Star.
London, England, 1806-07-04 00:00:00

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with prenounciag thigh enierginin 4 the tnnihniki
difpofition, charater, and efficiency of the Volnn
leers of Scotland.
Y Mr. CANNING hoped, the Ha. and Learned
Lord wnuld redeem the pledge he bid given, and
Sew the Englith Minitters that he enuld, in forty.
eight hours, frame a better Bill than that which had
been produced in four months, by the united labour
of this wonderful Government, from whom fo much
was expelled, and who were raid to poffefs a concen-
tration of all the talents and worth of the Empire.—
Thole men had, however, legilllared arangely.
England, and he hoped the Learned Lord would
bring in better and left objeAionable Bills for Scot•
land ; but he mull remind the Noble and Learned
Lord, that it was euflomary for perfons holding his
h,vh official (Winn to communicate directly with
Minillers, and *Muster meafures of this nature the
Englifb Minifters thought right, the Sc-ts Knitter
ihnuld go on paerVales for Scotland. Although the
Learned Lord faid that be could draw the neceffary
Ell in 4.8 hours, yet the Right Hon. Secretary (Mr.
Windham) had Rated, that he thought it ton late in
the Seffion to bring in fuch a Bill. He confidered
that this Bill WAS* breach of public faith, not only to
the Volunteers, bat to the country that furniffied them.
It was exprefsly Rated, that the provifions of the
former Training Bill Ilsould not be alted upon, if the
country fhould fornifft a number of Volunteers equal
to fix times the number of the Militia. The country
sot only performed its part of the contraft, but it did
a great deal more. hollered even a greater number
of Volunteers than the Government would accept.—
The former Bill, however, was much better in its
principle than the prelim. as-it acknowledged, and
was founded on the ancient prerogative of the Crown,
which the prefent Bill did not appear to admit. The
prefent Bill alto contributed nothing to that objeft
*hich was fn much writhed for, the procuring a dif-
poleable force. He would dtfy the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman (Mr. Windham) to find out, in forty-eight
hours, any fyftem which could contribute fo little to
that objea. He confidered the eompulfion levere,
which was to enforce this meafure ; and theretore he
found hind:cif obliged to give it his molt decided op-
pofition.
Mr. Secretary Vs'INDHAM began by taking no-
tice of the expreffinns which the Right Hon. Geode.
man (Mr. Canning) Co frequently indulged in. about
Minilters chaining all the talents and wtight in the
country. This was a thing which appeared pecu-
liarly to rankle in that Right Honningnie Gentle-
man's mind, and in the minds of thole who fat near
him. and entered with fo much rapture into that part
of his fpeech. Neither Minitters, nor any of their
immediate friends, had ever made ufe of any expref-
Bon that amounted to finch a claim : He could not ,
fay whether it was an injudicious friend, or a fplene• '
tic enemy, who firft ufed that fort of language co '
!which the Kinourahle Gentleman Co frequently al-
luded. Minitlers, however, had repeatedly denied
having ever put in fuch a claim, but they perceived
that it gave the Honourable Gentlemen on the other
fide an infinite degree of pleafure in reperging it ;
while on the other fide they might be affured that
it gave no pain either to him or to his friends.-=.
The reafon that he had exprefsly affigned for not
extending the Bill to Scotland in the prefent Seffion,
was not from any diffatisfaaion which lie fuppofed
to prevail there, but merely from the abfence of
the Scots Members, whom he would with previnully
in confult. As coropulfinn was the principle of the
Militia Synern, it appeared to him molt Orange,
that Militia Colonels fhould inveigh againtl this
meafure as being compulfnry. It put him in mind
of ao obfervation he had heard, that the moll plauli
ble (Chem's for retrenchments and paying off the Na•
time! Debt, often came from perfons imprifoned
for debt in the King's Bench and Fleet Plains (a I
lirergh). It alto appeared to him molt lirange, that
this could ''n faid to be more enmpulfory, than the
Training Al of a former Adminithition, when it
was recolleeed, that in the prefent Bill, it is provid
ed, that the fervice might be commuted for a fine,
whereas under the former fyftem no fuch commuta-
tion was allowed. Gentlemen on the othlir tide had
often hated, that certain expreffinns which he was
fuppofed to have ufed at a former period, mull rend
greatly to the diff lotion of the Volunteers. If it
were true that he had ufed thole expreffions, which
Ice denied, and even if thole exprelbons had been as
improper as could be reprefented to have fallni from
any individual, he fhouid afk, what fort of a volunteer
army mull that be for a great nation to place its de-
pendence upon, who could be driven front the duties
they had undertaken by the expreflions of any indivi
dual, and who could be ditperfed like Virgil's Bees—
" Pirlorrir exiprijatte ."' If many of the corps were ia-
pidiv decreafing in numbers, lie could affign a better
reafnn for it. It was, becaufe mi.ny Offi:ozrs who had
moll meritorionfly advanced large fume in th: igin of
their corps, finding themfeives unable to continue
thole advances, and perceiving that Government does
net with to pay the expence' which were formerly
defrayed by individual iubfcription, now teem to with
to find Tome point of honour that will give an occa-
fion fora quartet, which would enable them to reign
with a better grace. He confidered the affection, that
this Bill was a breach of taith, to be altogether un-
founded and ablurd. The parties to the contract,
were not merely the Volunteers and the Government,
bat it was the whole community and the Government.
The queltion, therefore, was merely whether the
uncafure was right or wrong, whether it was good for
elhe community or not ? If it were good for the com
trophy. it would be moll ridiculous to tell the com-
munity that it would be a breach of faith to them to
give them a meafure that was for their good; and that
Covernment was bound by a contraft to them not to
adapt fuels meafures as were necciary for their leen-
zit) and protection.
Mr. R. DUNDAS hoped that the Learned Lord
(Advocate) would, before the 'lnure role, give notice
of his intention, (in defiance of the opinion of the
Right Honourable Secretary) to bring in a Bill,
extending the meafure to Scotland, it being, lie
was convinced, the with of every Gentleman belong-
ing to that country that fuels fhould be the cafe.
'The LORD ADVOCATE did not underhand
/plat the Hon. Gentleman meant by defiance. Ile
came there as a Member of that kinufe, to do h•s
duty and to declare his own opinion, not in defiance
of the opinion of his Right Hon. Friend or any other
perils°. From what he understood, it was not the wills
of the Right Hon. Secretary to oppofe the meafure
a,ing extended to Scotland, and with this ow:kraal:id.

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Eng, by which the honour of kis sotistry tool& sot
Puffer, whik at the fame time, from the near approach
of the harvell, little progrefs could be made in the
Bill in Scotland, even were it to be carried through
this Seifion, he thought there could be no harm in
hi. declining, now, un the 3d of July, to bring in the
Bill till next Seffion.
Mr. ROSE, jun. faid, that although the opinions
of the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Windham)
had not much weight with the Volunteers when he
fat on Oppnfition Benches, it was a very different
thing now he was a Minifier. If they confidered him
not friendly to their eilablifhment, that C;ItlIT RADSe
mug tendconfiderably to reduce their numbers.
The iipmflion was then put, and the Houfe divided
upon the motion for reading the Amendments :
Aye:, 139—Noes, 33—.Majnrity, 136.—The Bill was
ordered to be read a third time this day.
Strangers were not admitted into the Gallery after
the div:linn.—Adjourned at tern o'clock.