The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-25

HH' (%I : OFhEtN CONCIkEea iron! or !UH.
Our great naval arfenals, and thofr places
which are moft contiguous TO our principal ma
nutactories, ought Of courie to be the frf OBJ
Iject Of government, in fettlng the relative pro-
portion of volunteers, which the fcveral diRrcls
ihould be allowed to furnifh-alowed I call it,
for it was at the difcretion of government TO &C
cept the ferviceS OF many corps which they re-
Ijeeed, and generally without any reference to
the confederation Of local defence which have
mentioned. When they thought proper to IL
NIT the volunteers to fix times the number of
the militia, and for what reaton cannot divine,
they had put Stafordfilire and Derbyihire quite
on a par with the maritime counties no diff
tiDction was made in favor Of thofe diitriGts
which lie mott convenient to the enemy's coat,
and which are mof likely to be the firft points of
attack.-Can any man fay that there was any
thing like policy in fuch an arrangement, or that
indeed there is TO be found in any part of the
| ftructure or execution of the volunteer fyftcm,
10 tar as Minifers are concerned, that which
can deierve the character of difcrsti0n, or the
approval of tateinan? There was, in faa, no
part of the conduct purified by government to-
wards the volunteers which did not offer fome
evidence OF wavering and inconiitency. The
Rouie witnetied the part they took at the clofe
OF the lait FELTON,, when an hon. gentleman on
the other fide (Mr Sheridan) undertook to pa
negyrife the zeal and galantry of the volunteers.
| When that hon. gentleman, two days before the
| ieiilon clofed, thought proper, and in the OPT
mon OF many intelligent respectable members,
very prematurely, to move a vote of thanks 20
The volunteers, he ftated that fuch vote was not
only a iuit acknowledgment for the patliotifm,
they, who were then embodied had manifefed,
but that 1t would operate to encourage further
voluntary offers Of iervice. MiniAers applaud
ed warmly the motion OF the hon. gentleman,
but how did they afterwards a6t The hon. gen.
tleman moved at the fame time that there fhould
| be laid before the Houfe, at its meeting after
the receis, lit of fuch new corps as ihould vo-
! lunteer but there was another lift which the
hon. gentleman neglected to move for, namely,
OF ali The corps which ihoud be reduced or re-
liected in the fame interval "a laugh. Had the
hon. gentleman done 20, he would have fcen
trhat ufe had been made of his motion, for the
srtt tef5 taken by niiliiters ainoft Immediately
after its adoption was TO fifpeud the rrogrefs of
that voluntary zeal which the hon. gentleman,
| in common with every man who valued the
character and fafety osthe country, 70 much adj
mired. Minifers determined at once that the
volunteers ihouid not be increaied any further,
but that, on the contrary, their numbers ihould
be diminifhed. The notice of this deterininati-
on was fpeedily circulated among the volun-
ltcers, accompanied Ivy the hon. gentleman's vote
OF thanks. Thus the volunteers were conpli-
mented for that which government at the fame
| tiillC tOiu lHClu IlSV ola not WIFI Tor, tnCy
would not accept. There is word liz French.
REMERcIER, which literally implies returning
thanks for proffered fervices, which it is not in
tended to accept, and this word has clofe ana
| lOgy to the conduct of minifters in the commu-
nication ofthe motion of thanks, which they a.
greedin, in company with the refolution Which
] have already mentioned. In regard to the en-
rolment ofvolhnteer corps, 70 far as fich enroll
ment is connected with the pr0vilions of the de-
! I.,,y-
| have often made, of the total remi1ion ofgo
vernment to execute the powers vefted in it by
that ACT, and any difficulties that have arifen in
| the progreis OF the ballot, / do conceive to be
| attributable to the non-eXercife of the power
have referred to. rs to the refufaI of adequate
pecuniary military aid TO the volunteers, mutt
obierve; that il is among( the mott culpable and
lnconiiitent part of the conduct Of Ininifters
Without going infinitely into the coniequences
of fuch conduct, which it would be more con-
| venient 20 detail in the propofed committee,
have only at prefent to remark, that whatever
difference Of opinion may exit between my hon.
friend on the lower bench mir. Windham) and
me, with refpeGt to the volunteers, and the prac-
tlcability of rendering them perfect in military
diiciphne, there car be no difference between us
as to this point, that they ought to b. furniihed
with the beit naruction that IS attainable, and
| both he and ] have right to complain of minif-
ttIs AT Ilcl IOltOWiS up lutlI own principle, bN
giving the neCenary aid, TO promote the I'M
rrOvement of the volunteers. MY hon. friend
| has always maintained that the volunteers can
| not be rendered equal to, or fit to att with re-
gular troops but miniRers have uniformly re-
fitted this opinion. Why then have they not
provided adequately for The execution of their
own ideas? No, they have only allowed pay for
90 days in year, although in The ophon of all
military men, no new RATED regiment OF the re-
| gular army, with all the advantages OF fubordi-
nation, martial law; &c. could be difcplined Ct
for fervice in lejs than fix weeks or Q months
! Will any man fay that 70 fhort period fhould
be deemed iu6icient for the dilcipli ofthe vo-
luntsers? Butt hall be told probably that it was
expected the volunteers woud, independent Of
| the 20 dGys, attend to drill on every Sunday.
/ If they were, ihould maintain, that, Sundays
included, the time was not Efficient to innrtct
them, aud ihodld not be relied on in the exiting
circumstances Of the country, when we were
! doily menaced with inyahon, that invafon which
miuiocs have been pefpetually telling us was
daily 10 be eXpe6tcd fince the middle OF Taft
iummer.-Notwithliau this apprehension,
lucb has been the behaviour Of miniRers, that
much fear il The enemy ihouid not attack us I'M
| til even the middle of nest funmer, he would
find the volunteers very imperfc6tly difciplined.
| cannot help iuppretiing nay fiuprite that minif-
tiers could have even feriOufly calculated uDon