HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



101 



wera diflerent modes of construftion 

 adopted in different cases ; penal 

 statutes were always construed 

 stri6lly, but he did not think, that 

 the same rule of construction appli- 

 ed to compliments and effusions of 

 friendship. In considering a mili- 

 tary mea§urc, it was necessary to 

 have our whole military system in 

 one view. He was, therefore, sur- 

 j)rised, that no mention should have 

 been made of the volunteers upon 

 the present occasion. It was evi- 

 dent, that although many of the 

 volunteers had enrolled themselves 

 as such, purely from patriotic mo- 

 tives, yet, many others had enter- 

 ed on account of tlie exemptions. 

 This measure would set those men 

 entirely free, and the volunteer 

 force would be sensibly diminished. 

 The exemption which the volunteers 

 had hitherto as a privilege, was now 

 extended to every body. This most 

 material change had been made in 

 the plan without giving any notice. 

 When he was asked, what plan he 



II 



would propose in the place of it, 

 he must observe, that every thing 

 that was valuable in the plan, was 

 taken from those ideas which he and 

 his friends had so often suggested ; 

 but those ideas had been spoiled by 

 the honourable gentleman, in his 

 manner of using them. He must 

 always contend, that there was no- 

 thing more injurious to the military 

 spirit of the country, than keeping 

 up a great home army, which was 

 to have all the distinction of real 

 soldiers, without sharing any of the 

 dangers of the, profession. As to 

 the comparison which had been 

 made between this measure and the 

 army of reserve, the real difference 

 was, that the latter professed to be 

 only a temporary expedient,whereas 

 the measure now proposed, was an- 

 nounced as permanent. 



The sense of the house having 

 been taken on the preceding night, 

 there was no division upon this 

 question, and the bill was read a 

 third time, and at length passed. 

 3 



CHAP. 



