The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-27 00:00:00

by steamers, and by nothing • Ise. The eneeiy roust
get toga ner 90 or 10i) ste eitets iotor, they ,ier,ri iU
I venture ecrose the Channel Wert such a ft eit as
he proposed there was no 13 WA effi er tit for his situa-
tion ono would not be table to d-,trey ihe force et the
enemy before it ceuld off ct a leedieg open the English
shores. He should (Ike t teem et .empt to die- tn
hut It upon our sh .res i e the tor.o i•f such a f
(Heer. hear.) Freak aed benestiy he was co.:vi; cud
that if they would plaee ouch a tore, as he heft dentibd
in the hands ef the Adruirrilty, they need not fear any
surprie', nor even that the coast would be invaded.
That fere. he wished to y. e kept a ways at h.nd. end
that no Government should be permeted to leave the
country wi-hout De that. end the desired end would
he attsio.A at a much cheaper rate then it could be by
the establiehmeet 0: the mike*, end at a cheaper retie
than any force they ceuld .hope to retests by the prseent
Bill. Having said that much, it was now his duty to de-
clare that be seotild vote against the IneaStlrt. before ohe
House. lei &leg so, however, he knew he should be
taunted by the Hon. Genii. man oppobit•• teat he haul voted
for the Bill of the N, We Ltd let„ at the hand of the
vernment.—(Eleer, and u laugh.) But circumstances were.
now changed—( An ironical cheer)--ind so changed •hat
he believed Hen. Members opposite would be oiclined to
admit them as ii valid argument. I fon. Members of the
Government said that, mitwithstanding what their prin-
ciples might be, they weulii abide by the d cieion of
the country at the upp,oaching • lections. Up to the
period when the Noble L rit's Bill met with the fate it
did at the betels of this House he was out aware Or any
certainty of his own coustatuente who had pr. tented
petitions against the Bill. But eine. the measure of
her Mejeste's preei•nt !Univers has been under consi-
deration, the table of the House hed been nigrlfly
covered with petitions against it. and his own constitu-
ents alone had presented no less thee eight. in op-
posing the Bill, therefore, he wits only tollosvine the
example of Hon. Gen lemeu opposite, and bowie g ro
the will of the oeuntry.—(tlear, hear and leugetrr) In
conclusion, the Hon. arid Gehapt G -ntlernan as.ured
the Government that, if they would endeavour to per-
suede the House that the plan he had suggested was
the really national, constitutional, most proper, and
wisest mode of raising a force to defend the Channel,
they might rely upon baring his support in the talk of
carrying it into effect.
The Hon. A. DUNCOMBE said that as he chanced to
be the only member of the Berard of Admiralty at that
moment in the House, he bad to ask the indulgence of
the House while he addressed to it a tew observations
upon the present Bill. It, was admitted et. all bands that
the defences of the country were not in either a satiefac-
tory or sate state—indeed, they had had that admission
' on Friday night from the Notelet Lent (Lord J. Russell),
though strangely enough, the Noble Lord adducted the
fact as a reason for not supporting. the Bitl —(Hear,
hear, aid a laugh.) It appeared to him (Captaitt Due-
combs) theref •re, that the Ne•ble L rd when iu power,
had proposed and supported a Militia Bill from a sense
of duty; but that he now oppesed it for the sake of
party.—(Cheers.) S ill, hewever that might be, be
could have wished that the Noble Lord—powerful as
be was both in this House and tr e c.notry—had not,
or the moment, at all eve 'lts, obtruded patty principles
into the consideralou of a measure like this, but have
left it to be. calmly ene demesiientrely considered in
Committee.—(ll- a., hear.) H • to hewed tha by foie
lowteg the two pilot balleona, which the N .ble Lord
sent up in the early part of Friday evening, he would
soon find himself in shod water,— (11:'ar. hear) And
he was sorry to observe that the Gallant Admiral was
going to shape his course in the same manner; for sure
he was that no person would he le.s anxious to gel into
shoal water than he.—(Chee s.) Many persons said they
had a right to look to the navy to protect our shores,
and that before an invading force had an • pportunity of
landing, the natty should be held responsible !or making
mincemeat of them.--(Hear, hear.) To this he was
quite inclined.to agree, presided we had at the press nt
moment a powerful and effieuent navy at our disposal.
