The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-04-04 00:00:00

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n former times, hut that men will not now accept
the invitistina. To say the truth, and, surely,
every gentleman must know it, the improvements in
the army—for I admit there .have been some very
material ones—hare by nn means corresponded, in
this country, with those avbich have been made
in every other ration of life ; and the service, there-
fore, held out r.o sufrieient degree of encouragement.
The only two substantial resources we I ave had,
are the bounty and the ballot ; but. the bounty has
been carried to such an excess, as to have the most
injurious effea on the seri-,:e, and to raise the price
of the market on us. Indeed, the very existence of
the bounty affords a strong, and. I thiftk, irresistible
argument, that the service of itself is not deemed
worth the taking. In former times, and indeed
within the recolleCtion of many of ourselvei, such a
thing as a bounty was not known in the British set-
' vire. Some or us ran et:Oka anen ao More
was given than was required to provide the man
temporary necessaries, to get him something to
; and a guinea and a crown was all that
was ever thought of. I have seen official docu-
ments which she% that during the American
war, several officers were reproved for giving
so much as two guineas, to engage a man to en-
list ; but as matters stand now, what was then
deemed extravagant, would fetch nothing from the
market. In order to provide an army, and to suc-
ceed in our undertaking, we must make our trade
of arms, an objet to those whom we have to deal
with. The method we have pursued, is an anomaly
in commerce. In almost ail other trades, men
give a bounty to get into it. We, on the other hand,
take a different couree, and give a bounty for people
to get into it, or, in other words, we fine a bounty
to our customer., for taking our commodities off
of our bands. All this system, it it my wish to
abolish, and restore the service all that 'vigour
which it lost by modern experiments. The prin-
eiples, Sir, which I have laid down, appear to
me so simple, so plain, and so irreragabia, that
I think I may safely aft upon them without any ap-
prehension ot being contradieted. In our dealings
for the service, we should follow the examples which
we see befote us. In all other trades, when there,is
a scarcity of hands, the method always taken hi to
ir.crease the encouragement. It is our business to
do the same, and, in order to have custom, we muse
make the service worth the whik ot those we with
to employ. We should also, like other traders,
exert ourselves to find and push our market. Like
them, we must show our good:, and exhibit them in.
the most favourable point if view. They must be
such as we can send, with a gnod proepea of
success, to stand in competition with others, at
I wakes, sad tits, rand or7'ketJt`wliqs 274
deed, wherever the eeimmodity could have a •tengi.
Let me ask gentlemen, what prospect of therebegi
in business they think-a tradesman would have, wh•
kept lti,r shop in a back lane ; who put his goods ia a
dark room, without windows ; who plac-il what
was most desirable out of sight; who, in fine, nee f.
gleeled every species of exhibition ; and had not re-
course to the usual praetice of advertising what be-
had for sale, and to the usual aid of thopmene
clickers, barkers, Ste. ,dependirg vilely upon arts.
rice and jisgeling It cell, I beliMe, hardly be
thought, that such a wan could long meimain a
competition with any of his rivalie', and. sob, pre-
cisely, issthe state of our military service. Let us,
on the contrary, reverse our plan ; let vs drive a.
fair and honest trade, and then we may wick safer.
issue out our advettisements, and employ theta!),
means that are made use of by our competitors...—
Having now stated to the House all that I thought
requisite to promise for the 'Aka I have in view, I
next come to the application of these principles,
for raising sueh an army ais•-I think the country
stands in need of. Th. Arm expedient, then, that
presents itself is, to raise the pay of the soldier.
Why, Sir, with regard to that point, I know it
is an easy thing to say, " it you give year flits
five smiling, a day, you art sure of never wandlig
se;die•s." That, to be-sure, may be very tree t •
but, be doing is, we should defeat our own objeft
for dicipiice forbids us to do that which 'meld
have an inevitable tendency to make the army been.
tious. But there is also another reason eqeally
strong against it, which it, that, as an array without
discipline cannot be 'depended on in the-day of trial,
or at, in fin, it is siseltes to have an array without
d;cipline or order, that species of rigorous discipline
which would be necessary to correct licentiousness,
wooLl serve to deter a great portion of those, Who •
may otherwise enlist, from entering into the service..
However, I think, that, without having recourse to
that expedient, a military lire may be rendered sack'
as can never fail to have attraamns far the multi.
tude. Men can always be drains even by dit-
tinelions ; and I am convinced- that there- re-•
main means encegh to the, toantry to • render
its effeaive army faitly propeortienable to ies pii;)pu.
Litton. Exclusively of the distinction, which I bslC
fere alluded to. the provision midi Tot the aged,
the infirm, the disabled, and the wounded soldiers,
may be easily incteued in such a manner as ti
afford a gteat additional degree Of inceiaragetnef:t ;
that, however, Sou sat require any legislative pro-
vision, as the government of the country has it al-
Ways in its power to do whatever is required-4or
•that purpose. What I have next to draw the attys.
Lion of :he House to, is an alteration, which, proper
and desirable as it is, in my opinion, as well as in the
opiniceii of teeny of these persons who ere best qua-
lified to judge upon emit subjeet% I must confess does
not meet with universal assent. and' hr. against it
the authorities of officers of great diseitletion. weose
sentiments are every way unified to the highest
degree of rexpeet. The alteration I stoic to, is,
that of changing the service Iron, a term for
life, that of a term for years, efhich wo
assimilate ours to every other set vice of Eu-
rope. I mention, emphatically. fiery other ser-
vice of Europe, brcaose I know that in this couorry
there is ..• armed force of £OO,OOO awn, who have
cooly been enlisted tot • iimitrel time. Now, Sit, vv

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