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first measure that naturally sug gested itself was the calling out of the militia. For this purpose the secretary at war rose, on the 20th of May, to make a motion of which he had given notice. The object of the bill he was now to move for was, he said, to complete the quota of the counties, and to facilitate the raising of the supplementary militia. He thought it his duty not to disguise from the house, that there were considerable deficiencies in several counties; and in order to remedy these as much as possible, and to facilitate and improve the general defence of the country, were the principal objects of this bill. The first provision of it was, that as soon as it passed, the lieutenants and deputyfieutenants should be empowered to make up all vacancies. As the law then stood, they could not fill them up under three months; and all vacancies occasioned by desertion were by this bill to be filled up in one month. The second provision was, that the magistrates should proceed to fill up vacancies. Formerly, the penalty was only 101. annually; but by this bill the commandants were empowered to certify to the magistrates the vacancies which happened quarterly instead of annually; so that the penalty, instead of 10.,. would now be 401. The next provision was against men enrolling themselves first in one regiment, and afterwards enrolling in other regiments, till they had, as they termed it, gone the grand tour. When his majesty should issue his proclamation for the militia-men to appear at their regiments, they should be obliged to be there on a given day, or should be considered as deserters. There were, he said, other provisions, such as for facilitating

the raising of the supplementary militia; the penalties to be increased from 101. to 201.; and that during the present hostilities with France, if there should be occasion for his majesty to call out the militia, he should not be obliged to summon parliament. Militia-men were in future, also, to take the oaths prescribed to privates in the regular forces, as to their age, families, parishes, &c.; and seamen found to have entered into the militia should be turned over to the navy, and be re-placed by substitutes at the expense of the public. He then moved for leave to bring in a bill for more speedily completing the militia, and for facilitating the raising of the supplementary militia.

Colonel Porter asked, whether any regulation was to be adopted respecting the mode of finding substitutes by societies, &c.? The secretary at war observed, that it was very difficult to adopt any legislative measure on that subject. There were, however, some other provisions in the bill, which he had omitted to state. It was intended to empower the deputy-lieutenants to examine on oath persons offering themselves as substitutes, as to their place of residence, the number of their children, whether they had served in the army or navy, and other points. Leave was finally given to bring in the bill.

A message was received by the house on the 25th, stating that his majesty had judged it necessary to adopt, without the smallest delay, all possible means in his power, which might contribute to defeat the acknowledged designs of the enemy, &c.; and that his majesty had thought proper to cause the supplementary militia to be embodied, in order to be called out as occasion might require. The secretary at

war

war moved the address; which was ordered accordingly.

The measure which we have just now mentioned not being deemed sufficient for the defence of the kingdom, a message was presented from his majesty, on the 18th of June, to the following effect That his majesty thought it proper to acquaint the house, that for the more effectual defence of the united kingdom against the avowed designs of the enemy, and for the purpose of providing such means as might be best calculated for a vigorous prosecution of the war, his majesty deemed it important, that a large additional force should be forthwith raised and assembled. His majesty recommended this subject to the consideration of par liament, and relied with confidence on their zeal and public spirit, that they would adopt such measures as upon this occasion should appear to them to be most effectual, and for carrying the same into execution with the least possible delay. On taking this message into consideration on the 20th of June, lord Hobart rose, and said, he deemed it his duty, in consequence of the situation he held, to throw out a general outline of the intentions of government, with respect to the object of the address, and the pledge he meant it should contain. He was sure, all their lordships must feel the indispensable necessity of placing this country in such a situation, as not only to render it secure from the attack of the enemy, but also to render such an attempt so little likely to succeed, as to deter the enemy from carrying those designs into execution, which it was evident they had in contemplation. With respect to the plan itself, their lordships would understand that what

he had to propose was nothing more than an outline.

