Star.
London, England, 1807-08-13 00:00:00

MILITIA.

The Older of the Day being read for the third
reading of the Militia Transfer Bill,
Lord SIDMOI.7TH.roIe-chiefiv with a view to re•
Rate Vi_. opinion he had n a former occaliiin ex.
prtlred a•f the tendency of this mcalore, and to cor
veil a miteorception t•t it, which fame Noble Lord:
feetr.•nd to !.ihr,ar :tiller. le-was acknOwledged by
hi, N'o!,le 1-layikefbuiy), that it•biid
ma,tei of conlideration•with his Majefty's
Khmer:, whether at the prefent trills k were-better
gn reran to the principle of the Arrity' elf Referve
or t.• adopt die one Low under diicuton ?
Much inquiry was laid to have been made relpeding
11:e fuhitet, hot, af•er mature deliberation, the npi•
pions of the Cabinet prevailed it'iavour if the prefeitt
mei:fine. He ult.() had inliitoted inquiries into the
matter ; be wa; far from iofinuating that tkey could
have been fo ezrer.Cive• as thole (et on rout by Mini-
nets, the refult of whicit molt completely decided his
preference to the principle of the Army of Referve
Bill. Tice soantly was now almoa precifcly in the
fime fitnation as that in which it was pieced in 1803,
wheti the Army of Referve Bill was adopted. The
et ills at prefent was perhaps more urgent, and the
Are of theCt:ntinent lets favourable ; but Rill• un•
der 'itch ci•camlialiees woold be have looked to the
opet Advil of the Arni Ref,rve Aet. The benefi-
cial ttiolls of that A& became more vilible every
day, :yid. pr.-nailed the fairefi filecefs; but it was
thought pr•-per to fublitote a meafure in its room,
winit; at the • nd of twenty month; .did not produce
more than eight thnufand men. The Noble Vifcount
then ewe: e.l iian a ' mparative flateMent f the ope
cation of the two the Army ut Rtfetve and.

the Additional Force Bills; sthich he compared with
that now under dif'cuilion, and declared it to be his
conviCtion, that there 'could not be a moment's befi•
tation in preferring the principle uf the Army of Re•
frrve Bill. The fuccefs of the meafine was at belt
but contingent. It would avail but little, milers
peace were conclnded within five years at farthett.—
With what probability Inch an event could hclo •ked
for, he was unable to conjecture. Now the whole
beatfit to be expetled from its billet fuccefs was that
it would raife 28,c00 men for the line, and thus far
increafe our difoofable force ; that he confelted to be
no (mall advantage, if it could be acquired to that
event, which, however, he doubted—but even if it
did to far faceted, fiill the advantage was too dearly
bought by infuring an ellablifhment of 77,cc0 men,
a full moiety of the whole of our armed force ; or
rather by unhinging and perhaps deftroying that
conflitutional force altogether—and to ar.fwee what
end ? to encourage our defenfive force ? and was
not the Militia a main portian of our defenfive force,
and would not the prefent Bill tend to ft-nitrate all
the hopes that could reafonably be. repoled in that
body, an excellent body of men as it now hood: but
what might it become when 28,c00 of its belt dilci
plined men were fuddenly withdrawn from it ? He
muft proteft molt fetioufly and folemnly againft the
adoption of Poch a meafure.
Lord HAWKESBURY acknowledged having
laid that it was matter of deliberation with Minglers
which of the two mealures they fhould prefer, and
the preterit was not refolved upon without full con-
viaion of its being preerable under all the circom,
(lances ef our fitnation. It was allowed by the No-
ble Vitcrount that the Bill might in a great meafure,
if not fully, accumplifh its objeS, but that (till its be-
nefit was contingent. Granted. But what was the
with of Government ? Was it not to meet the [marine
and diming]) the evil of the prefent moment—and
how ? by increafing nor eefenfive and difpolable
force., This then would be, in fome degree, accom-
plifhed even in the view of the N..ble Vifcount, and
fo far then it would fueceed. Bat he has little or no
doubt of its complete fuccefs, and then our military
means would have receierd a very great increafe in-
deed. For those who well undernood the comaition
of a foldier, and of a difpotable force, would readily
acknowledge that by loch an addition to it as that of
twenty-eight thmiland men, not only was our defer)
five force confiderably inclealed, but alto confidera•
bly itrengthened, which was a dittinCtion not to be
overlooked.

