Star.
London, England, 1804-04-24 00:00:00

uiicta it ti,ndTd in due time.

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And to the t xrci.tii•tt l t no
to be adegii,tc. h) ail e ornitrt its 1
'Lon of ..!..ering the pet ',id rf peace ; drawir.g a
vcr their cor.Jl.l c:t that C.CCA:irl..iltogetLf ;
and I.irpofwg the war teconint..nced a. notch t.' the
fen Mit fitters As to t:iat 1.1 mat.y pertUro. in
that . :t ; r.r.g that Olt!'
were not 4t as im.p.a:cd to cape& it—let ti•

Cvmr

chri• rr:)Ct.t

that c%•ent, and kt t;s

' *rived or executed as to May a hope, muds ielk an
pinion, of fafety to be derived from their exertion.
l'he tirl part of their plan of defence. and that to
Rhich they feernd principally to look,.related to vu-
:tusteers. This epic has, lam aware, been already
very' fully difcutfed, and on that account overlooked,
.)y the H. mutable Mover of the propntition before
!Ire Houle; but upon this point I would set& to alit
of Minifters whether they forefaw or had even a re-
mote idea at the commencement of hoflilities. that '
'his defcription of our force would have extended Co
fat—whether they contemplated that it ever fhould
be fu numerous ? It was known by thofe who had
.soy knowledge of their fentiments, who had any cow-
verfation with Minittcrs, that they had no fuch in-
tentions, and that on the contrary they expreffet
their dilapprubation of the policy of their preclecef-
f,rs in allowing the Volunteer Syftem to enlarge fe
much. This tad I allude to merely to then than
they are entitled to no pride for the multiplication.
of the Volunteers ; and to nate that the fpirit Which'
produced the inereafe of that body arofe out of the
difcuffions of this Houfe—a (ph it which, as jAinittera.
themfelves admitted, far outvies their calculation or
hopes; and alfo, as it feemed, exceeded their pelmet
of direction. for they afterwards thought proper**
check and retrain it. So much as to the origin off
the Volunteer Syllcm. But how did Minifters pros
teed to carry that fyftem into execution 1 Why,
without going much at length into this part of the
fubjed, which I do not mean at prefent, I will merely
remark on the cafe of exemptions. which have bass
much and very jelly objected to. The propriety of
granting thefe exemptions I could never fee—certain
it is that they were never neceffary ; for the Volun-
teers for the moll part required no Inch thing in the
thape of encouragement to offer their fervices, and
many of them were not at aU aware when they did
engage that any exemptions were to be granted s
on the contrary, it is notorious that they were
feveral diftriels actually fubfcribing a certain am
each to purchafe fuliftitutes for any of their body
which might be ballotted for the Militia. Such was
the (late of the Volunteers when the A& of PArlia•
ment was paired with the throng recommendation
of Minillers for allowing exemptions, clogged how-
ever with fuels conditions that the meafure was net
to be well underthood. In another part of this Adt
of Minifters, there was fomething fkill4efs intelli-
gible with refperfft to a Volunteer's right of refigna-
tion, upon which Minifters had evinced the molt
complete want of penetration and forefight. Had
they judged wifely, they never would have attempt-
ed to difpute this right; for, paradoxical as it may
kens, nothing tends more to preferve difcipline
among thofe corps than the undifputed exercife of
this right ; and the reafon it this, that, while. a Vo-
lunteer has the right of leaving a corps. he cannot
object to any regulation that may be deemed necef-
fary by a commanding officer for the promotion of
order and difcipline in fuch corps. the private hav-
ing his choice to fuhmit ox refign : but as to the adt
of blinifters, the Attorney General. for whole )udg-
ment and learning I entertain the muff unfeigned
refpea, interpreted the law upon refignations sn or
way, and the Court of King's Bench in another.
Minifters in this contradiction thought proper to
circulate the opinion of the former as that to be
ailed upon by the Volunteers, although they have
lance avowed that they did not agree with that opi-
nion, and that they intended to introduce a decla-
ratory law upon the fubjed. This I mull cies
among the molt unaccountable proceedings of •
Minilters. As to the Volunteer fyllem generally.
according to its preterit constitution, it appears to
me to have feveral radical errors, and principally as
to the mode in which the volunteers are eliftributed
over the face of the country. When they were
forming, and particularly when it was determined
to limit their numbers, regard should have been bad
to the proportion proper to be afligned to each dif-
tria. With that view, it would have been right to
confider the difference between the inland and mari-
time counties—which were the more probable points
of attack, and which was the moth important to pre-
ferve. Our great naval arfenals, and thole places
which are molt contiguous to our principal manufac-
tories. ought of ceturfe to be the fir it objects of Go-
serarnent, in fettling the relative proportion of volun-
rect.% which the feveral dillrias thould b• allowed to
furnish—allowed I call it, for it was at the difcretion
of Government to accept the Cervices of many corps
which they re;efted, and generally ,without any re-
terenee to the confideration of local defence which I
have mentioned. When they thought proper to limit
the volunteers to fix times the number of the militia.
and f. r what reafon !cannot divine, they pin Stafford.
shire and Detbythire quite on a par with tire maritime
counties ; no driliation was made in favour of thole
di'ftiets which lie molt convenient to the enemy's
cnaff, and which are moth likely to be thetrit points
of attack. Can any man fay that there was any
thing like policy in loch .in arrangement. or that in-
deed there is to he found in any part 4 the itrukaure
execution of the volitineei fylieni, fu far as Mini.
Hers are concerned, that which can deferve the chi
raner (.1 dii.:retion or the approa.4l of a St:german
There vs as, us fat, nn Nut of the conduct purfued
by Gyve' ',meta towards the eels which did not
form tom: groond to complaint, whichdid nut offer
t;,rne evi,ierce of wavering and inconlittesicy. The
Houle hi:, wits:ell-eh the t they took at the dole of
rile ;Ail when all 11011(1UfabIC Gentleman on
the ether file (M 7. Sl:eridan) undertook to panegy-
rife the real and gallantry of the Volunteers. When
that Honourable Gentleman, two days before the
lericirs cl .ted, thougiit proper, and, in the iipini,4l
of is. ire intelligent Members, very pre-
m to move a Vote 1,1 Thank. to the Vo-
litateet, he hated that 'itch V.,te „rely a
jut at Lt: 1.,1 ti.e p lUtil.lll, they, who
were then had but that it
wool.l tordici v.lia:tary offers
of ter vice. Mlliftet r:,14.1(i. dw if thly of
the 11":1-Go.ntl.man, out how did aet?
'Hue Hon Centlenian moved at ti c lams t.mc, that
there th...:IJ he lard before tie If, •fe, at is meeting
after the rzccf,, a lilt of lush new cnr; sac a., uid •cm,
lonteet ; bat there cc a. Join! et lilt w:iieb the Hon.
Gentleman ne,.7.e.:ted to m, ve fir, ',vilely, of all the
corps which th cad to redueed or reicifted in the fame
niter cal (a laNshi. Had the Hon. Gentleman done
fr., he would have ken what Me had been made of
his sh for the tint ttcp taken by Minifters al-
ninft immediately after its adoption vas. to fur-fiend