The Sun.
London, England, 1804-04-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT•

HOUSE OF PEERS,
FRIDAY/ APRIL 20.
THE Duke of GRAFTON took the Oaths and his
Seat.

THE IRISH MILITIA AUGMENTA'rION BILL.
Lord HOBART moved the second reading of
the Bill for Augmenting the Irish Militia. The
Noble Lord said, the principal. inducement with
His Majesty's Ministers for bringing forward the
present measure, was from eeonornical motivei.=
He understood some objections would be offered,
but he was not aware of any which could be reason_
ably made. Undoubtedly the opposition of a Noble
Lord (GRENVILLE) to the other Bill on the
ground of reciprocity, might, in that Noble Lord's
mind, be considered as te,nable ; but he must con-
fess it appeared to him, that the opposition was
carried on merely for the sake of opposition. He
was warranted in saying thus much, when
it
veould be recollected that during the late • War,
that Noble Lord had, :as a Member of , His Ma.
jesty's Councils, 'sane9..ioned a similar measure.—
He wished, however, Noble Lords to understand
that measures are now pursuing, to augment the dis.
,posable Force to the amount of 25,000 more than
at present ; consequently it would be seen that Go.
verntuent are not inattentive to their duty,:The
Noble Lord adverted to the observations which. had
been made the preceding evening, respeaing the
Correspondence carried on by a NOW. Lord (RE DES-
DALE) in Ireland, and observed, ,that he had never
before that evening, conceived that private Cor
respondence ought to be made the subject of public
avowal or disavowai on the part of Government..—,
He then moved the second reading of the
Earl SPEJNCER, professed that his objeCtion to
this I*Zastre did not originate in any opinion which
be might. have formed on. the .Letters 41.19dC_Ct.t.o. by
the Noble Sec It Ermay of STATE. with respect to
the principle of the measure, he must condemn it
altogether. It is impolitic at the present moment
to take so large a portion of the Firce as to,opo
from the defence of Ireland. He must also contend,
that it is impolitic and unwise to matte such an ad-
dition for limited sets ice only. We ought stO add
To our disposable Force, and therefore he. would re.
commend, that instead of increasing the' Militia of
Ireland at the rate of four guineas per . man
bounty, that Ministers should give even the bounty
of ten guineas for an eqUal number for general ser.
vice. The Noble Earl was happy to.congratulate
the House upon what they.had just heard from the
Noble SECRATARY of STATE-, namely, that it is in
contemplation to augment the disposable Force ; but
he could not. help observing,-plat the whole of the
measures of the present Administration were caleu.
'sated to thwart and cross each other. Be concluded
with giving his decided negative to the Mdtion for
the second reading.
Lord GRENFILLE would not enter into any
length of discussion on this day, as many Noble Lords
beside himself were much fatigued frorn.the length
which the debate of the ptececling evening had taken.
He wished it; hoWever, to be onderstood, that it
l:vas not because his opinions were changed. He
should take another opportunity of discussing the
measure, and. would not suffer any observations.
which might be made by Noble Lords opposite, re.
speding the Ads which had passed during the time
in which he formed a part of the Administration,
from giving his decided opposition to a measure
which he considered as one of the most weak, futile
andltierilenieasures which have disgraced the pre.
sent Ministry. Whatever might have been the
Onsto-ttigii of the Ads to which the allusion had
been made, the House would recoiled the difference.
of situation in which the Country is placed at the
present period, and at the time to which the Noble
Lord had alluded. If MiniSiers could not discri,
minate,, the House and the Country would ; and no-
thing should deter him from delivering his senti-
ments openly and fairly as an honeit Member of Pat-
iiarneot. He 'trusted the proper notice would be
given of the 'next stages of the Bill, as many Noble
Lords not present wished to discuss it.
The-L'',,RP CHANCELLOR assured the Noble
Lord, that Ministers were not afraid to meet him
04,,;44 friends, whenever they chose, in defending
any of their..measures, weak, puerile, and what not,
as he had described them. He hoped, however, that
4hen'theNoble Lord considered that •the measures
..,•
which he was now objecting to, and characterizing
by suds 'epirbets, were similar .to, thoogh infinitely.
t):ertf-t th4h thos.e which he. hiniself had introduced,.
that he Would cease to speak of them in such terms.
He "was sorry tOfthink that the Noble Lord and his
friends felt so much indisposed after their, last
night's fatigue, and assured him that Ministers felt
like giants refreshed, and shugqbe ready *to meet.
the Noble Lor:i in any future stage of the Bill. He
assured The 'Noble' Lord, that however they at present
differed in politics, it Was his wish that they shoulei
never feel otherwise thin they had hitherto done to
each other, 'and that they shOuld continue to view
each other as friends. He shOurd- therefore second
the Noble Lord's Motion.
After_
.4 few wotds in explanation, from Lords
PAL/1,1114LE and HAWKESBUU, it was understood
that the Bill should go 'into a Committee on Mon.
day ; if no Amendments were made; should be re.
ported that day; and, kaahat event, should be read a
3d time on Tuesday, when the debate on the princi_
. pie will take place. The Bill was accordingly read
seCOnd time, and ordered to' be committed fin
Monday.

IRISH MILITIA Tp.ANSFER BILL.
The House resolved itself into a Committee; in

which
Ibe Bishop of St. ASAPH drew the attention of
Noble Lords to an inconvenience to which, in his
?,,inion, the officers and.privates of the Irish Militia,
who should come over under the authority of this
would be subje6l. The Laws of Ireland, and
tiirticularly the 3ist of the King, allowed
.persons
i-ofessing the. Catholic Religion to become mem-
bers -of the Army and Militia in that Country :
but _that was not the case here. By the ist of Geo.
Lall persons entering into the Army were obliged
to
L.
'take the Test, the Paths .of Supremacy and Ab-
juration, and in case they should not, would he sUb-
jefl. to various civil inaraities, besides a fine of

soot. 'He wished that the Militia of Ireland, who,
in consequence of the present.Billohould come over;
here, should be proteded against, ;the oper4tictkof
that Penal Law.
This brought on a long conversation, inAyhich
the LORD CHANCELLOR, Lords HAWK
Gattivr LLE, CARNARVON, and ELLENDOROUGH,,
took part.
'The latter Noble and Learned Lord delivered his.
opinion, that the Irish Militia convict here Would.
conic over with all the privileges and immunities that
they were entitled to under the Militia Laws of their
own Country.
,He thought it would be very hard
indeed,.. if, when they -came over here from princS„
pies of the purest patriotism add loyalty, that they
should be covered
.with penalties and disabilities.
It: was his opinion that they would not be subject to
the operation, of the Mutiny Law of this Country ;
however, if there. was
,no otherobjeaion to it, he
thought it wooid not be improper to introduce a
special proviso to proted them -against the possible
application of the provisions of, the English Mutiny
AEI.
The. LORD
,CHANCELLOR did not see the ab-
,
solute necessity 'of any such provisO; however,
whether or not, he thought it would_ be right to-de-
kr the, consideration of it to some other stage,of
the Bill. Ti may be as well done on receiving the
report, or. on the third reading of the-Bill.
The remaining pro Visions of the Bill -were, then
read, and the further:discussion of the proviso, pro_
posed by. Lord ELL ENI3ORotIGH,' reserved till Mon.
day, to which day the Home adjourned.