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mode that could be adopted, and it had been particularly found fo in Ireland. There was likewife a very confiderable difficulty in procuring officers for fencible corps, which was by no means the cafe with the militia. The object of this bill was to provide a militia equal to that provided during the laft war; it created a force of ten thousand men, to be raifed with far greater difpatch, and to be difciplined in a much quicker way than any other defcription of force. That an increafe of difpofable force was urgent no one could deny; but it was alfo urgent to confider the facility of its application, The hon. Gentleman had ftated, that this meafure would interfere with the recruiting of the regulars; fo it might be thought upon general reasoning, but those Gentlemen who were moft converfant with Ireland were of opinion that it would operate upon different difpofitions and claffes from thofe upon whom the recruiting fyftem operated, and by a comparison of the levies of different years, it would appear that no material variation was likely to take place. At the end of the laft war, it would be found, that of the 25,000 militia then difbanded, very few entered into the army. The prefumption therefore was, that it was a different class of the people on whom this measure would operate, from those who enlifted in the regulars in the first inftance. It had been argued as if we had no difpofable. force; but the fact was, that we had at prefent a disposable force of 70,000 men rank and file. Let it not, therefore, be fuppofed or faid, that we were without a difpofable force.

Mr. Canning wifhed to know from the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Addington) if the augmentation was to extend to those regiments in this country as well as to those in Ireland? If he understood the right hon. Gentleman the augmentation was to extend to the regiments volunteering to this country as well as to thofe in Ireland. In this cafe it must be in the power of the new levies to refufe, as the terms on which they are to be raised will certainly admit of a refufal, In the event, therefore, of their refufing to come to this country to join regiments with which they are totally unacquainted, he would afk, what use would be made of them, detached as they would be in thirties, without belonging to any particular regiment? That they will volunteer, is a mere affumption for which there is no evidence. On the contrary, he would afk, what inducement they could have to volunteer to regiments already gone, and to every individual in which they might be total ftrangers? He wished to know, VOL. II. 1803-4. 3 S

if

if Minifters meant to cure a greater breach of faith by a lefs? Had this mode of recruiting been adopted at first, had it been reforted to a year ago, there would have been lefs objection to it. But his Majesty's Ministers tell us, that though the Irish militia transfer bill gives a power of accepting their offers, yet that power, perhaps, may not be used. In like manner, the Houfe may pafs an act to increase the militia of Ireland, but it will not neceffarily follow that fuch an increase would take place, or that fuch an increase has been intended. To-morrow too the Houfe would be called upon to fufpend the army of referve act, while upon the fame principle, no fuch fufpenfion was intended to take place.

Mr. Alexander fupported the bill upon the principle that the militia fervice was the beft calculated to raise men in Ireland. It was there very different from this country. From the want of poor's laws, and from the extensive fubdivifion of land, the petty tenants, as most of them were, at 51. a year, were more under the influence of the landed gentlemen, while the young men had no regular profeffion, were without education, and found it neceffary to enlift with a country gentleman, to fecure the leafe to their families.

Sir John Newport differed with the laft fpeaker. In the north of Ireland, indeed, the militia was generally raised in the particular county; but not fo in the fouth, to which the fyftem of raifing by bounty materially contributed.

Colonel Vereker fpoke in fupport of the measure, as the best mode of raising additional force in Ireland. To prove the facility of raifing militia in Ireland, he inftanced what occurred during the time that he was Governor of Limerick, where he found great difficulties in procuring recruits for the army of referve, though the bounty was as high as ten guineas per man. But when his own regiment of militia was marched out of the town, not lefs than an hundred men followed it for 20 miles, defirous of being enlifted: fo much attached were the people to the militia fervice.

Colonel Odell fated a fimilar facility of raifing men for the militia, in the counties of Kerry and Limerick, while there was the utmoft difficulty of procuring a man for the army of referve.

Colonel Craufurd could not conceive poffible, that while influence and attachment could procure fo many followers for the Gentlemen who belonged to the militia, there were not other Gentlemen of equal influence who might be called

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on to raise regiments for fencible fervice. He was fure there were many Gentlemen of influence ready to undertake the fervice with the fulleft confidence of fuccefs.

