The Sun.
London, England, 1804-02-28 00:00:00

40,606, thus having the Same number of men,
only differently distributed, as be thought the ~
Militia ought to remain on the old constitutional
principle, without Eyeing subject to recruiting for -
the Regular Army. This might easily be effe&ed
by not hallotting to• fill up vacancies in the Militia,
but by ballotting foe the same number of men to be
added to the Army of Reserve: He proposed these
plans of permanent faice, • because to be a free and
happy- Nation, we must be a powerftil one. Minor,
difficulties must give way, where it was possible,
they would- doubtless be softened ; but where they,
. -
could neither be .removed or softened, they. must be
endured, as those who suffer must be aware that
let these difficulties be heightened- beyond any
degree that could be conceived, they were nothing
compared with those calathities with which other
nations of-Europe were affiitted. He should only
.add upon this subjeti, that when 'a balloted- man did
not serve personally,. the • Substitute ought to be
found in the same distria, and that 'it would *be
much better for the balloted man to pay a'fixed sum, -
leaving theprish to provide a Substitute,' whose 'ac-
counts would be under the superintentlance of Magi-
strates, and thus the giving of large bounties be
~ , .
pre-
vented. - This would tend to put a•stop 'to that
competition which had for some time existed, as
men, knowing they could . get no more than- a
.fixed price, would come forward more readily in the
first. instance. Thee general °Urines, when finally
-digested- would, he thought, tend to lay the founda-
tion of a-system-calculated to make-us the greatest,
as well 'as the bra Vest and freest Nation..upon earth.
As to another species of Defence, - that of Fortifica-
tion, he hoped no narrow view of economy would
prevent that from being used Wherever there were
vulnerable points, as a.--feW thousands well ape
plied, might probably save a much larger sum, .and
preserve the lives of mapy. There were other
means of Defence which were of the very highest
importanee, and to which he should only now allude.
(,fin. this, sUbjea he did' not speak lightly when he
said, that our eff,..4ts in tlic' way -or -naval defence
were not adequate to the-danger. Whilst our naval
means had been greater than at any-former period,
'our exertions had been less. 'He' said this from no
sentiment of prejudice"; if he erred, he erred on the
side of the, Country ; giut the day might come when
•
if an extraordinary exertion. for the defence of .the
Coast did-not-manifest itself, he might. think it,his
duty to saytnore one the subjett.- •His only wish was
' to make the whole system of our defence as perfeet
a 3 possible ;•to.that end he only looked, and-attached -
no importance to his own ideas any further than as
.
thef.olght be,,Considered as tending to.that objet.
Mr. IrliVDl:filMdelivered his sentiments at some length,
and entered into a variety of detailed considerations of-the
subject. ea great-part of his Speech applied to what fell
from ..theeßight_ Hon. Gentleman under the Gallery (Mr.
PITT) relative to his proposed amelioration of the Volunteer
System. He said the Volunteer System should be considered
in a prospeCtive as well as in an immediate point of view ;
and he condernoed in pointed terms the greater partof- the
measures adopted with respect to the Volunteers. Were 'it pro-
. posed tot-ender them useful, even on their own principles, a
system of trbublisome :snd, harassing discipline should not
be reserted to, as probably the less in point of number, by ye-
signation, would hi...greater than the advantage attained with
respect to unproved discipline. He contended, that the pre-
sent system of Defensive Measines, particularly of the Vo-
lunteer System, Went to counteract the augmentation of
the regular and disposable- Visrce -of the Country. No per-
feelicn of discipline.. on the part of the 'Volunteers would
comperisate.lor this iii died. He thought the plan- of using
-a force,of this description as a means of annoying an Enemy
in _whatever way they could, would be preferable to the mode
of employing them in battalions ;in which shape they would
be rather a disservice, and tend to induce the defeat of regular
'Troops. He adVerted to an instance of insubordination which
was said to have occurred in a part of the country, where a
number of Volunteers insisted, On a Commander of theirs '
being liberated from the jail. He wished for authoritative
information on this head,. -and- to know whether any legal
cognizance was taken of the affair : this lie :bought of great ,
_importance, the more especially as it was argued as if the Va.:
lunteers were intended as a permanent force...in the Country.,
Condiiet such as he had alluded to, Might be pregoant with
danger, of which no inencould foreaeethe limits, In Other
points of view, the Vohniteer System, as now condutted,
was seriously to be considefed. On the occasion of Elee-
tions, tot' instance, when Corps might set up their favourite
Candidates, as a great number of those armed men were
Electors, it would not be so, practicable to, send-such
soldiers out of the sown, as that in fact would be
sending the town out• of ( A laugh). To cer-
'tain parti of his Right Hon.
