Star.
London, England, 1804-03-20 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY- PROLEEDINCS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY, MARCH '9.
Co:WA were heard In cootinsation In the care of finning c.
Abercrombie.

Tike various Mk oo the Table were forwarded one Itage....td•
jeunroi.

Wr. ALT
Oita' Ilia

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
DER brought up the Nina of Ida Militia

The Turnpike Road Bill sras read a fated thee.
Mr. ALL7CANDER brought oopp the Report et die Bill for Mr-
- two Iddhoso by Ezebeeper to be read a third
tlecarpanv

Sarkis Lair* MI woo read a (aged door, and month
for loosorroot.

The Stser Warehoures dig was read a feeasd thaw, and eon.
adtted for to-aairraw.

The Ma Mal& &rallies Dlll ens reed a feeend time.
The MilforWeb/.the Minor of Weft Dan" In the county
was rend a lemma time.
SWOONS TAIL

Mr. °RIGOR, .fear • few ebtaestirete. toortd far
an aoteoht title umber et from which affelliecatc have
bete realties ! to the Terellke, with die fume dread.
Aro, ter en moue of thatealluids from whirl es eirdscets
hove Woe reccivetotii tide meting were mind is

• 7OLUIITIItiI •ILL.

Mr. Seeretarz the Order of the
Day. for.the further eoldlcieration of the Arl iuntsw
Bill. He then obfervad. that he wilhed to addreft

Houle for a num titek, on the fubjeft =madded
with this Bill. which had occafioned a good deal or
obfervatioo. It related to that claufe in the Bill.
=waning the time when his hiajelly is empowered
Call out the Volunteers. It was is page to. of
_ e printed Bill. The words e United Kingdom."
had been particularly adverted to. as having been
fareeptitioully introduced. He hoped no Gentleman
is that Houk would fuppok be could have farrepli.
*sty introduced
,any clank whoever. When be
Kra introduced this Bal. he intended it to be appli.
cpble to both Great Britain
. and Ireland and he be-
lieved. that I. his ppm% (peed). he had Sated, that
e power of his Ay to call out the Volunteers
Gnat Beitain, would milk in the cafe of invidion
. Ireland, =pally as is that of Great Britain. He
would sot be pofitive about the espreffions he might
have *fed. but he thought he mentioned that einem.
Sine& Is the Bal. as it was fun committed oaths
sash of Menem is the daufe. noting, that on the
imam of the gamy. or the appearance of the
enemy is fora os theme. ice. the word " Realm"
was eyed. which he Intended. more effecially fince
the Union, to apply both to Geist Entails and Ire.
laid, or, is other words, to the United Kingdom.
The ideifes of the Bill, which related to Ireland.
were afterwards Brack antes account of the peculiar
eiressollimees attending the Iti& Volumr Corps.
and the words " United Kingdom" were minted. to
do away all difficulties. The Bill has fine been twice
reitememitasd. end meg primed. without any notice
whatedee' Whig been taken by Gendemea of this
seatter. & had Rated thafe fads. natty to jellify
hitsfelffeest my goads imputation, and to New
altar wedeln had leen fertnp=doidy
_added. He
emorzr=l:rim, tftem on that
with moving that the Report
Ma Imo cesederation.

Gond TARLETON raid, that be Ihoold avail
binllidfof the preant opportunity to freak opon the
=Med the Me and rub= to the Houk his
to .parts of it. He was aware that he
AIWA fabjee himfeif to oblomay.for the partite was
'about so takes bat at fo momentary a crifts as the
pram, be could sot refrain from making fuels ani.
madverfinos as be *might the Bill deferved, and
nomrithilanding, face the enseiny_as boldly as
say mu. A ;fight Hon. Geodesists (W. Pitt) had
Aid, that we were engaged in a contell, of which the
yoaasea man alive may not fee the like. Taking
this a be not only a potbk, but s probable cafe,
what lunation were we in to entry on the come*, if
=d for my time Here the Honourable
11( reminded Minitiers of the advice be gave
them on a former (Keeton. refpefting the dikipline
e the Makin. and contended, that however great
*kir. Ink 'y. and perfeverance of- the
iolunteers.and however deferving of Inch a country
and Costainetion were the people, yet that they may
be compered without dlkipline. He thould content
Wahl/ with &aerating the volition he advanced by
two Along cafes. Was there any want of courage
ar patriotnot in this country. when the Romans over-
came its people ? No; Roman difeipline alone tri-
umphed over Britifh valour. What but Norman
difesplim, is like manner, could defeat Bridal cou-
rage. and fan,. viQorf t In looking at the Volun.
leer Syllens. with reference to times pall, it was
whips the bell that could be inftituted apinA the
inspects of the enemy ; but when the war atoold
perhaps be carried on for years again& a foe. who
polLifed fuch immenfe refources within, with no its.
confideraltle navy, and having at his difpobi the
greatel army on the face of the earth, it was incest.
bent, therefore, on his Majeßy's Minillers, to provide
time againfl consequences which may be ruinous,
neglell fhonld pervade the military department at
relent. The Hon. General then detailed the condua
purfued in the revere, dittrias, the pnfitions he
took in order to repel any bonds attack in that
quarter. and concluded l.is oblervations on that part
rf the fithjeet, with a charge of improper condo&
taiufl a volunteer corps in Drilled, whore ConlinAn.
ling Offices refufed to trattfmit the General's indent,
rzeadiug himfelf by that he was governed by
the Committee of die Corps, which decided that the
barks belonged to the Members of the Corps, and
not to Government. The feeond charge was sgatott
another Corps, which behaved in a very diforderly
manner on parade, of %slue ti he made a tcprelintati( n
to the War Office. hot lie received no anfwer (~r a
month ; and then it was recimmended to Lim to fettle
the difference amicably. Thor cafes he conidered
very much to hire the Volunteer Sy Item. In order
to prove the evil evnlegnence of exemptions, the Hon.
General infiancsd the fecond battalion of Referve,
which was deficient flill fitg of its proper number.—

