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order and juftice, whilst we had been contending against a country in every point the reverfe of the picture. He faid, that the right honourable gentleman had been fuggefting what leftons we ought to derive from the experience of adverfity; but when he added that the fituation of this country was that of adverfity, he could by no means agree to the truth of the propofition. How far it deferved to be ranked under that defcription, he called upon thofe to pronounce who were beft acquainted with our refources. It could not furely be termed a state of adverfity from any loffes of our trade, the diminu. tion of our capital, or the reduction. of any of our foreign poffeffions. We had not been greatly impoverified by the events of the war in the East and West Indies; we could not be much weakened in our national strength by having our navy raised to a greater degree of glory and fame than it had ever before attained. Where then were we to look for the fymptoms of this adverfity? In the loffes and difafters of our allies? Did the right chonourable gentleman hold out these as a criterion of adverfity, and in the fame breath as a fource of complaint that we were not fure of a triumphant peace? And why could we not command fuch a pease? Because we would not feparate our own greatness and our own commerce from the fate of our allies; because we refufed to purchase peace for ourfelves on any terms but thofe which would fecure the tranquillity of Europe, and confidered the fituation of Great Britain as chained to that of the continent by the bonds of a liberal and comprehenfive policy.

Whilft the violence of France had been over-running fo great

a part of Europe, and carrying defolation in its progrefs, our naval exertions had enabled us to counterbalance their fucceffes by acquifitions in different parts of the globe, and to pave the way for the restoration of peace to our allies on terms which their own ftrength might have been unable to procure. If, indeed, we looked into the geographical fituation of the feat of war, the emperor had not regained by his victories all that he had lost; but did we count for nothing the. deftruction of thofe armies by whom all previous fucceffes of the enemy had been achieved? Did we count for nothing the glorious teftimony which had been exhibited to mankind—that difciplined valour finally must triumph over thofe principles which the war was undertaken to oppose, and which owed all their extraordinary fuccefs to the violence in which they originated, and the exceffes with which they were accompanied? A memorable warning had been afforded by thofe foreign powers. who, in oppofition to their true interefts, had courted the alliance of that enemy, and expected to find fecurity in difgraceful tranquillity.

Recent events had ferved also to exculpate thofe who had been calumniated, as defirous to embrace their principles and receive their laws; and in Germany they had left behind them nothing but the memory of wrongs and the feelings of refentment. Germany had furnished a ftriking inftance of fortitude and perfeverance; he trufted that these were virtues which our country had not to learn: England had never shown itself deficient in firmness and maguanimity; it was unrivalled in refource, it was foremoft in exertion, and it had only to maintain its accustomed vigour to effect

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the reftoration of general tranquillity upon terms confiftent with the dignity of its character and the fecurity and intereft of Europe.

Mr. Fox faid a few words in explanation, in which he complained that Mr. Pitt had mifreprefented his argument refpecting the time for negotiation. He did not argue, that, because it was right to negotiate now, it was right to negotiate at any former period, but, (and he had not altered his opinion from any thing he had heard) that, if it were prudent and wife to fend an ambaffador to Paris now, when the French had carried their arms into the heart of Germany, it would not have been daftardly and pufillanimous to have adopted that measure when they had not one foot of that territory. He faid, that he ftill retained his opinion refpecting the new laws; and when he voted for the addrefs, he did not include them in his conftruction of that part of it in which mention is made of the wifdom and energy of the laws.

The question upon the addrefs was then put, and carried nemine contradicente.

On the 18th of October the house of commons refolved itself into a committee, to confider that claufe of his majefty's fpeech which alluded to the intention manifefted by the enemy to attempt a defcent on thefe kingdoms. The claufe being read, the chancellor of the exchequer obferved, that, after the unanimous vote which the house had given upon the first day of the feffion, and their univerfal concurrence in that part of the addrefs which refpected a foreign invafion, it would be unneceffary to make any apology for calling their attention to the fubject. That it was the duty of every one to exert him1797.

felf to prevent the attempt if poffible, and, at the fame time, to take fuch meafures of defence as fhould cause the invafion, if it fhould be attempted, to terminate in the confufion and ruin of the enemy. He faid, the natural defence of this kingdom was its naval force, which, at that moment, was more formidable than ever it had been at any other period in the hiftory of the country. But, ftrong and powerful as it was, it was capable of confiderable increafe, could an additional fupply of feamen, or even landfmen, be procured. For this purpofe he fuggefted a levy upon the different parishes throughout the kingdom, an expedient fimilar to that which had been practised with so much fuccefs about two years before. He obferved, that it must be evident to every one, that, as great numbers in the old regiments had fallen in the defence of our foreign poffeffions, it was neceffary to adopt a more expeditious mode for their completion than the ordinary method of recruiting. He therefore propofed, in the first place, a levy of fifteen thoufand n'en from the different parifhics for the fea fervice, and for recruiting the regiments of the line.

