulteney, that
on the Continent the soldiers were always recruited
for general service, or doting the war. Since that
aviertion was made, be said, he had an oppor.
tunity of ascertaining she tact by any official docu-
ments ; but upon making an inquiry from a
number of French ()Miters now in London, he
was informed, tl.nt betties and sines the Re-
volution, the universal praCtice of that nation was
to recruit for limited service, (in proof of which he
read, from a French account, the mauve of the
agreement which the soldiers made on entering the
service). This, he said, was very far tram injuring
their military system ; for, in many provinces of
France, a man was not considered as a respeanble
person, if he did not continue his service in the army
for the term of eight years. It might appear in-
consistent in him to have e rig:tinily supported the
Additional Force Bit, and now to vote for its repeal ;
but he was induced to do so for the purpose of
mskieg way fi r a far more gene al plan, which,
if followed up, ne thought, could nor fail of its effect
In the present posture of aff.ers in Europe, it would
be necessary us intnnince a new system, which was
likely to be attended with tint desirable consequence
of changing a defensive into an offensive- war ('his
plan, he thought, should be persevered in. and ac-
quire a consistent ch trailer, :16 no partial trial, made
by the executive Government, could eve, be sncnns-
tul. "The system, developed in the opening of this
subject, did abandon comptnso y service, which he
esteemed necessary for the support of our coestito-
tion and independence as a great nation ; hut th
he was induced to support the plan gene: ally, he did
not wish to be un "e: stood :IS pledging himself to sup-
port the whole of it in its •letail. Revery highly ap-
proved of the Volunteer Systene, in its present form;
for though he had Lut little opportunity of a tend-
ing to the discipline and state ui the volunteers of
Engl end, he had seen some corcfs in Scotian ! highly
respectable ; .nd, as to the volunteers of Ireland,
be would answer for their being as good troops as
any of that sort which could possibly he formed.
There were two lea ling objeCtions steed to the new
measure ; as it '.could off. Et the chareEter, and the
discipline of the soldier. A. to the first, he did not
think that any change or the term of setviee, in the
"sew levies, conid have an injnreous Kea, as the
clurneer of the British soldier was, neve.- to mur-
mur, nor express any discontent, if :he public faith
were kept with him; and he was the more desirous
that this :Oka should he fully discussed, from a
conviction that the army bad so much confidence in
the wisdom and justice of Parliament, as to be
eo upleteiy satisfied with whatever may he the re-
sult. With regard to the second objrCtion, of its
' having a nad effea upon disciohne, he was certain
that, however attached the office's may be to their
men, and however desirous of retaining them, and
inducing them to re-. rilist, they knew their duty too
web, tvrto relax their discipline upon that account.
Another great recommendation of the plan to him
was, th it it would prevent degrading punishments ;
for to render the lives of men more comfortable,
could never have the *feet of making them the
worse soldiers; and, as to the danger of their claim.
ing their d sena, ge, in the moment of peril, there
was a spirit in the breast of every military man,
whatever may be his rank, which must prevent him
from making himself ever liable to be stigmatised
with the name of coward. It was said, that soldiers
were only formed by the force of habit ; but he
would venture to ask any officer, whether, in pee.
ference to men of physical power. he would not
wish to command men influenced by honour, and
the dignity of their own character?
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that no man
could be more impressed than he was, with a
seine of the invidiousness of an opposition which
might seem to have for its object, to render
any public measure more grating than it might
otherwise' be; but he had so deep and strong
a sense of the value of the measure now pro-
posed to be repealed, that he felt it a duty to use
his best exertions to prevent it, and leave the full
responsibility for the mischiefs it may occasion, on
the Ministers themselves. His Right Hon. friend,
(Mr. Canning), had, on a former occasion, stated
his objections to this measure, in a manner that
, could not fail of producing considerable effect ;
but, notwithstanding the uncommon eloquence and
solidity of argument with which he supported his opi-
nion, the Rt. lion. Secretary did not think proper to
make any answer to him, but contented himself with
asking, tauntingly, if any member were disposed to
speak in favour of the Additional Force Bill ? He
would therefore confine himself chiefly to the merits
of that Bill at present, and the advantages it pos-
sessed, as there would be future opportunities of
discussing the plan proposed to be substituted for it.
He knew that the whole of the Right Hon. Secre-
tary's measure mast bear upon this aft, but as it
was broad enough of itself to embrace all he had
now to offer, he should abstain from many other
topics connected with the point, but which were of
sufficient importance to require separate discussions.