. _
to had ender hot commend two battalions of Militia,
one of throe the Wood Wiltfhite, which wanted 70

4 its conopietnent, and yet the Lot d Lie.itenant of
the county was as inattattgahle a% min could be. but
to no purpoli, men could not tic had on Account of
the exemptions. Tor a prt,ol of the complete itop
that was pet to recruiting the rtmtiar army. he
Ilsoold inform the Houle, that there were eighteen
parties in Pcml.r-4:cflitre for form time, vi... could
not procure more th.An toenlcen rectutta, .iiid eleven

parties in Birmingham, whq recruited no more than
eleven men It was obvious. therefore, that lodge
lite's blood lhould be infufed into the army. He
&wild fugrol:in order to attain his (Nee, that the
balloting be revived, and the Army of Referee
completed. As many of the firft daft ought to be
brought into the fervice as would meet the danger
which threatened us, fuppofing that from the circum-
ft.ince of the ;area of Moreau, 01 from any other
cattle a convulfion or counter revolution happened, we
could not difpofe of so or 25.000 troops perhaps bet-
ter than by landing them on the enem y'scosta ; yet how
could 'we fend fuch a force at prefent. lacked up as
the youth and efficient ftrenph of the country was
in the Volunteer Syßem? He &mild only fay. that
he was not bigoted to his own opinion. and &sold
!cave the Houle. therefore, to adopt or rejea his
fuggeftions.
Mr. CARTWRIGHT approved generally of the
idea of the Volunteer Syftem, but thought it had
been carried to too great as event ; he tore. how-
ever, principally to objea so that claufe which af-
fated the right of refition.
Mr. ERSKINE Paid, that if the claufe remained
as it was. then no perfois, who bad agreed for the
war. could have the power of refigning. Now, it
Ihould be enafidered, upon what ground did the
[ judgment given en the King's Bench proceed ? Not
'on the duration of the &nice. but on the nature of
i foram. The duration was confidersd to be as
tias the danger appeared. But many Officers
recently pat it to their Corps. " Will you, tin-
el the knowledge of this right of refignation, agree
to volunteer for she war i" Whenever this was
agreed to by &Corps, it was a new engagement, and
a complete waver of the original right; they give
up the right with a perk!, knowledge of the judge-
ment ; that wa. quits a different thing, and flood on
its own grounds. The elude appeared to be mach
too generally waded; it ought to be altered fo as it
may not area an ellablithed right; be &odd then,
for one, find no difficulty in calling out his Corps,
and putties the "tali= to them, will you ferve for
the whole war I He never had bat one feeling on this
&Nee, a feeling perfealy confonant to that of the
Right Hon. Gentleman oppolite to him, that a man
was bound to give hircountry his kmice as long as
the danger IaIW. to fail his pronsife, or be surfed
with evalaffing infamy. But the only difference be
had with many was, whether the Volunteer was
bound as to the duration of his Cervices, by ho-
nour, or by AR of Parliament ? be apprehended
there was no wakes as to the duration, but only
as to the nature of the amazement, whether it was
binding or honorary. Mat he bould recommend
was, so mske the dank perfealy clear, that the
Volunteers may rags. except where, by fubfequent
;centment, a different engagement is formed. Par-
and Gamesman had hitherto kept perfea
faith with that eseellent body of men ; he was confi-
dent they would coatings to do fo in this inflame,
and that the Volunteers would thew their gratitude
for the liberality and honour with which they were
treated; and whenever the French &add invade
this country, would. by their ended, give the heft
anfwer to the twiddling that had been made upon
them. By the As, the King accepts the offered kr-
vice of Volunteers. It then becomes a Coltman en-
gagement. a fared obligation. and they cannot be
called beyond their fervice offered and accepted, ex-
cept when the caseate of the rerogative called out.
the whole d his Majcily's &bras to the defence of
the country. Under Oust ambulances did the Bill
come before the Houfe ? Not to alter the original
conakutioe of the Volunteers, not to call them be-
yond their offered ferries, but only to amend and
confolidate the Ass, preferring the original pried-
ples of thA excellent inftitution. It was not a quer-
tion about the iocreafing of the dangers, for, under
the gircunlauces in contemplation of the Ait, it
might be more honourable to court them ; but it
labials to an additional difeipline, and to Martial
Law, not in the view of the perfons when their
offers were accepted. From the moment an enemy
appeared off the Irifh Cosa, Government might, if
they **fah put the whole of the Volunteers Of Eng.
land under martial law. If by the igvafion of Ire•
land it were ever smeary to call out the country to
arms, while the regulars were fent over to the fitter
Mind, he fhould be the lag man in the kingdom 101
objea to it : but be did not think that the Volun t
ought to be called forth to do what was not in their
original contras; fo high was his opinion of that
body of men, that he was the more defirous that Go.
Ira-meat &mild prefetve a paha faith towards
them. Another point he walled to allude to, was
that refpeaing moans and their fervants and ap.
premien. He did not think the lalt dela iption
of perfons fhould be allowed to enter the Corps
agausft their mailer's defire. The relations of
matter and fervent were very important. In all he
bad faid, he had only in view the prefervation of the
inftitution

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
was of opinion, that the diteufflon of there points was
premature at the preterit moment ; but acknowledg-
ed that the Volunteer fyllem ihnold be preferred in
all its integrity and feeurity, and that the faith
pledged to them by Government Ilsoulti moll rigidly
and Set upulonfly be adhered to.

