The Sun.
London, England, 1820-02-22 00:00:00

MUTINY BILL

Lord PALSISIISToN rose for the purpose of call-
ing the attention of the [-louse to rlie notice which
hail been laid before it. lle would in the most
brief manner possible state what he desired to
propose on this subject. It would not be neces-
sary for Lim to bring in any recital of the. Mu-
tiny Act in his explanation of the Bid he meant
to propose. He situp!y meant to propose a Bill
to continue front the '24th of March next till the
24111 of June following, the provisions of the Mu-
tiny Bill of last year. . Such being the object of
his BA!, lie did not conceive himself called on to
enter into any details oil the subject, as the same
inducements which had operated in favour of the
passing of the Bill last year, would still be suf-
ficient to cause ifs continuance for the present.

On the question .being put from the Chair,
Colonel aiVlas said, he could not allow a Bill
of this description to pass in .silence. He bad
hoped that befOre this Bill had been proposed,
the Noble Lord, or sOme one of his Majesty's Mi-
nisters, would have given some explanation of the
reasons of Government for maiutaining so large a
military establishment. It was true, as the Noble
Lord observed, it was only .the old Mutiny Bill
they were called upon to pass ; but it was a slit-
ferent force, whose existence they would thereby
sanction, to what it was when they had passed
the same measure last year. Since that period Go-
vernment had thought St to-raise a large extra body
of troops, at a time sou when we were in a state
of profound tranquillity. It was.true discontents
had prevailed in different parts of the country, but
he would only ask whether such a wanton abuse
of power was not calculated to increase these dis-
contents; and whether it was not in consequence
of similar ill judged measures on the part of Go-
vernment that these discontents had ever shown
themslves. At the time that these new levies
had been made, the existing military establish-
ment,. be contended, was more than amply suffi-
cient. The execution of the laws should be en-
trusted as-much as possible to the-Civil Power• 7---
'lt was generally alio wed't hat certain districts in
the Vest of Scotland, such as Glasgow, Paisley,
&c. were more opposed to Government than any
others in that part of the Kingdom. Now, why

3twula a Lige ttilthdry T6rce be kept in the \Vest
of -Scotland, when a respectable body of the in-
habitants of Glasgow had formed themselves into
a corps of voluoteeis for :the 'express purpose of
gneliing disturbaocis. It-was not his intention
fo 'moire an atnendment, but he should certainly
br'ing the queicion more fully tinder the considera-
tion of the House at another rime.

'Air.CALCRAFT followed his Hotr. Friend in the
siew he had taken of the question before the
House. He protested against the maintenance of
a large armed force. He thought that if a mili-
tary power was necessary to keep the people in
awe, it was all owing to the conduct of Minis-
ters. A deaf ear had been turned to all the prayers
with which the table was loaded, when the House
had lately adjourned at the conclusion of its sit-
tings before Christmas. In despite of all those
solemn calls upon their deliberations, they had
adjourned themselves till the 15th of February.—
Before the arrival of that day, however, it had
pleased the Almighty to take our late Sovereign
from this world, and instead of their meeting the
next day, and going into the bosiness which so
loudly demanded their attention, they had assem-
bled for a few days, and were int-muted that their
dissolution was at hand, at the samtetitne that the
day on which their existence was to cease was in
a most unusual and extraordinary manner au-,
nounced to them beforehand. Thus then it was
intended that the new Parliament should go into
all that business which they had neglected to
do, at the time which he had attempted to show it
was must proper that they should flare done so,
viz. on the.immediate demise of the Crown. nom
these coincidences heeeanneto the conclusion, that
there was some latent feelitie it) Ministers which
urged them on thus to play with the feelings of
the country. lie could not-help thinking there
was something to propose which would place in
an awkward predicament Members who were on
the eves of meeting their Constituents. lie did
think that the present Parliameut, who were about
to meet their Cooteilueuts, would not agree to
pass the Mutiny Bill in the same state as when it
was passed last year, and this was the reason why
Ministers did not go forward with business in the
regular manner,
Lord PALMERSTON declared, it was not from the
motive which the Honourable Gentleman imputed
to hinii that he had not give!) all the information he
seemed desirous of, but merely from a feeling that
he should be intruding unnecessarily on the time
of the House. He should content hinsself at pre-
sent with stating, that with regard to the aug-
mentation of the military force, that it Govern-
ment had not. made that aegmentation at the time
they did, they would have been guilty of a gross
dereliction of their duty—(hear, -bear !)—and he
was sure that the people at large felt approbation
at what Ministers had done on that •occasion.—
(Heat !)
Mr. HOME thought that the House ought well.
to consider of what they did, b? assenting to the
passing of this Rill. They were about to conti-
nue a burthen of upwards of eleven millions on
the Country. He hoped, on the second rtading
of the Bill, some one would more for a redaction
of this enormous sum of eleven of tveive millions,
and he was sure the House ;could support the too-
tion.

Leave was,,lben given to bring in the Bill.

NAVY MUTINY bILL,

Mr. CROKER observed, thßt the number of men
had been already voted for the N3Vy, and !be
therefore which lie intended to propo:e would be
the same as the Army Mutiny Bill.