He should begin then by represeming what deficiency
there was at present in out unhurt force; and what,
by the intended measure, it was likely to prove in the
course of the present year. Toe Right Honourable
Secretary said, the present complement of the army
was not sufficient for our purpose. Sappostag then,
upon his own computatinenthe establishment to bede-
deticinrnt in ,he number of 25,000 men, and adding to
them the amine yearly casualuesot 15,000
men, his
plan would deannss all the battalions, the soldiers in
which had served 21 years, he would suffer 5,000
of the present militia to waste sway, and dis aand
at least 6000 of the old battalions, which. taken
with the casualties before stated, wool.' make a sit
mimuiva oi 40,000, all of who.it ire put:tost.td to
supply by rvi,u4rs. Upon this part of the suhjeet,

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he would confine his 'ittoereatinns to the military
Ana civil branches of the service, hat p trticularly the
latter, as every one knew that the military branch
wool,' raise a considerable force. whether the old
or new system should be adopted. It the produce
of the Additional Force An were taken at vraat it
`had been, namely, 14,500, or more, probablt
15,000 men, 5,000 of them would be raised by the
military, and 10,010 Sy tha civil branch ;, hut the
operation of the Defence Bill, taking both branches
together, he maintained, would, according to the
average of the last year, WhiCil WAS rendered more
onfayoursale by the expectation of its being repeal-
ed, be re oduative to the nu:nber of 26,445 men.—
The Right Honourable Secretary had taken, in his
opening, a review of the different periods of the
war, but he would content himself with four pet iods.
First, before the form aim) of die Army of Reserve;
secondly, after that measure came into opera-
tion; :idly, in the interval between the Army
of Reserve, and the Additional Force Ata ;
and, fourthly, the time that has elapsed since the
passing of that Aft. In the first period, the
average of men raised was 9d4) per m.inth ; in
the second, 755 a though, at the same tune, 100,000
were also rased fm general service. In theSd period,
the monthly average was 7:40 ; and in the fourth,
956 men, exclusive of the regiments raised for
Ireland, which, if included, would make a total
average of 1,100 men. This statement, he thought,
wa . sufficient to shew, that the civil operation of the
A I fition.l Force Al was not prejudicial to the re-
cruiting for the regular serviaa He was aware,
that tile feat was alleged to be otherwise ; but
tough it was not easy to prove a negative
to such statements, the House would find, from a
co:apstison of the several returns, that even far the
Ito I 2 week., the number of men recruited for
geneati stir sae was as great as it was before. It
may he obje.hed to hints that his estimate was
tea .n at a time when there was. a considerable
augmentation in the foreign corps ; but the neces-
sity of making that augmentation was a strong
argument against parting with this measure, before
a more ancient substitute could, be found. The
reason why he gave this additional force measure
1 a preference over what was adopted in a former
(Lord Sidatouth's) adminiaration, was, not that
he disapproved of the Army of Reserve, but that
he console' ed this to be a more efficient measure.
One of the worst parts of the intended plan WAS,
that it was subversive of all the former systems, and
repugnant to the principles before proclaimed by
its presto:a adv. cates. The plan of the Additional
Force At, when first introduced. was scouted and
reprobated by tie Oppositin of that day, as
being uliconesitutional, and leaving too much, in
the power of the Crown ; but the plan they now
suamitted, when in offi:e, was that of a per-
, manent military force, a reduction of the consti-
t tutioaal militia, and a total change in the Volunteer
system, leaving every thing at the disposal of the
Executive Government. The point then to be coo-
silered was, whether there was any thing which
.h'suld induce the House to part with a measure,
which, in the last ten months, though peculiarly
unfavourable to its operation, had produced no less
than 11,000 men. As to the progress of ordinary
reel uiting, it must be at all times various ; and
without the additional aid of the civil branch, the
necessary number of men were not to be obtained
in such a country as this. Besides, even in point
of expends, a little consideration would :hew the
expediency of having recourse to other means be-
yond the ordinary recruiting. Tne parties now em-
ployed on the recruiting service amounted to 500.
These kept 1300 in constant employment, and yet
obtained no more men, on the average, than 12,000*
recruits annually, out of a population of 20 mullions.
These parties produced but a vet y slight effeat in the
agricultural parts of the country, which were always
very unfavourable to recruiting. The Right Hon.