.Friend's plan he decidedly
objeCtcd. Notwithstanding. they.-in and. force,.-and
eicquenee With which these sargeestions were delivered,. still
he was unconvinced. edeemed it Materiam'suptrabit opus.
• However, he wished to have the energy of the Country dis-
played upon adequate occasions. Ile did not wish it to be
rendered a Military Country ; those. Countries, which Were
professedly so, that is,' where all the Citizens were deemed Soldiers, as Geneva and America', were in fatt 'less Military
Counts-16's than any: other, .Prance, wherein a rtiiferent;sys,.
tern prevailed, displaYcd in fad the greatest ruilitaryenergies.,
' They should seriously set nboii, the great 'work 'under consi-
etc:ration., and atone for past neglect, in sedulously labouring
to...reate an. etiective Force, which could co-operate with,
or support the Regular Force of the Country, when the
'urgency of the occasion should require. • -
-Lord (.4.371.E.REAG11 said, that a great deal of What
had transpired it the Debate, particularly misty parts of. the
suggestions of hisliononrable Friend, could be more regulae-
- ly and erriedually discussed in the Committee, on the Bin, or
in the regular discussion .of that Motion of which hia.Hone
Friend gave notice in the course of .his Speech, With respett
to the Speech of the Right Hon. Gentlenian who spoke last,
as applying to the measure Under- discussion, it resolved
itself into two points : first, the supposed prejudicial
operation of the 'Volunteer System with respect to the
other Force of the Country; and, .secondly,' the alledged
defeas within the..,System itself; and on both these points,
he-thought the Right Honourable Geottenheui fully as un-
suecessful,now in attempting to-establish as he was upon
tonne? occasions. In illustrating this -pOsitione' the:Noble
Lord entered into a detailed consideration of those parts of
the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech to which he referred.
With respeel, however, 10 the idea. that it would be prefer.: •
able to employ the Voluntetrs in an .irregirlar desultory way
of operation,- he entertained a different idea, and in this he
was warranted by what took place in other countries, and-
adverted to the services rendered by an armed peasantry-on'
the Rhine and in, Suabia ; but these were particularly cir-
cumstanced—their attacks were directed agarnst a retreating
army :. besides, the peasantry in these countries are more
inured to warfare and to the use of arms than those of Eng-
land. ' But the great superiority of disciplined levies,'
though newly ;raised, may be learned from the victories
obtained. by those • under the . command ,of Dumourier
at jeniappe and other places; He was well convinced
of the loyalty, integrity, and patriotism of the Volun-
teers; their connection with the Crown,, and with the
Laws of their Country, should tend entirely to set our minds
at-rest on the score of their principles and. conduct.. With
regard to the anecdote allitded to by the Hon. Gentleman,
he was sorry that a diSposition prevailed any wheie to Search '
out for impotent circumstances and trivial Os, which must
sometimes unavoidably -occur in an aggregate of-37a,e00 men,
and bring them tbrward as proofs- of the disposition of the
Volunteets in general. In the best disciplined regular troops
in the world, such instaac'es of improper coßttutt or insubor-
dination Would* 'sonietimras be found to occur. The affair
alluded to, lie understood, took place at Chester, but the _
• persons who Were concerned in the proceeding were instantly
dismissed. with strong marks-of disapprobation from the -
Corps, and Measures were-taken by the ATTORNEY-GENE
R ,Vt. with a
.vie w to their prosecution. Adverting to, what hid
fallen from his Right Hon. Friend, with respect to the gene-
ral questioe of Recruiting, ireceas iltid he had turned his wind
to i tone subie!zt was o: tlielast importance, and he hoped same
means would ibe struck °m a° carry Imo eifeet some regular s-
tein of recruiting, free from those difficulties. hitherto experi-
enced, and whicli;aroSe from crinsideratioos connected witiathe
wealth and:Piosperity of the Country. Another point which
.wished to,9bseue upon, as .connected with wind- hill front