The National Register.
London, England, 1808-06-13 00:00:00

JUNE is;

E ez KEIL put the question, that the Bill should then
p1%3 ; w hen
M. n rr Am made a very long and eloquent speech, wherein
he contracted the different provisions of his Bill with those of
Lard eastlereagh's Bill, and maintained, that the new system
was a complication of absurdity, and inefficient in its operation.
Sia Ftwicts unrrr cousidered the Bill oppressive and
harassing to the public, and incapable of producing any benefi-
cial effect. The Bill ought to be called a Bill of pains and pe-
nalties ; it enacted eleven new penalties, besides subjecting the
people to imprisonment and transportation. When the House
considered this to be a measure to secure the country against the
Inflective of the Emperor of France, with a population of two
hmelred and forts millions, a force double the population of the
British Islands, the measure must appear inadequate. The
van. of the country required some Meat: F. of orgaiiiting the po-
puha ion, to give it a chance of defeating the danger that threat-
reed. It could not be safe to trust to a standing army, because
such means of defence had failed in other countries. He did not
Isnot% to what cause the lateaeinque-ts of France over the world
were attributable; or the conquests of the Romans of old.
unless they were owing to 10-s of public liberty ; and he
eonetuted, that the aespatloa which prevailed in conquered
countries, previous to sulking:oton, occasioned them to be easily
-overcome. From these reflections it was obvious to him
that we ought not to depend on military force. When he
.13w tav-gatherers swarming through the land, and the pre-
sent Bill formed to make the people liable to further com-
pulsion, he was alarmed for the consequence. lie would
put it to the House, whether any people could he placed in a
sttuntion more oppressive and degrading than by this Bill,
which placed a man in a situation where he could be flogged.
This execrable mode of punishment, according to the best
authorities, was incompatible with good discipline, and in the
French armies it was nit known. It appeared by a recent pub•
heation, that several French soldiers, for an offence, were
ordered, as a punishment, to attend on parade with sticks in-
stead of swords. They were young men, and this punishment
was re-ortcd to in order that they might he induced to wipe oil
their dicerace. If they had been old men. they would have
been dismissed the service. lie was sorry that he was compelled
to make degrading comparisons with a foreign military go-
vernment, bet he was forced into such observations by the
provisions of he Bill. By Ilse influence of this Bill, the poor
emeervnten might he compelled to enter into the army, or the
volunteers; hut his great objection to it was, that it would be
ine:licient and uncoustiatiiiinal. To take men from the cottage
end their families, to render them subject to flogging and pu-
nishment, was so cli4eusting in his it!..et, that he could not find
terms to express his detestation. From the number of Officers,
Clerks, Ike. to be employed in the operation of the Bill, he
had great hope that it vi mild prove impracticable. One clause
al-o appeared so ridiculous, that it was evident the Rill could
not pas x i!itout some alteration. The clause which related to
tines, enacted that persons should pee a tine not exceeding
twenty shilliegs, or less than live pounds. With all the dread-
ful consequences to be apprehended from the measure, it was
some comolatiou to the people of England to know that the
draught was administered by those is Ito had administered simi-
lar remedies in Ireland--it came from the same chalice. The
Noble Lord called the severities exercised in Ireland an un-
happy system of cohersion, The Noble Lord supposes that a
delicate subject required a delicate name, amid the present Bill
was softly termed ass strut of reeruitiog ; hut it was his duty
to warn the people of the danger they stood in, and to tell the
Noble Lord to keep his delicate hand oil the people of England.
Tsu SErterr •nr AT Waft expressed a hope that the worthy
Baronet would leave the people of England to judge for them-
selves. It was a fart acknow lolged, that armies under military
discipline had gained great honour and victory, and the military
punishments Inflicted in England were neither unjust nor impo-
lite., gone would believe that time punishment of French sol-
diets, as described ac the worthy- Baronet. vies confined to wear-
ing a stick. The Emperor of France was too well known, and
th''''ilAille'was more severe in the French army than in apy part
Qf Europe.
The question wits then called for, and the House divided on
the qnesticiat that the Bill do piPs, the lumbers were—Ayes
14' —ljues VfieeAlajority 7S--e-The lall accordingly passed.
The third readitic of the Distillery Bill was fixed for Monday.
The other order., u 14, day y,fif Item ?avowed, uud the liouse