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

mention of the CORE fpondence, since it was not
| fairly before their Lordihips, and could not DC
made the ground. work Of a charge.
Lord Boringaon explained.
The Lord Chancellor felt hinfelf peculiarly
| called upon to addrefs a few words TO their
LordihiPS, in coniequence of the aluiion which
, had been made TO the conduct of a noble friend
of His in Ireland, as mentioned in the coryeipon-
dence which had been noticed. The charac-
ter OF that noble lord, with whom it was one CT
the greateit peafures of his life to live on terms
OF the ilrcteit intimacy, food as high for ho-
nour and integrity as any other in the united
kingdom and whatever obiervatiops the cor
reipon'lsnce might have given rife to, he was
confident that there was nothing in any of the
circumstances which could in the llishtea de.
gree contribute to iniure the ditiiaguiiiled repu-
t2tion his noble friend was universally achnow-
lodged to pofsis. 1t was, he could not avoid
| laying, one of the charscterifics of the times,
that correspondence which in former inftan-
ces could not, unlefs ftolen from the pocket OF
either ofthe noble lords, have found its way in
| to the world, ihorld now be made public as a
| matter of courfe. It was alto extraordinary,
! that charge fhould be preferred asainit his no.
bic friend, upon the grounds which were clearly
| fuperftitiouS, and which could not, with any
propriety or conGhency, furrlifh 3 fubieSt of
ceniure or comment in that houSe, fince thew
|
motion for an address to his maiefty. He had
| thought it incumbent upon him, iince the topic
| had been introduced, to fay theie few words in
vindication OF his noble friend, who, if ne had
erred, mutt have erred Only from deep & ho-
nett conviction that his exertions and advice
would produce the mott beneficial effects in
that country, where he had the honor 70 ilI
very high tituation under the government. As
TO the ientiments which had been imputed to
his noble friend, it was fuficient to fate, that
lie had been here the beft friend TO thofe very
men whom he was now accufed of perfscutinc:
| and that III all the meafures which had been A.
| dopted of late years for their relief and toIera-
| ton, he had hirnfelf been perfonally and warmly
! engaged In the paiiing of the different Bills,
which they conceived 70 intimately connected
with their happinefs and interefts. With re-
gard to the Bill before the houfe, he did not fee
| it IN the fame Objectionable point of view in
winch 1t appeared to prefent itielf to fome other
noble lords. He fhould not for a moment he
iitate to lay, that the principle of an armed boz
| oy dehberating was improper and unconftituti-
onal but it was at the fame time to be under
| food, that the power of celebrating might be
| occasionally exercifed by armed bodies, when it
| could alone arife from, and be regulated by,
| the force and urgency of peculiar and extraor-
binary circumstances. His lordfhip having con-
| ildered the operation of the Bill as efientiay
connected with the fafety and welfare of the two
countries, concluded with faying, that it fhould
have his cordial fupport.
| Lord Carnarvon defended the former militia
eitabliihment, which, by late alterations, provi-
| iions, and notifications, had dwindled info q
1yitem he could no longer fupport. He had
been the jealous friend of the militia in true
conititutional view; but when he confidered
the many embarrafiments, clogs, and difficult
| tues which 1T every day experienced, he was
called upon to declare that it had no longer his
earneit iupport. Having recapituIated feveral
OF the arguments which had been ufed with
retPeet to the detriments ari6ng to the militia
eitabhhment, from novel modes of acting, and
the adoption of crude and hafty rncafilres, he
lad he ihould vote againf the bill.
Lord Auckland exprefied his furprife that the
oppoiition to the bill ihould chiefly originate
from thofe noble Peers who had repeatedly OBJ
Jected to his majefy's minifers, that they had
not i'll readiness for the defence and fafety of
the country force of a difpofable nature fulfil
clently large. The oppoGtion was therefore
the more extraordinary, as while they blamed
the minifters for not having increaied the diff
potable force, they denied to them, in the fame
| breath, the power of that kind of force, by re-
| tufng their afientto bill, profe1edly direaedto
the accomplishment OF an object admitted OF all
| hands to be 70 wife and Pituitary. No man
| could deny the wifdom and policy of immedi-
ately augmenting the difpofable force of this
| country, more particularly when he looked the
wretched fate of the Continent. Yet out Of
that wretched fate fome hopes were naturally
excited. 1t was not in the nature of men or of
things, that the war could lat for any long time,
and in that opinion he was jufifed by the an
| iwcr given by the representatives of the different
| powers to the Official communication made TO
them of the late lying correspondence, and fabri-
| Gated plot. 1t was impofible that a Govern
ment which was founded in regicide, which was
RATED and exalted by blood and potion, and
which was fupported by midnight murders and
aiiaiiinations, ihoud long continue TO be guild.
cd by hand ltained with the blood Of innocent
and royal victims. And to the benefits likely to
Teiuit from the Bill before their Lordfips, there
| could be but one opinion. From their relidence
the irih Militia would acquire Improvements
and habits Of induitry, which could not fail to be
productive of real advantages, when they re-
turned to their own country and as to any d-
| minutlon of the Militia in Ireland, by transfer
of ten thoufand to England, he thought that
could form no ground of oppolition to the Bill,
lince it was well known fuch was the attachment
or the people Of that country to the Noblemen
and Gentlemen, that the number would be re-
placed in very fhort time by a new levy.
Lord Harrowby thought the Bill obiediona-
bic becaufe it went to deprive Ireland of what
fhe mott wanted for her own protection, ftrong
efficient force: while the principle of recipo-