ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



country in any age, and for the ne- 

 cessity of -which it would be proper 

 to account. 



The Secretary at War replied, 

 that if the number and expcnce of 

 general officers was unparalleled, so 

 Mas the occasion for them. The 

 necessity of keeping up an army of 

 600,000 men to guard against inva- 

 sion M as unprecedented, and he ad- 

 , ded, were it not for that volun- 

 teer force, which some gentlemen 

 seemed now so desirous to depre- 

 ciate, the storm which had so long 

 threatened us, would, by this time, 

 have burst upon our heads. 



Mr. Kinnaird thought the appoint- 

 ment of inspecting brigadier gene- 

 rals to the volunteers, though at 

 first useful, at present unnecessary ; 

 and indeed the more so, as serious 

 disputes were to be apprehended, 

 from their being so often at variance 

 with the old field officers appointed 

 to superintend those corps. Mr. 

 Whitbread expressed himself of the 

 same opinion. 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 observed, that as, in the present cir- 



cumstances of the country, it might 

 be found necessary to collect a large 

 body of troops at some particular 

 point, that could not well be effected 

 without the assistance of brigadier 

 generals, who should therefore be 

 kept in readiness for any such oc- 

 casion. According to the last re- 

 turns, the volunteers amoanted to 

 upwards 325,000 effective men j 

 240,000 of these had been reported 

 fit for immediate service, and only 

 about 40,000 remained yet to be in- 

 spected. He did not think therefor* 

 the house would think the sum of 

 50,000/. an object to be put in 

 competition with improving the dis- 

 cipline of that powerful branch of 

 our defensive force. Mr. Whit- 

 bread admitted that the sum was 

 but small, if the effect was great, 

 but he denied that the high state of 

 discipline of the volunteers was to 

 be attributed to the orders or ma- 

 nagement of the brigadier generals, 

 but to the activity of the inspecting 

 officers, who were competent to all 

 the purposes required. The diffe- 

 rent resolutions were then agreed to. 



CHAP. 



