HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



73 



that country to get recruits for the 

 niilitia, than for any other descrip- 

 tion of force. 



Mr. Windham said, that he ne- 

 ver went so far as to wisii govern- 

 ment to disband the militia, but, at 

 the same time, he miist objeft to its 

 further ailgincutation. Govern- 

 ment had already got together 

 400,000 volunteers ; 70,000' mili- 

 tia ; and 36,000 of army of reserve ; 

 and yet, notwithstanding this im- 

 mense number, raised only for li- 

 mited service, they seemed to wish 

 still farther to increase the force 

 that was not disposable. He did 

 not approve of such a circuitous 

 way of recruiting the army. 



After several other meinliers had 

 briedy given their opinions on the 

 merits of the qncstion, the house 

 divided, and the bill was carried by 

 a majority of barely 21 : there be- 

 ing 1'28 for, and 107 against it. 



Upon this question, Mr. Pitt, and 

 most of his personal friends, voted 

 with the opposition, and the very 

 small majority in favour of minis- 

 ters, inclined the public to su])pose 

 that ]Mr. Addington's administra- 

 tion was dravving fast to a close. 



On the next day, in the house of 

 lords, there was a majority against 

 ministers, upon amotion of the earl of 

 Carlisle's, for papers respecting the 

 date of the instructions sent out to 

 admiral Rainier, commanding in 

 chief in the East Indies. It was 

 generally supposed that he did not 

 receive his orders until 17 days 

 after the war was known in India 

 by private letters ; and until admi- 

 ral Linois had escaped. Lords 

 Hawkcsbury and Ilobart insisted 

 that he had received timely notice 

 of the rupture, and opposed the 

 motion, on the ground that public 

 rumour was not a suflicieut parlia- 



mentary reason to alledge for the 

 jiroduriion of pai)ers. The house 

 divided upon lord Carlisle's motion, 

 which was carried by a majority of 

 31 to 30. A discussion then took 

 place on the second reading of the 

 Irish militia offer bill, when the 

 contents were 77, and the non-con- 

 tents 49, leaving a majority in fa- ' 

 vour of ministers of 28. 



On the 23rd of April, Mr. Fox, 

 pursuant to notice, made his pro- 

 mised m^otion with respect to the 

 defence of the country. 



He began by observing, that the 

 extraordinary zeal with which all 

 ranks were animated in sui)[)ort of 

 the war, was no sign that they ap- 

 proved either the principles upon 

 ■svliich it was undertaken, or the 

 manner in which it was condndted. 

 He, himself, had felt as much zeal 

 as any person for the def£;uce of the 

 country, but, he never did approve 

 the mode of commencing the war, 

 or of carrying it on. Ever since 

 hostilities were declared, they had 

 been followed up by an incessant 

 cry of immediate invasion, and 

 therefore it was no wonder, that the 

 people should shew a very ardent ^ 

 zeal in the defence of their country, 

 their liberties, and their lives. But, 

 if it were attempted to be inferred 

 from this, that they approved the 

 conduct of ministers, the inference 

 would be, that whatever adminis- 

 tration brought the country into the 

 greatest danger, it would always 

 excite the strongest marks of this 

 kind of zeal, which they would, 

 doubtless, construe into approba- , 

 tion of their measures. Ministers 

 sometimes charged those with whom 

 he acted, as feeling a jxinic of inva. 

 sion. As he understood the word 

 panic, it applied to those v^ho would 

 fly from the danger, not those who 



only 



