HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
satisfied at his conclusion being 
adopted. 
Mr. Rose, then suggested a de- 
duction for allowances to curates, 
but 
Lord Hawksbury said, the house 
would not be paid for the trouble 
of passing the bill, if it was to be 
frittered away in such a manner, 
by numerous exemptions ; some in- 
equalities and hardships must re- 
sult from this, as well as from 
every measure of a general nature, 
After Mr. Addington had con- 
ceded, in this manner to the sug- 
gestion of Mr. Pitt, the latter gen- 
tleman made no farther serious op- 
position to the remaining parts of the 
bill, which, although they occupied 
a great deal of time, produced no 
important debate. 
The rest of the session was prin- 
‘cipally taken up with considering 
the state of the country as to its 
defence. 
On the 18th of July, the secre- 
tary at war, moved for leave to 
bring in a bill, for amending the 
defence bill, and for enabling his 
majesty to raise a levy en masse, in 
case of invasion. This, he con- 
tended, was an ancient and indis- 
pensible prerogative of the crown, 
and the object of the present bill, 
was only to facilitate the exercise of 
it, in case of need. By the laws of 
the Anglo-Saxons, this prerogative 
was claimed; by the assize of 
Henry Id, and statute of Henry 
the IId; it was legally recognized, 
and there could not bea doubt, 
but that every liege subject was 
bound, at the call of his sovereign, 
to take up arms, in case of an in- 
vasion of the realm. The most 
insolent of all enemies, who had 
now subdued the greater part of the 
193 
continent, threatened us with in- 
vasion and slavery. There never 
was a time, therefore, that it be- 
came more necessary to assert this 
ancient and undoubted prerogative 
of the crown. After detailing the 
different classes, under which the 
population of the country should 
be enrolled, for the purposes of 
the bill; he stated, that so late as 
in the reign of Henry the VUIth, 
all persons, under the age of 60 
years, were required to exercise 
themselves at shooting with the 
bow. The same principle required s 
that the Englishmen of the present 
day, should exercise themselves at 
those arms which are now in use. 
In case of inyasion, every man 
should be bound to march ; but the 
volunteers would not be required 
to march, except in their own 
corps. After mentioning the con= 
duct of the English at Toulon, Acre; 
Lincelles, and Egypt, he said there 
was no reason to suppose the En- 
glishmen, of the present day, un- 
equal to those of Cressy and Agin- 
court. After many other observa- 
tions of a similar nature, he cor- 
cluded, by moving for leave to 
bring in that bill, generally called, 
the levy en masse bill. 
Mr. Windham observed, that till 
very lately, ministers considered it 
the language of despondency, to 
speak of the possibility of an inva- 
sion. They were however, pleased, 
at present, to admit that possibility, 
and to take measures to repel it. He 
must, however; compare what was 
called despondency, on the part of 
himself and his friends, with what 
was called magnanimiity, on the part 
of ministers. The magnanimity of 
ininisters, consisted merely in tel- 
ling the people, that there was no 
QO2 danger 