In digefting this plan, he faid, there were two confiderations, the first, the means of calling together a land force, fufficiently ftrong to fruftrate the attempt, keeping our naval force entirely out of view; and, fecondly, to adopt fuch meafures in raifing this force as fhould not materially interfere with the induftry, the agriculture, and the commerce of the country. The primary object was to raife, and gradually to train, fuch a force as might in a fhort time be fit for fervice. The moft expeditious,

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and the cheapest mode of attaining this object, was that of raifing a fupplementary levy of militia, to be grafted upon the old eftablifh ment. He propofed, that this fupplement fhould confift of fixty thousand men, not to be immediately called out, but to be enrolled, officered, and gradually trained, fo as to be fit for fervice at a moment of danger. It would be expedient to regulate the future levy, not by the proportions then exifting, but by a general eftimate of the inhabitants who were able to bear arms. The next confideration was the manner in which the troops were to be furnished, which he thought ought to be generally from all parts of the kingdom, and that an obligation fhould be impofed upon those who fhould be balloted either to ferve in perfon, or to find a fubftitute; and the better to preferve the general proportion, that this fubftitute fhould be provided either from the parish in which the perfon balloted fhould refide, or from a parish immediately adjoining. He propofed to train only one-fixth part of the whole at one time, by which only ten thoufand at a time would be drawn from their ufual occupations; confequently, it would not much infringe upon the general order of the community. Of courfe they were to be provided with fome fort of uniform, but it might be of the coarfeft kind, and fuch as might be purchased at a fmall expence. A fufficient number of arms were alfo to be in readinefs, for fupplying each man in the moment of danger.

The next measure which Mr. Pitt fuggefted to the committee, was to provide a confiderable force of irregular cavalry. He obferved, that the regular cavalry on the

eftablishment was by no means in i confiderable, and that the yeomanry cavalry, which, from their numbers, were fufficiently refpectable, had been proved to be highly useful in fecuring the quiet and maintaining the internal tranquillity of the coun

with a view to repeing an invafion, the farther this fpecies of force was extended, the greater advantage was likely to accrue from it. Befides, it was a fpecies of force which might be provided in a mode that would be attended with little expence to the public, and with fmall inconvenience to individuals. He eftimated the extent of the irregular cavalry by the number of horfes which were kept for pleasure throughout the kingdom. By purfuing this mode, the burden would fall upon thofe only who had a confiderable ftake in the country to defend. By the produce of the horfe-tax, the number of horfes kept for pleasure in England, Scotland, and Wales, appeared to be about two hundred thoufand. He therefore propofed, that every perfon who kept ten horfes fhould be obliged to provide one horse and one horfeman, to ferve in a corps of cavalry; that thofe who kept more than ten fhould provide in the fame proportion; and that thofe who kept fewer than ten fhould form themfelves into claffes, in which it fhould be decided by ballot who, at the common expence, fhould provide the horfe and the horfenian. Thefe troops to be provided with a uniform and accoutrements, formed into corps, and put under proper officers.

The next clafs of men which the minifter regarded as proper fubjects for defending the country in cafe of invafion, was the gamekeepers. He therefore propofed,

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that thofe perfons who had taken out licences to fhoot game, or deputations for gamekeepers, fhould, within a certain period, be at liberty to return the fame if they thought proper; but if after that period they fhould continue their licences, or deputations for gamekeepers, then they fhould be obliged to find fubftitutes. He obferved that gentlemen might fmile at the idea of raifing a force by fuch means: but that fmile would be converted into furprize when they heard that the number of perfons who had taken out thofe licences was 7000. The whole number of cavalry which he propofed to raise by the means he had mentioned,

was 20,000.

"Thus," faid the Chancellor of the Exchequer, "have I pointed but the means by which I propofe to raife 15,000 men, to be divided between the land and the fea fervice; to raise a fupplemental levy of 60,000 for the militia, and 20,000 cavalry." He concluded with moving "that a bill be brought in for raifing a certain number of men in the feveral counties of Great Britain for the fervice of his majefty."