Mr ran over the whole of the
objet 1 no, which he had urged apsinii the bill its its
Punier liages, and declared, ilia' if there were nut
removed, lie flmuld much rather objed to the bill
altogether, than to permit it to par. in its pyres'
hum. Much better leave the Volunteer fyftem as
it flood before, than clang it with amendment.
which rendereted it liable to mote objections and
inconvenience than would have attended it in its ori-
ginal %ape.
Mr. Secretary YORKE f.dd, that however am.
petent it might be to rake away the exemptions,
when *he right of tefignation was allowed :—yet
the public faith being new pledged for them, they
could not he withdrawn, without exciting a violent
feniation. He did not think it probable that the
Commandir7 Office, of a Corps would be likely to
dit..llow do, of drill as a title to exemption, when
the number neeelfary was near being completed, as
there was an alternative of puttifhments, by fine or
joirvatirri of ray. As to the provifion adverted to
by the Honourable Gentleman. be had no oSjeeion
to biing it moo their ideas, by making its opera-
two criminate* after the palling if this ail. He de-
fended the clank relating to fervants and apprentices
by wcreace to the Defence AEI, to which the Vo.

hmteer fuflem was firbilitntel In trintion and the
'others great towns, particularly in the manuf.i.thiring
diltrifts, the proportion of apprentices in the V.).
lunteer Corps was very great. In Tome of the ma•
ntifaduring dithiEtc, fervants and apprentices fotm•
ed the principal part of the population. He thought
the belt mode of providing for the pay would he by
a feparate maitre, by an effimate and a vote of
Parliament, as in the Cafe of the Militia, an.l other
parts of our armed force. He confidered the boun-
ty allowed by the bill iuffi.:ient to provide fuch ne-
ceffaries as (liquid be wanted. The Qlarter
ten General of the Diftriftt had a fitificrent quantity
of knaplacks and canteens co dilhibute, in cafe the
Volunteers (hould be called nut for long fervice, but
he hoped there things would not be wanted but
in cafe of emergency, as they were not abfolutely
neceffary. As the puni(hment of imprifonment was
propofed to be limited to three days. and there
would be in many ingiances a great difficulty in re-
moving the offenders to a legal prann' he thought
it better to leave that out altogether. He thought
it hell to give (even days notice before the levying
of the difirefs, in order that the offender, or his
friends, may have an opportunity of preventing the
dillrefs, by making up the money. As to the
difficulty which the Hon. Officer (General Tarle-
ton) had in procuring an orderly dragoon from the
Yeomanry, he had only to obferve, that the Voluir
teen were not at the command of the Generals of the
ditirids, unlefs in cafe of invafion, or lacing on
permanent duty, nor was it advifable That they
&odd. It was true that here. and in many other
places, they were ready in all inflames to obey fisch
command, for the improvement of their difopline,
and they bad the benefit of the exemption. The
Right Hon. Secretary alfo entered into tome expla.
nation of the circunaftances of the difpute in the Vo.
lunteer Corps alluded to by the Hon. General.
General T aaaaa on explained on thee two points.
Mr. WISITIIIIIAD explained alto. Mr. T.
I wilhed to know in what nate the difctiffion was,
whether it was in that Qate that the principle was to
be debated

The SPEAKER (aid, the immediate quellion be.
fore the Houfe was, that this report be now taken
into confideration : then, would come the quell...on
that Mere amendments be read a fecund time ; after
which, the further quellion that tilde amendments be
now read a third time.

Mr. KINNAIRD was not defirons, if it was the
fenfe of the Houfe to defer the debate on the Bill,
to prefs his opinion now. He, however, thought he
&Gold do his duty belt, by oppofing the confederation
of the report altogether. The bill was a defective
fupplensent to a crude endigefted (theme of defence.
It totally dried op the fources that fupplied oar re-
gular army, and prevented the univerfal training of
the male population of the country.
Sir WILLIAM YOUNG thought that the prefent
Bill went to cur op the whole volunteer fyfiem by
the roots. By impaling 6ne, erre& and imprifon-
mem, it entirely did away the idea of free vnil,
which was the fpirit on which alone a voluntary fyf
tem could be founded.

Mr. BRAGGE Paid, that there was net the snot
dißant allufion to imprifonment in the Bill. The
only fine was a forfeiture of a day's pay in cafe of
milcoodult, and it was ouly in that event that mili-
tary arreß was competent. Alluding to what had.,
fallen from General Tatham, he left It to the Gene-
ral to fay, if it would have been natural in him to
expel that a Gentleman who bad engaged as a Vo-
lunteer in a particular diftria, and who his
own honk &mild have ellesuted himfelf bound, at
the requeß of an Infpeaing General, to travel the
dillance of twelve miles, in the
.midi of a heavy
rain, to carry any commands which that Infpcaing
General might have to impart to another corps?—
Or, if that was a fervice which could have been in
the contemplation of any perfon entering into !itch a
Volunteer Corps
I Mr. ALEXANDER fupported the Bill.
Mr. FOX Paid, that he had fevers, points to which
he **abed to call the attention of the Houle. As,
however, Minifters, in this advanced Rage of the
Bill, had dircovered two claufes, which they sallow.
ledged mere complete breaches of their good faith
with the Volunteers, which would induce them, if
no perfun elk did, to move the recommitment of the
Bill, he fhnuld referee any obfervationb whirl he bad
to make till that time.

The quellion for the farther coofideration of the
Report was then pot and carried.
The fecond reading of the amendments having
been moved by Mr. Secretary Yorke, a converfution
on the point of order took place, in which the
Speaker, Mr. Grenville, Mr. Windham, Mr. Yorke,
Mr. Fox, and Mr. Bragge, took a part ; when the
Speaker (fated to the Houfe that the quellion, which
it was now his duty to put, was, that the amend-
twents be now read a fecond time.