Lord De Blaquiere thought, that though fo many were dif pofed to follow the hon. Colonel who fpoke fome time back, it would not be found to be the cafe with every other regiment. He said it to that hon. Member's face, though he hated all flattery, that his bravery and gallantry were fufficient incentives to induce men to follow him to the field. He thought the mode of augmenting our force now propofed the worlt poffible mode that could be adopted. It was a meafure of defence, and not of offence; and, therefore, as the Secretary of State had brought it forward as a mode of increafing our offenfive force, he muft, on his own principles, oppofe it. Within 24, or at moft, 48 hours, he was certain that Government had received offers to raise fencible corps in Ireland. If ever he gave an honeft vote in that Houfe, (a laugh) he fhould now in voting against the measure. The question being put, the nuinbers appeared

Ayes,
Noes,

128

107-Majority 21

The bill was accordingly read a third time and paffed.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report on the Irish linen manufacture bill, which was received, and the bill ordered to be read a third time the next day.

The Committees of Supply and Ways and Means were deferred to Wednesday next.

Adjourned at 11 o' clock..

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Fitzharris, Viscount

Folkeftone, Viscount

Fitzhugh, Wm.
Gower, Lord G. L.
Gregor, Francis

Grenville, right hon. T.

Harrison, John
Hamilton, Lord A.
Hippifley, Sir John'

Henderson, A.

Howard, Henry
Hill, hon. Wm.
Johnstone George

Kinnaird, hon. C..

Kirkwall, Viscount
Kenfington, Lord
Lambton, Ralph
Long, right hon. C.
Lowther, John
Lowther, James
Latouche,-

Laurence, Dr...

Lemon, Sir W.

Morpeth, Lord

Madocks, W. A.

Milbank, Sir R.
Milner, Sir William

Marfham, Lord
Newport, Sir John
North, Dudley
Northey, Wm.
Osborne, John
Ord, William
Offulton, Lord
Petty, Lord H.
Pitt, right hon. W.
Porchefter, Lord
Proby, Lord
Portman, J. B.
Pytches, John

Raine, J..

Ruffell, Lord William

Ryder, Richard

Sinclair, Sir John

Sloane, Col.

Smith, George

Smith, hon. John

Smith, William

Smith, J. A.

St. John, hon. St. A.

Spencer, Lord R.
Stanley, Lord

Scott, J. (Worcest.)
Thelluffon, P. I.
Temple, Earl

Villiers, hon. J. C.
Ward, hon. J W.
Ward, Robert
Walpole, hon. G.
Wharton,-

Winnington, Sir E.
Whitbread, S.

Western, C. C.

Windham, right hon. W.
Wrottefley, Sir J.
Wynne, Sir W.
Young, Sir Wm.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORD S.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17.

On the motion of the Lord Chancellor, the decifion of the Scotch appeal, Fleming against Abercromby, was poitponed till the next day.

The Irish militia augmentation bill, and several private bills were brought up from the Commons, and read a first time.

The bill for the better enforcing the canons of the church, as to the ages at which priests and deacons are to be admitted into holy orders, was read a third time and passed.

Lord Hawkesbury stated it to be his intention to move for the fecond reading of the Irifh militia transference fervice bill on Thurfday. It was alfo his wifh, that the other bill, now on their Lordfhips' table, for augmenting the militia force of Ireland, fhould be read a fecond time on the fame day. Should, however, the former of thefe bills produce any thing of a long difcuffion, fo as to induce any noble Lord to defire that the other should be poftponed, it was not his intention to urge the meafure.

The fame noble Lord laid on the table a lift of the corps and companies of Irifh militia who had made an offer of extending their fervices to any part of Great Britain during the war.

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS BILL.

Lord Wallingham brought up the report of the volunteer bill-Several of the amendments were agreed to.

On the clause relative to exemptions from ferving in the militia and other additional force,

Lord Grenville renewed his objections to that part of the claufe by which fuch exemptions were confined to the additional force raifed, or to be raised, by any act of the prefent feffion. Such reftriction, he maintained, was not confiftent with that good faith which Government ought to preferve towards the volunteers. He therefore moved, that the words thould ftand, as they had done in former acts, "raifed or to be raised by any acts of the prefent, or any future, feffion of Parliament."

Lord Hawksbury thought the amendment propofed not only unneceffary, but even objectionable. Left, however, it might go abroad, that by rejecting the noble Lord's amendment, Minifters were breaking faith with the volun

teers,

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