58 
holders from coming up to the hust- 
ings to vote for sir Francis; and 
threatening many publicans with 
the deprivation of their licences, 
if they should vote against him. 
The two first petitions were referred 
to a committee ; but upon the coun- 
ter petition being presented, the 
speaker put it to the house, whether 
they could receive as an election 
petition, a petition which did not 
complain of an undue election, and 
was not easily to be reduced under 
any of the heads which were pre- 
scribed by the law on that subject. 
A debate took place, which was 
adjourned, in order to give time to 
look for precedents; but, on the 
day of its being finally discussed, it 
was resolved, ‘‘ that the said peti- 
tion does not come within the de- 
scription of any petition, the pro- 
ceedings on which are regulated by 
the act for regulating petitions, to 
be presented in election cases.”—In 
consequence of this resolution, the 
counter petition was withdrawn. 
On the 8th of December there 
#ccurred a very anjmated debate in 
the house of commons, on the se- 
cretary at war’s statement of the in- 
tended military establishment for 
the ensuing year. 
The secretary at war (Mr.Yorke) 
acknowledged, that the estimates, 
which it was now his duty to pre- 
sent, were for a military establish- 
ment, much higher than had been 
kept up at any former period, when 
the country was at peace; and 
the question for their consideration 
was, whether circumstances did not 
justify such an increase in our mi- 
litary establishment? He thought 
the present situation of Europe, and 
the relative condition of this coun- 
try and the neighbouring nations, 
ANNUALSREGISTER, . 1803. 
had been sufficiently described in 
the preceding debates ; and were in= 
deed too obvious to require, that 
he should attempt any further ex- 
planation upon that subject. The 
overgrown power of France, which 
had now realized all the dreams of 
Louis the X1Vth and his ministers 3 
its menacing attitude, and the am- 
bitious and enterprizing spirit of 
its present government; spoke too 
strongly to the feelings of every 
rational man, to render any obser- 
vations of his necessary upon the 
subject. He considered that the 
feelings of the nation had been dis- 
tinctly manifested ; that we should 
preserve the peace we had made, 
so long as it could be preserved with 
honor; that we should also abstain 
from aggression and irritating lan- 
guage; but that, at the same time, 
we should be always ready and pre- 
pared to repel aggression, and to 
resent a national insult, In con- 
sonance with this feeling, he wish- 
ed to abstain from a war of words 
with the enemy; but to be always 
in astate of preparation against any 
alternative, was his great object, 
“‘ France is now possessed of the 
Netherlands; she is all powerful in 
Holland, and mistress of the whole 
course of the Lower Rhine, the 
Maese, and the Scheldt. With such 
an immense increase of sea coast 
and naval resources, as well as of 
territorial power, our navy alone, 
however excellent, could not be 
entirely depended upon, for the pro- 
tection of such an extensive coast 
as ours from the dangers of invasion, 
The military force of France, at the 
commencement of the present year, 
consisted of eighty-four regiments 
of cavalry, amounting to 46,000 
men; 100 demi-brigades of infantry; 