Secretary might attempt to obviate this objeutiun, by
proposing to increasethe parties; but supposing them
to be dounled, it would require 3,000 recruiter, in-
cluding 6 or 700 Officers, whose absence on that
duty, no military man, he fancied, would say was
advisable under the present circumstances of the
country. The average erpetice of recruiting io the
ordinary way was 201,0001. 'this arose from the
bounties which the recruiting parties were obliged
to pay, whereas, the parishes magla raise recruits at
the rate of 41. per min. Had it not been for the
circumstances which produced a change in the Ad-
ministration, it was 114 intention to have proposed a
plan, with the concurrence of his Right Hon.
Friend, now no more, to substitute civil officers,
genes ally, for the recruiting parties ; as he was con-
vinced, that they would have a more effeaual, and
less expensive, operation. When he mentioned
this to persons for whose opinion he had the highest
respeß, he was told, that the recruiting officers were
incapable of making the hest selediosi of the civil
agents, and that their efforts, if so substituted,
would be counteradted by the Parish Officers. This
observation determined him to leave that selection
to the parishes themselves, as they, from local know.
ledge,were able tcyjadge cf the persons best qualified
for the task and duty thus transferred, which would
interest whole counties in the success of the mili-
tary service. It may, indeed, be said, that his plan
would include those men who might be desirous of
enlisting, at any rate; but, even then, his case te-
mained good; for no one could deny, that the regu-
lar army would gain as many men as it did before,
with a strong probability and prospect of a vary
material augmentation. lie did not venture to deny
that there might have been some abuses in recruit-
ing for the additional force, but that was an evil al-
ways incidental to every measure; and he meant,
nn a future day, to move for some siocuments which
would shew, that these abuses were tar from be.
ing so great as had been represented ; and it
must he obvious, that such as had hitherto
taken place, might easily be remedied by some
slight alterations in the previsions of the Att.
No Military system had ever been reiffe localised
;non this would be, and the civil agents might as
easily be employed in the army as the militia, with-
• out salting such a number of setjeants from the ie-
. gulars, as was done by tile recruiting parties. The
0 Legislature had already authorised these civil agents
•in the several parishes of ['eland, as well as SCot•
tanJ I and what he proposed would b . no more than
extending the otme beneficatl regulations to this
_ninny. the best time for etfefting that obiret
was now, when all the difficulties in the operation

of the Defence Bill were rapidly diseppeari: t'A ;
end when the duties hf the parish rents welt, iy
relieved in conseeptincat of abslsi.m.ce rime goo,d
ley the ex, rtsons of the Impeding Fteld ChiL,TS
It the difficulties of the county: wese 55,,,0; (4
/eyed OM ibe Aliaistrrial side) titat we coald setety
di-pence with a part of our Ti sources, then 'ha
Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Wiodhe,O) did welly
eerhaps, to proposesthe repeal of this ad ; ,at
the exigencies of the state were great, the 11 /use
would do well to preset ve t measure that had are
forded such earnest e/ its tffizacy. It was not tau
which imposed an intolerable 'lgnition upon the
people, as the militia hod been reduced 24 000 men,
in anticspation of its onerotion t and the force re-
quited by the Array of Reserve Ad, which win re.
Inictaished with the some view; won't/ make the
number of men Gregone c,..Otemplation of this
Aft, 40,000. He would adduce an instssece of the
facility of its operation, and the manner in which :t
had been carried into jai. which had been fur-
nished to him by one of the Grputy Lieutenants of
the County of Leicester. The number of men re-
m:ered to be raised in that countywas 200; the fines,
supposing the- whole number to hove been utout •
nidsoi, would have amourted to 400'1).; but, ii
ire the expiration of one month, 131 rn- ht-o
raised under the Mt, the remaining 40 %so.-
supplied by toe perishes, before the Field Officer u
the district could provide them, and the tines in--
fhtied, therefore, only cost the whole comity 2451.
Under the Army of Re:erve the deficiency in
the number of even required from Leicestershire,
although a bounty of O 0 gninees per ma, was
given, would have sotkited the county to fines
amounting to 65001. .tos, by the milder ot rm.
tints of the Additional Force Ad. 50451. were wet
to the county. Office dietrids weuld have loot
equally benefitted, it those to whom the execution of
the ad was entrusted, bad done them duty, and if the
parish officers had been properly inbtruded. lle
would ask, whether the House were prep .o.el to
abandon this measure, lenient as its effed hod been,
or, it was tulles proved, might be, for what the Right
Hon. Gentleman must in tug forwaid instead of it t
That Right Hon. Gentleman hid said, that the de.
