120} ANNUAL REGISTER, 797. 
could not. serve any purpose to re- 
cord, said, that the natural defence 
of this kingdom, was its naval 
force, now ‘more formidable than 
at any other period in the history of 
the country. Yet it was capable 
of considerable increase, could an 
additional increase of seamen be 
procured, or even of landmen: for 
this purpose he suggested a levy 
upon the different parishes through- 
out the kingdom : an expedient 
similar to that which had been prac- 
tised, with so much success, about 
‘two years before. He therefore 
proposed, in the first place, a levy 
of fifteen thousand men, from the 
different parishes, for the sea ser- 
vice, and another for recruiting 
the regular regiments. In digesting 
this plan, he said, there were two 
things principally to be considered : 
first, the means of calling together 
a land force sufficient of itself to re- 
pel an invasion, even independently 
of a naval force: and, secondly, to 
adopt such measures, in raising this 
force, as should not materially in- 
terfere with the agriculture, com- 
merce, and general industry, of this 
kingdom, The primary object was 
to raise and gradually train, such a 
force as might,. in a short time, be 
fit for service. Yor this purpose, he 
proposed a supplementary levy of 
militia, to be grafted on the old 
establishment, tothe number of sixty 
thousand men; not to be imme- 
diately called out,but to be enrolled, 
officered, and gradually trained, so 
as to be fit for service at a moment 
of danger. As to the manner in 
which the troops were to be fur- 
nished, he thought that it should 
be, generally, from all partsof the 
kingdom: and that an obligation 
should be imposed on those who 
ehould be allotted either to serve 
in person, or to find a substitute. 
He also proposed to provide a con- 
siderable force of irregular cavalry ; 
the regular cavalry, on the establish — 
ment, was by no means inconsider= 
able ; and the yeomanry cavalry, 
from their number, sufficiently re- 
spectable, had proved themselves 
to be highly useful in securing the 
quiet, and the internal tranquillity 
of the country. The farther this 
species of force was extended, the 
more good was likely to accrue 
from it. He estimated the amount 
of the irregular cavalry, by the 
number of horses kept for pleasure, 
throughout the kingdom ; which, 
from the produce of the horse«tax, 
in England, Scotland, and Wales, 
appeared to be about two hundred 
thousand. He, therefore, proposed 
that every person tvho kept ten 
horses, should be obliged to pro- 
vide one horse and one horseman, 
to serve in a corps of militias 
that those who kept more than 
ten should provide in the same 
proportion: and that those whe 
kept fewer than ten, should form 
themselves into classes, in which it 
should be decided by ballot, who, 
at the common expence, should 
provide the horse and the horseman, 
These troops were to be provided 
with an uniform and accoutrements, 
formed into corps, and put under 
proper officers. The next class of 
men, which the minister regarded 
as proper subjects for defending the - 
country, in case of invasion, was 
the game-keepers. He therefore 
proposed, that those persons who 
had taken out licences to shoot | 
game, or deputations for game- 
keepers, should, within a certain 
period, be at liberty to return the: 
same if they thought proper; but 
after that period, if they should con- 
tinue 
