The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-11
[voIbME ].

old. VI INC army only. In the many difficulties.
winch ahail us at this moment, and when it
would oe tedious and wearifome to particularifs,
| with to keep the view OF the houfs TO a fvften,
OF permanent defence by land. DO not will
to mcunbef the queition by ersauirin this day
into The difhcn,ties that prets Upon us refpeG-
ing the finances ct the country--nor the difficult
~ arlling from the want of currency in Ireland
nor the circumstance of the exiitence to this
day OF Martial Law in that country with to
avoid all other topics ofenquiry this day, ex-
cept that OF the eitabliihmtnt of iuch plan OF
military defence as fhsll be equal to the hottie
dehgns OF the enemy, however formidable and
however protracted they may be. I with to
br1ng the ditculiion into as narrow a Compass as
poihble, and therefore to confne myfclfto the
mere queition of internal defence. do not {.
ven mean to mix with il any obiervations on the
naval defence or the country; nor hall at.
tempt to revive the dfcuflions that have taken
place on the Volunteer queition. That fublett
has been 10 frequently before the houfe, that
can only lay what have before 70 often EXPIRED.
ed, that the Volunteer Body merit the moft
grateful thanks of their country for the exertions
they have made, and that on the motion with
which hall conclude for Committee to con-
iider ofthe bett means of permanent military
defence, the alacrity, fpirit, and perseverance,
OF the Volunteers will be good ground for
truitlng TO the fyitem which mean to ftrqeef
In moving for Committee generally to conf
der, leave it to other Gentlemen TO throw out
what particular objects il ought to embrace. Ii
VIII itrike the houic, at the OUTFIT, that fuch a
Committee will have two diitinct obieGs-i.
The fold increaie of the regular miIitaf~ force,
and to remove the impedinehts that have food
IN the way OF its late recruitment. 2. The furrna-
ton OF an irregularbut auxiliary forcecf apermar
nent kind. As to the frit, it is inpof.ibIe fer
the Houte at this time to know the real fate of
1t. They have no documents before them up.
on winch they can afcertan the fate of the re-
guar army. Gentlemen who have good means
of information differ 70 efIcntiaiv from Mini.
tiers in the Ultimate which they make of the a.
mount ct the regular army, that it is mpoiiible
to Judge between them.
According to the affertions which have been
made III this Houie, the returns of the infantry
are laid to be double what officers OF good in
formation believe them to be. Now why is
there all this myltery and concealment on the
fubJect surely it cannot be alleCleed that the
enemy will gain any thing by knowing the a.
mount. The number of battalions are known
to every one. The expencc of an Establishment
is nearly afcertained, and it is therefore in the
power OF any military man, accuftomed TO tbeie
details to calculate the force % rank and i, =
is idle, therefore, to attempt to make fecret to
Parliment only of that which is no fecret, and
which can be no fecret TO others. But Miuifers
forceis fully equal 20 what It was at the end Of
the lat war. | can only fay for myfelf, that it
Is difficult to believe this abortion. and aI,liner
particularly TO ireland, in which they aflert the
regular force to be equal, / fairly fay, do not
believe 1t, II you take into the account of iecu.
lars, the militia and Britih Fencible regiments
then In ireland. AT the end of the laft war, the
amount OF the military force in ireland of theie
deicl1ptions, was between so and CT, 600 MN.
Is IT poitible to believe that there il at this time
an equal number? With refped to accefiary
force, iuch as artillery, guns, horfes, and drivers,
II is conhdera5ly higher than at the end of laf
war, Ii we are to truit to Mniher's fpeechls:
but as am ncrcdulous on the fubeGf, with
II TO be made apparent by documents laid be.
tore the Committee.-Beforc go on, however.
mum advert TO an obfervatiou that may be
mace, that OF all men ought not to complain
That the ranks ihoud be THU, becaufc was for
Keeping down the peace efabliihment. 1t ismoft
true that was for keeping down the peace eitsbA
imminent q was ioupOn fairgrounds taken bvMis
tersthemielves. They didnot demand a greater
eirabliihment than they obtained--thcy cave
the Houfe the mot lolemn af1urances of continti1
ance OF peace, and therefore the ground was
lpecihcally different from what it is now, and
am Juitlhed IN laying, what have always main.
tanned, that the economy of low ehablifl-
ment, IN time of a profound peace is the iure
and bett means of enabling us to provide an a.
deqnate force IN the time of war. But III time
OF peace, that old constitutional force, the mill
TIA, IN favour of which 70 mary Of nv rnof re-
iPectable friends were iiIch warm admirers, was
recommended as excellent in its PRINCIPLES. and
Enow that theie perlons think we ought ever
to nave IN view that force, as orr chief depen.
dence for internal defence. No man however
VIII FAY that Militia can be altogether equal e,
regular army, iince an army that has not fcen
actual fervlce, cannot be equal to an army that
has ieen If. For the great purpofe therefore of
permanent defence againh the meditated plan
sof attack, the increafe of the regular force, or
the provihon of an elementary force, which
would always come in aid Of it, is the defderas
tum to be obtained.
And what complain Of is, that our efforts have not
been wiiely devoted to that purpole-Every reyuIa-
ton has been calculated to counteraa the recruiting of
the army and with the impedments in the way Of the
regulars is morally Gnpofible that they bould Get
men It IS natural to think that on the bro ain OH of
war, there muit always be fome contraction Of the
manufactures of nation iome dinintof OF the coma,
merce, Tome parts of its population thrown 5uf of en
Payment and that conleguenty men are to he had b
the regular army without much difficulty So would
| be perhaps upon good lytcm but when am told
that this has happened, and that are to be got by
the regulars at ten guineas when the Army of Perve
II