Star.
London, England, 1807-07-29 00:00:00

MILITIA VOLUNTEEKING BILL.

When Strangers were admitted into the gallery,
Lord MILTON was on his legs. The emergency
to call for a meafure fo oppreffive as this, was not,
he laid, made out. if the French fleets had been
victorious, then indeed there might have been a ground
for fame lirong compulfory meafure. The Militia
was the eonflitutional force of the country, and
ought not to be thus tampered with and degraded,
efpecially when the object at prefent was not to
procure a force for foreign fervice. but for the de-
fence of the country. It was impoflible now to look
for conquefts cn the Continent, or to exped to top
the progrefs of Bonaparte. At the fiat eflablifh-
mem' of the Militia the fervice was in a great mea
lure of a perfonal nature. Now, however, it was
merely a tax on the country, and a tax which, by the
operation of the ballot, would be moll partially and
molt urjuilly levied. It was levied entirely on the
landed property, and nor on the whole, but on a part
of it. Peers were exempte.l, and clergymen and in-
fants, and lands in Mortmain. And on this account
he would always objet to the Militia, except fo far as
they formed a garrifon for our homes. It ought alfo
to be confidered whether the families of thofe who
volunteered in this manner, were to be chargeable to
the parifhes, in the fame manner, as if they had (till
continued in the militia. Whether they were or nor,
the prefent meafure was equally objeCtionable. If
they Should be entitled to the relief, then this would
be impofing a molt grievous burden upon the parifhes,
which would be charged both with their families and
with the families of thofe who were to replace them.
If their familie% were not to be provided for it was a
mail cruel injallice to the men, and to thole families
which might thus be left dellitute. But he had ano-
ther Strong objection to this meafure. It had been
clearly made out that it interfered very materially
with the military plan of his Right Hen. Friend he
low—a plan which the prefent Minillers teemed to
wifh to fubvert by a fide wind. This plan had been
highly foccefsful for the time it had been in opera-
ti m, as appeared from the returns on the table. He
knew it had been fuccefful in the country, and had
the approbation of thofe who were to carry it into
execution, It was Paid that there was an emergency,
and that we mull make a fudden exertion ; but the
danger WAS, that by thefe continued exertions the
country would be exhaufied when the molt preffing
occalion arrived. Emergencies might thus be laid
to arrive after the battle r•f Aufterlitz—after that of
Auerfladt, and that of Friedland. But the popula-
tion of the c .nntry mull be prepared for a long p ro
traded war, which it could not be with thefe conti
nual paralyfing efforts, reSting chiefly on the landed
property. There was no vigour in the prefent mea-
lure, but if there was, he Should doubt of its propriety,
for by thefe exertions we mull exhaull ourfelves
before we had run half our race. The plan of his
Right Honourable Friend below, was exactly calcu-
lated for our prefent Situation ; for it was intended
t r meet a long prntraited war, and had every ap-
rarance of being Sufficient to anfwer that important
purpofe. That plan would be riling in its efficacy
everyday. The p• efent meafure would lie conflantly
decreafing in its aces, and not only do little good
Waft but prevent the other plan from having its pro-
per influence. For thefe reafrns he had voted
againSt the meafure, but, however, after the decifion
of the Houk, he would not at prefent oppofe the
Speaker's leaving the Chair ; but he had thought it
incumbent upon him to Rate his reafons for his for-
mer vote, and the grounds on which he thought the
prefent meafure not only trfelefs but mifchievous.
Sir 'l'. TURTON agreed with many of the argu•
ments urged by the Noble Lord, and thought cfpe-
cially with him, that the exemption allowed to the
perfons he had defer ibed, was partial and unfair, and
that the Militia Service Should not be Supplied by bal.
lot fo partially, is affect one dais of individuals, for
the exemption of another, but be delayed by a fair
quota upon all who were bet able to bear it.
Colonel WOOD fupported the Bill, and was alio-
nithed to find Gentlemen, who agreed in the danger
of our Situation, aad the ncciffity of exerting all our

energies for our fecurity, objeCting to a Bill sthh
was calculated In promptly to fill up, by att ironic
diate fupply o► ra,coo men, thole 56 battalions of
the Line fo neceffary to the effeClire defence of the
Country. He perfealy coincided in the neceffity of
the Bill, and, in addition to the prefent means of
defence, fuggeßed the adoption of Martell° towers
and redoubts, up,n the moil pregn..ble parts of our
coati, as well as the molt effeetual fortification of our
a7frnals at Portfmouth. Plymouth, and elfewhere,
which he lamented to find in a deplorable Rate of
weaknefs.

