HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



95 



his layhig aside the ballot -was, that 

 he feiind that of 40,000 men, raised 

 in that manner, there were only 

 2000 of those who were drawn 

 that served personally. He there- 

 fore thought it right to remove the 

 pressure on individuals, and to 

 distribute it equally upon the coun- 

 ties and parishes. He never had 

 .said, that the quantiiin of the force 

 raised was not sufficient, he had 

 only found fault Avith its distribu- 

 tion. He thought the only fair 

 way to argue the merits of the plan 

 was, to consider whether it were 

 not preferable to the ordinary mode 

 of recruiting. He should therefore 

 insist, in the fiist place, that local 

 exertion would powerfully assist 

 the regular recruiting ; 2ndly, ex- 

 perience had shewn, that men were 

 much readier to enter into a limited 

 service, and afterwards were easily 

 induced to extend it ; and lastly, 

 that volunteers coming from such a 

 force, must be allowed to be much 

 more efficient, than those who were 

 taken directly from the loom or 

 1 he plough. He defended the mode 

 of officering, as that, which would 

 be the most likely to procure good 

 officers for the new levies, which 

 was, in his opinion, a point of the 

 very first importance. 



J\Ir. Fox, thought the balance of 

 argument entirely against the bill : 

 he was surprised that it was now 

 objected to those who opposed it, 

 that they had produced no specific 

 plan. It was but a few weeks since 

 he moved for a committee of the 

 whole house, to consider the mea- 

 Bures necessary for the defence of 

 the country, and then the right ho- 

 nourable gentlemen (Mr. Pitt), ap- 

 proved of his motion, because it 

 toniaiiied no specific plan, but left 

 the measure to the united wisdom 



of the house. If the danger were 

 imminent, it appeared a matter of 

 more urgency to arm the maritime 

 counties, and improve the discipline 

 of the volunteers. He found fault 

 with the measure as not being likclr 

 to operate soon, and as being full of 

 objections, if it were considered a 

 permanent measure. He never 

 could approve of the prhiciple of 

 raising men for one kind of service, 

 and thereby inveigling them for ano- 

 ther. He thought, that this con- 

 duct was a downright fraud, and 

 a disgrace to the country which 

 practised it. As to the oiTicering, 

 he doubted whether good othcers 

 could be had for such a force ; but 

 he very much feared, that, in the 

 end, it would be officered by men, 

 who had no other connexion with 

 the country than their commissions. 

 He entire!}' concurred in the opi- 

 nion of Mr. Windham, that tJie 

 best plan would be, to remove all 

 obstacles, and give the general re- 

 cruiting fair play. The house then 

 divided. 



For the second reading 221 



Against it 



181 



Majority for the bill 40 

 The " additional force bill" was 

 again debated on the 11th of June, 

 on the house going into a com- 

 mittee. 



Mr. Jekyll opposed the commit- 

 tee. Instead of a vigorous and ef- 

 ficient plan, as he had reason to 

 expect from the great talents of the 

 right honourable gentleman, he s^w 

 one in which there was no novelty, 

 except in making the parish officers 

 recruiting Serjeants. He opposed 

 it principally on the grmmd, that' 

 it would diminish materially the vo- 

 lunteer force, as those who had 

 entered on account of the exemp- 

 tions 



