The Sun.
London, England, 1806-04-04 00:00:00

,ele had now got to such length that it was im-•
•; to stop it at once. Yet the service would
11;a-el- be right till it should he brought back to the
cendition io which it was forty or fifty; or even
, thirty years since, when the service itself was the
only bounty to tempt men to enter the Army.—
These principle's were so plain, so certain, .that he
could safely state them witholit any•fear of opposi-
tion. The first principle, 'therefore, he wished to
establish respected the bounties. The next would
operate in aid of that. As in all trades the, people
-lia-ve a fair option with Whom to deal, out of the ge--
, neral baasS,sso,:in this instance, he, proposed that the
- tratfic should be optional and.opere. He did not think
that the shop should be opened in a back street, in a
place that was no, thoroughfare, or that there should
net he clickerS, puffers, arid advertisers employed,
.. for advertising 'was fair and unobjectionable when,
th'e trade was just and honourable. It they did net
advertise, they could, not expea that/men would
- come from tho Isla of Wight, or l'rom Verkshire,-to
purchase.' They should not only
,keep public and
open market, but carry their shops to the wakes and
litirs of their customers, even to their , houses. But
the•persona employed shoUld not be like those at
present engaged in the traffic, who were most •unfit;
floe it. „These were .the general principles, upon.
he preooSed to facilitate the provision of a
sufficient -supply'to recruit the Army. 'He was next
• to come tti,what he proposed to do,, to: plaee it on
• ,arch a fOotitig as would make it an objed to a con-
siderable portion of the population of the Country to
engage in the service. The first T provision for that
purpose which he had to propose waa an increase of
pay. 'lf they were to givelive shillings per day ,to
. every man, there could be no doubt that they would
get soldien; enough. But there was a limit to this pro-
% isien, founded iu a reward to discipline.' They could,
not raise the pay above a certain amount without
making the Apny,licentions, which would destroy dis-
cipline, and by rendering severe punishments neces-
sary, deter the people from entering into the service :
therefore lay within very narrow limits. ,There
could be no Army_ without discipline, but then it
was desirable not to deprive the service. of such
other temptations as might induce individuals to en- •
ter it. The life of a soldier was certainly not fa-.
v-ourable to longevity ; it was not such a' one as in
that view might be recommended, But then the situ-
ation of- a soldier might ,be rendered _an objeet of,
respe&, and be regulated in such a manner as to be
regarded os a situation of dignity. What. could be
done iu this Country by distinaions, the cheapest
'mole of reward. This species of reward, however,.
had been lately greatly lavished, alad fatally invaded.
Though the lay could not be materially increased,
etheitgli they could ipt take off any part ofthat disci-
teiitie which was so essential, they had still enough to
induce as Many of the population of the country as,
w-ould be sufficient fur the emergencies of the coon=
try to,enter intoshe Army. The Governinentpos,
~e.ssed ample means in the distribution of rewards
fa- past services, 'and the provision for those whO
Might be disabled- in the service. These might be.
augmented 'ad lit itunt. The Government, tho' it
could not increase the pay; could certainly bestow
honours'ond distin&ions suited to the. rank, situation,
-;and conditio of the party. But. with respe6t,to the
leithre of the service there was ope distinction which
in his opinidh and in that of very high Military
au-
thorities, might, without any prejudice to the army,
svithoiit de,tritneot, without injury to the general
'-ervice, be doee away.. This distivaioo was the
tern for -which men were engaged to serve, in our.
Instea‘,l of the service for life he proposed
that the
.engageuieet should be, but for a limmited
number of veers, in the same: manner as in every
other. country of Entope. He said of Europe, the'
a late proportion of cm- owe farce, the 100,0"00
men toeavhich he had before alluded, were eeevaa-ed
'for a limited term. Those Cientlemen who cal7;u-
Feted on those troops as equal,-ornearly so, tQ Regular
TroopSa could riot consistently make any objection
to this'alteration. It would be rather strange if they
should contend that such a chOnge in the term of
service would destroy the charaCtec of an army: lie
admitted there WOUili IN a difference, but that dif-
ference would arise not from .the limitation of ser-
vice, but front the limitation of place.
.The change
'of service would produce an effect so clear, so per-
tain, so utterly incontrovertible, that it was unne-
cessary to argue it. When they were,told that corps
recruiting far dip'erent terms of service obtained men
for the same price, .that argument proved nothing:.
Corps recruiting for the same service often got men
at different prices. ,If the argument was good fur
any thing it would go to prove, that where a man
accepts five guineas when, by holding out a• litttle
longer, he might have had ten, he likes five as well
,as he should.ten. Aud it might often happen that
'a tuan, particularly in moment 4 of intoxication,
Might be tempted to take eve, though he might have
teu by pressint for them. Another principle which
he proposed was, with a view to do away a restriction
:injurious to the service. This principle would have
the aced of filling the armies, and providing a sup
ply for them equal to any emergency. On this sub-
, Jed he was opposed by many high,ancl respeetable
• military authorities, but was also snpported by others
as high and respedable. If he paused on the sub-
ejed, it was because of its magnitude, and not because
lie felt the Smallest doubt of the value or the reEti-;
tude of the principle.
,Did not the cbaraiiter of the
soldier exist in as high 'a degree as possible. in the
litanies of Foreign Powers He was an advocate for
national charader, and he thought that this more than
any other circumstance put a difference between dif-
ferent nations:, This national charader was visible
to the three nations that' composed this Empire--
'the English, IriSh, and Scotch. He was sere they
would till feel -equally anxious to suppott it ill
their military capacity. On the authority of ex-
perience he could' assert, that the military service
might, and could be carried to the highest pitch in
limited service os in setaiee lite, He could not
•
see why
,a differeut pystem was to be adopted here,
fruits 'that which was acted upon every Where else
in Europe. In every other country the Armies were
• raised for a limited term of years. It was also to be
ohierved that the Army of the East India CoMpany
ia-afeeeliSted on the some terms. Could it he said that
that Arkny hild not conduced itself With spirit and
heavery e that it had not distinguished it elf? It
might be nrged; that
,apprehensions anight naturally
be felt concerning the ell'eet of such a change. • But'
there was no foundation fbiesuch fears. The saute
. would apply any Other species of :iris-
. erovenient 'that could be pr•Opoed. It might be