Mr. GIDDY difapproved of the transfer of the
Militia troops to the Line, and the ballot prapofed to
fupply their deficiency ; but as the H.'ufe had given
it; fanetion to the Bill, he timid not oppofe it farther.
Sir GEORGE WARRENDER oppofed the Ea
He thought that, notwithfianding the peculiar eit•
cumfiances of the country in 1803 and 1805. which
called for a fudden increafe of the public force tot
difpofeable fervice, and rendered it neceffary to en.
courage volunteering from the Militia into the Line,
no fuch occalion called for a fimilar meafure now,
when internal defence, and not foreign expeditions,
was the great nbjeet.
Mr. BA BING roNrupported the Bill. He thought
that although its operation might be felt in the coon.
! try as a feverity, yet it was only by calling forth the
natural firength of the country that we could be able
c ,pe with an enemy who had conquered Europe
and now menaced this country with danger, chiefly
by an arbitrary tire of the population of the country
he ruled. He recommended a general training of the
! people of this country to the ufe of arms, as the mai
effeaual mode of exciting a military fpirit, and pro.
muting threefold the recruiting fervice.
Lord COCHRANE allowed, that the ballot Aid
throw an unequal preffu-e on the lower chiles,
which he lhould be very glad to fee remedied. He
was, however, in fay :ur of the Bill; as he confidered,
that in all cafes, even in the cafe of an unfuccefsful
attempt at invallon, it would be neceffary that Mini.
tiers fh3uld have a large difpofable force, to take
advantage of circumftances.
, Colonel BAGWELL did not think the numerical
increafe of the line would be fo great as was expeded.
Mr. WINUHAM went into a general defence of
the Training A& He admitted that it, in common
with plans i,f In comprehenfive a nature, was not
without its.faults. He Ihould be as willing, and u
anxious to remedy its defects and fupply its deficien.
cies, as any man could be, at the fame time, he denied
that it had not lefs of thole defeets than were in gene
ral to be found in plans of that nature.
General TARLETON (poke in favour of the new
tneafures. The Volunteers, he maintained, were
much difcouraged and deprefred by the late Admi.
nitlration.

Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE fupported the meafure
of the Right HOU. Gentleman below him (Mr.
Windham).
After a few words from Lord CASTLEREAGH,
the Speaker left the Chair ; the Bill went through the
Committee, the blanks were filled up, Tome flight al.
terations agreed to. and after confiderable difeuffion,
the report was ordered to be received to Morrow,
and the Houfe adjourned at two o'clock.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK s
A per Cent. Coot 611.1..—f0r Auitutt 6t{—Omit= f dlr.
Each Bills par to xi. pre.
PRICE OF STOCKS YESTEIWAY.
a\ B k Stock 2154 230 I frith s per Cent. 93
3 p .r C. Red. Ann 621/ I Onmium i dif.
3 p. • Cent. Coof. 611 i India Bonds, Is. prem.
4 pa Cent.Bll Eic.lse. Bills par is prem.
s per ent. Navy psiii Englillt Tickets stl. tls.
Long nn. I7i t I.l4(bst Couf. for ate. 62.1
Imperi Annuities 7 946

Copies of the Treaties lately concluded with the
Courts of PrufGa and Sweden were yellerday laid on
the table of the Houfe of Commons. The former has
been only partially aged upon. Advances to the
amount of about spo,oool. in money, arms, and
ammunition, are, it feems, the only affi,lance which
his Pr)lrian Majefty has derived from this country..
Had the war taken another turn, the aid would have
undoubtedly been more liberal. The additional ex-
pence created by the Swedith Treaty is comparatively
infignificant. By a former convention we were en-
gaged to fubfi-lize 14,000 Swedes for the defence of
Stralfund and Pomerania. The new agreement ex•
tends that obligation to 4000 men.,mote.