102 
constitution of the militia was every 
way bad. A militia colonel could not 
be disposed to correct severely#men 
tvhose votes he was soliciting for the 
next election; besides the militia 
was merely a defensive force; m 
which respect, the regulars had a 
great advantage over them, as being 
equally calculated for defensive or 
offensive -operations. Had we a 
disposable force of twenty or thirty 
thousand men, when Bonaparte 
marched to Marengo, the most 
vital part of his empire, would have 
deen left exposed to invasion and 
insurrection ! 
Mr. Wallace considered, the ho- 
norable gentleman was not in order, 
in pursuing such a line of reasoning 
on the simple question, of what 
bounties should be given to recruits 
in the Irish militia ? 
Mr. Windham resumed; _ he 
thought when the question was 
about a bounty, it was a thing to 
be considered, whether the force 
to be raised was worth that bounty, 
6r not. As to the constitutional 
question about standing armies, that 
was now merged in the question, 
how longare we to keep the coun- 
try? Another argument in favor 
of the regular troops was on the 
ground of accuracy, ‘The bounties 
given to militia men, prevented ma- 
ny from entering into the regular 
service; he thought it a very whim- 
sical mode of reasoning, adopted 
by gentlemen on the other side, 
that because exertion was acknow- 
ledged to be necessary, that there- 
fore, Jt was unimportant to consider 
how that exertion could best be 
made. Tor his part, it was -hris de- 
cided opinion, that it was to re- 
gular troops, and not to militia, 
that the defence of the empire 
ANNUAL REGISTER,. 1863. 
& 
Ma bs 
Te 
should be intrusted at the presegt 
¢risis. 
The secretary at war, was astonish~ — 
ed, that the right honorable gentle- — 
man (Mr. Windham) had now 
thought proper to complain of the 
militia ; a force, which when he ~ 
himself was in office, he had increas= — 
ed to a most unprecedented degree. 
Not only the militia of England — 
was very much increased under his — 
administration, but the militia of 
scotland, and he believed of Ireland — 
too had been formed on the same 
plan, and upon those occasions he 
made no objection. As to the mix 
litia, it must be allowed, that they 
were not altogether equal to regular 
troops, but they had rendered great 
services; in 1780 they saved the 
metropolis : in Ireland, the Irish 
militia, in conjunction with the 
yeomanry, saved that country to © 
the British crown. Upon the ex- — 
pedition to Holland, a great part of © 
our force were volunteers from the 
militia, and on every occasion, both 
the English and the Irish militia men, — 
had shewn every disposition, to meet 
the enemies of the British empire. 
Sir William Pulteney, was sur — 
prised that Mr. Windham could — 
think the militia. not to be depended © 
upon in case of invasion, when it — 
was recollected how much they had ~ 
been employed, and how gloriously 
they had done their duty: it could 
not be forgottert that an American 
militia, had, in defence of their — 
homes, defeated the best British 
troops of the line, who attacked 
them as invaders ; and there would — 
be little doubt, but that an English 
or Irish militia, would act with © 
equal spirit against those who should — 
invade their country. There was — 
another powerful consideration in — 
favor 
