412] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1798, 
human weakness and folly, until, at 
last it is involved in a degree of 
ridicule. Chivalry, though founded 
in the noblest principles of mind 
and heart, became ridiculous; phi- 
Tology became ridiculous; logic be- 
. ame ridiculous. “A degree of ridi- 
- cule, by the frivolous researches of 
mere empirics and nomenclators, 
has of late been affixed, in the 
imaginations of many, to the pur- 
suits of even experimental philo- 
sophy. ‘There is nothing more pre- 
posterous than to seek the fame of 
eloquence by prolixity, Grand 
ideas, convincing truths, warm and 
generous sentiments, are quickly 
communicated from mind to mind 
with the speed of lightning. 
The time is certainly not far dis. 
stant, when all speakers in parlia- 
ment, who possess sound taste and 
judgment, will be as studious of 
brevity as most of our present ora. 
tors are of diffusion. 
An object of more consequence 
to the nation than this famous trial, 
occupied at this time the public 
mind. The prosecution of this un. 
fortunate war, rendering the utmost 
exertions necessary, the increase of 
the military, and of the naval 
‘strength of the nation, had been un. 
ptecedented, Ofships and seamen, 
the natural defence of this island, 
people viewed with satisfaction the 
increasing numbers ; but they began 
to entertain jealousies of the daily 
augmentation of the land-forces, 
looking upon them as: the most dan. 
gerousinstruments in thehands of mi- 
nisters who might harbour inimical 
-designs to the libertiesofthecountry. 
‘Fhe many precedents of their sab- 
version, wherever a great military 
power had been established, alarmed 
the discerning part of the commu. 
nity, and was ina great measure 
the motive for the wishes, so warmly 
expressed, by the generality, for a 
speedy restoration of peace. —__ 
The original establishment of the 
militia had been long considered as 
a counterpoise to the power vested 
in the crown, through the command 
and management of the army. 
Those who ventured to give vent to 
their thoughts upon this subject ex- 
plicitly, boldly termed the regular 
forces, the army of the crown, and 
the militia the army of the people. 
They were, at the same time, of 
opinion, that this latter body of men 
should remain perpetually distin® 
from the former, and thatall the regu. 
lations respecting them should be sa 
framed as to allow no ministerial in- 
fluence to alter them; and, above all 
that the officers belonging to this 
body should be placed on a footing 
essentially different from that of the 
officers of the army, in point of 
subordination, advancement, and 
aye 
2 Lie alteration had taken place 
in the arrangements relating to the 
militia from the date of its primitive 
institution, till the dangers resulting 
from the present war, induced men 
in power to prepare for those 
emergencies they might occasions 
Among the means of resistance to 2 
foreign enemy, none appeared more 
eligible than to augment the militia, 
improve its discipline and assimi. 
late it as much as possible to the 
army. With this view Mr. Wind. 
ham moved, on the 6th of March, 
for a committee to prepare an éstis 
mate of the additional allowances 
intended for the subaltern officers of 
the militia on the return of peace, 
He grounded his motion on the nes. 
cessity of having expert subalterns in 
that-service: anobject not to be ate 
tained without adequate encourage. 
ment. 