Mr. CHARLES W. WYNNE oppofed the Bill.
Mr. FOX laid, that it could now make no material
difference, whether the obfervations which he had
intended to offer were made in the prefent Sage of
the Bill. or in a recommitment. Etery Gentleman
in the Houfe mutt be aware, that it was not the ob•
jell of the Honourable Member who (poke Jai! to
throw nut the Bill. but to have it recommitted. in
order that a meafure, which was worth nothing
it flood, might. if pcill ble. be rendered worth fume.
thing. He was for recommitting the Bill. fir the
time reafon that at prefent he would be for throwing
it out altogether. He was for recommitting it, be
cattle he was of opinion, that if palled in its petfent
()tape. the Government of this Country would be
held out to the public enimation in the molt con
temptible light in which any Government had hither
to flood. He profefed himfelf by no means inimi.
cal to the voluntary force of the country. He agreed
that that fyftem. whether gond or bad, was the only
defence nn which this country had now to rely.—
The &keit,' features in this fyliern had been (rise-
rienced. and the attention of Miniflers had been en-
deavoured to be diretted towards them eatly in the
preen' learn of parliament, and previous to the re
cefs, and had been rejeaed with (corn. No revifititi
of the fyllem wilt then deemed neceffary. Farhat
meet met OD the sad November. and now on the
sBth of March not one mea(ure had been adopted 1.4
ittengshening the defence of the country. The whole
of this momentous concern was entrufled to the Bil'
now lying on the table. Parliament bad now been
fittiog for four months ; no pep bad, daring ehi, pe
tiod, bees takes tur reuniting the army, us arm)

I,

of refetiee l all refled on tile aotiontal'v deft. i ee. acs4
the incline Bill contained every nie.foie of vigour;
of precaution, or encouragement. scLich that lytteui
had been deemed capable of receiving. h then
be denied diet thelneatere which had aldne been re•
forted or was calculated ti expofe to the Public the
incapacity and inbecility of Coventment, and to es-
pole ihe oeeedings of Parliament to derition aid
contempt ? Let thole mod fond of the prefent till
fair in what refine it had added to the fafety or de-
ka:cc of the country. Some chutes undoubtedly
had berm introduced by other Menthe's, not con.
cetned in the introdittlion of the meafure, to con.
cent its notbingnefs; but, after all, what did it con-
tain ? He declared that he bad a. high a refpea for
the Volunteer force of the country as any man could
have. Every man was botind to etteem It. as on it
mull our defence in a great ineafure depend. But
what pecnliar excellencies o eie to be found in this
Bill, which could tall forth and increafe the seal, or
animate the exertions of the Volunii•er. There were
none fuch. It was entirely computed of tubaltern re;
gulations, of regulations rather calculated to difgull;
than to animate and encourage. 'They were taken
bound to perform duties, and to (antic to depriva
dons which were sot in their contemplation at the
time they offered their Cervices. In cafe of an info,-
renion is Ireland, or of a threatened invafion of that
country, every man in England, be his avocations
what they might. were, by the prefent Bill, to bi
called out into aaual ferrite, and made Cubic& to
military law. Could any man think that the Volun:
teens of Great Britain ever meant to undertake fuch
ap obligation t Minifiers might indeed have defired
them to look at this Bill, and then have informed
them that they mull Band to their bond. But, could
fuch a nipulation have been in the contemplation of
the Volunteers, when they enrolled themfelvest Let
any man look at the AR, under which the cervices
of the Volunteers were accepted. and they will fee
that they were to lie marched only in the event of a
rumour of invafton or actual landing on the coigns,
and judge, whether the words Guest Britain, uni-
formly accompanying thole ilipulations throughout,
the coals of Great Britain alone were not in the con-
templation of the Volunteers, at the time of entering
into (itch an engagement ? The Right Hon. Gentle-
man might, no doubt, avail himfelf of the technical
expreffions in the prefent Ad to give (upport to fuels
a plea. The Volunteers might have other battles to
fight with Milliners. They had already conquered
them, but it was only by flaw degrees. When they
beat them out of one trench. Minitters betook them..
(elves to another. When the Vulunteen gained the
power of reliving, that power was endeavoured to
be limited to one half of their number. It was raid.
however, that theft two objetlionable chafes fbould
be dose away. That they had !trod in the Bill from
the beginning, and might have been fooner perceived.
He, for one, confefled, that the interpretation which
one of thole claufes was capable of receiving had never
occurred to him. He thought thofe Gentlemen who
introduced the Bill might have pointed out the in.
teepretations which they mon hare been aware the
claufe waszapabk of receiving, is an earlier nage
of the Bill, and not have referred it till the bringing
op of the Report. Had it not been for the jealous
caution of a Learned Gentleman who (poke in as
early part of the debate. the clank now alluded to
might have been allowed to refs in its equivocal
nine, which would have been a graft violation of
the faith pledged to the Whitacre'. The other datas
it mon be admitted, had sot been objeited to now for
the firfi time. The unjust tendency of it had been
pointed out in the Committee, by an Hon. Member
under the gallery. It was then, however. defended
by &Gainers ; and now, for the firft time, they are
pleafed to give up this pot alto to the Volunteers.—
All mankind had agreed in the right of Volunteers
to refign. except the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
who bad not been able to form any opinion on die
Coble!; at Iran, if he had, he teemed tefolved to keep
it to himfelf Finding they could not do better, Mi-
lliners had at length brought in the prefent Bill. They
had at firl denied the right of refigning : the Court
of King's Bench fanaioned that right. The chute
now alluded to took it away; and the Honourable
Gentleman hoped that the decifion of this day
would again rellore it. He believed by the chide, as
it flood at prefent, a great majority would be de-
prived of this right. But it was Paid they might re•
fig% on giving fourteen days notice. It was, however.
undoubtedly the opinion of Volunteers. that they
might do fo at pleafure, without any notice whatever.
Let it be recolleacil. that they were told an the in
of February, that the threatened invallon might take
place in the fhortefi poffible period, and now on the
tath of March we are again to be informed. that 1+
days notice mull be given by any Volunteer delirous
of refigning. Thus, had it not been for the attention
of the Learned Gentleman (Mr. Erlkine), and the
Hon. Member under the gallery. fimilar difputes
might have been revived. A new opinion of the At.
torney General. and a new Bill to explain the opi-
nion of Moiling. might have been necefrary. Butt
were tittle the only objenionable claufes in the Bill
There are cafe, in which a Naos may forfeit his er.
emptions by rion.attendance, probably for twelve
days, even when labouring under indifpofition. It is
e:ite he may regain his privilege by attending other
twelve days, but how is this to be accomplillied ? Is
cis Corp. to be called out 141 park tt. enable him
thus to qualify bionfelf t The thing was ridiculous ;
Knitters were deceiving the Voltinteets, and bolding
out ;o them iminunuin which they could never
Aftother circumflance which bad been noted
by an Honourable Friend of his (Mr. Whitbread) lie
thought was particularly deferring of antic*. Would
any man ferioully fay, that 44 days fervice. in la.
homing of the ground. could be taken away from e
farmer without injury to him ? It was well known
that contentiosie did fulifin between mailers and fer-
vent', and that the latter were often ready to take
every advantage. No man could view the faaltion
given by that chief, to a petunia of this fort is say
other light thee as a kind of robbery. The time of
an apprentice was his matter's, not his own; by a
folemn coottaA it had become fo as awls as any
either property whatever. Yet. by the peeing Bill.
apprentice. are (educed from those mallet's lervice.
and an indoeement is held .nit to them to nerleft his
hufillefs• It is :aid that a compenfation will be given;
rit to whom t Not to the mailer. feet t.. the •P4'€°'
tics. In the cafe of any improvesarri 11114 110. ti..lll
awned on, which occafi 4111 the spa ..f any
private property. to whom is e rosktei

