HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
ment. By this measure a descrip. 
tion of men would be retained, en- 
tirely adequate to the purpose of 
maintaining due discipline, and of 
rendering the. militia of no less 
utility than the regulars. 
His motion was seconded by 
Mr. Bastard, and Mr. Yorke, and by 
colonels Stanley, Sloane, and Upton ; 
and opposed by Mr, Curwen, ge- 
neral Tarleton, Mr. Robinson, Mr. 
Sheridan, and Mr. Fox, as tending 
to increase. the influence and patron- 
age of ministers, and to place the 
whole military strength of the king- 
dom under their immediate di- 
rection ; astepevidently preparatory - 
‘to the completest establishment of 
arbitrary power. 
The motion was supported by 
Mr. Pitt, as intending no more than 
to provide a sufficient number of in- 
ferior officers, properly qualified for 
their stations. ‘Lhe allowance was 
only to those in aétual service, and. 
in that respeét differed materially 
from a pension or halt pay. General 
Smith, Mr. Cox, and Mr. Wilber- 
force, spoke on the same side of the 
question, whichwas carried without 
farther opposition, 
Another subject of a military na- 
ture was-brought before the house 
on the 30th of March. ‘This was 
the bill for new modelling the Lon. 
don Militia. It was opposed by 
Mr. Sheridan, as a dirett violation 
of the city charter. From time im. 
memorial, the citizens had enjoyed 
uninterruptedly the power of regulat~ 
ing end commanding their own mi- 
litsa ; no royal proclamation having 
hitherto been issued in London, as 
in other parts of the kingdom, re- 
_ lating to the service of its military 
forces. In the latter years of 
Charles Il, this. charter had been 
[213 
violated, like many others ; but this 
was no precedent, as what had been 
done by that arb trary prince, had 
been shortly after annulled as il. 
legal. 
Mr. alderman Newnham, and 
Mr. Lushington, supported the bill. 
he latter maintained, in explicit 
terms, that the defence of the city 
would be better entrusted in. the ~ 
hands of military men, than placed 
in the hands of magistrates. ‘This’ 
expression was severely censured by 
Mr. Sheridan, who represented the 
acquiescence of the citizens in a bill 
of this kind, as derogating from the 
spirit with which their ancestors had 
preserved a privilege lodged in them 
for ages, and of which they had oc- 
castonally made +o honourable a use, 
in defence of the common liberties: 
of the nation, The bill passed 
without farther discussion. 
Yo these alterations in military 
matters another was added some. 
time after. In order to render the 
discipline of the militia perfectly 
complete, it was judged requisite to 
introduce into that body the use of 
artillery, and to train a number of 
the men to that service. ‘he idea 
was generally approved ; but some 
clauses in the bill, to that intent, 
were opposed as unconstitutional, by 
lord Radnor, in the house of 
Jords, on the 22d of May, The 
bill authorized the pressing into the 
regular corps, those militia-men, 
who should become expert in the. 
management of artillery, It also 
permitted those privates who were 
inclined to serve in the navy, or in 
the artillery, to quit the militia ser- 
vice. ‘Lhese ard several other 
clauses, tending toencourage militie - 
men to enter into other corps, he. 
objected to, aa lessening materially 
{P3] the 
