58 
became at length tiresome and un- 
interesting. We shall, therfore, in 
our account of these transactions, 
rest satisfied with giving a mere out- 
line of the proceedings of the two 
houses; selecting such arguments 
only, as when first used on either | 
side, had the merit of novelty to 
recommend them, 
In a committee of the whole 
house (May 30th) the introduction 
of limited service was proposed, by 
the insertion of a clause to that ef- 
fect in the Mutiny Bill. The en- 
gagement of theinfantry was limited 
by this clause to seven years, that 
of the cavalry to 30, and that of 
the artillery to 12; but a discre- 
tionary power was given to com- 
manding officers on foreign stations, 
to retain the men under their com- 
mand, for six months after the ex- 
piration of their engagement; and, 
in time of war, a power was given 
to his majesty, by his royal procla- 
mation, to extend this additional 
term of service to three years, pro- 
vided peace should not in the mean 
time be restored, in which case the 
additional term of service should 
cease and determine, within six 
months after the ratification of any 
definitive treaty. In submitting 
this clause to the committee, Mr. 
Windham entered at length into the 
defence of his military system, and 
answered the objections brought 
against it. He denied that any of 
the measures he had proposed were 
of that nature, that should their re. 
suit be different from what he anti- 
cipated, they could not be recalled 
or corrected. That there was a 
necessity for something to be done, 
he argued from the innumerable 
plans and projects for the improve- 
ment of our military system, which 
had been proposed and acted upon 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
since the commencement of the pres 
sent war. After somany temporary 
expedients he wished now to give a 
fair trial to the effect of voluntary 
enlistment, without competition, 
and would resort to no other means. 
for promoting its success, than to 
make the article of proper value to 
the purchaser. It was true, that 
limited service existed in the army at 
present, but then it was service li. 
mited with respect to place as well 
as limited with respect to time. 
Unlimited. service with respect to 
place, might be a boon, where un- 
limited service with respect to tima 
was a check. [Tears had been en- 
tertained lest the character of the 
army should suffer by this innova. 
tion; but, how the character of 
soldiers should be injured by limiting 
‘ their service to a term of years, had 
not been very intelligibly mace out, 
and every known fact was against 
the supposition. It had been the 
practice of the French to enlist for 
aterm of years, from the time of 
Louis XLV. to the revolution ; in 
the Swiss regiments the same rule 
had universally prevailed ; and dur. 
ing the American war a great part 
of ovr own army had been raised 
on the same footing. ‘The mischief 
appretended from men demandiag 
their discharge in time of war, was 
obviated by the power given to his 
majesty, of extending, in that case, 
the term of their service. When 
regiments were in future ordered to 
the colonies or foreign possessions 
of the country, those soldiers, whose 
term of service was nearly expired, 
might be drafted into the second 
battalions and left behind. The 
benefits he expected from limited 
Service, were not confined to an 
increase in the number of recruits, 
Iie looked also to an improvement 
in 