His lordship observed, that a large and considerable force was necessary to be collected in this country, for resisting the enemy; and he had no difficulty in stating, that, on the part of the military, every exertion had been made, and was making, to increase the force of the regular army by every possible means; but it was apparent that those exertions could not have the effect of producing that force we wished to have stationed in the country. To produce such a force by ordinary means, would be so difficult, that it was incumbent on his majesty's ministers to suggest extraordinary means; and he was sorry to say, that necessity required those means should be of a compulsory nature. He was sensible of the difficulty of obtaining so great a number of men as was required, without inconvenience to the industry of the country. Upen that subject he had only to say, that although the measure he should propose, would, to a certain degree, have the effect of pressing upon the industry of the country, yet it was trifling com→ pared with the danger of exposing the country to the consequences which would result from not having recourse to it. In the last war there were raised for the militia 114,386 men, including Scotland. The number of men now raised for the established and supplemertary militia amounted to 72,963 men; to which it was proposed by the present plan to add 40,000 for Great Britain. This would make the whole force, for this country, amount to 112,963 men, being 1,423 less than during the last war. With respect to the measure itself, it was the intention of his

majesty's

majesty's ministers, that the army to be raised should consist of 40,000 men for Great Britain and the islands of the Channel (Guernsey and Jersey), and 10,000 for Ireland: the service of the troops to be reciprocal, those raised in England to serve in Ireland, and those raised in Ireland to serve in England. Upon the subject of finding officers for these corps, he would state what was in the contemplation of his majesty's ministers. It was proposed that they should be persons who had held army rank, and had served either in the fencible corps or in the East-India company's service. By this, there would be at once adopted an effectual means of finding officers. From what he had said, their lordships would understand, that it was intended the men should be raised on the princi. ple of the militia, by ballet, and that they should be taken out of the counties and districts, with the addition of such volunteers as thought proper to offer their services, and be enrolled for Great Britain, Ireland, and the islands in the Channel. The age of the persons to be raised, to be from 18 to 45. Their lordships would perseive, that there was nothing in any act of parliament under which men were raised for the militia, to prevent their entering into the regular army. They were at liberty to do so if they pleased. The measure would, therefore, operate as a mean of increasing the disposeable force of the country. It was unnecessary for him to state, with respect to a disposeable force, that although the one proposed to be raised was not of that description, yet, when it should have been formed, which he trusted it speedily would be, it would be found available for all the purposes of in

ternal defence and protection. He did not state this as a plan with regard to which he was not convinced there were many objections. He had only to say, that, after mature consideration, and after consulting with those best able to give those opinions which might be relied on, he thought it a measure most likely to effect what their lordships had in view. If any of their lordships could suggest a plan more likely to be attended with beneficial results, there would be every disposition on the part of his majesty's ministers to receive it. Having thus far opened the plan, he should move, that an humble address should be presented to his majesty, to return him thanks for his most gracious message, and to assure him that that house was impelled, by every consideration, readily to concur with his majesty in such measures as were best calculated for the security of the kingdom, and the prosecution of the war.

The duke of Clarence could not approve of the principle, even of the general outline of what the noble secretary of state had proposed; but he candidly owned, that the outline was less objectionable than what the public at large had reason to expect. He should wish to propose to raise 40,000 men for England, and 8,000 men for Scot land; if the population of that country would admit of more, he would have more raised: 18,000 men were as much as Ireland couldafford. He wished to raise 40,000 men throughout the united kingdom for general service, to go north, south, east, and west, and to be officered by his majesty's offcers only. He would have them raised under the promise that they should be discharged at the end of the war. He also proposed, that

they

1

they should have his majesty's bounty the same as the other soldiers; that they should be occasionally re-placed, and be liable to serve in America, the East or West Indies, or any part of Europe where their service might be neces sary. The force now to be raised, it was true, amounted to 50,000 but these, he contended, men; would not be so efficient as 40,000 to go all over the world. His royal highness said, he was at no time disposed to support motions for the production of papers; but he could wish to move for an account, showing the amount of the existing naval force of France and Spain. He concluded by observing that while France was governed by an ambitious man, the plan of an invasion of this country might be attempted; it therefore became us to be fully prepared; and thinking the measure proposed inadequate, he felt it his duty to oppose it.

