so 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



hoped Ihat the strictest good faith 

 Tvould be kept M'ith the voluntecis, 

 both ill matters of express and im- 

 plied compact. 



Lord Castlercagh thought that tiic 

 principle of chusing- otficers by a 

 popular election, was contrary to 

 every idea of military discipline ; 

 and although it might be admitted, 

 in the first instance, yet it could not 

 be continued after the corps were 

 regularly formed as military bodies. 

 However important the principle 

 was, in some instances it niight be 

 relaxed, if good faith required that 

 those corps who had expressly sti- 

 pulattd for this privilege, should 

 continue its enjoyment. 



Mr. Whitbread stated, that the 

 corps he had the honour to com- 

 mand, had, as well as many other 

 corps throughout England, stipu- 

 lated for the election (as it was 

 called) of their officers. It was 

 given to njost of the volunteers dur- 

 ing the last Avar. He should ask, 

 was it given them by law , or by 

 the connivance of the crown ? If it 

 were by law, he thought it should 

 be general ; if it were merely by 

 the connivance of the crown, he 

 should ask, what mischief had re- 

 sulted from the practice ? As to 

 the volunteer system in general, he 

 should confess, that it neither ap- 

 peared to him the cheapest, nor the 

 most effeftual way of making great 

 military efforts. He had exerted 

 himself, as much as any man, to 

 promote the system, when it was re- 

 sorted to as the only means of de- 

 fence : not that he ever considered 

 it either the only or the best means. 

 He considered the exemption sys- 

 tem as bad policy. H prevented 

 the filling up ol" the militia and the 

 army \>f reserve, and impeded very 



much the general recruiting for the 

 army. 



Mr. Windham thought that a 

 groat part of the speech of the ho- 

 nourable mover (Mr. Yorke) Was a 

 sort of conllict, or running fight, 

 against three powerful antagonists. 

 1st, The law officers of the crown ; 

 2ndly, the court of king's bench ; 

 and, 3dly, his own bill. He had, 

 Iiowever, confessed some of the de- 

 fects which were inherent in the 

 system, and, perhaps, upon a closer 

 examination of the subject, he 

 might feel that this acrcip, this rcm- 

 ■/Hi?i( of a measure would not be suf- 

 ficient to answer the urgent wants 

 and expectations of the country. 

 He might find his patching and prop- 

 ping uj) a fabric, raised on such 

 weak foundations, would never 

 make it a mansion agreeable to in- 

 habit, or one safe to be in the neigh- 

 bourhood of. 



Mr. Sturgess reprobated the prin- 

 ciple and detail of the bill. The 

 attorney general strongly supported 

 both. ^ 



Mr. T, Grenville approved an 

 idea thrown out by Mr. Stur- 

 gess, of the necessity of appeal- 

 ing to a committee of the wliole 

 house. They had too many proofs 

 of the versatility of ministers upon, 

 this occasion. He took notice of 

 the many differences of opinion on 

 the subje£t shewn this night be- 

 tween two of his majesty's minis-, 

 ters (lord Castlcreagh and Mr. se- 

 cretary Yorke). , 



Mr. Ilobhouse observed, that the 

 gentlemenw'ho were so ready to point 

 out faults and deficiencies in the vo- 

 lunteer system, did not produce any 

 improvements. All that he could 

 collect from their speeches, was, 

 that they thought themselves the 



only 