I'

Why, finely, to the proprietot. this reafonAle
plan, bewever, is departed from in the prefect iw
• Rance. The compenfation is taken away from the
party who has a right to it. and is bellowed on suer
tier, as a rerompence and inducement to him to
defers his mallet's emplorrnent. The Hon. Gentle.
man again alluded to the little progrefs that had been
Made in the defenfive fyßem during the prefent fel-
fion, and declared his conviltion that he would not
at
be wrong in erting that three-fourths of the Vo.
lenteers who had been embodied at an early period,
bad never yet drawn a trigger. If no plan to expe-
dite the aiming and training of the Volunteers could
be deviled, he wai alltamed to think what opinion
their conßitucats mull entertain of the deliberationi
bf that Houfe, marked as the prefent Bill wart with
imminent fymptoms of imbecility and weakitefs.
ne public had aright to tepee, if Gentlemen relied
Mwlseie defence ott a Volunteer Force. that they
ould have adopted tome lisps to render it as efficient
polfible. They were entitled, at fo awful a crifis,
when armaments of an unparalleled and gigantic na-
ture, and not only great bust immediate. were to be
bppeied, to eve& Ibmething like a proportionate
defence. Like the poet. who lamented that in pro-
krortion to the &talkers of our liapport, the evils
which we bad to encounter were great he trembled
at the danger to which we were expodd. He trem-
bled the lefs, however, becauGs be knew the fpirit of
'the Volunteers. They bad battled and &irmilhed
With Miniliers, poll after prin. They had driven
dm from trench to trench. and were now come to
mar them in their left war dyke. He was happy
to think that the fpirit of the country and of the Vo•
lunteers would rife fuperior, not to the attempts of
our enemies alone, but. a bat t e thought a more ar-
duous talk, &perky to the imbecility of &gasifiers.
(Mr. Fes war incase, jailer:pa "rid kem Iso mfrs.)
The ATTORNEY GENERAL could we at all
Ate that say *rimiest had been adduced to dew
that the re centralising of the Bill would be attend-
ed with the Intalkli advantage. it wes emulated by
the Honourable Gentleman who beggelted the ae•
ceffity of the recommitment, that a great deal too
mach time had been already (peat on the Bin yet
with this admiffion. the great ar ha a. IP"'
ed to have in view was, that Bid lhoot Qiil

longer occspy the attention of the Honk and all
this for the profeffed parpofe of wasting the chat-
rafter of ?adieux/it from being &grnded. A great
deal had been raid :Omit the recent delatiee 'late
of one military elabliffirestot, but liter his own pan
1m could not fee how the reeonsatitman had any
thing at all to do with this bufinefe- Could any
thing etionseed with the Dill he dale to hieratic our
military oflablithinent ? Could going again into the
Committee MI up any del:keens is the Army of
Referee ? No man could fetiosly arse &eh an opi-
nion. The Bill was defigned to etc in and meted
what at prefent appeared defedive is the Vniontest
• Byflein ; but let it be dint back as often rut Gentle-
men pleaded to a Committee, it mutt llill won out
of the Committee in its original foini—of a Bill for
the better regulation of the Volunteer Elablilluwents
On the one fide of the Houle it was urged that the
Bill contained every provilion which was calculated
to riled its tibial. If on the other fide it was argued
that there were other provifitas wanting to complete
the efficiency of the Bull, it was then for thole who
held this opinion to have, on former occafitnss, ex
predfa their fentiments in the Committee. The Bill
had alteady pact through three Committees, and
it was rather finder that sone of thole Gentlemen
who now to graciontly fn Bed complacence on each
other in the profped ofbasing the Bill recommitted,
had ever thought of presiondly introdu:ing their'
amendments. He begged leave to know what realm
there was to Cipeit in another Committee fuggeftions
which had n• t been Inotight ((owe. d formerly, and
miles filch en cep:Elation was held out to the Knife
be could not fee why the Report would r.ot afford
fufficient room for the reception of leach amendments
as appeared to be neceffaty. The Honourable Gen.'
denial, who (poke 101 l had Conte down to the Houfe
with the intention of giving his decided oppolition
to the Bili, but certain eircumilances had fence or-
cuffed to alter his determination, and he was now
contented with infilling on its recommitment. What
thefe ciicumfiances were he could not pretend to de-
termine, for he could hardly imagine that they erode
out of any thing which had taken place on the pre-
fent occaiion. Was it the clank which referred to
the tight of Volunteers to resign, connefted with the,
corps which had engaged to terve during the whole
war, or the claufe as the Bill now hood. which di
retied that on the appeaiance of an enemy off the
Ma of ',eland, the Iroltinteers &ild be placed on
permanent duty ? If either of thefe dames had been
to be continued in the Bill, nr even if a doubt bad
been retained as to the espedicncv of continuing the
clanks, there might have been Come grctund for go-
ing again into the Committee. When, however,
the point was given up in both cafes, he was Ace-
milted to hear the Honourable Gentleman Wilting
on tie recommitment of the Bill. His Right Ho.
nourable Friend (Mr. Yorke) near him had made
the conceffion on this fiihjea in the moll handfome
manna, and though lie liimfeif thought that it
would be infinitely better to allow the Bill to pafs as
It now lions!, fit far as theft daisies were concerned,
be would not at prefcnt go into any lognment on
the Utica. As to the power of rstignation, he did
not mean now to detain the attenti•in of the Houle.
Thi. was a fubjed which, recoil. Cling the opinion
be had given, he could not advert to without pain.
H- begged leave, however, to lay, that the oilier.
sations of his Honourable and Learned Friend this
corning fufficiently proved that this opinion of his,
st inch he admitted to he erroneous, was not taken
tip in light grounds. His Honourable and Learned
Fi,,nd allowed with him, that Volunteers were on.
der a powerful obligation of honour and morality,
and it he in piving his opinion As to the right of re•
fignetion, had rallied the rti atter too far, his condutt
we, not without matetial ciicurriffances of explatia.
bon. He begged the Houfe to confider the opinion
given in the Court of King's Bench was on a Specific
cafe. The Court had not taken lip the matter ge-
netelly, hat had ceutioully confined their decilion to
the ritecife matter referred to their confideration. If
the qiielsion of refignation had been brought before
N cm on the around% furniffsed by the thole in sitter.
bon, he was not convinced that their decifion would
not hive hem very different in its completion. lie,
en the whole, few nothing which &mild induce the)
kivige not to enter sea the cunfaderatioo of the Re•

