HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
The resolutions were then agreed 
¢o in the committee; but upon the 
report being brought up, on the 2 
of August, 
Mr. Prinsep again rose, and re= 
peated his former arguments, prin- 
vipally labouring to prove, that the 
surplus revenue should be applied 
to the reduction of Indian debt, and 
hot to increased investments. He 
contended that it was to the oppo- 
site system we owed the present 
debt of India. 
After some explanations from 
Lord Castlereagh, the resolutions of 
the committee were agreed to by 
the hous¢, and the report received. 
The defence bill afforded another 
very animated discussion in the 
house of commons; as did Mr. 
Sheridan’s motion of thanks to the 
‘volunteers, on the 10th; and Mr. 
Tutchinson’s motion, on the affairs 
of Ireland, on the 11th. 
The debate, on the defence act, 
was begun by Mr. Wilberforce, dis- 
approving of the distinction made 
between those who served in volun- 
teer corps, and those who should 
serve in the levy ex masse. 
The secretary at war explained, 
that when the number of volunteers 
should be sutflicient for the detence 
of the country, it kad been the in- 
tention of the legislature, to em- 
power his majesty to suspend the 
operation of the act. 
Mr. Windham disapproved: of 
the volunteer corps, as forming 
bodies of aristocracy, for the de- 
fence of the country, from which 
some were excluded from not be- 
ing able to purchase uniforms; and 
others from that kind of modesty, 
that declined the distinction of a 
red coat, and prevented men froin 
Mssuciating with thos superior t) 
203 
themselves in rank. His opinion 
on that subject, was much streng- 
thened, by observations hé had met 
in the public prints, in which he 
but seldom found any thing worthy 
attention. 
Mr. Sheridati ridiculed this at- 
tack on the public prints, and said, 
that although the daily papers pre- 
sented nothing worthy that gentle- 
man’s notice, yet there was a cers 
tain weekly paper (Cobbet’s Re- 
gister), to which he appeared more 
partial. For his part, he was can- 
did enough to allow, that there was 
some merit in that print [Mr. W. 
bowed]. The lon. gentleman cn- 
swered with a condescending bow, 
he should therefore go no farther, 
for fear of hurting the feelings and 
blushing modesty of an author ; 
perhaps the right hon. gentleman 
wrote a little for that weckly 
register. He hked the present 
bill, because it went to increase 
the number of volunteers. Every 
body must allow, that the volun- 
teers of the metropolis were much 
superior in discipline and efficiency 
to what could be expected from as 
equal number of men, raised by the 
levy en masse. It was, however, 
a very good hint to men to turm 
volunteers to know, that if they did 
not; they might, in the course of 
a single month, find themselves in 
the ranks cf common soldiers ; sub- 
ject to be tied up to the halberis, 
if they were to give a saucy answer 
to the serjeant. 
Mr. Windham said, that the hon. 
gentleman, who spoke last, had 
shewn ail the zeal of a new convert, 
in supyorting administration, and, 
Jike a raw recruit, had tired cff his 
musquet, without ascertaining where 
was the enemy. Ile contended, 
thag 
