The Sun.
London, England, 1804-03-01 00:00:00

tqlled for something that was. vite eXttaorflinaty
in7that }louse, and in thetSeooriiry, 'for *there had'
been always Something like Party ever since there
had been. any Public Discussion, in. its 13Otlif these
Hon. Gentlemen had thrown out, that there had been
endeavours to depreciate 'the Volunteers. df,',this
Country, by those who had spoken, in the exercise
of their right, or rather performance of, their duty in
that House. He wished that theie Gentlinen would
state what syllable had fallen from the Hon. Ofacer
that had any such tendency—Let them quote the
Syllable which had that tendency, more especially,
should his Hon. Friend the General do this, since
he himself complained of round' assertion without
proof, and what was this but round assertion with-
out proof ? But the Hon. Gentleman behind him
(Col. EYRE) aliought, that this Country would be
safe indeed, -if all fiarties united with Government
for the support of the Country instead of endeavours
ing to overthrow the Ministers. He certainly took
the distinction cOrreCtly and rightly, between the
nature of the support which. the House ought to af-
ford, and that which he called for. But here let him
ask,. at- what period of our history was the support
given to Government more general than at the pre-
sent moment ? When did all descriptions of persons
more cordially unite for the defence of the Country,
and at what period did those who opposed the Mi-
nisters lend more aid to Government than at the pre-
sent moment, as they did by taking measures to stip-
• port the system which Ministers adopted I—did not
his Hon. Friend, who sat next to him (Mr. GREY),
give' a remarksble proof of that in his conduct in
raising Volunteers If the House looked to the
North of England, they would there find a Noble
Friend of his making most surprizing exertions to
support the Country, and even supporting Govern
merit in the same manner as his Hon. Friend he had
before alluded to : they would see that Noble Person
making exertions, which none but a person of very
ample fortune could do, but which exertions' were
not the less admirable because he had the power to
Make them, bringing up, at his 'own sole expence,
isoo VolunteerS,- without creating any hurthen
upon Government, except the expellee of providing
them with muskets ; this was done by his Noble'
Friend (the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND) although
there was bile little doubt that he did not think ta-
vourably' Of the present Ministers ; from the very
highest to the lowest, all the people in this country
had united in 'the support of Government, more-pe--
haps than had ever been the case at any other time.
At the same time the Hon. Gentleman behind' him
called upon the -House and all the peopleof the Coun-
try, to unite also in support of the present Admini-
stration :Alley had united all ranks and descriptions
in support of Government,' because by their own
mismanagernent they had brought the Country into
such a situation of alarm and danger, that all des
scriptions of persons flocked to the support of
Government, without which they saw no way
to support themselves, and 'it would always be
so, for in proportion as Ministers brought the
Country into danger, would the People support the
Governments this wad necessary on the part of the
People for self-preservationa Ministers had brought
the Country into such a'crisis, that the. People saw
every arm must be raised, every nerve and sinew
braced for the common defence ; and as far as there
was any merit in' promoting, or rather in creating
that general diseosition in the People, the present
Administration had certainly in an eminent degree.
that merit. With respeE to his Honourable Friend
opposite to him, after whom he rose immediately,
but gave way to others, he owned he was a little
surprized at the.tone and manner of his argument
and expression. He must say again, what was
certainly not new, that he felt himself bound
to defend the freedom of debate in that' House ;
and he could not help saying, that if the sort
of language he' had heard to-night was to be
used with 'Success in that House, there would
be an end of the freedom of debate, for upon the
subject of military affairs, none but a General Of.
fiver would be permitted to speak ; so his Hon.
Friend would have it, for he had said 'to the Hon.
Officer near him (Colonel CRAWFORD) that he
ought not to consider himself entitled • to lay down
the law ; that although many of his opinions might
be perfedly respeetable, yet he must give way to
the grave sentiments of those who were before him
in rank. This was not perfealy conformable 'to
the former praftice of his Hon. Friend, fhr he re.
meMbered'when that Hon. and gallant Officer was
fresh from the scene of aCtion in India, he took
upon himself the privilege of speaking very freely:
of those who were not indeed his superiors in abili,
ties, but very superior to him in rank ; he remem.
bered his speaking of Gen. Medows, and many
others of high rank and station, very freely, and
claiming an unqualified licence to do so as a
Member of that House; and he remembered that
he supported his Honourable Friend in that princi.
pie ; but now the language he had then used as, an
accuser, he accused another for using, and with as
much vehemence in the one as the other, for he was
full as strenuous as a convert as he had been before
he saw his error. But this principle of silence for
those who were inferior in military rank with re-
sped to the conduit of the highest, would soon put
an end to the freedom of Debate—and the reason
whielfhis Hon. Friend gave for thus imposing upon
all Officers inferior in rank to those whose conduct
was in question, was not that he knew they had
considered the thing in dispute, but because they
must haVe considered it, and this sort of dodrine
was to be opposed to the whole .of the Speech of the
Honourable Officer (Col. CRAWFORD), a Speech full
of good sense as any he had ever heard, and replete
with information of the most useful kind, and deli-
vered in language easily understood by any capacity,
although it should have no military knowledge.H;
Having defended Col. CRAWFORD for some time, he
proceededJO'ohServe upon the subject of the Bill
now .bero';re'ile 'House. He said, it was idle to talk
about the Volunteer System nor.having affected the
Recriiiting of the Regular Army, the Army Of Re.
serve, 'and' the raising of the Militia; for the fan
was known to be- so, and il4& the. difficulties in
raising the Army of ReServe Were' in ruinV.cases
absolutely insuperable, for this the inen' had been-
ballotted for until at last there were mane left foe
ballot. As to the Exemptions Of the Volursteers,
if they were exempted froM the Army of Reserve
and the Militia by the Bill cifisat Seat, they heed