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to the idea of employing the volunteers fingly-if fuch were to be acted upon, experience would foon fhow its injurious effects. He next adverted to the important confideration of driving the cattle from those parts of the coaft where an enemy was likely to effect a landing. He recollected, when ferving under the prefent Lord Howe, in America, that the enemy uniformly took the precaution of driving the cattle from fuch parts of the coaft as his deba: kations were made; this operation threw his Majefty's forces into a diftreffing dilemma, and they were always forced to recur to their own magazines. the confequence was, that with all the fkill and ability of that celebrated officer, he was unable to penetrate further than 30 or 40 miles up the country. He was happy to understand that it was the intention of Government to take the precaution of driving the cattle from the coafts, which neceffarily muft reduce the enemy to the alternative of fubfifting upon the contents of their own magazines.

General Tarleton faid, he fhould detain the House but for a very few minutes, and his endeavours would be to correct a mis-statement which had frequently been made with regard to recruiting the army, and in which that night it. had been afferted we were wonderfully fuccefsful. The fact however, he was forry to fay, was very different. In fome diftricts, he knew, recruits were not to be had. A great part of the statements which had been made on the contrary, were founded on the numbers who were drawn from the army of referve, who were induced by a fuperadded and exceffive premium to enter into the general fervice, and thefe they called recruits. There was a claufe, he obferved, in the army of referve act, allowing men of the height of five feet two, to enter as fubftitutes; the confequence of which was, that on a certain occafion, where upwards of 1000 men had entered from the army of referve, owing to the five feet two claufe, there could not be found one man of five feet four for the general defence of the country. Therefore if the data of thefe statements were taken from what was furnished by the army of referve, it was a deception upon the Houfe and the country. He then called the attention of the Houte to the favourable circumftances for Minifters under which the prefent war was commented; with a Parliament confiding beyond all former example, and with the fpirit of patriotifm and loyalty univerfally diffufed throughout the country, they were furnithed with men to render the force of the country completely invulnerable. But how far they

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were from improving thefe advantages, and establishing a complete and effective force in the country, was now pretty generally known. With refpect to the meafures intended to be propofed by an hon. Secretary for augmenting the troops of the line, when they came before the Houfe he should deliver his fentiments upon them: but of this he was convinced in common with all officers who were converfant upon the fubject, that the army ought to be augmented, and that much time had been loft.

Lord Caftlereagh found it neceffary to explain, as an allufion had been made to a statement which he had given on a former occafion, that the recruiting fervice had not been a fourteenth less than at any former period. The injury he was willing to admit in a certain degree, but not by any means to the extent that was contended for.

Mr. C. Wynne made fome obfervations upon defects, which, he contended, prevailed in the prefent volunteer fyftem. The men, he faid, could not learn the use of arms before they had arms given them. A comparatively fmall number were acquainted with ball firing. He knew of two counties where not a fingle mufket had been received, and other districts where not one half of the volunteers had been armed. He was glad the Houfe were about to be rid of fuch a bill it was going to a place whence he hoped it would not return, unless it was inoculated with a little more vigour, and a little more efficacy.

Sir IV. Geary made a few remarks upon the fubject, and contended, that the volunteer fyftem could not be fairly held to interfere with the recruiting of the line, the diminution of which proceeded from the militia and the army of referve.

Mr. H. Lafcelles faid a few words refpecting the provifions in the bill relative to farmers' fervants; the time, he thought, fhould be enlarged, or perpetual difputes would enfue.

The queftion being loudly called for, was then put, when the bill was read a third time and paffed, and Mr. Tierney was ordered to carry it to the Lords for their concurrence.

The report of the innkeepers' allowance bill was received, and the bill ordered to be read a third time the next day.

The remaining orders of the day were difpofed of, and at half past twelve o'clock the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

The Royal affent was given by commiffion to feventeen public and private bills: among the former were the Exchequer bills bill, the Irifh revenue, the Irith countervailing dutics, the Irifh malt duty, the hides and tallow importation, the fugar warehoufing, the neutral thips, and the rape feed oil importation bills; and among the latter, Boydell's picture lottery, the Rochdale canal fubfcription, and three naturalization bills. The Lords Commiffioners were the Lord Chancellor, Lord Hawkesbury, and Lord Walfingham.

Lord Ashburton was fworn and took his feat on attaining his majority.

Counfel were heard in continuation, relative to the Scotch appeal, Fleming v. Abercromby. To proceed again on Monday.

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS BILL.

The volunteer regulation bill was brought up from the Commons by Mr. Tierney, accompanied by a few Mem

bers.

Lord Hawkesbury moved the firft reading of the bill; accordingly the title and breviate of the bill were read by the Lord Chancellor.

