Star.
London, England, 1803-05-21 00:00:00

1401"-3E. OF COMMONS.

The Pi!,:ht Hon. William Pitt took the oaths and his feat.
Ihe fi:l t,r the Dcfcnce t'dr Country was read a firft
time, and cointnittt.d to a Stlcet COrimittt r on Monday nest,
and the Comini,tee ordered to fit notwithltant".l any ad-
journ/n.1.: of the Houk.
Mr. if. !wows it, after erred:leg a confident hope that the
me-fur, whi, h had ►ern adopted for the betcr regul. :ion of the
Eie.rti..n at N...ttio;.•ham might be attended with the mott be-
r .nfequercs., moved that a ru.w writ be ifrorl for the
Moyers to terve in Parliament for that town, in
the r t. n t f J. Birih, witofe elettion and retain hal been
vf

Ci.n.l ate it reported from the Committee appointed
•ro t-F •%c C.l, r, tit iurt, complair,g of an undue re-
turn tot the of Lvefbam, that the Sitting Member.
ha I ,actu O•rly Pktled, and that the Petition againtt ti2CM WA{
nor Texat!ous. _

'I he• I-:oac ttcot trttn a Coeunti!rec of tbe what Haufe,
eh, lu.i,mr;•y whrri the chafes were ag‘ol to, and Lb!
report ottitreal to In rec..;ved uo Mua.lay.

Sir Joey Manta sea moved the reading of the treated
Bill from the Lords, for punilbing perfons guilty of burning
Gips at lea. &e. The Bin was read a firft time, and ordered
tu b• read a fecond time and printed.
The Land Tax Redemption Bill was read a firft time, and
ordered to be read a fecond time On Monday next.

MILITIA.

The SECRETARY at WAR rofe, purfuant to a no
rice which he had given yefterday of a motion for
leave to bring in a Bill for the more fpeedy com-
pleting of the Militia, and for making several
amendments in the Aft' for that purpofe. The
principal ()Ned of the intended Bill was to com-
plete the quotas of the different Counties, and to
facilitate the means of calling out the Supplemen-
tary Militia, fhould his Majefty think fit to have
that meafure adopted. Although he had the fa- I
tisfaetion to mention that the adoption of the mea-;
lure propofed laft feffion had produced great tired,
and that nearly four fifths of the Militia were al-;
ready affembled, yet he could not difguife it from'
the Houfe that there were Hill many deficiencies
to be made up in feveral Counties. There he was
lure the Houfe would fee the necenity of filling up
without delay: there would codequently be a claufe
in the Bill, empowering the Deputy Lieutenants'
of Counties to proceed forthwith to fill up thole
vacancies, without any reference to their caufe
As the law now flood, vacancies caufed by defer-;
tion could not be filled up till three months had
elapfed ; but he fliould prr•pofe fo to amend the
Bill is to cook luch vacancies to be filled up with. ,
in the (pace of one month. He fhould alio pro. '
pofe a claufe, empowering the Commandants of.
Regiments of Militia to report the vacancies, and
the Magiftrates to levy the penalties that might
be incurred at every Qzarter Sellions. Several
abufes had crept into the enrolment of men for the'
Militia, which it was effenrial to corm% and if
the meafute propofed appeared to be a Prong one,
the Houle, upon refleßion, would fee that it was •
not Itronger than the nature of the cafe required.
It might alto happen that his Majefty would itriie
a proclamation, calling in deferters from the Mi-
litia, in like manner as deferters from the army
are invited to return. Thole who fhould return
within a given time would be free from the penal-
ty they had incurred, while thofe who refuted to
return within the time limited, fhould be punifbed
as they deferved, and a dercription of their per,
Eons publifhed all over the kingdom, while the
Magiarates would be enjoined to aid• and alit in
cauGng fuch perfons to be arrened. Towards fa-
cilitating the enrolment of the Supplementary Mi-
litia, there would alto be a claufe in the Bill limi-
ter to that introduced during the lan war, for ad-
mitting men of five feet two inches; and fhould
the courfe of boftilities make it neceffary to em-
body the SupplementaryMilitia,his Majefty fhould
be empowered to to do without being under the
necelllty of caning Parliament together. He
fhould alto propofe that all feamen who may be
ferving in the Militia might be turned over to the ;
Navy, and that they mould be replaced by fubiti-
totes, provided at the public expence. Thefe were
the general outlines of the Bill, which, when duly
examined, he trotted the Houfe would agree to,
though the provifions of the Bill might in !erne
inftances appear rather flrong. They were not,
however, fironger than the nature of the cafe, and
of the circurnflances that called for it. The Right
Hon. Gentleman concluded with moving that
leave be given to bring ina Bill for the more fpeedy
completing, &c. the enrolment of the Militia.
Colonel Porrsa eased the Right Hoe. Gentle-
man if he did not intend to propofe tome mole for
preventing the frauds that were to frequently prae-
&iced by perfons chofen to feive in the Militia ?
The Sacarreav at WAR replied, that it was
intended to propofe an oath limiter to that pre-
fcribed by the Mutiny AEI for recruits for the army.
A man, for inftance, fhould be examined on oath
with regard to his residence, the number of his
family, and whether he was enrolled in any other
corps of the Militia.
Mr. WINDNAM highly difapproved of the mul-
tiplication of oaths. He did not think that men's
conlciences were tlrengthened, like their bodies, by
hard and frequent exercife.
Mr. Burro,/ wifheit that pertain (erring in the
Militia Ihould be made to declare upon oath to
what parith they belonged.
Sir W. ELFORD faid, it would prevent great in-
conveniencips and much injunice to declare in the
first instance upon what plea they grounded an ex-
emption from ferving in the Militia.
The S&CRETARY at WAR obrerved, that the idea
(laded by the Honourable Baronet had not et
caped him, and that a claufe would be introduced
to that effeet. .

The queilion was then put for leave to bring in
the Bill, and agreed to.