port noOr. and tholeu that witaietii improvelsests
were intended could in this way be equeny well re
ceived.

1)r. LAWRENCE, in a nowt (peach, fapported
the motion for the recommitment. His principal
melon for this was, that a somber of the clanks not
in the Bill were introduced on a day (Saturday)
when there was a very thin attendance of Members.
The Bill was now Peen for the time as a whole,
(ince it had laft pall the Committee, and it appeared
to him highly proper that it Ilsonld be now recom-
mitted, to give an opportunity for full and for dif-
culilon of this very towelling fubjea. The Hon. and
Learned Member exprefled his decided difapproba-
tion of the claufes as they now Rind in the Bill, with
refpea to the right of difmilfal, and the eompenfa-
tion to he given to lervasts and apprentices. Mini.
hem in his opinion, bad done nothing to improve the
Volnateer alarm. It was merely a republication of
the Volunteer Syllem laid down by the late Mioillers.
The Attorney General and Dr. Lawrence feve-
rally trephined.
Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY was for the recom-
mitment. He intimated a Wink to move for the intro.
dutlion of a claufe into the Bill, for the better regu-
lation of the number of days allotted to drill in corps
in the country. He adverted to the number of volun.
tears in the metropolis and its vicinity : their num-
bers, he underßood, were nearly 3a.000, but out of
this number, if he was rightly sof,rmed, nearly one
half had engaged only to extend their fervieet to the
vicinity of the capital, even in cafe of invafion. It
was has objea that a claufe Gould be introduced,
taking away the exemptions from thole whole Cer-
vices were thus limited.

Mr. Alderman COMBE wilted to explain to the
Hon. Baronet who had just fat down, the-nature of
the fer vice of that part of the Volunteer force in and
about the metropolis. which the city of London had
(croaked, moms ing to about a a,OOO men It had
been underliond as the undoubted prerogative of the
Como, that in cafe of aanal invafinn. or the appear
ante of the enemy upon the coafi, his Majefty had
the rieht to call forth the Cervices of every man in the
kingdom. The Magill ates of the City adopting that
principle, had recommended it to their fellow Citizens
to affociate themfelves for the purpofe of leaf ning the
military exercife, and affiliing the Civil Power in cue
of tumult or infurret ion. thinking it would he a
mockery to make an offer of Cervices which, it a fit
feafins. his Mainly amid command ; and he was cirri' e
lure. that in tM whole number, there was no. ..ite
man who did not confider himfelt liable, in exec at
invafirao, so be pot under the command of a Gene al
°Seers and marched to any part of the kingdom.—
There was eme other loaner refpeaing the Volutes I
of the City, which he wilbed to flute to the Howe,
which W‘b this, that no one could doubt that their
offers of ferries erok from a gore patriotic public
fpirit' bust*, as by their chatter,, they wire ex-
emptfroor thole military duties to which ether t•arts
of England are liable, they had no occalion to leek
refu p from the ballots
Mr. PITT owned that the Bill. as it at prefent
flood, did not by any means come tip to the fair ex.
palatial's which the Houk and the public entertained
no the esbjea I and that the hope which he had
Formed bad-been materially difappoinred. The only
point which had been gained by the Bill, was the
claufe by which encouragement was held out to
Volunteers to enter on permanent pay, and contem-
plating a danger, the approach of which might be
apprehended to be at hand, this was certainly an ad.
vantageous arrangement. He was afraid, however,
that even this improvement was not tarried Co far u
its vail utility and importance required. There was
one other dilute which, quite fimple in its confirue-
lion, he likewtfe viewed to be highly important : he
meant to anode to the claufe allowing Commanding
°Seers the power of erred. in cafes of rrifbehaviour
at molter anal drill. • Having Paid this. he had to se-
post that the Bill came very far lbort of what he
conceived adequate to the ei•cionliances of the coon.
try ; anxious, however, as be was for the perfeelion
of the Volunteer System, be did not think that any
important objefl would be gained by the recommit.
tern of the Bill. It occurred to him, that any
amendments to be introduced might be received on
the confideration of the Report, and therefore he felt
it his duty to °plank the motion.
Mr. SHERIDAN was of opinion that whatever
idea was entertained of the military fyftean of the
country, this wasnot the moment for fuch a dikulGon.
If gentlemen thought thisa matter fit for inquiry. they
might move for a Committee on the fubjea,and the dif-
cuifion might regularly take place. At prefent the
question was extremely fimple. It was merely whe-
ther certain amendments, the propriety of which was
not denied even by the framers of the Bill. Mould
be introduced on the Reports in a new Committee
for that fpecific purple. For fosse time pall he had,
confidently with a principle which three years ago he
had dated in that Honfe, felt it his duty to abfent
himfelf from his attendance in Parliament, and he
had confequently not been prefent at the different
dikuiSons which had taken place on the previous
Rages of the Bill. This, however, he knew, that
the Bill had already been in three Committees, and
the question came to be. &sold it go to a fourth
Committee to receive new amendments and improve
ments? If it was true what was Rated by an Hon.
and Learned Gentleman (Dr. Lawrence), that the
Bill as a whole, had not been before the Committee,
this would be the ?Ironed' argument which he hid
heard for the recommitment. If a Right Honour
able Gentleman oppofite (Mr. Pitt) would rife and
state that he had new clashes to properfe in the Com.
mit tee, or if any other Honourable Gentleman would
make a fimilar declaration. he should certainly vote
for the recommitment. Independent of fuch a de.
clararinn he really had heard no ground laid againil
proceeding to the cenfideraaion of the Report. He
was the more inclined to this opinion from teeing the
candid define of his Majefiy's Minifiere to make every
fair conceffion. (Hers 'kers veIN • zenerd hvb.) He
thought the question quite important. and that the
time of the Houfe would be much more ufefully em-
ployed in proceeding to the dikuffion of the Report.
Mr. PI FT, in explanation, Slated. that be had
been osifundertiood by the Hon. Member. He
feemed to conceive that he was for the recommitment
of the Bid, wh he was again* it. Whatever
the principle of the Hon. Gentleman's abfence was,
if be had been in his place he would have ken that
the claufes which be wiThed to introduce. were not
now wanting from any deficiency on his part io pro-

