186 -ANNUAL RE 
of the militia, and of every system 
which went to shut up, merely for 
self-defence, the greatest part of 
our force, and to let Europe know 
that we were not able to detach any 
succour to its relief, He then expa- 
tiated, with great ability, on the 
_ decided advantage of regular troops, 
for attacking an enemy, and on the 
necessity of our becoming an armed 
nation for our own defence. 
The chancellor of the exchequer, 
defended the plan proposed, and 
said, that until we convincéd the 
enemy that we were impregnable at 
home, no peace was to be ex- 
pected. 
‘The report was then brought up, 
and the address agreed to, without 
opposition. 
On the 22d, the report of the 
clergy bill having been brought up, 
in the hotise of lords, 
Lord Grenville, opposed the prin- 
ciple of the bill, as being deficient in 
one of the mosi important points,\ 12s 
by not making such a provision for 
the poorer clergy, as would enable 
them to reside on their livings. He 
considered this, as by far the most 
important point that could be esta- 
blished for the inferior clergy ; and 
disapproved of the exemptions, the 
discretionary power vested in bi- 
shops, and, in short, of almost all 
the clauses of the bill. 
After a few observations however, 
from the lord chantellor, in reply, 
the report was received, 
The next day there was a debate 
in the house of commons, upon the 
second reading of the-army of re- 
serve bill. 
Mr. Calcraft objected to the plan, 
and thought Government would do 
better, were they to complete the 
regular regiments, by ballot. How- 
GISTER, 
1805. 
ever highly he respected the supe« — 
riority of the regular troops, he — 
could by no means think so lightly — 
of the militia, as Mr. Windham did, — 
as he recollected their gallant a- 
chievements in Egypt and Holland, 
He also bore ample testimony to 
the good discipline of the British 
army in general, 
Mr. Sheridan declared, that the 
idea thrown out by the last speaker, 
of a compulsory levy of men for 
the regular regiments, was altoge- 
ther unconstitutional ; but to repel 
invasion, the constitution required 
every man to come forward, in the 
defence of his country. 
Mr. Elliot objected, both to the 
composition of the force proposed, 
and to those who were to have the 
direction of it. As to the first 
point, he thought regular troops 
decidedly more adyantageous than 
those who were levied, merely for 
defensive operations, He consi- 
dered, that the system of recruit- 
ing the regular army by bounties, 
had never been fairly tried in this 
country; as it had always been 
counteracted, by bounties given to - 
persons recruiting for a more limit- 
ted service. He recommended an 
augmentation of the bounty-money, 
as he thought it the most desireable 
thing to augment, as speedily as pos- 
sible, that force,which was not only 
the best fitted for encountéring the 
enemy at their landing, but for of- 
fensive operations. After pressing 
strongly the superior advantages to 
be derived from regular troops, he 
concluded, by expressing his disap- 
probation at the slowness with which 
ministers brought forward their mea- 
sures, at the present critical pe- 
riod. 
The secretary at war, in reply 
te 
