HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



^7 



to be derived from it, except from 

 the clause encouraging the volun- 

 leers to go upon permanent duty ; 

 but, however, such as it ^vas, he 

 saw no necessity for its rc-committal. 



Mr. Sheridan was against the rc- 

 xommittal, as he thought the bill 

 had been very sufficiently discusspd. 



Mr. Windham thought it would 

 be impossible to form a correct opi- 

 nion of the merits or demerits of 

 the volunteer system, without ex- 

 amining all the other parts of the 

 grand system of our national de- 

 fence, in order to see how those 

 parts were combined together. 



The vast importance of the sub- 

 ject appeared to him to consist in 

 this, that it was not relied upon as 

 a. temporary expedient, but as a 

 permanent system : and that the ar- 

 gument, which had been hitherto so 

 much pressed, would apply still 

 stronger in future ; namely, " that 

 we had gone too far tq recede." 



Mr. T. Grenville was for recom- 

 mitting the bill, as he considered, 

 that there were so many, and such 

 glaring defefts in it, as could be 

 only remedied in the committee. 



After a few words from the 

 chancellor of the exchequer, and 

 some other gentlemen, the house 

 divided. 



For the re-committal 56 

 Against it 173 



Maj. againt the rc-committal 117 



Mr. secretary Yorke moved the 

 third reading of the bill on the 22d 

 of March. 



Colonel Crawford found himself 

 again under the painful necessity of 

 expressing his dis-approl)ation of 

 the volunteer system, and, indeed, 

 of all the measures which ministers 

 had taken for the military defence 

 of the country. lie was aware. 



that those who took so many 

 months to prepare a bill like the 

 present, would not be disposed to 

 listen favourably to those who 

 should tell them, that they had been 

 proceeding all the time upon falsa 

 principles. No man wished more 

 ardently than himself, to see the 

 military system of the country put 

 on such a permanent footing as 

 would give the nation that sort of 

 tranquillity, which arises from con- 

 scious strength. Our regular army, 

 which should be the grand founda- 

 tion of our military strength, is 

 prevented from receiving its natural 

 increase, by the bounties and in- 

 ducements, that are given to mea 

 not to enlist in it. In the militia 

 15 guineas, and in the army of re- 

 serve 30 guineas, are given to a man 

 to enlist for 5 years, for limited 

 service, and their families are pro- 

 vided for during his absence; where- 

 as 8 or 10 guineas was all that was 

 given for enlisting for life in the re- 

 gular army, and there was no pro- 

 vision for the families of regular 

 soldiers ! He thought it also very 

 unwise to extend tiie militia system 

 so far beyond its institution. As 

 to the volunteer system, he highly 

 disapproved of it, as it excluded 

 the greater part of the flower and 

 the strength of the countr}', and 

 formed a sort of privileged body, 

 which was odious to the poorer 

 classes, even on account of the ex- 

 emptions which they claimed. The 

 basis of a permanent defence of 

 the country, should be as extensive 

 as its popuiafion. We were always 

 told, that the volunteer system was 

 a very delicate machine, but the 

 machine to be depended on in war, 

 ought not to be of very delicate 

 constru(^ion, but of rougher niate- 

 rialsj that could endure a shock. 



There 



