HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



31 



only fit persons to govern the coun- 

 try. 



Dr. Lawrence vindicated his 

 friends from that aspersion. It 

 might be as well supposed that the 

 honourable gentleman ( Islr. Hob- 

 house) who had been for many years 

 in opposition, was actuated only by 

 the desire of getting a scat upon the 

 minister's bench. It appeared to 

 him, that ministers were bound to 

 consult the deliberate wisdom of the 

 house, before they proceeded on 

 measures of such importance, and 

 that it was not sufficient to slide in 

 a little bill of this nature. 



The Chancellor of tlie Exchequer 

 denied that there was any precedent 

 in the journals, for submitting the 

 previous consideration of any mea- 

 sure of this nature to a committee 

 of the house. The volunteer sys- 

 tem, when first it was presented, was 

 not introduced as a system of abso- 

 lute perfection, or as having been 

 at once brought to its full und final 

 maturity : several defects and in- 

 conveniences were admitted, and 

 the object of this bill, was princi- 

 pally to remedy the practical incon- 

 veniences that arose ; first, in the 

 election of officers ; secondly, in 

 the power of the committees ; and 

 third)}', as to the right of resigna- 

 tion. As to the committees, it was 

 to be clearly understood, that they 

 must not at all interfere in any part 

 of the military regulation of the 

 corps ; but might direct its financial 

 concerns. As to the business of the 

 election of officers, he made no 

 doubt but that point would under- 

 go so much discussion, that it would 

 be finally settled in a Avay that 

 would be perfectly satisfactory; but 

 as to the last point, the ] jwer of 

 resignation, he differed entirely from 

 tke opiniou of his learned friends. 



the attorney and solicitor general ; 

 and even if the court of king's 

 bench had coincided with them, he 

 should have considered it his duty 

 to have advised a bill, expressly to 

 give the volunteers that power which 

 they conceived they had under the 

 original bill. The hand of the la\r 

 he thought should not coerce or 

 control their free agency, but, that 

 if in a time of great danger, any of 

 them should desert the glorious 

 cause that they had offered to sup- 

 port, he thought the infamy attach- 

 ed to such a traitorous desertipii, 

 would be its proper punishment. — 

 The regulars and militia had been 

 increased more than was ever be- 

 fore known, in the period of eight 

 months. However, he thought, the 

 houje ought not to let itself be put 

 out of conceit with a system which 

 was such a proud monument of the 

 zeal and spirit of trie people, and of 

 their attachment to their king and 

 constitution. lie hoped that the 

 volunteer system would never be 

 considered as a temporary measure, 

 but as a foundation on which the 

 future security and salvation of the 

 country must materially depend. 



Sir William Young disapproved 

 of the whole of the system b} which 

 the volunteer force of the country 

 w'as constituted and governed. He, 

 thought the prerogative of the crown 

 was questioned by it, and almost 

 three-fourths of the people shelter- 

 ed from that exercise oi^ it, which 

 was coeval with the monarchy, 

 namely that of calling out the popu- 

 lation of the country to defend it 

 in time of danger. He even wished 

 to sec the good old system revived, 

 by which the flower of the Engli'.li 

 youth were to be seen on the Sab- 

 bath day, exercising with the mili- 

 tary weapons then in use. 



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