60 
to make articles of war for one year 
only, and to hoJd courts-martial for 
one year only, it was absurd to re- 
present a clause, limiting the en- 
gagement of the soldiers to a term 
of seven years, as an infringement 
of the royal prerogative: for it was 
~ undoubtedly competent to the house 
to regulate any power which it con- 
ferred ; and to talk of the preroga- 
tive of the crown to levy men on 
any conditions, was very idle, since 
the concurrence of parliament was 
necessary to pay and regulate the 
army raised by prerogative. 
To those persons who, in the 
course of the debate, had repre- 
sented the plan of limited service as 
unpopular in the country, and had 
warned ministers to desist from that 
measure, before they were com- 
pelled to it by the general odium 
which it would bring upon them, 
Mr. Fox answered with dignity and 
firmness, ‘‘ That however unwil- 
_ ling ministers should be to oppose 
their own opinions to those 
expressed by the majority, or any 
great portion of the people of Eng- 
Jand, still they felt it their duty, at 
a crisis so urgent as the present, not 
to temporize upon a measure of 
such vital importance to the secu- 
rity of the country, under any ap. 
prehension of risking a temporary 
unpopularity. Ministers who really 
wished to be useful to their coun- 
try, must often risk both their 
power and their popularity. Hold- 
ing a firm and systematic attention 
to the public good, they might 
sometimes find it necessary to ex- 
pose both to hazard; but, if they 
hesitated to do so, they would ill 
deserve the name of statesmen. 
They would violate theirduty, both 
as the servants of the crown and as 
members of parliament, if they were 
1 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
deterred by such considerations from 
pursuing what they thought right.” 
‘The firmness of this declaration was 
calculated to inspire resolution inthe 
minds of those, who were apprehen~ 
sive of the consequences of persist- 
ing in the new military plans, and 
were inclined to believe, that, 
though his majesty’s consent had 
been obtained to the measure of 
submitting them to the considera. 
tion of parliament, opposition were 
in the right, when they insinuated 
that the introduction of limited ser- 
vice into the army, was far from 
being approved of at court. Sur- 
mises of that nature were circulated 
with the greatest industry,, while 
the new plan was under discussion 
in parliament ; and the credit uni. 
versally given to these reports, led 
most probably to the uncommon ob. 
stinacy and perseverance with which 
it was opposed in that assembly. 
Many persons were of opinion, that 
the clause in favour of limited ser- 
vice would be thrown out in the 
house of lords, and that the loss of 
that question would be made a pre- 
text for getting rid of an adminis- 
tration obnoxious to fhe court. At 
no period while these ministers were 
in ofiice, did their continuance in 
power appear so uncertain and pre- 
cartous, as at the moment of which 
we treat. It reflects credit on the 
firmness and integrity of the leading 
persons of the government, that 
disdaining the pusillanimous coun. 
sels of those, who would have aban 
doned this great measure, the most 
meritorious and important of their 
public services, they determined to 
persevere in it, and to risk on its 
success the existence of their admi- 
nistration. In forming this deters 
mination, they were actuated not 
only by their opinion of the intrin- 
sic 