The earl of Carnarvon concurred, with the illustrious duke (of Clarence) in objecting to the proposed measure, on the ground, that it was a system of defence merely; nor was the objection lessened by the intended reservation to the men raised by the proposed ballot, that they might at their pleasure enlist from the stipulated defensive, into the regular unlimited service.

Earl Moira made a very energetic and patriotic speech on this occasion, the chief object of which was to urge activity, promptitude, and decision. He supported the measure proposed by the noble secretary of state, because, though it might be objectionable in some points, it was preferable to further delay. There was not an hournot a moment to be lost." While your lordships," said he, " are debating, the enemy is acting; while

we are devising plans of defence, they are executing means of attack; while we are idly preluding in a war of words, they will come on us in a war of action; they will surprise us unprepared, and overpower us slumbering at our fire. sides."

"Occupat incautum, patriasque obtruncat ad aras."

The duke of Richmond had some doubt of the practicability of the measure. Let noble lords recollect, that the country had already been called upon within a few months to ballot for two di stact numbers of militia. If they were now to be again called upon to raise 40,000 additional men by ballot, he feared they must be taken chiefly from the agriculture of the kingdom, and that could not but be attended with very prejudicial consequences. He should have thought men might have been raised by levy and bounty, as was usual for the army, and applied to general service, as an illustrious duke had recommended. A force calculated for general service might equally be employed in defensive measures or offensive operations, as the nature and circumstances of the war might require. The duke recommended it to mini sters to employ a number of cavalry in defence of the country. Our troops of horse were very fine ones, and the horses of this kingdom, of which we had great plenty, were some of the finest in Europe; whereas, the men to be raised were all infantry. Now he thought cavalry the most efficient force that could be opposed to the enemy in such a country as England, particularly where no invading general could derive such fame as Dumou rier did from the tactics he dis

played

played in the forests of Ardennes; or Moreau, in the retreat which would immortalise his name. He would also suggest the propriety of augmenting the horse artillery. It was a force too obviously useful to be neglected by government. With regard to raising 40,000 men by ballot, his grace repeated it, that he doubted its practicability. The last supplementarymilitia regiments were not yet completed; his own regiment was deficient two hundred men, and they were extremely difficult to be got: other regiments, to his knowledge, were equally incomplete. He endeavoured to get eighty men, and sixty of them paid the 101. per man for their exemption; so that, in fact, you raised money, and not men, when a further attempt was made to raise more men by ballot. In such a war as we were engaged in, men's opinions and prejudices ought to be attended to. We

ought to take the heart and good, will of the country with us; but distressing the agriculture (for there the pressure would be most felt) was not the best means of securing that important object. He concluded by declaring that he should vote for the address.

Lord Grenville, after some animadversions on the general conduct of ministers, observed, in respect of the present measure, that although he thought recruiting the army would be preferable, he would not oppose it, for fear that the ministers would not propose any other measure, if the present were not received. His lordship then adverted to what had fallen in debate on the subject of conscription, and said, however unpopular the opinion might be, he was willing to bear his own share in the unpopularity, in avowing

that it was of the very essence of all governments, and the very com pact of all societies, that the government had a right to call upon the whole, or any part of its subjects, for common defence against a common enemy, in return for the protection they enjoyed under that government. It was already the case with seamen, and was equally justifiable towards any other class of subjects, when pub lic danger required it.

Lord Sheffield corluded the debate by saying, that in voting. for the address, he wished not to be supposed to agree that the plan of defence proposed was the best that could be selected; on the contrary, it appeared to him inadequate as to the object, and inexpedient as to the means; and, if the ballot were to take place without any exemptions, the most oppressive, provoking, and expensive, that could have been chosen. He considered, that if the proposition passed into a law, upwards of 112,000 men, for whom there had been a ballot, would be called out within three months; and if the number should ever be complete, which he much doubted, that the wives and families of those 112,000 men must all fall upon their pa rishes. At length the question was put, and the address agreed to.

The debate which took place in the commons on the same subject, originated chiefly from the objections of Mr. Windham to the militia system. He recommended an increase of the regulars as a more effective force. The address, however, was at length agreed to nem.

con.

On the 27th of June, in the commons, the secretary at war moved the order of the day for

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