90 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804 



so many restrictions, and modifica- 

 tions, that lialf tlie power of the 

 machine is lost in overcoming the 

 friftion. In tiiis country, there- 

 fore, the service should be volun- 

 tary. Although it would undoubt- 

 edly happen, that many who entered 

 in the force for home service, might, 

 by acquiring military habits, be per- 

 suaded to enter for general service, 

 yet it was likely, that there would 

 be as many who would have other- 

 wise entered for general service, 

 finding another force for home ser- 

 vice Only, and for a short term of 

 years, would prefer entering into 

 that. Although he approved of the 

 removal of the ballot, so far as it 

 was oppressive to individuals ; yet, 

 lie thought the proposed mode of re- 

 cruiting, by parish officers, for this 

 additional force, might operate full 

 as strongly against the recruiting for 

 the general service, by a competition 

 of bounties, lie knew no legal 

 mode that the parish officers had, to 

 find the men ; and lie though that 

 they nnis't have recourse to crimping 

 and high bounties. He did not be- 

 lieve, that the attaching battalions 

 of men, so raised^ to regular batta- 

 lions, would be any encouragement 

 to them to enlist, as it conlined them 

 to the one battalion to which tbey 

 were attached, lie did not thinlv 

 the way to have a military nation 

 was to make every man a soldier, 

 but rather to have the regular ar- 

 mies on the best possible footing. — 

 He was perfectly certain, that if dis- 

 couragements were removed, our 

 army would always find plenty of 

 recruits. We had a vast population; 

 and as for trade, he was convinced 

 it was favourable to recruiting. He 

 thought, upon the whole, the great 

 error of the plan m as, in taking cir- 



cuitous modes to effect what migh' 

 be done directly. 



Mr. Johnstone said, the plan was 

 nothing more than the carrying into 

 effect the ideas of the late adminis- 

 tration, which had been so oftir 

 accused of inefficiency. 



Mr. Addington objected to the 

 plan, as being of a compulsory na* 

 ture, and unfit for a country that 

 had a free constitution. He could 

 not approve of the reduction of the 

 militia, unless something more effec- 

 tual could be found in its place. — 

 The plan appeared to him, like that 

 of the " quota" bill, in the last war, 

 which put the nation to great ex-- 

 pence, without producing any be* 

 ncficial object. 



Lord Castlcreagh supported the 

 plan, which he could by no means 

 consider as a measure of severity. 



Mr. Fox would not oppose the 

 bringing in the bill, although he 

 could not bring himself to approve 

 of the plan proposed. He disap- 

 proved entirely of the principle of 

 creating a limited force, for the pur- 

 pose of recruiting a general one :, 

 neither did he approve of those ar^ 

 tifices, by which those who had en- 

 listed for limited service, were to be 

 .enticed to serve in the regular army* 

 If, however, the house should con*, 

 sider the bill as likely to be produc- 

 tive of any good, the sooner it was 

 passed the better. 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer^ 

 (Mr. Pitt,) in his reply, declared) 

 that his opinion was decidedly op* 

 positc to that of the honourable 

 gentleman, who objected to the 

 principle of a limited force being 

 made the foundation of a general 

 one. As to the suggestion, that 

 had often been thrown out, of al- 

 tering the term of service, there was 



no 



