APRIL 10.] MISCELLANEOUS., 381 The House then refolved itself into a Committee, in which Mr. Corry moved a refolution to the effect he had stated, for advancing a fum not exceeding four guineas per man, &c.; which was paffed, and the report was ordered to be received the next day, Mr. Bankes afked which of the two bills on the fubject of the Irish militia was intended to be brought on the next day. Mr. Secretary Yorke faid, he fhould have thought it more, convenient to the Houfe, and a faving of a great deal of time if they were both to come on together in the difcuffion upon the principle; but if Gentlemen chofe to exercife their lungs twice upon one fubject, he could have no objection, and the debate must therefore neceffarily be put off on one of them. The one which was to come on the next day, was that which ftood first in order, and therefore he moved that the bill for making provision for augmenting the militia of Ireland be poftponed to Wednesday. Ordered. Deferred to Wedne fday the Committees of Supply and of Ways and Means. : Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. TUESDAY, APRIL 10. In the appeal from the Court of Chancery, Richardfon v the two Univerfities, counfel was heard for the appellants. The further hearing was deferred until Thursday next. On the motion of the Lord Chancellor, the caufe of Wood'ford v. Thelluffon was poftponed to the 20th instant, when the Judges are to attend. Mr. Rickman prefented at the bar the accounts of the commiffioners of the Caledonian canal. The Earl of Suffolk highly approved of that undertaking, as one likely to be productive of great advantage, not only to that particular part of the island but to the whole of the kingdom. He wished to know whether it was the intention of Minifters to make any addition to the very infignificant fum that they had allotted for the annual profecution of that work. He was difpofed to give due praife to the intention of Minifters, with regard to that national object, but he was of opinion that 20,cool. was by no means adequate to the importance of fuch an object, Lord Lord Auckland, in the abfence of Minifters, profeffed himfelf unable to give any fatisfactory anfwer to the question of the noble Earl. The Duke of Montsofe thought that it was incumbent on him to exprefs the very great obligations he was under to Minifters for having, at the risk of incurring fome imputations, countenanced a measure which promiled fo much advantage and improvement to that part of Scotland. He was happy to acquaint the Houfe that very great facilities had already been derived even from the comparatively infignifi cant progrefs that the undertaking had made. New communications had already been eftablifhed in a country where accefs had been nearly impracticable, and the inhabitants began to feel much advantage from fuch convenience. That work was, in his opinion, truly a national one, and therefore he did not doubt but it would meet with all neceffary encouragement from his Majefty's Ministers. DEFENCE OF THE COUNTRY. The Earl of Suffolk rofe and fpoke nearly as follows: My Lords, not having been in the Houfe on the fecond reading of the volunteer bill, as I was compelled by indifpofition to leave it at the commencement of the debate, I was prevented from giving my fentiments on the principle of that bill; I have therefore taken this opportunity of introducing a motion, in difcuffing which, 1 may, without any impropriety, allude to that fyftem, on the merits of which I was accidentally prevented from giving my opinion. There is not any one in this kingdom, who more highly approves of the great and leading principle upon which the volunteer force has been established than I do., I fully fubfcribe in every way. to the gallant and patriotic fpirit by which that admirable body of men has been aduated; and if there be trivial defects in its organization, I trust that a little expence and the attention of the legislature will remedy them. Although I admit that there are fome inconfiftencies in that fyftem, yet I am far from concurring in that persevering oppofition that has been made to it. Many of the arguments have turned upon verbal niceties and altercations, andreally think that much time, that could have been, better employed, has been confumed in the confideration of them. I have that confidence in his Majefty's Government, as well as in thofe perfons who fhall be called upon to execute the provifions of the volunteer bill, that where any doubts may arife upon the meaning of any particular claufe, it it will be interpreted liberally, and rather to the advantage of the individual who thinks he is entitled to a benefit from it. If I may be allowed to give my opinion, without referring to any thing that has been heretofore said either here or elfe where, on the degree of efficiency that, the volunteers are capable of, I am decided in preferring them to an armed peafantry. They, in my judgment, poffefs a competent degree of difcipline, and certainly may be incorporated with infinite advantage either with the army or militia. Befides, I much doubt whether it be pollible to arm the peafantry to the extent that has been recommended, with that celerity that would enable us to reap the full advantage of their fervices. Even the volunteers, as I am informed, are very far from being completely armed. At an earlier period of the prefent feffion, I took an opportunity of fubmitting, as a military man, fome ideas to your Lordthips, as to what I conceived neceffary to be done for the more complete defence of the country; and it is with much regret I have perceived that none of them have been deemed deferving the notice of his Majesty's Minifters. I recommended the establishment of a central depôt, to which feveu or eight thousand men fhould periodically repair, there to be inftructed in military tactics, under the command of a well-informed and experienced staff. The advantages of even that inadequate fhare of difcipline would be foon vifible, both in the officers and privates, and particularly in the former, who, in my opinion, have much greater occafion for inftruction than those they command. There