That our navy was efficient, he adtnittee; but that it
could efficiently perform all the duties which were re-
quired of it in protecting our commerce and supressing
piracy in various parts of the world, and at the SSW!,
time afford a powerful and efficient def lice for the
country—that he was not prepared to admit.—(Rear,
hear.). Neither . could he subscribe to the doctrine pat
forward bertha Gallant. Admiral on a recent occasion,
with reference to the possibility of lining the ',Manned
with powerful war-steamers at signal distances from
one another. But even admitting that we could
find the vessels, be (Captain Duncombe) doubted
very much if they could find the men.—(Hear, hear.)
He regretted very much that the Gallant Admiral, who
had been so recently connected with the naval affairs of
the country, had not left as a legacy to his successors in
office the 4 000 men and the 1 000 boys of whom be had
spoken, instead of that crude and ill digested measure, a
naval reserve; for he (Captain Duncombe) foresaw
great difficulty in carrying out the oue,,but none in car-
rying out the oilier. Having made there remarks, he
had only further to say, that however much they might
,prefer having a large, a powerful, and efficient navy at
their call, he believed that, in the present temper of the
country, they could get a greater amount of rem at a
less expense by adopting the present Militia ate
Mr. M. MILNES thought it the duty of every Hon.
Member to give the Bill a fair consideration, however
unpopular it might be asserted to be out of doors, and he
could not conceive how any Hon. M. miser who had
deemed it his duty to support a similar measure wbeu
introduced by the late Government. could refuse to give
his assent to the principle of tne present 13111.—(H.-ar,
hear.) In principle tee two Bills were alike, and in
matter of detail the present had, in his opinion, the
advantage of the late Bill.—(Hear, bear) The Bill
of the Noble Lord was more stringent, more likely to
create discomfort in the people. He did not support
the Militia Bill because he thought there was danger tit
invasion. A militia was not a force likely to repel sun
easefully such an invasion.—(Hear, h ar.) The rca 'tins
for establishing a militia were of a larger and deeper
nature. The progress made in Europe since 1815, when
peace was established, had tended by no means to in-
crease the security of this country. He found that all
.hose points on which England was likely to come to
open controversy and disputes with foreign powers had
inoreased rather than diminished. He found that up to
a very We period there hal been a continued tendency
to the maintenance of peace; but the extravagant hopes
of the Liberal parties had bred a reaction, and the coil
sequence now was the eetabltsheeent of despotic Govern-
ments throughout the whole of Earepe. The tendency
if those Governments must essentially and necessarily
he—hostility to Zeeland. They could not exist ii
orosperity without displaying (toil p,rtiaps exercising)
that hoatility. Tne prospects of this country, in
its relations to foreign powers, could not, tre
tore, be considered satisfactory; and the House was acting
wisely. to lay the ground by preparations which Wet..
neither expensive, bor iittertered t it. greatly with th.
ime aed labour of the people, fur such a permanent
urea as might act when necessary as a military reserve.
and at the same time in some degree keep up in the
minds of the people the daily consciousness that they
might be called upon to risk their lives in defence ii
heir hooves and country. -A militia force of 80 000
would prove more efficient than an adiiiiion of 8,000 tue, li
to tba regular army. Th., first expense would uudoubt
edly be great, but would ultimate ly be much el, c. eased
11•• thought that there was no retteoii why the youth to
the couoiry, eap nuttily in
.the tntoiu suturing diattiets,
should not be military disciplined and orgat,iacd, Bed
prove as orderly when wider arms and afterwards as the
army or the yeomanry.—(ll..ar. near) Such ritscipli.o-
i,,hi.j. in nis "(mem, leave them bever th in tt round
hem.—(Hear.) fnere were some Inconsistencies in tbr
Bill, but the principle of the Bill ought not therefore_ te
be opposed. Experience and practice would show 1v114,,
modifications were necessary. LI- should not give •
vett• in favour of the sec rn,i reefing —(dear, hear.)
