The Sun.
London, England, 1808-07-01 00:00:00

an' regimental Courts Martial, and thecircumstances
attenititi, the intltdi )ti of the punishments.
Lord FOLKSTONE •joined heartily in the panegyric
pronounced b% the Noble Lord on the character of
the British soldier.; but he thought that addi-
tional reason for the protlyetion of the papers moved
tor For, .if the present military code contributed
to the high character of'the British army, every
thing. that could elucidate. that fad would be most
desirable to satisfy
_and reconcile the minds, of the
soldier, and thepeople to the system now pursued.
No' inkcniet could result troni,.the prodation of
the -Papers, unless they would sheir that the caprice
of individual ComManders influenced the infliction
of the. punishment.. If, for the same offence the
punkihment was more: severe in some regiments
"than in others, or in the same regiment under.dif-
ferent Commanders, there certainly mast be a de-
gree of discretion that Ott& not to be allowed. In
every view, the information moved for was highly
proper' and desirable.

Mr. WiNDHAM was adverse to any interference t;f*
the House with the government of the army. But
the returns moved.for would not% if produced, ena-
ble the House to form any fair judgment of the pro-
pr;etv of the degree of punishment inflicted in any
particular case. The prevalence of the offence, the
Circumstances of-the case,- and the chavaAer of the
man, were points by which regimental courts-Mar-o
flap were generally guided, and of these the Housb
could not possibly obtain any
_information.. The
difference between our military code. and.those of
fitreign nations consisted, in this, that' we more .re-
• fluently inflicted corporal punishment, and ". they
more tt equently indicted death. This'difference
prevailed under the old French system •as well ai
the present. It. was to be conside.i-ed Whether
we would gain by substituting the penalty of death.
He conceived our system was amply guafded against
caprice. He believed the present practice Was bet-
ter than that of any former time; but he thought
improvement Might' 'Still be made by those at the
head of the Army, din. addition to the exact returns
thee_ required of every instance, and amount of pu-
nishinent, they shewed a" Marked fa%our to those
uho kept
,tip a proper degree of discipline in their
regiments without having recourse
,to.corporal pu-
nish- ent. He :thOugin the most effeanal means of,
doing away corporal punishment wiwid be the adop-
tion of the system of limited service proposed by
hhn. The, production of the Papers could have no
goo,l rife& They cot:ld not chew the faals in de-
tail, and they could not be judged of otherwise.
ptoposed to move the Order of the Day, bat be
wished the Hon. Baronet rather to withdraw his
mot ion. •

Lord TEIOLE thought a compliance with the mo-
tion could do no good, and it may do harm. If the
case was such as to rrquire a remedy twin Parlia-
ment, the whole Sunnite! would pass over in discon-
ithout the possibility of applying that reme-
dy ; and if no remedy was necessary, ,the whole
summer would pass in groundless discontent, with-
out the power of removing the rankling by an au-
thentic statemenC He -conten&d, that the charge
of caprice was unfbunded: But he conceived that it
winld be of advantage that :the attention of the
Commanders of regiments was turned to the prac-
ticability of mainta ning discipline by other modes
than by corporal puntsnrneot.. -He implorect the
Hon. Baronet to withdraw his motioo,, otherwise he
must give it his negative.

LocxnAttic _besides the securities _against
caprice already mentioned, stated the additional one
of a right of appeal from a regimental_ to a General
Court-martial. It was not likely that corporal, pu-
nislit»eni would be inflicted 'in the Local Militia;
except in very heinous cases, or:where the whole
force should be called out in the event of invasion,
and in these cases he thought the power ought to
t xi* He conteuded that no• inference could be
drawn from the single instance of the punishment
by statue at Madrid to the general, practice of the
French Armx, which- was far severer than ours.
Sir F.l3trittairT persisting in his Motion, a di,
vision tomk place.—tor the motion 4.—Against it 77.

MR. DALRYMPLE.

Wish& the Gallery was shut up, the :notion on
the of the late Mr. Dalrymple trum the
race of Hyclro,4rapliet to, the Admiralty was post.
puaed.