104 



ANNUALR EGISTER, 1804 



personal considerations upon a late 

 occasion, on which he sincerely la- 

 Micnted that the country was disap- 

 pointed iu the cxpeftatiou it had 

 formed, of an administration which 

 should unite all the distinguished 

 talents that could be found in par- 

 liament or the empire. He objected 

 to the bill, first, upon the ground 

 of its going to establish a large per- 

 manent standing army in time of 

 peace ; he objected to it still more 

 strongly, because it did not seem 

 likely to increase our regular army 

 as expeditiously as it might be done 

 by other means, lie was astonish- 

 ed that neither the present minister 

 nor the last could, among the mul- 

 titude of military plans which en- 

 gaged their attention, bestow time 

 for tiie consideration of that very 

 simple plan, whicli had often been 

 suggested to them, of trying the 

 experiment of removing the obstacles 

 and discouragements tiiat now stand 

 in the way of recruiting for the 

 regular army; and change the term 

 of service from that fur life to a 

 term of years. This plan was not 

 the less valuable because it was sim- 

 ple. It appeared to him the go- 

 Ternment, of late, had she\\ n a sort 

 of mania for manufacturing plans, 

 where the machinery was complicat- 

 ed, and that they despised wliat was 

 easy, simple, and natural. 



Lord Ilawkcsbury insisted that the 

 army of reserve, upon the princi- 

 ple of which the present plan was 

 formed, was one of the wisest and 

 most cfiicient measures ever adopted 

 by parliament to meet a particular 

 crisis. That measure had produced 

 great benefit, but, haying answered 

 its purpose, the present bill went to 

 retain the most essential parts of it; 

 and instead of imposing new bur- 

 thens, took away a great deal of 



the heavy and unequal pressure of 

 the former a6t. He considered that 

 the force to be so raised would be 

 J) referable to the mililia in some re- 

 spects. It would be disposable 

 for the defence of every part of the 

 united kingdom, and it would be 

 conmianded by experienced officers. 

 He could not see how this force 

 could be considered unconstitution- 

 al ; as it would be as much under 

 tJie control of parliament as any 

 other description of force that was 

 to be kept up. As a permanent 

 measure of security, it would in 

 future free us from those embarrass- 

 ments which we always expcrieaccd 

 at the commencement of every new 

 war, for want of men. 



The house then divided, and tlierc 

 appeared, including proxies, for 

 the bill 154, against it 69. 



This was the last question during 

 the session, in which the strength 

 of government and opposition was 

 tried. The remaining part of the 

 session was principally employed 

 ujjou the corn laws ; the charge 

 against the lord advocate of Scot- 

 land ; and the proceedings on the 

 case of Mr justice Fox. The In- 

 dia budget was also presented by 

 lord Castlereagli, and the stamp 

 duty bill was passed with some mo- 

 dilications. 



The corn trade bill was intro- 

 duced by Mr. Western into the 

 lower liouse. He stated its objeCl 

 to he, to procure a fair price for 

 corn to the grower ; and for that 

 purpose to regulate tlie importation 

 and exportation. The increase of 

 the poor rates, and of the price of 

 all articles of life, were at present 

 so much greater than at former pe- 

 riods, that it was impossible the 

 farmer could continue to sell his 

 corn at the same price. The bill he 



pro- 



