i809.) 
( 369) | 
STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 
In O@ober,. 1803: 
———a 
5 took GREAT BRITAIN. 
“pe ae Government and the people of 
this country are fill vigilant in pre- 
parations to refift the invafion threatened 
trom France, and in endeavours to prevent © 
it. All thofe meafures of defence, to which 
Parliament gave its fanétion in the laf 
feffion, have been carried into effe& as com. 
pletely as was poffible within the {pace of 
time that has fince pafled. The troops of 
the line have been. indufirioufly recruited, 
and with great fuccefs. Phe militia and 
the fupplementary militia were called out, 
and have been kept in aétive military du- 
ty: the troops of the army of referve 
have been, with great expedition, levied. 
The neceflity of calling out the army of 
defence has been almoft every where an- 
ticipated by the zeal with which perfons 
of all ranks and ages have offered them- 
felves to ferve as volunteers. ‘Thefe fteps 
were taken fome time fince. The new 
troops have been now fo long raifed, and 
- have been inftruéted with fuch diligence 
in the proper manual exercifes, evolutions, 
and habits of difcipline, that they are no 
longer raw recruits, but an effective force, 
in whom confidence for the defence of 
their country may be freely placed. The 
volunteers who, fix weeks or two months 
fince, were ftrong only in_ patriotic 
zeal, and in alacrity to fight for-the inde- 
pendence of their native land, now form 
brigades of difciplined troops, who would 
not turn their backs on equal numbers out 
of any army in the world. In the courfe 
of the laft month, the whole of the new 
troops’ throughout thefe kingdoms, have 
made the mott fignal improvement in the 
neceffary exercifes. That invafion, which 
fix weeks fince might have taken us unpre- 
pared, is now, in comparifon, little formi- 
dable, becaufe it would find us an armed 
nation, a nation of foldiers, impatient to 
prove their courage onthe heads of any hoft 
of infolent enem'es, A military force, in 
troops of different {pecies, fcarcely lefs than 
half a million, leaves us norea‘on todread 
that our country will be over-run by in- 
vaders for wantof foldiers to defend it. 
"The diftribution of this force is at the 
fame time fuch as to render it the mot 
effettive for the defence of the kingdom. 
Encampmenis along the coaft ; garrifons 
ithe proper garrifon towns 3, provifions 
for the immediate concentering of a great 
ftrength upon any one of thole points en 
'Montury Mas, No: 107. 
> 
- 
which the improbability is the fimalieft, 
that an enemy fhould effect a defcent ; the 
fortification of certain pofitions imme- 
diately on the fhore, which might be be- 
fore too weak in proportion to their im- 
portance; the maintenance, at the fame 
time of a fuflicient number of troops in 
the interior parts of the country, to be 
a grand referve, if any misfortune were 
to befall thofe which are upon the coat; 
and in particular, the care that is ufed to 
preferve the health of the troopsy to fet 
approved. generals at their head, to pra- 
vice ample fupplies of provifions, ammu- 
nition, and other ftores, to watch every 
movement and preparation of ihe enemy 3 
appear to have fatisfied the country in the 
fulleft manner, that the general fpirit and 
energies are not in danger of being idly 
wafted under the direétion of our prefent 
Government. The volunteers hold them- 
felves in readinefs, not merely for fuch 
fervice as may perchance be required in 
the places to which they refpectively be- 
long, but to refift an enemy wherever the 
neceffities of the pubiic defence fhall,’, 
within the ifland, demand. Every where 
the troops hold themfelves in readinefs, as 
if the landing of an enemy were hourly 
expected. And it is this vigilance which 
gives confidence to the country; fince inthis. 
we know that we are fafe. The metropolis 
is undoubtedly the grand prize, to the fei; 
_zure of which a well-directed invafion would 
be aimed. For thie reafon, thofe landing- 
places are more efpecially guarded from 
which an enemy might the moft eafily ad- 
vance againit London. And every fit po- 
fition between London and. the neare& 
fhores. has been made, more or le{s, a 
military pot. At Hythe, there are 3,000 
troops in barracks; and the other towns, 
ina fimilar fituation, are in a like manner 
protected by a large military force. At 
Edinburgh, orders were lately iffued, that 
th. bakers who, in that town, aét alfo 
as corn and flour-merchants, fhould im- 
mediately have in readinefs 8,000 bolls of 
flour. for the ufe of the troops in that 
quarter, in the cafe of thofe movements 
which muft enfue upon the defcent of an 
invader. The farmers of that neighbour- 
hood were, at the fame time, required to 
provide 2,000 bolls of oatmeal. 
At fea alfo, the mot vigorous efforts 
are made to annoy, cur enemies, and 
froftrate theic defigns,. Lord Keith, 
3B and 
Ne ee a ee soe re 