fig then, hat trrifir his filthility to Oen& the
Hoak to adopt them.
Mr WINDHAM raid, he underflood, originally,
that within but the report Mar to be before thy
Houle ; hut before he came dou n to it. he learned
that cl ride, had been intrnditee I, which were a fur•
prife upon it. He objelled to the line of difctifflon.'
becanfe it was debating the Bill as if it were in a
Committee, and not upon a general view of the',
principle. He wilted for an opporomity to debate
it upon the latter ground, becatile he confidered it a
firll Rep of a permanent fyllem, and if wrong, the
farther we went, the greater the difficulty and dan.
ger to recede. He had already objeatd to it, es de•
priving us of every other means of al:finance, but
he mull correa the error into which thole had fallen
who confidered him on that account hottile to the
Volunteers, as if any man who voted againft the
bill wifhed for the diffolistinn of :he &Sens. With
refired to the candour now frond in his Majefly's
Minillers, he fair nothing furprifing in the difco-
very, except that it WAS made from a new quarter
(a &BM. It might perhaps be a matter of indif-
fetence whether the clanks were difculled in a Corn•
mince or upon the report, but he thould think the
former the fitter place.
Colonel BASTARD maintained, that the Volun-
leer fytteas did not militate fo much as its adyerfaries
aliened against the progrefs of the ballot for the Mi-
litia. &c. As a proof of this, he Rated that in the Mi-
litia of the county to which he belonged (Devon),
where Volunteer Corps were very numerous, the re-
giment of Militia was not only complete, but bad
mane fupernumeraries, although not more than tea 1
,uineas bounty had ever been given; and he was'
confident that if any men were wanting for that body,
they could he had from among the Volonteers them-
reive,, whole fpirit, zeal. and military habit natu-
rally difpnfed them to enter, if nee/4aq, into regular
military fervice. With yelped to the efficacy of the
Volunteers for the defence of the country, he refer-
red to the fpeech of that gallant Officer. that high
military authority, the Earl of Moira, who declared
at the Highland Society a few days finee, that
with the Volunteer force of Scotland. combined
with the few regular troops in that country. he
would undertake tit defend it againfi any attack of
the enemy. This opinion, with that of many other
;camel Offi:ers of Argil char, atter, was quite fufficient
to faddy bis.mind of the fallacy of the objeaiona fo
oft. n urged againli the utility and firength of the
1/..lunteers. As to the opinion refpciting an armed 1
peafantry, he was not at all inclined to difpute it,
hut he would afle, how did the Volunteers Rand in the
way of an armed peafantry (eery of Ifeer 1 Near I) ?
It did not appear to him that they did. On the con-
trary, he faid that they might be of the higheß ad-
vantage to prepare, to direa, and to render that pea-
hary effeetive. o i Nothing was more deluliye. how •
ever, than the afkrtion, that we had not any means
M employing our peafantry in the mot of incafion;
for the loft was, at !tali in the part of the country
with which he was acquainted, that the name of al-
moll every man who was capable of fervice was en-
rolled, and his part in loch a cafe alßgned to him.—
. Some were appointed to be pioneers, fours to be
litanies, and others to convey provifioas, &c. He!
was confident from the fpirit generally prevailing.
that any of thole men would be ready in the hour of
neceffity. to fill up any defalcations that might occur
in the ranks of the Volunteers. or the regular army.
From this Raternent. he maintained that the opinion
was incorrect, that our peafantry could not be ufeful
when danger Ihnuld approach us—that they would
nut know what to do.
Mr. T. GRENVILLE vindicated himfelf from
the charge of inconfidency which teemed to have been
thrown out againft him by the Learned Gentleman
on the Trealury Bench. That he &odd not have
attended all the Rages of a meafure which buck him'
to be fn radically bad that nothing could be extraeled
out of it, was perfealy natural. Indeed. the ember-
raffment. confufion, and wavering which even the
framers of this Bill famed to feel about it, was enough
to forbid any ditpalLonate man from fuppofing it
probable that it would produce the good expected
from it by tome Gentlemen ; yet as there framers
were determined to prefs the adoption of this Bill, it
was defirabk to remove the deltas pointed out by his
Honourable Friend (Mr. Foz), and to which no kind
of reply had been made, and alto to introduce the
other amendments fuggelled. therefore he 'Mold vote
for the motion for recommital.

