HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



41 



the spontaneous zeal of the people 

 had hitherto made legislative pro- 

 Tisions almost unnecessary, and had 

 counteradted the errors of the exe- 

 cutive government, yet the time 

 might come, when it would be ne- 

 cessary to adopt other measures for 

 the defence of the country. The 

 levi'e en masse bill, which might be 

 put in force the moment the num- 

 ber of volunteers was below that 

 which had been lixed as an equiva- 

 lent for it, would be a foundation 

 for permanent defence. Mr. Pitt 

 then went into a full comparison 

 between the volunteer system, and 

 that suggested on the other side, of 

 an armed peasantry. He did uot 

 consider that the latter system would 

 lie adequate to stop such an army 

 as it must be supposed would be 

 employed on the invasion. As to 

 the peasants in la J'endee^ they were 

 led by ofi&ccrs of great experience, 

 and were stimulated to the gallant 

 resistance they made by the atro- 

 cious cruelty of their oppressors, 

 who were desolating the country, 

 and massacring its inliabitants. If, 

 however, the enemy should land in 

 this country, they would doubtless 

 push direttly for the metropolis, 

 and the peasants of Kent or Sussex 

 would have nothing to stimulate 

 them to such terrible sacrifices as those 

 of /« Vendee were obliged to make : 

 neither did the example of America 

 at all apply, for in that immense 

 country the irregular force could 

 aHvays retreat in security, and had 

 abundance of time to acquire mili- 

 tary discipline, whereas, in this 

 country, the most incalculable mis- 

 chiefs might result from not being 

 able to oppose the enemy efiica- 

 ciously at their landing. 



Mr. Windham felt proud that the 

 opinions be bad formerly delivered 



about the volunteer system, had 

 been confirmed by such a respcfta- , 

 ble military authority as that of his 

 honourable friend (colonel Craw- 

 ford). He well knew that it would 

 not be safe suddenly to disband a 

 considerable number of those M'ho 

 are now armed for the defence of 

 the country. What he wished to 

 have done was, that the volunteers 

 should be put again upon the foot- 

 ing they formerly were, of a ser- 

 vice free from any degree of com- 

 pulsion, but, at the same time, de- 

 vested of any other inducement but 

 what sprang from zeal and patriot- 

 ism ; in such a case, the volunteer 

 spirit would not operate to the in- 

 jury of a force more valuable than 

 itself. It was in consequence of 

 the exemptions given to volunteers, 

 that the army of reserve, which was 

 intended to produce 50,000 men, 

 stopped at 36.000, and could get 

 nSfuYther. ^^ ithout wishing again 

 to repeat the comparison that had 

 been so often made between the 

 volunteers and an armed peasantry, 

 he agreed with the honourable co- 

 lonel in thinking it not only useless, 

 but dangerous, to attempt to train, 

 as regulars, men who can never 

 assist an army but by acting as ir- 

 regulars. 



After a few observations from 

 Mr. Dent, the house went into a 

 committee on the bill, and having 

 made some progress, postponed the 

 further consideration of it in com- 

 mittee until the 2nd of March. 



On the 1st of March lord Hawks- 

 bury, in the house of lords, moved 

 for the second reading of the Irish 

 bank restriction bill, on a future 

 day. 



Lord King rose to demand infor- 

 mation on a subject of the utmost 

 importance : he alluded to the state 



of 



