The National Register.
London, England, 1808-06-27 00:00:00

JUNE 27.

a fortnight or three weeks after they set foot on English ground,
they must be our prisoners, or our masters. No aid therefbre
can he of any value, that Is not given with instantaneous rea-
diness ; and that promptitude cannot possibly be expected
without previous arrangement and organization. •It has been
very judiciously remarked that in the peculiar state of society
which prevails in England, we have no class of men correspond-
ing to the peasantry of some of the less commercial countries
on
the Coutinent, men, who from the variety of their occu patious,
and their habits of life, are capable of acting as irregular troops
almost without instruction, or direction. Our people are all so
much confined, tach to his own particular employment, that
they cannot be capable of judging for themselves with respect to
any military object. They must be superintended and directed
in every operation : and their services, of whatever nature, will
be of little use, unless, through various gradations of aut!arity
resularly organized, the whole mass can receive its impulse front
CiOs &aliment.
A separate plan is proposed for Ireland ; and this plan is n
levy of a body of Feta-it:les, to serve for three year only, in any
part of the United Kingdom. to the appoint 111. nt of utilisers, it is
scrim:mended that commands be given to persons of popular cha-
racter and local influence. A Chaplain of the established church
is proposed for each regimeta ; but in case one-third of the men
be of any communion of dissenters, Lord Selkirk advises that
eat's- be attended by a clergyman of their own persuasion, at the
es pence of Government. He proposes also, that in the Roman
Catholic districts a proportion of the officers always be of that
persuasion. In this plan torn-eland we do not see much to ad-
mire, except the provision for the appointment of officers and
clergymen ; hut the confused state of Ireland renders it necessary
to do something, and we think it probable hat Lord. Selkirk's
plan may be the most rational that circumstances will admit,
however far it may fall short of the kiial of equality which all
moderate men, and Lord Selkirk among them, desire to see es-
tablished between the constitution of Ensland and that of
Ireland. The present plan is little else than a militia, passing b::
mother name, and provided with somewhat better regulations.
His Lordship then eaters upon an investigation of the merits
of the militia that now subsists among us, and completely proves
the inefficacy and inconvenience of Such a body. lie proves that
the militia regiments arc as expensive to the country as reguld:
troops, without being so useful. He proves that the ex pence
of nttintaining the whole body of 400,000 men, which his plan Is
calculated to raise, is awex pence no greater than that of the es- •
taldishment of about 50,000 men on the present system of militia,
and it is obvious that the 400,00010 cal militia-men must be worth
more than the 50,000 ordinary militia-men. He proves further,
that the system of militia-ballot, and the premiums that neces-
sarily attend itsattract as substitutes many men who would others
wise enter the liue, and that thus the regular army is weakened
too by the present ordination of affairs. He then refutes the
vulgar idea that the militia is the only constitutional force, by
showing that the militia has now • lost its original principles.
• The last section, requires no comments from us. It is chiefly a
summary anti enforcement of the arguments that have preceded
it, with an estimate of the expenses of the plan proposed.
Whiles° massy other noblemen and gentlemen of high rank
and talents, arc employing their time in hunting for votes or
eavilliag at speeches, it Is matter of peculiar praise to. Lord Sel-
kirk, that he is burying himself with forming solid and substan-
tial remedies for her sufferings; that he has judged it better to
serve his country,than to spew how of hers have failed to serve her.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

PI.0:11 THE IPEEItiCH, DUTCH, GIIRM.IN, HAMBURGH, AND

AILTONA PAPEUS.
t
FRANCE.

PA RH, Jtiit 9.—The Prince Arch-Chancellor of the Empire
having yesterday gone to the Palace of her Majesty the Queen
of Holland, there declared, that the will of, his lajest.y the
Emperor and King was, that the Prince horn to their Majestic
tire King and Queen of olland, on the 20th of April last, should
re'reive the name of Chhrtes-Lonis Napoleon; of which a formal
deed WAS drawn up, in presence of the Emperor's mother, the
Queen of Holland, the Grand Ducheis of Berg, &e.
'dux e 14.—Letters from Bayonne, of the 10th inst. eontlisi
the following partieularst—" King Joseph Napoleon arrives!
on the 10th inst. in this town. Ills Majesty wav received with
all the honours due to a Sovereign. The Spanish Deputies,
with the civil and military unthotities, had the Imam t 6 be
presented to him." •