Mr. Sheridan faid, that he expected fome explanation would have been given to the houfe by his majefty's minifters, of the ac. tual neceffity of adopting the meafure juft propofed by the chancellor of the exchequer. The house was called upon to impofe heavy burdens upon the people, and to fufpend the labour of a large part of the community, without being convinced of the neceffity of either. If this parliament, he faid, were not difpofed to imitate the conduct of the laft, to vote the money of the people, and to inveft minifters with unbounded powers upon their

bare affertions, instead of examining the measures of the executive government with extreme je loufy, a jealoufy warranted and fanctioned by the conftitution, they would demand fome further fatisfaction before they gave their unqualified affent to a project fo new and unprecedented. He contended, that the house ought to know that the belief of minifters of the danger of an invafion was well founded; and that the members who had been in the laf parliament must remember how often minifters had in other cafes, and under different pretences, created alar.ns merely to increase their own power; alarms which had been proved to have heen groundlefs. If minifters confidered the idle rant and rhodomantade fpeeches of any member of the legislature of France, as a fufficient manifeftation of the project of an invafion, fuch grounds were too light and unfubftantial to found upon them meafures of fuch importance, and replete with fuch inconveniences as the prefent. The idea of invasion was by no means new in that houfe; all had heard of invading France, and marching to Paris; a defign expreffed by a gentleman of great weight, and intimately connected with his majefty's minifters, and not contradicted by any member of adminiftration, but even received with applaufe. Though this was openly afferted, yet the government of Fiance did not re gard the affertion as a manifeftation of an intention to invade France, or adopt any meafures in confequence of it. Mr. Sheridan thought it extraordinary, that, while reports prevailed out of doors that the French had experienced defeats in Germany, that they were likely to experience the fame in Italy, and that their refources were nearly exhäufted

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haufted, that at fuch a period minifters fhould come forward to propofe means for augmenting the internal force of the nation as preparatory to repel an invafion from France while in fuch a state of weakness. He would not oppofe the mode which the minifter had propofed of raifing 20,000 cavalry; he had no objection to fee the gen. tlemen who amuse themselves in Hyde-Park, take an active part in the war; not that he was bind to the inconveniences that would attend the execution of the plan. There was another part of the meafure to which he had a greater objection - he alluded to that part which related to game-keepers. Why these men fhould be fingled out, he knew not; they were difperfed through the country, and it would not be eafy to collect them together. "Why," faid he, "be. caufe they may be expert in killing a partridge, are we to fuppofe that they are better calculated than others to kill a Frenchman?" He faw many difficulties, but in this choice of difficulties he for the prefent gave bis affent to the propofition.

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Mr. Dundas, after obferving (in contradiction to fome hints thrown out by Mr. Sheridan) that the last parliament would ever be held in the hi heft eftimation for its glorious exertions in refcuing this country and all Europe from deftruction, fpoke to the explanation which that gentleman had demanded of his majefty's minifters refpecting the propofitions then before the houfe. He contended, that, whether the preparations then making in France would end in a defcent upon this country or not, was impoffible to determine; ftill the appearances of a disposition to make the attempt were fufficient to juftify minifters in putting the nation

into a pofture of defence. He gave it as his private opinion, that upon thefe means of defence it depended whether the projected invafion would be carried into execution or not. By fhewing that every thing had been done to fecure our internal fafety, we demonftrated to the enemy the ruin with which their enterprize would be attended, and might induce them to abandon a defign which presented no hopes of fuccefs.

Mr. Fox faid, that in this ftage of the bufinefs it was not the duty of any man to make oppofition to the mesfure propofed; but from the fenfe he had of the general plan, there were many parts of it to the adoption of which no eloquence was likely to reconcile him. He contended, that if this measure was neceffary to be adopted under our prefent circumftances, it was alfo neceffary to have been adopted in 1756, in 1778, in 1794, and had been fit in every period in which this country had been engaged in a war. But for the neceffity of this ftep the houfe had only the authority of the king's minifters, on whom he did not choose to rely. to rely. With refpect to the panegyric pronounced upon the laft parliament by the minifterial fide of the houfe, Mr. Fox openly declared, that it had done more mischief to the interefts of this country than any other that had ever fitten in it. He confidered it as a curfe to this nation. The leading principle upon which it acted was that which led directly to complete defpotifm. If the measure then before the houfe was necessary to our fafety, it was the conduct of minifters, and of a confiding parliament, which had rendered it fo.

That part of the plan which referred to game-keepers, appeared to

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