is also another part of our defence which, in my judgment, Minifters have not confidered, as they' fhould have done; I allude to the principle of limitation in the volunteer fyftem. The maritime counties, the most expofed and the most liable to attack, are governed by the fame rules in this refpect that the inland counties are; an error in my mind pregnant with danger, and which cannot be too foon corrected. I alfo recommended the conftruction of Martello towers, and illuftrated the immenfe advantages of fuch a mode of fortification, by the circumftance that a ferjeant and twelve men working a fingle gun in one of them had defeated an English fhip of the line and a 44-gun frigate. Instead of reforting to that cheap and effectual mode of defence, his Majefty's Government, at least the military part of it, have, with immenfe labour and expence, conftructed lines of circumvallation, which, as a foldier and an Englishman, 1 am happy to hear are crumbling daily into ruins. My Lords if if those whofe duty it is to provide for the defence of the country, for the mechanical part of it I fhould fay, had acted as they should have done, they would have erected fortreffes in Kent, Suffex, Effex, Dorfet fhire, Devonthire, Yorkshire, and the county in which Newcastle is placed. A competent garrifon in each of thofe forts would have occupied a confiderable portion of the enemy's troops, and if they could not have eventually maintained them, would have effected at leaft that which, in all military operations, is of the greateft confequence, namely, creating a great lofs of time to the attacking army. There is another meafure in which I think there has been much fhameful and unneceffary profufion, I mean the article of barracks, in the conftruction of which two millions have been already expended, and to complete which nearly an equal expence must be incurred. The Government could have provided better for the accommodation and comfort of the foldier, at one-fixth the expence, had they reforted to the practice of hutting, fuch as was cuftomary during the American war. In fome places where they had determined on building barracks, they have abandoned the plan, and left them half conftructed, because they at length perceived that the fituations were too expofed, and that they were likely, in cafe of invasion, to prove rather an accommodation to the enemy than to our own troops When 1 fpeak in approbation of that degree of difcipline which the volunteers have obtained, let it not be thought that I undervalue the exertions of an armed peafantry. I know from experience how formidable the attacks of an armed population, poffeffing great local information, acquainted with every hedge, rivulet, and green lane, may be. When I cominanded the brigade of guards in America, I was on more than one occafion compelled by the men in white shirts (the militia of that county, or, as we would call them, the armed peafantry), and fometimes by an inferior number of them, to a precipitate, and not unfrequently a difficult retreat, and there was not a man under my command who would not have rather encountered the regulars of the American army, than that particular defcription of force. As to the ufe that may be made of bodies of men of that character and organization, I fully agree with an hon. Officer in another Houfe, with whom I have not the honour of being acquainted, and who, I hear with regret, is not employed. There is a noble friend of mine, I mean Lord Moira, to whom Government has at last thought proper to give a command; but how have they they treated that noble and excellent commander? Why, although he is invefted with the chief command of the northern part of the island, they have not thought proper to give him any of the privileges that ufually accompany it. They have been lavish where they fhould have been parfimonious, and have been parfimonious where they fhould have been liberal. When they had an opportunity of manifefting their fenfe of that noble Lord's fervices and great military talents, they neglected it, and conferred the command of two vacant regiments on junior officers. The only compensation my noble Friend has had, during more than twenty years, for all his labours in fupporting the interefts and maintaining the honour of his country, has been a colonel's half pay, a paltry two hundred pounds a year. When he commanded the army at Southampton, he was reftricted, from what motives I cannot tell, as much in point of patronage as he is at present; and when he refigned that command, he was not less than ten thousand pounds out of pocket by the honour that had been conferred on him. Minifters may fay, and I know it has been faid, that there was no neceflity for the noble Lord to involve himself in fuch expence; but to this I will aufwer, that the liberal nature of my noble Friend could not bear to fee the poor emigrants, by whom he was furrounded, flárving on the miferable allowance that they drew from Government; that his expences were incurred in feeding and fupporting them, and that, therefore, it was not to be wondered at if his fortune, great as it was, was too little for his generous and compaffionate mind. I do not wish to trefpafs longer on your Lordships' attention. I am aware that on a queftion of this delicate nature it may be urged, that confiderable confidence fhould be placed in the exertions and intentions of the Executive Government. I truft, my Lords, I am as little difpofed as any of you to entertain an improper diftruft of those who are honoured with his Majefty's confidence; but I will not, through the rathnefs of confidence, endanger the fafety of the country: I fay, my Lords, as the great and venerable Earl of Chatham did formerly in this Houfe: Confidence is a plant of flow growth in an aged bofom.' I shall not occupy any more of your Lordships' time, but move, That a Committee be appointed to provide for the defence of the country, and for inquiring into the preparations that have been made to meet the menaced danger. Lord Hawkesbury-My Lords, I fhall occupy but a very fmall portion of your time, which, conceive, would be VOL. II. 1804-3. 3 D much |