Mr. B..RNAL °outwitted that it w .s not a con-isten
argument to say, b- b
voterou gh.
that because Hoe. Dileinbers had v.ite
to allow the Bill of di, late G .verienent. to for
in and read a first time, therefore they ought toh
the tecood reit tieg of me present Hill. Fur one, w
tree to confess that he did not feel himself
port the nteatore •whieb was introduced
by the N :ble
b ru -.d to •up
Lord the Member for London. Far from t hit
ne hesitated wit to decants at ont(fi
was teary to hear M. rerdwell produce.what he might
that if this
call em argument in i-rrorem, wnen he Gaut,
dill were rejected the G .verion-ot would be juaefied
u.
coming dewn and proposing the simoitilittiira. ruststince
of th.
xitting enactmenta relative to
pouting
them ill farce, rated itistslettn
; - the ballot throughout the
guim
that any
ht
country. H's (Hr. B-rotil) t
Govern-
ment would pau.e before is resolve) up P incurring ih,
responsibility oft, taking such a step as that. —( year.)
, tthhee wfilial i t
What were the argutneirs rieh were produced iu
of the principles et a *km, Sic ? tna.t
Member for Pomfret (Me. Ranee) wit : that the
fits of E. trope w-re conibm,d agsies
of the Geveenet
us. Now was this, he asked, an illusien or a rotnener ?
(Hear, bear.) He, for One, was inclitied to think it was
both—(Cheers)—for rearedy a fortnight had elapeeo
since assurances were given'to • this House that the moo
friendly spirit and the most amicable relations existed
between the Gose.rnments of Continental &tstes and the
Government of this country —(Hear, hear.) Was tha
true, or was it not? If it *ere true,
what then became
of this argument for the establishment arid maintenance
of a body of 80 000 militia men?—(Cheers from the
Radical benches.)
Further, ho would appeal to these
Hon. Members who. ere aeqiiinted with the professional
°art of the aubject, whether it was possible that in 18 or
21 days the men could be trained to manes aura in eem-
panics, or in fact to do anythine more than to should°,
arms, and go through the goose step.. To him it was
manifest delueion to suppose that they could. Then who
were the men with whom they proposed to fill the ta
that they weree
of their milltis? Did they Beene"' senaineaut
men of high, refined, and honourafee
(Mr. Boon,)
Whatever the gallantry of therseloier,
feared that the argpanentarn ad cram
nen hat:ntrapw4s usually
tempted menu
one of the principal a,gurn,ints
other part of
(0 serve as a sohlter either here or in any' I
th ,t, with
the werld. Did ELM- of men
61. bounty, they would descriptionbeitlnebthOrgsse„tuaon_
d year after tht y
who would fall into rank in
ot
tenet.
a,ett was v-ry mush
had enlisted? Fie
eimeteed
tt,hbligpd
to•
have
recourso a
afraid that they might'prboviding- that the 61 pad deeds
insanitary enisottnent.
who did fee. makes , Asaopearince sheuld
bounty to A 133.0
be recovered as a debt in one o her Heti sty's courts r f
law.—(A 1-ugh.) If came to ,he co cs ose of an af..
teal invasion, 'we
red that we should want n itbe-
bounties nor enrupulsion in the ehaie I f a censciiptien to
obtain the neco.sary force; bat he slid got this k that the
levy of 80..000 men, as prepoe.d either by the Bull of
the late or that of the present Government, weuld be a
safeguard against such an even'. In the last war here
was aeons() which lined our coast, and whatever objec-
tions were remote' to that force, he freely cen.eased that
it was a useful foree. in many respects. He alluded to
the Sea Fencibles. Trained to the use of great guns,
and armed with's bag pike to be -used in defending
their guns, such, a hybrid force as.that asightib case of
Ann PPEgiiSloggAke, QQII Stu _11244101,1a &OW: