Star.
London, England, 1816-04-05 00:00:00

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Lord NUGENT bow testimony 'tb the good con-
duct of the Life Guards, Apn they
,ivere catted out
on any pane irceashwt.' wit•
nets the repe'ated employulsot cf the Military, and
to see how frequently they were called out when
there was no came to justify
,their being employ-s,
ed itt all. .
Lord CA.STLEREAGO observed, that it wec
quite common to see the /Military employed on any
public occasion, such as reviews, die. and haiaw no
necessity for saying so much as Gentlemen on the
opposite side seemed inclined to do.
Mr. TIE.RNEY considered that his Noble Friend
had done right, in bringing this subject before
the Housev."/The most glaring innovatiens were now
introduced in the employment of military 'aid, in
such a manner as was sanctioned neither by law nor
practice. Guards were now stationed, not as for-
merly, merely at St. James's, bat through the whole
of Pall-mall, and he could assign no reaspa for it,
but the design Ministers bad of accustoming the
oeople to Military spectacles ---( Wear, hear).--He
Thought the Military had no right to be employed,
excepting when the Civil. Power was likely to be
thwarted, then, and only then, they might be called.'
He hoped the Noble Lord.(Castlereagh)
,would pay
some attention to this, and endeavour to remove this
dangerous inconvenience. With respect to die , at-
tack made on his Noble Friend, the public might
thank GOD there had been no murder committed, for
had his Noble Friend been choleric, the most serious
v•eisequences might have ensued. But he deprecated
these frequent Military parades, not merely on the,
ground of inconvenience. He decidedly thought
they were done by Ministers, for the purpose of mak-
ing strtie apoloer to the House for the increase of
the 1-I,niceltold '1 roops.--( Loud cheer: from the Ofifie•
sition).—He would repent it t it was a part of the
system Monsters had adopted for persuading the
Horse to sanction this increase in thi Household
Troops.—(Repealed cheer:).—The case was very dif:
ferret in the City, when public fistivals took place.
He would allude, in a particular manner, to the
Mansion-House on Easter Monday, and he would
ask, how did the Lord Mayor act on these occasions?
Why, although there was of course a very great
number of persons present there, and a vast crowd
always assembled to see them going in, yet his Lord-
ship had always, in a Constitutional manner, which
,did honour to himself .and the City, discharged a
single soldier from'appearing.—(Lead ewer:).--On
the same principles be thought Ministers should act,
and he therefore decidedly condemned their conduct.
as a violent breach of the Constitution.—(Never).
Lord CASTLEREAGH explained.
Mr. WY NN complained of the use of the Military
as an innovation on the Constitution, and as a system
of pplicy which the House were bound to resist. It
was an assuMption of right in the name of the Sove-
reign, which was not justifiable on any ptinciple;
and while he had frequently seen soldiers, in the
must daring manner, draw their swords, and insult
Englishmen. he considered the House would not do
their duty, did they not put an immediate stop to
such practices. Soldiers could Only be employed as
the assistants of Constables, and in no other case had
any right to interfere.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.
considered the employment of troops to he necessary
on such public occasions. He saw nothing in the
Law or Constitution of the country to condemn this
practice, which bad long been used, and ices be Ng
means so novel as the opposite Members meant to in.
sinuate. Court days were now very rare, and :Ouch
better attended in consequence. He thought the use
of the military was not extended beyond what was
justified by convenience—(Hear)—and, as an esta-
blished custom was not to be infringed. The puce, officers were always to be first employed, no doubt,
yet their efforts required the support of the military.
Lord POLKSTONE was astonished to hears that
this military parade was an established usage in the
country. It was not so t and he distinctly remem-
bered when the military were nut employed. except
on the two birth-days—(Hear).—He remembered
when Court-days were very frequent, yet his Majesty
had never employed military, but only a few cun-
stables—(Hosr).—Now, however, the case was very
different, for the military were armed with the full
power. He had some hopes, from what had passed
in the beginning of the Session, to have seen some
arrangement on this head, but he was now so-dis-
gusted with the attachment of Ministers to this parade
of military pomp, that he seldom went to any public
place. Yet this day be had seen soldiers stationed at
Hyde Park-corner, where no doubt, Ministers, world
say there was great necessity for them—(Lough).---
An argument was brought, in favour of this military
parade from its convenience, but he protested that
this was ne palliation. Military spectacles, and mi-
litary guards, might do very well in military go.
vernments, where the energies of a people were pa-
ralyzed by despotism, but they were hostile so the
genius of the British Constitution—(Cheer:).—ln'
a free government there must, be inconreniencirs,
, but these must be submitted to, and not be re-
moved bythe unwarrantable stretch of power( Chun).
He was glad the Noble Lord (Milton) had brought
this before the House, and he thought the country were
very much obliged to him for so doing. He implored
the House to do their duty on this occasion, and to
show the world that while they acted as men, they
would do their duty as British Senators—(Hear).
Mr. CALVERT concurred in the great disadvan-
tage which the public endured frem the use of the
military. and which he had repeatedly borne himself
in the district of the town where he lived. His car-
riage had been repeatedly stopped in the street by sol-
diers, and himself and his brother obliged to walk 'A
considerable way round about.
Mr. PONSONBY observed that) as the word 14 in-
convenience," was pretty often adopted by the Noble
Lard (Castlereagh) and the Right Honourable Gen-
tleman (Mr. Vansittait) he would shottly attend to
it. He was astonished, he was indignant to hear
such an unconstitutional expression used by any
Member of the House' as the Right Honourable
Gentleman had done. He (-Mr. Vansittart) had said
he theught the iotetfereuce sit the military was not
to be extended beyond convenience"—(Hear, hear).
—But who was to judge of that convenience ?
(Near, hear).—Who wits to determine bow far it
should 'go and no further I Was it the Right Ho-
neurable Gendeman or his colleagues I Was it. to br
jitilied of by any man in that House l Convenience
!arm admirable argument, which the Right Ho-

-.
,

**arable Gentleman and his Noble friend and col-
it ague (Castlereagh) st+med to haveo.. But sup-
pose A ntehosayman should meet 'the Right Honour.
able Gentleman, lin d ke his pyrite Irony hint, what
a fine apology wrath! it make for the highwayman at
the. Old Bailey, wet, he to say, u 0, I took theperse
because it was serf eoafeenieut for me to :lave it, and
there was not a shilli,ru in it ve!lich I could coriveni-
ently do without."—( Muth labghier) —This was pre-
cisely the case with the Honourable Gentleman, and
his apology for the military was *tact)), the same
with the' apology of the highwayman for taking the
purse—(Muth lairghter.)—But since the Secretary for
the' Home Department was now to have his iatentiou
usufivided laugh)—since by the decision of last
night he was to be exclusively confined to domestic
concerns, would not this abyse of military power be
a very.proper subject for his notice ?—(Hear.)—He
denied that any power of the nature they had lately
usurped, was justifiable in the military If the Go-
vernment required aid to keep the peace, let them
call for peace officers, het not for military. Let
them remember this is, Britain, this.is a free country,
not a nation of slaves—(C/seer:).—He trusted the
Right Honourable Gentleman would reflect on what
he had said. He hoped he would put away the ar-
gument of convenience, and annihilate that word
out of his vocebulaty —(4 laugh).—Let him remetn-
' bee that convenient may suit very well the caprice
of a tyrant, but is compatible with the native rights
of free-born Britons. Our Coti,a,tittion, nit our eon-
, venience, was the standard of ditty..
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
in explanation, dented his having used the expression
Alluded to in the manner imputed to him by the
Right Honourable Gentleman. He said Merely
convenience justified the use of the military, by pro.
moting.order and preserving trapqnillity.
Mr. BROUGHAM said, as the Noble Lord
(Castlereagh) had stated his intention to put a stop
to the inconvenience Of the military, the. House
would be better pleased to see that intention realized.
At the same time he did not perceive on what grounds
the Right Hon. Gentleman (tbe Chancellor of the
Exchequer) could justify this military parade as an
established usage. It was now carried on to an
extent, in frequency and in manner, which called
for the reprobation of the House. He said in fre-
quency and in manner, and he would shortly allude
to each of these. IVitls respect to its frequency, about
SO years ago he recollected no military. whatever
were to be-seen any where except on the tt::th days of
the Km* and Qoeen, and even then it was but a
novel tight go get them on those days, for in the be-
ginning of the present reign onlx a few constables
were employed. But now not a single publie.44,pf
any importance occurred, without a gland military
parade. With respect to the manner in which the
military wereemnloyed ; about twelve tie.trs• ago he
recollected only halt a dozen guards weiesfationed
at the Palace, but now almost iu .11.42: Mall, on each
side of the street, soldiers were stationed not two.
yards distant from each other, as had been the case
this morning. He had seen Pail Mall, and"though
not half a dozen of carriages were in sight, the atreet
as guarded by soldiers, preiented a most imposing
spectacle. There .was no Crow', yeribldiers were
stationed in the most improrrunconstittltional man-
ner. he knew well this I.:trade arose from a childialt
vanity in persons of a bizh• . Tank, yeti' trifling as it
might appear, and did Appear Jo. them, it was ex.-
ttemelurejudicial to the interests of the Constitu-
tion. J. here was not the smallest occasion for than
at Buckingham House, no more than thcre was at
the Theatres or Mansion House, and he. trusted it
would be checked in suture.

L)rd CASTLEREAGII justified the use' bf the
military, and ifieught Oe alum of danger to the con-
stitution existed only in the minds oT the Gentlemen
opposite. He say, no possible danger from the cm;
ployment of soldiers in keeping off a crowd. '
Mr. W. SMITH WAS against the asp of the mili-
tary, and deprecated the unhappy situation of the
poor.private, who was placed, in consequence of the
rigorous orders he received, between two fires—
(.4 laugh.) He had either to disobey his officer, and
let passengers go on nithotit interruption, or he must
insult them in the manner complained ot.
Mr. BENNET wished the Noble Lord and his
Right Honourable colleague (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) would inquire a little more Mu) the his-
tory of this military establishment, before they so
confidently pronounced it to be of long standing. They
would find a very different case on inquiry. They
Would find his Majesty had not taken that pleasure
in military parades which seemed so much the de-
light of the present day. They would find that in
coming to Parliament or going any where else, he
had oily been attended by a few gthirds round his
coach, and that the streets had never been so formi-
dably guarded as they were now when any public
occasion occurred. He denied that he or his friends
had only an imaginary alatm tespecting the dangers
of the Constitution. The statement of his Noble
Friend (Lord Milton) spoke for itself, atisl silf6tiently
proved the danger which this colliery might reason-
ably fear from the unwatrantable, unparalleled exer-
tions of the military. He had no occasion to say
aught ini it—it spoke for itself. Englishmen were
now to be insulted with impunity, Rll4 stopped do.
the highway by soldiers. Let any man examine the
numerous soldiers. employed at very Carlton-house
Levee,. and let him say candidly whether this rage
for military pomp be not dangerous ? Let him,look.
back to the wise paternal conduct of his present Ma-
jesty, while discharging the functions of Sovereigntyi
let hint compare the number of 'soldiers then 'em-
ployed, with the number now-called out,. and if his
mind be not fettered with the trammels of party-spit it
he cannot but acknowledge that the present system is
fraught with danger.
Lord CAs rLEREAGH thought the statement
,of the last speaker was a very high coloured. one.
Mr. BENNET asked, whether thrcelutnn of ca-
valry often before Canton Het*, was nbt an inno-
vation ? - • . .
Lord NUGENT considering it important to the
House to receive some intormation
.tetpecting the
powers of the utiliser' on suck Occasions, :breed for
.. •
a Copy of " the Instruction. which:wete Mien to the
Troops stationed OD duty 'this day at Westminster."
Lord CASTLERY.AGH iieCidedly opposed the
motion.
Mr. WYNNE' th4ught the condirct the Noble
Lord is this business was somewhat singular, he also
thought the ompleAme# was gentrary