Star.
London, England, 1804-02-09 00:00:00

hat to the adoption (tithe Volunteer fyftetn, which,
he lays, became more apparent, becarife our friends
on the Continent did not, after the war broke out,
teem mar difpofed to *!fill us. Sagacious Statefmcn
would mutt probably have afted otherwife ; but our
Minifterr, it feents, went into this war without any

_ ..... __ . .
huh alliance, and were thereftwe compelled to adopt
the Volunteer fyftens. Sir, Ido not think that fyf
tem the bell that could be deviled for the defence of
the country, and for calling forth the energies of the
I nation. do not even think it the bed fyllem ou th _
point of economy. Nu man is more ready than I
am to praife the Volunteers. No man has done
more to promote its ends, fince I found Government
eietermined to adopt it to its prefent extent, though
I have never confidered it as giving full and liberal
(cope to the zeal and energy of the nation. But Go-
hernment have been wavering all through this Wines,
sod have (offered themfelves to get into new paths
from which they are not yet extricated. Firft, they
produced the General Defence Bill, out of which
-grew the Volunteer fy nem. The Secretary of State
foals of 350,000 men Harting forth to arm in defence
of the country. I am fine I am little difpoled to
depreciate them, or to accufe Miniflers of wilfully
imifleading the country. But we ought ferioufly and
fairly to confider what we have to trig! to in this
and mars of the Volunteer fyftem. I believe any
Fn
puty Lieutenant, or Lieutenant of Divifion,
ows very well that the fart returns are not to be
depended upon as returns of effective firength. Per-
ron at the ettablifhment of the inflitution, of all ages
and in all Rates of health, came forward to be Vo-
lunteers, and hence a confiderable number mud, of
ueceffity, he compofed of incompetent perfons. Then
came the reflritlion, during the time Lord Hobart
held the Office, of the number of Volunteers in each
county to fix times the number of the Militia, and
this operated to damp the fpirit and cool the ardour
of many. It is, however, to be regarded as a for-
tunate circumfiance that the enemy did not cone
among us at that time. But the fpirit of the Volun
teas role again with its original lufire,aotvcitlifland-
ing all the circumflances which had tended to per-
plex it. But what was his Majefty's Minifters' bona
fie intention in the various Bills they introduced on
that fubjeft? Did they not mean to grant exemptions?
Sir, every man who volunteered in the corps with
which I am conneeted, is a Volunteer without ex
emptions. The tendency of the exemptions is to pre-
vent all the other fort of fervice from going on.—
Alma all the young, flout, able-bodied perfons, are
among the Volunteers. The other Cervices are all
fettered. But what are you to do after eflablilhing
this fyftem ? Why you mull make as much of it AS
u can. To do Co, you mull make it perfectly pa-
latable to the people. The Learned Gentleman op-
poke me (the Attorney General); and the Solicitor
General gave it as their opinion that the Volunteers
were exempt from the operation of the Militia and
the Army of Referee.. Then came the queftion upon
refignation, upon which we have had the opinion
the Attorney General, that no Volunteer had a righ
to refign ; but which opistion is now let afide. They
had, it feems, the legal right of refignation, and that
without any penalty whatever ; they had only to pull
off their accoutrements, and lay down their arms, if,
indeed, they had any, for that was not always the
cafe, and walk out of the corps. The Right Hon.
Secretary of State has this night told this Houle,
that had the Court of Ring's Bench agreed with his
Majedy's Attorney General, in his opinion refpefting
the Volunteers right of refignation, lie had intended
to bring iii a Bill to give them that right. Now this
is really curious. He had fent a circular letter, pro-
claiming this opinion of the Attorney General as the
law on the fubjeft ; Magiftrates have afted upon it ;
men have been made to feel the weight of magillerial
interpretation of the law, founded on this entirely ;
and, after all, it turns out that this is quite contrary
to law ! I have a perfect refpeft for the Learned
Gentleman's opinion ; but, I mutt fay,- that if it had
been a comet opinion, I fliould have felt mylelf, in
common with many others, much aggrieved. But,
Sir, I do think the country may have fume right to
complain of the condo& of the Right Honourable
Secretary of State, in fending forth through the
country as law, that which was not Law, or u hie+, if
1 thought it was law, he intended to repeal. Sir, I
repeat, that I with to have every degree of jutlice done
to the Volunteers, but with refpeft to the boafted
economy of the fyflem, I with to fay a few words.
(Economy, Sir, to whom ? The public ? Who are the
public ? Is it any difference whether a man pay Sol.
or five (billings, or any other fum to a tax gatherer,
or to a fubfertption rendered neceffitry from exigen.
Lies, and becoming every day more and more eon'.
pulfory ? I am lure, the economy of the f y item is not
one of its recommendations. Now, Sir, there is an
evil attending the co-ps, which, as matters now Rand,
cannot be remedied. They are a great many of them
in a conflant danger of diffolution ; not from any
with not to ferve, but from other circumftances ; for
indaiice, an Officer is to be eldled ; they appeal to
their terms of ft:trice, and their original right of re-
commending their. Officers. What is the answer ?
" You cannot he attended to. Von (hall be difmilled
the fervice. You (hall be clifbanded." It a corps,
compofed of a thoufand men, be broken up in this
way, even though they all cuter into other corps,,
will they be the fame men as they were in the corps
in which they were hull brought together and duel-
plined ? I alto apprehend the diffolutton of corps from
the want of fufficient funds. It will be impoftible for
them to go on without funds. Hardly any corps I
know off is out of debt. As to the caufes of this, they
May be various. Many have tried to excel and out
Chip others in the fplendoor of their &els, and have
gone on in this till they have been checked by cape-
sicnce, and taught to be more humble from their po-
verty. Not that I find much fault with a little love
of 'hew in loch cafes; when men become a fort of
(oldies, they naturally with to make as good an sp.
penance as poftible. But men mat be clothed, and
how can you clothe a man, and pnt a great coat on
his hack tinder four pounds ? Now, I know of great
innances of liberality, and of attention to cheap cloth-
ing, and yet the funds have proved deficient, though
rio perfon has been mean or illiberal, certainly, or -
deed, nort profile. Why then, the confequence of
dick thitigs is a fecund fubfcription, and this is made
up, but though done by them relunantly, falls ulti-
mately upon the liberal. A regulation has alfo been
made, drawing a line between a man who has been
in the army, and one who has not, of which I can-
Ma perceive the wigloat and propriety. I have