Mr. SHERIDAN, in explanation, Rated that, if
any Gentleman had a claufe to propofe which could
not be introduced into the Bill without going into a
Committee, he would vote for the motion, but not
otherwife.

Col. CALCRAFT raid, that if the Houfe lhould
go Mtn the Committee he would there feel it his duty
to propole A deuce refpcaing the grant of additional
pay to the Volunteers, and alto a further allowance
for clothing. This was a pmpolition which he
thought the Honourable Gentleman who (poke lag
would approve of, and which, continently with his
own declaration, would induce him to vote for the
recommittal of the Bill.

The CHANCELLOR 14 the EXCHEQVER
obferved, that the recommittal of the Bill w ,v not
neceffary in order to enable the Hou. Gentleman to
propene the Chore he alluded tn, as he might bring
it forward in the prefent sage, and it ro.4lit alter•
wards, if adopted, be referred to the coot:deletion
of• a Committee of Supply.
The Houfe then proceeded to divide, when there
appeared—For proceeding on the Report immedi-
ately I73—Againfl it 56—Majority 117.
On lit-angers being re-admitted, we found the
Houfe going through the amendments.
Sir JOHN WROrrESLEY propofed an amend-
ment, purporting that 03 Member of any Corps of
Volunteer. v.r Yeomanry who !hall have been corn 1 d
fubfequetit to the 2 ad June, (hall be entitled to exemp-
tion from eompultOry krvice, unlefs be (hall agree
to extend his fcrvices to any part of Great Britain.
Mr. Secretary YORKE Bated, that moil of the
principal mama's/luring and commercial towns in
Great Britain were particularly named in the Army
of Referee Alt as ear

(landing their terms
Mr. PITT appro,
Worthy Baronet, th.
emptions in a general

went, our exemptions
the appearance of eq
o able foundation.

Lord TEMPLE obferred, that the ferrite was too
limited in many inflances, but one be thou. lat
particularly confined in its patricide tote of &twin.
that WAS the Somerfet Houle Corps ; the terms OR
which it Wfis accepted by Government he usdertlood
to be for the defence of Somerfet Route only.
Mr. TIE It NE Y Rated, that whatever might have
been the original foundation al the Ger, k tat nolo
very generally untie:Road, that the young Mai bast
long fence agreed to go to any part of the kiwis.
cev
where their ferviees might be thought ne • 14
cafe Or 2R !ovation, he believed the only
would be in keeping them within the walls 4
fet H,l' le. .

Ms. DENT thOnglit ibiettitweatd.i have beat tame
regular for loch bodies of men at were appointed e
defend a particular building, if dry had bent (was
in as confiables. The Right Hon. Co (11,4
Tierney). he underitood, had alio the eaattoroda
a Corps in the Borough of Southwark. If eM
of that Corps was limited alfo, he would be pledge
know what the Right Hon. Gentleman would do
with his Corps in the Borough at the tins *wire
was locked up in Somerft t-houfe for its defessonvAog
would he divide himself

Mr. TIERNEY explained to the Hoare what wen
the nature of his (kimono with refine to the Soo&
wank Volenteers ; be had been firli appointed to din
commend of the Souterfet-houfe Volunteers ; bob*
afterwards accepted of the command of the Corps Is
the Borough only as a matter of form, that he might
have power to All in its foundation. and whenever.
his prelates was tweedier with the iktataist•boelb
Corps, he would retain his command its the other.
Mr. SHERIDAN omitted the fpecies of Indoor
ferrite which the clerks of the Navy Ogles kid votell
—it plainly Sewed that they were deterdifned ea
keeping policies of Somerfet4toufe as Inns as dart
could. In this laudable intention of S. theirs he had
good radon to hope they would not meet with any
diftheragement from the example of their Colons/.
as there could not poffibly be any doubt of his fie-
cere defirt to keep eke pablic office committed to Mt
charge from falling into the hands of Roy enemy.
Mr. FOX adverted to the original detain
sitters to proportion the number of Volunteers by, a
regular fyflem of fix times the amount of the ithi
Militia. That wearer/ would operate very
dlre-
ready in the inked counties from what it world is
the counties of Kent, E6e4 Ate. The Sommfee-
hoofe Corps he thought it perfealy ridicekets
Volunteers, ender fuch a lieuted agreement af fee.
vice ; particularly as they were invents of the Crown;
he thought that more &acid be expefierd from their
loyalty throe a bare defence of the pentads, haat*
by which they their bread.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQYZI.
enumerated revere' counties in which the return of
the Volunteers accepted by his Majcay, far exceed.
ed the quota which had been mentioned by as Ho-
nourable Gentlemen oppolite him.
Mr. CANNING obferved, that that was an aid&
tional proof, if any could be wanting, of the Wirth
lion and inconfillency of his Majelly'e prefent. Kip
'tillers, as he knew it to be a fee, that the firli pro.
portion of fix too,* was rigidly adhered to. until by,
repeated applications from people in thefe counties.
IMininers were prevailed on to alter the plan they lead
originally adopted: but even then the numbers which
they accepted of. were amfiderably Ilion of what
might be railed.
After feversl other obiervations from different
Honourable Members, the quelion was pat, and there
were—For the Auseadoesst 37—Againti it r.
Strangers were not admitted any more we the
Gallery, bat we onderlood that the farther cos&
deration of the Amendments was put of till wow.
row (this day).
We were alfo informed, that Mr. Pitt laid that be
anderdood that it was the intention of one of his Ma-
jelly's Minifters to bring forward a Motion upon
fubjea fimilar to dog of which be had given soda
for tomorrow. It was not his with to prels forward

his Motion. if Minifters meant to adopt lay nearer*
upon the fubjea : he would therefore parse his
Motion, until the Right Hon. Gentlesnankodbeoeght
forward this plan.
At half pall two o'clock the Hoare adjourned till
this day.