The noble Secretary then moved, that the bill be printed for the ufe of their Lordthips. He obferved, at the fame time, that the forms of the House did not allow the fecond reading of a bill to be regularly moved, until the prints were before the Houfe. However, as there was every probability that the prints would be ready for delivery the next day, he fhould now give notice, that on Monday it was his intention to move for the fecond reading of the bill.

Earl Spencer role, not, he faid, for the purpofe of oppofing the meafure, or to throw any difficulties in the way of his Majefty's Government in the pretent circumstances, but merely to fuggeft to Minifters and to the Houfe the confideration, whether a bill of the peculiar nature and importance of that, the heads of which had just been read, a meafure, the principle of which was not only fo very important, but in itfelf embracing fuch a variety of detailed provifions, could be maturely confidered, fo far as to make up their Lordships minds as to that fpecics of difcuffion requir

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ed at a fecond reading, in the very fhort interval between the delivery of the bill and Monday next: he thought it could not. He deprecated the idea of any improper hafte being used in the progrefs of the bill in that Houfe. Their Lordships would recollect the extraordinary length of time it was under confideration in another place, the repeated difcuffions the meafure had undergone, and the variety of amendments which had been made in it. It was therefore incumbent on their Lordships to give the measure a full and mature confideration in all its branches and details; in the prefent circumftances, it was one of the greatest importance: the character and dignity of the Houfe were implicated in the confideration; they should evince to the public their determination to give the measure a full investigation, and that no improper hafte fhould be ufed on the part of their Lordfhips in paffing the bill. Under thefe impreffions he begged leave to fuggeft to the noble Secretary, that Tuesday fhould be the carlieft day fixed on for the fecond reading.

Lard Hawkesbury obferved, that it was by no means the with of his Majefty's Minifters to ufe any improper hafte in the progrefs of the bill; on the contrary, it was their with that the measure fhould undergo a full and thorough inveftigation. At the fame time he could not help obferving to the noble Earl, that the detailed and repeated difcuffions the bill had already received, rendered its contents pretty well known to the public, and perhaps to a great number of their Lordships; however, though his wish was, that a measure of fuch peculiar importance in the prefent circumstances of the country, fhould receive as little delay as poffible, after what had been fuggefted, he had no objection to take Tuesday as the day for moving the fecond reading.

Earl Fitzwilliam spoke in support of what fell from the noble Earl, near him (Spencer); he urged the propriety of giving the bill a full and mature confideration in that House. He adverted to the deliberate difcuffions it had undergone in the other Houfe of Parliament, and the many alterations and amendments it had been found neceffary to make in the measure as originally propofed to that House.

The Earl of Darnley expreffed his coincidence in a great deal of what fell from the noble Earls at his fide of the House; but at the fame time he must avow his opinion, that in the prefent circumstances of the country, the bill fhould be delayed as little as poffible in its progrefs. No Lord could

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more highly eftimate the character and dignity of that House than himself: but there were certain regulations in the bill which it would be expedient to carry into effect as soon as poffible. He was however an advocate for a full and thorough difcuffion of the measure; on that ground he had no objection to the propofed delay; but if he thought there was a probability of their Lordships being able adequately to discuss the measure previous to the intended recefs, he should have no objection to the day first named by the noble Secretary of State.

Lord Hawkesbury, in explanation, affured the noble Lords there was no intention on the part of Minifters to hurry the progress of the measure. He was equally aware of the various and complicated nature of the meafure, as of its peculiar importance; it certainly embraced many detailed confiderations, each of which involved a principle in itself: it was then right that the whole fhould be fully and maturely confidered, and if fuch could not be done previous to the recefs, they had no particular defire to urge its paffing before that period.

Lord Harrowhy made a variety of obfervations, not only on the bill itself, but on a great part of the conduct of his Majefty's Minifters relative thereto. In one point of view, it was his with that the bill fhould receive the fanction of the Legislature as speedily as poffible, as it contained, in particular, one provifion of which he approved, namely, that which held out a bounty for the encouragement of volunteers to perfect themselves in military difcipline and exercife. This part of the bill, when he confidered the critical circumftances, with refpect to pending invafion, in order to be of real fervice, fhould be carried into effect as speedily as poffible, for on a fhort approaching interval much may depend. The noble Lord then adverted to the delays which he conceived Minifters had fuffered to take place with respect to the measure in queftion, and cenfured their conduct on that head. Much time had been loft. This was the only meafure they brought forward for the defence of the country, and as little time fhould be loft as poffible. He deprecated the idea of lefing any time in confideration of a recefs; but if fuch a proceeding was refolved upon, he hoped it would be for the thorteft period poflible, not extending beyond the Monday which would follow the fecond reading of the bill. His Lordship then alluded to fome parts of the bill, which, from their questionable nature, as well as on account of

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