206 
that all this complicated machinery, 
brought forward by government, for 
the defence of the country, was not 
likely to add a single man to its 
effective or disposeable force. In 
speaking of the press, he allowed, 
that it now shewed same ardor and 
energy, but it acted like the hon, 
gentleman : first, it did all the mis- 
chief it could, and set the world on 
fire, and now it comes with its 
bucket of water to extinguish it, 
He then panegyrized Mr. “Cobbet, 
who merited @ statue of gold for his 
conduct in America, before he came 
to this country. That writer had 
resolutely opposed all the bad prin- 
ciples which had been propagated 
for these ten years, on politics, in 
cluding those which Mr. Sheridan 
had so ‘forcibly inculcated. 
Mr. Sheridan was happy the 
forms of a committee allowed him a 
second shot, which he did not mean 
to fire in the air. He was neither 
convert nor recruit. He had always, 
when the country was in a critical 
situation, lent his support to govern- 
ment, to extricate it from its dan- 
ger: in this support, however, he 
was no recruit; he would accept 
neither rank nor pay, but should 
gerve as a volunteer. He wished 
the right hon. gentleman would 
publish a book called ‘ The art of 
gaising the spirit of a country 
by a late secretary at war;’ for 
certainly the means taken by that 
gentlemap in parliament, were the 
most whimsical that had ever been 
thought of. First, he endeavoured 
to perstade the people, that the 
country was lost, unless one speci- 
fic individual was made the minis- 
ter; and that all their resources 
‘must be mismanaged and ill direcs- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
ed by the present government: sé- 
condly that our honor is irrecovera= 
bly gone, and that our militia and 
volunteers are good for nothing 
such are the topics which that gen- 
tleman loved to discuss in parlia- 
ment. Mr. Sheridan concluded 
by again expressing his approlation 
of the Bill. 
Mr. Archdall defended the bill, 
and replied to the observations of 
Mr. Windham: he said that he for 
one could not vote a statue of gold 
to Mr.Cobbet, as he had inserted in 
his Register, an attempt to prove 
that the French might send four 
ships of the line,which would carry 
over troops enough to subdue all 
Treland. 
The chancellor of the Eee aS 
defended government from the 
charge which had been made against 
it oF unnecessary delay. This 
measure could not with any pro- 
priety have been adopted, until the 
foundation of the army of reserve 
had been first laid. He considered 
that there never was a man who 
more completely misconceived the 
means of raising the spirit of 2 
country, than Mr. Windham ap- 
peared to have done, in endea- 
vouring to lead the people te 
their duty, by instilling ground- 
less fears and alarms. ‘He would 
have acted more regularly, by 
bringing forward a distinct accusa~ 
tion against ministers, and submit- 
ting it to parliament, whether they 
are deserving of their cdnfidence, 
Dr. Lawrence vindicated the 
consistency of his friend Mr. Wind- 
ham. He had condemned the treaty 
Amiens, because he foresaw no 
good effects that were hkely to 
follow frem it, The event justified 
» his 
