The Sun.
London, England, 1803-12-14 00:00:00

ry was accepted as such, With-aitt- any expla4ation
its to the mode of arming, iha-t4tinust be considered
that such ,a Carps was. to, be armed in the regular.
way with muskets, and. that it cnold not be other.:
Wise denominated " properly armed -anti equipped."
Sir WM. YO.UNG thought:thalsome titstintlio'n
Might to be Made with respea 'to*Exemptions, be.
tween those Volunteers 'who so honourably:caMe.
forward in the first instance; ithrelled merely by
their zeal and their patriotism,, arid those who en•
rolled themselves after-the passiOg *al the a& for
making a general array. By thit MI, if -three.
fourths of the first Class in" any Distrid came for.
, Ivard, the Disirid was exonevited from the comPul-
&Dry Clauses'; these persons therefore only commut-
ed .ona. service for a:littler, and therefore, in his
opinion, were less entitled -to exeMption from -itre
Militia and: Army of Reserve. This description of
Volunteeri included a great part of the Peasantry of
the Counrry, who might he induced to enter into
the Army, whilst the former ticscriptiun :Volun.
teens: were wholly of, a different ciass. This sub.
jeCt, he thought, deserved serit-iiis,,comideralion,
and he should..press it upon the House. after the Re.
cess. ' .. • • , , ,

_
Mr. Rose- explained.
'The ATTORNAY. GENEPAL `observed,, that
certain. forms were prescribed by 'tlie,AA of Par
ment for the Returns of the Commander's of Volun.
tee'. COrps, with a view
.to exemption, and there
was no question in this respeft as too-the )iberality
of Government, as it was neeessa,ry that those formal
should be kept to,in order that an additional burthen,
might not be thrown upon others. He though(
that whatever Government prescribed as the mode
of arming, those arms were sufficient to entitle a
Commander to-return. his Corps :as properly armed.
and equipped. With resped to Corps: not being;
considered as effective in a Return, because, they
had only a certain proportion of arms,, he did not
conceive it necessary to the alakiog of such Return'
that they should have had arms in,their, hands all
the twenty-four days. , . •
Mr. Secretary Yoaxe read part of a Circular:
Letter from the Secretary of State of the 29th of
•August last, to prove that it sv,!s understood that_
a certain number of Pikes would be, issued to Vo.
lunteer Corps. .
Dr. L AIVRENCE contended, that Certificates
could not be given where there was only a certain;
proportion of arms ; for instanee, -one:fotirth de.
Livered to a Corps, as a Certificate must be given,to
. each individual, who could not,' iu that case, "be
properly armed.
r' Lord G. LEVESON COWER stated, that in the
County of Stafford, three weeks ago, net a single
firelock had sbien received from Government for
the VolunteerPOrt,S. • •
Mr. Secraao YORKE stated t 1 ;at orders had
been given to provide arms for_the Volunteer Corps,
but it was thought necessary LC' futniah them in the
maritime counties hrst..
Mr. TIERNEY thought a distinEtion might to
be taken Upon the 'soiled of arms. " -When Corps
made their'offers,of service, they generallY stated
what they would provide themselves,
.and what
they expe4.4tl Government to furnish. A Corps.
that lie teas connefledwith, had stated 'that they
Would prAdetheniselves with cloathing and other
arikles, ant:ithat they expeeted Government to fur.
digit artn3 and annut‘ition. By arms was certainly
Incal,c•mu.kets, but if . Government tl.ought proper
to scold at :Its a difforent description, for instance
pikes, hr should conceive that stiCh a Corps would
be properly at laid. As to.the case of only a certain
proportion of arms being furnished to a Corps, he
apprehended that, supposing only 25 muskets to be
furnished to too men, each man might exercise with
a musket, twent`y.l)Of diftrent times in '2,olaYsr ?6
ass-to' he returned' as effedive, and that for the
purpose of the return it was ofno consequence 'whe-
ther there were, z 5 inu,kets or roo. To illustrate
this, he would ',oppose a-case of five learned Doc.
tors having only one' thriel amongst sheen, yet if
they all perused the Brief, each would consider him.
self entitltql to a fee.
Or. LAWREIVCE contended, that there was nn,„
-analogy in +he 'else cited by the Hon.' Gentleman.
As to iikts, the, could n'ot, he said, be considered
as proper "'ill in the.casei mentioned.
Ulion that part- of the:Bill Which related to tile,
?lumber of, d iys of 'at I enda nce,
'• Mr. ROSE riberved, that there were some Vn
lunteers' who were paid for eighty-five days, and
others only for twentyjour ; he thought it, there.
fore, not just that • the 'former should only be re.
quire& to attend •twenty.four slays' for the
.purpose
c,f..oeing exempted. • He wished also that something
should be done to enforce 'thseipline ; he had heard
• 'of some. irregtilarities committed, and he thought
they ought to be checked. • .
Mr. Secretary YORKE said; that as the law now
stood, Volunteers were equally exempted in corn.
plying with the Al by attending twenty.four days.
As to enforcing di.tcipline, His Majesty had the
power of making regulations for that purpoie. end
it was perhaps unnecessary t 6 pass another Adt upon
the 'subje4l, as' it was highly desirable that too many
regulations. might be made. There was a great
improvement in the present system over that at last
Var, as the Volunteers were now liable to be called
• out to meet the Enemy,"which they then were not.
•Mr. ROSE, again contended, that these Voluo,
teers, who were paid for eighty-five days, ought not
to be allowed an Extinption for attending twenty.
four: He was, well aware, he said, that'llis Ma.
testy had the power of making regulations with-
-o:_ixtt to the disciplineof the Volunteer Corps, but
tlis Majesty had not the power of imposing tines
. .#* Q2;:icregutarity olcoridut%
Mr. Secretary .YORKE said, that Volunteers
would.only be paid for the number of slap they ate.
tually attended; and as-to irregularity, any person
rniscunclueling himself might he expelled with dis-
grace from the :Corps •to which he belonged, in
which case he'Would 'be entitled to no EitemptiOn.
Mr. GILES said, •'that the Bill now before the
Committee Went. to-adterthe number of effeilive
men, At preseri4l•every man who appeared, pro.
perly armed and accoutred, five days, was entitled
to 'exeinption,from the Militia;. and if, he appeared
tins, properly'arMed and accoutred, was
-iiiiiils;cl-ticerriptiort;frorti the Army of Reserve.
Theobjea of this Bill was to make an alte. rat.inn
it+ . that which made the Volunteers elfedive 'nen,