The L01:13 CHANCELLOR did not think that
his habits authotifed him to afpire to great military
knowledge ; hut.he would, however, venture to con-
cur with the N-.ble Vilcount (Sidmouth) in giving
the moll ample praife in favour of the Army of Re-
ferve A. At the time it was brought forward, hat
zut had Irma certainly his concurrence, and even
now he did slot hefitate to fay, that it wa:. one of the
moll able military plans that had ever been produced
in this corin:ry—but while he made that acknow-
ledgment, he mull obferve, that there was room
to think otherwile of that meafure at prefent. It
was nor to well adapted now to the crifis of affairs,
and it lhuttld he remembered that the effeas uhich
at foil it might have product(' mutt now be ccnfider-
..l4 altered, not only by the change of the aaual.
cir co:titian:es of thc country, but by the operation at
the other different anealurt... that had lince been intro•

duccd.
Lord MT TI.G RAVE thought the Noble Vifcount
Ind laid too much arcfs upon a dillinetion between a
difpnfable and a deienfive force. No doubt a difpo•
table force-was aifo a defentive one ; but from every
kind of defenfive force, the fame fervice!:, the farm te-
fources, could not, under all the circumtlances that
might call for thofe fervices, be reafonably expected.
He was, however, of opinion, !hat at a moment like
the prefent, there was no room to helitate 'between
the two plans.
Lord SIDMOUTH in explanation again infilled
that the principle he laid down was, that the advan-
tages gained by the Bill would be more than coun-
terbalanced by the inc'nveniences that mutt arife.
The Bill was then read a. third time, and ordered
to the Commons.
file other Orders of the Day were then difpored
of, and the Houle adjourned.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

TIIIIR.';DAY, AUGUST 13.
PR ir.F. OF s 10. K. DAY ATIDNE O'CLOCK
Ctn.money63—lcrAuzult 631

lc BiirlsWr. is

Letters of a late da:e we under :land, were yetierday
received from Buenos Ayres: The greatelt appre-
hentions prevailed there that .the place would be
thor,ly attacked by our forces. Moll of the inhabi-
tants had reti:ed into the country, few remaining
except fuck as cou'd allil in defending the place.—
The Spaniards, it is Lid, Were refolnte in their deter-
mina:ion to our troops to the Wt.

We have been favoured with a copy of the Ruffian
Court Gazette of the 16th ult. from which we have
trAntlated the following Official Note :

1•ROM NIS IMPERIAL. MAJESTY TO TILE GENERAL OTINPANTRT.
MINISTER OF THE LAND FORCES, CHIEF COMMANDANT AT
ST. PLTERSRDRCII, AND KNIGUT SiRGLI LOSMITSCIf
111MINOW.
" SERGE' KOSMITSCH,

"The ohflinate and fanguittary war between Ruffle and France,
every ftep and every ancrgrife whereof has been marked whit
tin unfitaken fortitude and bravery of the Ruffian troops, has been
terminated, thank GOD, by a peace, wl.ich was I atified on the
27th of this month (sotto Jely), a beneficial tranquillity bas been
reftorcd ; the integrity and iccurity of the RuMarrfrontiers are
feenred by an incrcale of territory, and Raffia is indebted for this,
snxtur to the heroic exploits, and to the unrimitting motions
and zeal with which her valiant Inns have undauntedly Repped
forward and braved every danger, even to death Welt.

• 1 haaen to inform 'you of this happy event, in order that ge
ncral publicity may be given to it.
Tauroggin, 38th Ju;le, old Rile, 1807.

" Ai.gXANDSIL:'

' Some velfels are arrived from Peter!burgh, the
Mailers of %hid] (late,. that at their departure the
Emperor Alexander Will at one of his palaces, about
thirty miles from that city. Its nobles and principal
inhabitants had exprefred great difplcafure at the
peace, Central Bcnrigcn's chfpatches having pre-

pared them for a very different I efilit. Tae Ruffian
forces, on their march at the titre to join the army
in Poland, were immenfe, and feveral thoufands of
them dote up with the army of Beaoigfen.

The convoy for the Baltic, confilling chiefly Of the
tranfports, having the troops on board, as mentioned
io our Paper•of yefterday, failed from Siteernefs yd .
terday morning.
The difpatches brought by Colonel HAMILTON of
the waggon train, who an ived on Tuefday night, as
mentioned in onr Paper of yeßerday, Rate the fate
arrival in the ifland of Rugcn, of upwards oft toDoo
troops of the German Legion. The King of Sweden
was left by Colonel HAMILTON in the belt fpirits.—
His Majefty had determined to protea Stralfund to
the laft extremity, and hopes were entertained of his
being able to Wilt any f..rce that might be fent
againft that place. His Majeily had alfo publicly
fignified his determination, in toms the molt pofitive,
not to fubmit to the diaatorial mandates of the cne my.
Report adds, that his Swedifh Majefly had publifhed
a Proclamation,-addrefrect to the German troops
(crying in the French Armies, or as Allies of •the
French, calling upon them to vindicate their honour
and their national charaaer, by joining the only
German Prince who has not yet condefcended to
I make peace with BONAPARTE.
Colonel HAMILTON paired through the Hand of
Zealand, where the Daniih force does not exceed
.}coo men. •

The firll divifion of the Erglifh Expedition, under
the command of AdmiralGasa ni a a,hadpalfedthrnugh.
the Great Belt, and the moll advantageous difpofition
was immediately made of our force.
The fecund divilion, under Admiral Esstrtotes,
had arrived in the Slieve, round the Naize of Norway,
ss ith the troops in high health and fpirits; rnd (houtd
nee:airy require the ad. ption of vigorous .ofFenlive
meafures againft Denmark, no doubt was entertained
of our tieing able in a few days to obtain potreffion
not only of the Danifh fleet, but of Copenhagen, and
the whole of the Viand of Zealand. Should circum-
fiances render tiecenty a (till further extention of
vigorous meafures in that direelion, inch fleps were
immediately to be taken as would infure to us the
potreflion of the whole of the Ruffian Naval force at
Cr on flack.

