The Sun.
London, England, 1805-04-05 00:00:00

R 4DUCTION

- ,
The Older of the I)ay being read for the second
reading of the ReLlutlion Bill,
Lord IMIrKi4S,BURY rose, and stated the ob.
'cat it saill to he, increabe the Disposable
t:orce.ol the C.untry, by allowing a certain pro.
portu n ela Mtliu to enter into the Regulars and
tldr IVlArittes. The increase 011ie Militia in

was not greater then the exigency of the peri,il re.
quired. A Bill, however, had been Fiisseci last
Sessioo for reducing the English Militia to 40,000,
09a the Scotch to Soon men.. This principle befog
recognised, it was fur their Landslips to coosidera,
whether a great public advantage, would not .ariae
from allowing the Militia to volunteer into the Re.,
gulars, instead of waiting for their gradual reeltiee,
ties • In pointing out the propriety of reciting the
Militia, his LoteishiP observed, that the Volun.
seers now constituted a great peatenetiebt Definifve
Force, and that there were great objections to push.
ing the,Militia'hyorid its due bounds. He was no
friend to the Militia who wished to carry it to an
extent in i,vhieh it could not be maintained upon true
Militia principles. In consequence of the augmen.,
cation of the Militia, it had been found impossible
to obtain the necessary number of Officers. Of the
nuedier attualiyerequireil by law, there were nearly.
+co deficient ; and if those 'whom particular regu.
lations had rendered necessary, were included, the
deficiency of Officers would amount to about 500.
As the Militia Officers, were .themselves to carry
the Bill into execution, there could be no appre.
hensien of its operation Peening injurious to the
discipline of the Militia. :
The Marquis of 13UCKING11,4111 very strongly
expressed his predileCtion for that Constitutional
Force, the Militia. Much had been promised last
Session, relative to the increase both of the- Defen.
sive and Offensive Force of the Nation, but when
he looked at the situation of Europe, and of this
Country, he was surprised to see how little had
been done, compared with the giant promises which
had so liberally been made.
The Earl of DERBY said, that were the Govern-
ment of the Country in proper hands, he was copft-
dent a great Disposable Force might be created
withoutareserting to the miserable expedient of rob.
bing one service to feecteenother. The principle of
the Bill was bad, and the provisions were such, that
its nhjeft rota not be 'attained. Was it the inten-
tion of Ministers to tell the world and Bonaparte,
that the Resources of this Country were it su low a
pitch thei 17,060 Men could net be procneed with_
cut tranferring them from one service to another ?
His Lordship expreseed his regret that the Clause
for liinitieg the period of service, proposed in an.
other place, had been rejected. The former Adinia
nistratiun had given a pledge that no measure of this
kind should be proposed ; but that pledge was now
completely violated. It was understood there was
to be no farther ballot for the Militia, until the
gradual reduction was completed; lautin'consequence
of this Bill, a new ballot must immediately: take
Why was this Measure not brought forward
before if it was So necessary fur increasing the
Disposable Force ? lie believed it was introduced at
this, time, in order that the men might be sent to
reinforce the West India Garrisons t in that quarter
of the world a French Fleet now
_rode ttiumpliant ;
and it appeared that the defence of the Colonies had
been grossly
The Earl. of BUCKINCtiAMHIRE said, that
when the Bill was introduced for increasing the Mi.
litia Force -to 60,000, it was certainly not in the
contemplation of Government to reduce it below that
number. • The Counly was now, however, in dif.
ferent circumstances, and it bad already been deter.-
mined by Perliament, that the Militia should be
reduced to .0.000. In this situation, was •it not
'advisable to rake the opportunity of iocrcasitig the
Disposable Force, by allowing the number to he re,
duced, to enter into the Regular Army ? The Noble
Earl who spoke last had very ircorrealy described
the state of the West Indies. There was a British
Naval Force in that quarter, which he was coefi.
dent, would not permit a French Fleet to tide there
triumphant. He could Also assure his Noble Friend,
that the Foice which might be .obtained by this
Bill was not wanted in the West Indies. Care
had been taken to have a Military slid Naval Force
there, frilly, sufficient to meet those events which
had"ucclarred, and the possibility of which was not
'Ordure/Oen.
• Lord Peeve, in • explanation, maintained, that
if one Men was taken from the Militia it would be
an infringement of the Constitution.
' Lori BORINGDON observed, that no man was
less inClined than himself to dissent froM the pane-
gyrieprotiounced by the Noble Marquis in favour of
the Militia. He respeded it as the Constitutional
Force of the Cawley, and therefore. conceived it
ought not to he violated. He doubted very much
whether the number of men proposed to be raised
by this Bill would volunteer from the Militia Regi-
ments. From the Regiment he commanded, - he.
thought but few would volunteer into the Line.
Lord CAWDOR' said, his decided opposition to
this Bill did not proceed from any systematic deter.
mination to throw eliffieuitiee in the way of His
Majesty's Ministers. IltsohjaEtion to the measure
was, that it evotild•give a fatal wound to the Militia
Seryiee. He observed, that the RegOlar , Army
would nor benefit by' it, because only the very worst
men in, the Militia Regiments would .volunteer
those who, having miscoodualed themselves, wished
to cuter into a different service, apd those habitual
drunkards who would be glad to avail themselves of
thebounty. He considered the Bill as :timed at the
character snot Constitution of the Militia. His
Lordship entered into a long detail., the reiult of
which was, that Government, when the Militia
was reduced last War, had pledge(' itself not again
to have recourse to a similar measure. He concludes'
by saying;, heshould vote against the Bill.
Lord Wi.STMORL AND contended, that the
,
principle upon which the Militia was founded did
nut peeclude the men Composing it from engaging in
any other service of a less limited- nature. He
considered the present proposition as one which, in
its consequences, would be highly. benefieialoo the
Country.
The Bled of CAERNARVON observed, ithatohe
breath was scarcely cold with which the pledge hail
been given never 'to recur to a measure that had for
its ()hied the teduaton of the Militia. He denied
there was tiny necessity for the measure proposed,
and•lie objeaed to it chiefly ;le hostile to every Con-
stitutional pritteiple.

Lord C D F,N supported the Bill, on the ground
that an augmentation of the Pisposahle Force of
the Country was neceoary, to whiell the present
me store would essentially contribute. This wa.3 to
be ciliated ii a inisnoq as latibfattory lof*le to

tlic Ittiinp of the Militia 011.3r5, who were a bpdy
Whom h' ropeeled, and who were intitled to the
appr hnian of the Country far- their zeal and great
exett ions.

rot E.irls of* SupPottc,',Routtutir, and CAR.
o,iposed the measure, and, censured the-
wretehetl exvekiiertis and nugatory systerni"by which
the Regular Force was proposed to be augmented.
—The Noble Lords, however, corigratulated the
Country on chi failure of the Parish Bill, which was
,evident, from the introduttion of that then before
their Lordships. MW

.The,Loao.CHANcni,es. having put the ques.
tidn, that the 'nut be read a second time, a division
took place—Contents 102—Non Contents
Majority 4.8.
'l`h• Bilt was thieread a second time, and ordered
to be committed to-morrow. Adjourned.•