Sciency tinder the Ad, and occasioned by the Ad,
in the recruiting service, am ruined to 26,000
ci rn ; but as, when the perishes find the Moe
a:,hongli at a later*etiud thon that prescribed, they
save a loree proportion of the fines, there was eve:y
reason to suppose that the amount of the fines to
he ultimately levied, would vet be much re-
duced, and the number of men furnished, greater.
If the House recollec.ed the perpetual etforts which
were made to procure the repeal of the Act, the
total ignorance of the Parish Officers, who were to
act under it, and the total neglect of duty by there
who ought to have instructed thorn, they would not
be surprised, that it had !tot better effected the ob.
ject of its projectors ; but, it they looked at the re-
ports of the Inspecting Field Officers, respecting
the probahility of success attending the measure
hereafter, they could not but infer that it would be
fully equal to any thing ever promised of it. Its parts
ing with it, the House relichunshed that for which
nothing its the Right lion. Gent.'s plan promised to ;
compensate; and, in a year's time, the House waull
have to make up for a year lost in thesenrertata
object of recruiting and maintaining the army oi
the conrery. The Right Hon. Gentlemen had in-
timated what he (Lord Castlereagh) could not raw
refrain from warmly deprecating. tamely, that ha
would propose to rescind the tines impaled upaa
the parishes. Would Parliament, after two years
persisting in the measure, now abdicate their outhc-
ray, and place the defaulting parishes—thnie 'With
hid not loon I a man its put suence of their coo-
ments, on a tontine with the an. ritorious parisnes
which had raised the full number required ? Such a
line of conduct would eery soon tecoil on the Right
Hon. Gentleman himself. Could it be expected
that any person would conform to, or exert them-
selves to carry into execution his measures, whet
they too might look to a future intlemnifi,otirin from
the consequences of contumacy There could not
possibly be proposed to Parlioraeio a more fatal
principle of legislation ; its alarming effect would
go to an extent, tor which the R ght Hon. Gee.
man vi..uld fiat it very di to make to de
country the evarside hanorahle. When the Lee
gislature suspended the Army of Resort
Act, and passed the Additional Force V..
17,000 men sere deficient under the former, ar.:he
outstanding fines were larger in amount than the!
were now under the A isiitionelFurce Ad. 1)41114m-a
remitted the fines, taut imposed equivalent bathos
upon the defaulting parishes, in the recolsition d
men; and most of the parishes had wise felf,ll
what was required of them. Ile would advert 0
the case of a single parish (which was toe only one
that had come, by petition, before the House) Ave
the Mt had not been complied with. It was
of Mary-10-bonne. When the Additional For
Ad passed. that parish was deficient t 25 men to
Army of Reserve. The number required by tit
Additional Force Ad was eighty. Nut a tin;
man, however. had been raised. In the cat
tiguous parish of Si. Ann's, .50 men were defic
under the Army of Reserve Ad ;-20
_ more stee
to be raised under the Additional Force Statute;
and the parish had actually raised all the men 7r
quired by both Ads : yet the Right HVI14,111%.)1
GtntlC in .n would put both perishes on a to
equally regarding the deference to the low
part of one, and the contempt of it on that of 0
Cher ! (hear ! hear ! A principle, he repeated, ;It''
calculated to make all future measure, ii,nperai
could nut be proposed. The Noble Lord apelogi
thatf o rs o
thefaonr
Ipursuingonly
alternative th estuo h
h jeicst in de tai
with such irksome motter, was, the abandon:nem
his duty. He would repeat to the Rt. lion. Ge
man ( Mr. Windham) that no measure he had,
could propose, was calculated to raise the num
of men this had done. It he wished ro involve
troubling thebu isil:t
o
Government in difficulty, he coald hot bur devil
that the should pursue the plat, proposed by 1110
Hear !y Hier ./.) The security of the counttesO
home and abroad, was embroced by the toopotu
to repeal the Additional Force Bill, and be 44'1
continue to moms, it in every stage. It wits
enter convidion, that he could not more ems.:
Ministers than by withdrawing that olvP
Not less in a military, than in a civil point
was the repeal of the Ad inexpotient, as he '
on some future occasion :hew. Ills Lcros.