The Hull Packet c'mtains the following article upon
the fubjed of the Baltic expeditions :
" expeditions which have left our ports, are now fo far ad
vunced in their voyage, !113t we confider ourfelves no longer pre-
cluded from euturneni:ating that intelligence of their deftination,
which we have received from officers and mhers of the firft rank
at hi information,and which, in our own 'Vital, amounts to pofitive
and abfoiute certainty. The embarkatioes arc not ealculatedfor
what military men term coup de main : —Enormous mortars, and
cannon of the largelt calibre, with immenfe (tares for lieges, and
near moo artillerymen, are embarked. We know that an officer
of .ngincers of rank was fent for from Woolwich, and employed,
merely from his local knowledge of the place of attack.
4' The grand °Ned of our expedition, and a glorious one it is,
we therefore confidently pronounce, from information which has
never yet deceived us, isfedely and entirely to tate poffeffion of the
Wand of Zealand, of Copenhagen, and of the whole Dauifh Fleet
and At-lenge.
" In puffeffian of Zealand. we have the hey of the Baltic fo long
as it remains unfrozen, in our uncontroulahle poffeflion, and rot
vt ffel can ftir out or in, without our perenifTion. Should Bonaparte
prevail upon the Emperor Alexander to alit hoftilely to our ma•
ritime interefts, with this ifl.ll d in our hands, we may bid defiance
to all the leagues and confederacies of the powers of the Baltic."
An imperfect knowledge of there important fatct.;
gave rife yeller:clay to numerous erroneous reports ;'
and it was in the courfe of the afternoon politively
afferted, that advice had been received of Admiral
Osmium having adually obtained not
only of the whole of the Danifh fleet, confiding of
zo fail of the line, and feveral frnaller veffels, but alto
of so Ruffian.fhips of war. The above reports were
fomewyat premature, but we thought it our duty, as
j,,urnalitls, to communicate them to the Public in a
Second Edition of yeflerday. •
Dilpatches for Admiral GAMBIER were fent off
Jail night from the Secretary of State's Office and the
Admiralty.

That very able and alive officer Ste Janes Caato
has juft been appointed Governor-General, as well as
Commander-in Chief,-of North America. A fitter
man for this arduous duty could not have been Pelee
tcd : when we fay that he is not inferior as an officer
to MOnftt, HOPE, CATHCART, and. STUART, he ranks
in the firft rate. Had his health permitted it,. he wai
to live accompanied Lord CATIICAAT. Sir JAMES,
we underfland, is to proceed immediately with a very
large Staff, but with no general officer, except Biiga-
diet General Buzvoan :peistenant'Gren'eralTitatia,l
oneother Lieutenant-General; feveralMajot Generals.
and Regiments, will folio"; 'Sir Ja.iespaAs loon as the
Troops return from the fervice rikich now engrMle
'kir attention. Sii JAMES the local rank
of General in the Army. ~ • . • •
. A fmall Brevet is talked of; Rit ,there nrill be no I
new brevet of Captains to the rank of.biajor. • —•
The Dims of. CUMEERLANDIS auctioned
fucceffor of Sir JareES CRAIG, in the command of the'
Sonth,weft Dittrift. The Duals of GlbecesYtt,it',
is alto Paid, will likewife again be employed.
Thi Bth, or King's Regiment, commanded by
DANIEL HOUGHTON, Eiq. which are jull'embarked
for the Continent, went in the higheft order and fpiiits.;
They adore their gallant leader. -•
The ad battalion of the 3zd Regiment, commanded
by Colonel Powis, having been completed in Wor.-
ceßerlhire, has marched to the Era coaft.

NAUTICAL INTFLLIGENc.E,

Dublin
Watcrford

MAILS-Witl S. W.
ARR. OV€

o 1 I Gottenburztt
• 1, I 'Cumirecti

An d. DC!
0
S

FALMOUTH. AUGUST v.:.

Arrived his Majetly's thip Ricaci , from Eric
mouth, to give intlruflions to the veffels lying here,
bound to the Wefi Indies. His Majefly's (hips Liu•
R ELL and OTTER appeared off this port this day, with
a fleet for the River Plata and the Cape of Good
Hope, and were joined from hence by the brig Fit.
mouth, Capt. Nicmor.i.s, for. Monte Video.