£0 



A xV N IT A L R E G I S T E R, 1804. 



had been considerably augmented. 

 He felt it necessary, that the volun- 

 teer system should arrive at tlie 

 highest perfection, as, in the present 

 state of Europe, even should peace 

 be restored, it could only be pre- 

 served upon a basis of strong inter- 

 nal strength, which would put the 

 question of invasion for ever at rest. 

 Our enemies -would be more dis- 

 posed to leave us in peace when they 

 were fully convinced how little they 

 could citccr by war, although our 

 unexampled prosperity must ever 

 excite their envy and jealousy. 



Mr.Fcxthoughtthatif, asthenoble 

 4ord seemed to express, it was our 

 prosperity that would oblige us al- 

 ways to keep up such military estab- 

 lishments as we have at present, he 

 should then think our prosperity 

 would be productive of a great mis- 

 fortune. This singular opinion of- 

 his lordship, held out but a miser- 

 able prospett to the country. A 

 right honourable gentleman (j\Ir. 

 Pitt) had appeared to think, that 

 their considerations should be pro- 

 spective only ; it appeared to him 

 that a retrospect, formed as proper 

 a subje(!^.t of examination, as any 

 speciiiation for the future. If one 

 were to determine to forget the past, 

 one must also determine not to pro- 

 ' fit by experience. If the system 

 adopted by parliament last session, 

 was found to be bad, why should it 

 be permitted to go on ? For his 

 partbe entirely agreed with the senti- 

 ments exprest by a risht honourable 

 gentleman, (Mr. Windham,) re- 

 specting the volunteer system. He 

 thought the machinery of it bad; 

 that experience ha J proved, that 

 it did by no wieans assist the go- 

 Tcrnment in the vigorous prosecu- 

 tion of the war; and, that it would 

 hare been much better to have 



increased the number of regular 

 troops, than have embodied such a 

 number of volunteers. He agreed 

 with that right honourable gentle- 

 man, in thinking the zeal and ar- 

 dour of such a number of men 

 might be better employed in some 

 other May, and that the number of 

 volunteers were rather so many 

 men taken aw ay from our cfFective 

 force, than added to it. Another 

 right honourable gentleman (Mr. 

 Pitt) had considered the volunteer 

 system in a light, that it certainly 

 never was intended that it should be 

 viewed in, at the time of its forma- 

 tion ; namely, that it should be 

 brought to such a degree of perfec- 

 tion, as, that the defence of the 

 country might be entirely trusted to 

 it, even if the regulars /should be 

 withdrawn on foreign expeditions. 

 This view of the subject appeared 

 to aim to be quite erroneous, fur 

 neither was it possible, that the vo- 

 lunleers should ever be brought to 

 that perfeffion of discipline, as to 

 be competent to oppose regular ar- 

 mies in the field, nor could it have 

 been in the contemplation of parlia- 

 ment, when they only required that 

 they should be drilled for 20 days in 

 the year. If the rumour of an in- 

 vasion was to blow over, (which, by 

 the bye, he never thought so likeljr 

 to be attempted, or so practicable 

 in the execution as some people 

 supposed,) would any gentleman 

 venture to propose or think it safe 

 to send the regular troops out of 

 the country, and depend upon the 

 volunteers for its defence ? He felt 

 convinced, that the system, even 

 aided by all the ability of that right ■ 

 honourable gentleman (Mr. Pitt), 

 would not produce such a force as 

 he professed to hope from it. For 

 Lis part, he should much prefer a 



general 



