44 
be proper in the field but not in the 
cabinet. All delay must be viewed 
as relative to the object to be ac- 
complished.” He objected to gen- 
tlemen calling for plans from him, 
as the frequenters of the theatre 
called for an entertainment. Tie’ 
did not feel disposed to indulge 
them, and their impatience should 
never provoke him to lay any thing 
before the house that seemed to him- 
self immature.” 
Mr. Windham having sponta. 
neously announced, on the 14th of 
March, that he hoped in the course 
of the following week, to beable to 
fix a day, for laying before the 
house the measures which: his ma~ 
jesty’s ministers meant to propose 
for the defence of the country ; ge- 
neral Tarleton took occasion, on 
the 20th of March, to ask him, 
whether, according to’ the half no- 
tice he had then given, he meant to 
bring forward the. subject on the 
Mouday following. Mr. Windham 
replied, ‘‘ that he saw no necessily 
for hurrying measures of such vast 
importance and delicacy, requiring 
the maturest deliberation; that it 
appeared to him, that the object of 
the greatest importance was, to give 
the fullest consideration to any 
changes that were to be proposed, 
2nd that he saw no other inconve- 
nience that could result from the 
wnavoidable delay, than that it 
would disappoint the curiosity and 
anxious expectation of a number of 
persons.”’ 
So eager were the opposition to 
provoke discussion on the military 
plans of the ministry, that in the 
interval between the 14th of March, 
when Mr. Windham announced his 
intention of bringing the subject 
speedily before the house, and the 
20th of that month, when the pre- 
9 
NNUAL REGISTER, 
which the volunteers must look to 
1806. 
ceding conversation took place, they 
contrived to produce a debate on 
the subject, on a motion for the 
second reading of a report of the 
committee of supply on the ord- 
nance estimates. General Tarleton 
began by stating, that the additional 
force bill had become highly pro- 
ductive, having furnished in the | 
Jast week 353 men. After some 
comments on the hostility which the 
secretary for the war department 
had shewn towards that respectable 
body of men, the volunteers, he 
wished to‘ know the determination 
o! government with regard to them. 
*“¢}t was nownear the'end of March, 
and our military preparations were 
standing still. The ordnance esti- 
mates before the house were those 
which had been formed by the late 
ministry, unaltered and unime | 
proved.” After some remarks. on 
a continental confederacy, and the 
probabilities of invasion, the hos — 
nourable general concluded by sug- 
gesting, that Woolwich should not 
be the sole depositary of our means 
of defence, and that government 
should establish some great depot, 
more tn the center of the kingdom 
than the one forming at Wedenbeck, 
Mr. Calcraft, seeretary to the, 
board of ordnance, having con. 
fined himself in his reply to general 
Tarleton’s speech, to those parts of — 
it which related to the ordnance, — 
lord Castlereagh rose, and, after a_ 
variety of observations and questions — 
with regard to the measures that — 
were meant to be taken for the de. — 
fence of Ireland, and of the east © 
coast of England, objects which, he - 
said, the late ministers had in con- — 
templation when they went out of © 
office, and, after animadverting on — 
the dread and discouragement with © 
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any 
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