to complete our means of defence, so that in the Spring we may command every species of security, which the resources of the country are calculated to afford. If it be the opinion of the house, that officers should be assigned to the different volunteer battalions, the sooner it is done the better, that they may have time to form acquaintance with the officers with whom they would have to act, and the men they would have to command, before the season for military operation returns. I should wish, therefore, that even this night—at least before the recess, the house should pass a vote for carrying this object into effect. I am the more urgent for this, because it appears to be the only object connected with the estimates, that calls for our immediate atten. tion. Other points may be reserved for future discussion; but if parliament separates without making provision for the expenses which the objects I have pointed out will require, there will be no opportunity of making up for the time which must thus be lost. in carrying the plan into execution.

But even in addition to this improvement on the volunteer system, it will be necessary, in order to give it due effect, that it should be accompanied with some new regulations of detail, the purpose of which will be to keep up the number of the volunteers to their full amount, to ensure punctuality of attendance, to promote steadiness, attention, and soldierly habits, and, though without putting the corps under martial law, provide for that obedience and discipline requisite to form the military character. Looking forward, as I am afraid we must, to the long duration of the present contest, it is of the utmost importance to prepare a system of defence, which will be commensurate to the necessity of our situation, and adequate to every purpose, both of defensive and offensive war. We have already seen what exertions, what sacrifices, the people of this country are ready to make, under the guidance of parliament, under the impulse of zeal for its honour and independence, under a sense of the danger with which they are threatened. This zeal and this spirit, prompting such generous and unanimous efforts, may perhaps induce the enemy to abandon the project which he has presumptuously conceived and raskly

proclaimed. Perhaps, after viewing us on every side, after reconnoitring our position, he may be forced virtually to admit that we are unassailable. Perhaps, he may apparently abandon his designs but we must not suffer ourselves to be lulled into a fatal security. We must not relax our efforts, or intermit our preparations, while any measure of wise precaution remains to be adopted. We must take care that the enemy shall not do, by surprise, what he finds he cannot do when he has given us warning. Indeed we are not to expect, that after the force of the country has been let down, the enemy will always be so confident and so indiscreet, as to give us ten months previous notice of the attack which he meditates. If, upon the apparent abandonment of the project of invasion, the people of this country were to indulge themselves in congratulation on their escape, there is some danger that the spirit which has proved our safety would subside, and these efforts be relaxed. The volunteer system might thus moulder away. It is necessary, therefore, to give it that consistency and vigour which will keep it alive when the pressure which first produced it has subsided. Thus, even were the enemy sudden to resume his design, we should be found prepared to meet and to defeat the enterprise.

It is the duty of the house, therefore, to devise means for attaining this end. The house, thinking for the people and providing for their welfare, will adopt suitable measures, to give permanent system to this plan of defence, instead of trusting that the spirit of the people will supersede the duties of the government. Let us be on our guard that no temporary or apparent abandonment of the meditated attack shall induce us to disarm. It would be advisable, that whenever the volunteers become too few in any district, the compulsory act of last session for calling out and disciplining the people, should be put in force. Care must be taken likewise that the volunteers shall fulfil the intention of the legislature in their efficiency as well as number. Regulations must be established by summary fines to secure attendance, and provisions made for enforcing discipline and inducing military habits. Exemptions should not be allowed but where these con

ditions are complied with, and no person should be allowed to withdraw from a corps without permission of the commander, or without finding a substitute of proper military age. These points I merely hint at, as they are matters of detail that may be afterwards discussed, and are less pressing than those to which I have particularly called the immediate attention of the committee. If I am right, however, in my general ideas respecting the allowance of officers to volunteer corps, the execution of this measure admits of no delay. I am strongly inclined, therefore, to move a resolution for granting 500,000l. for this object.

Before I sit down, I wish to say a few words respecting the exemptions to which volunteers are entitled. It appears that what is understood to be the law on this subject is not what the legislature intended. As the law stands, however, no exemption is allowed, unless the person claiming it produces a certificate that he has attended twenty-four drills previous to the 21st of September. But there are many who have attended twice that number of drills without having such a certificate, and therefore would be subject to the ballot. If any doubt remains as to the exemptions, it is but right that the legislature should pass an act clearing it up, that those who were influenced by the prospect of exemptions, which they conceived were held out to them, may not have cause to complain that they were deceived by the ambiguity of the acts of parliament. There is another point: the law says, that to entitle to exemption, the volunteers claiming it must have been exercised with arms; yet in some places it was impossible to procure arms, nor am I surprised at it, considering the great and sudden demand for supplying the army of reserve, and the great number of volunteers throughout the country. Yet, in such cases, it surely would be unreasonable to refuse the exemption when the claimants had actually learnt many very important, and perhaps some of the most tedious parts of discipline without arms. It surely would be hard, then, that people in this situation should be liable to the ballot during the Christmas holidays, when by the spirit of the acts of parliament, they ought perhaps, in preference to others, to be exempted.

These few observations I have thought it my duty to submit to the committee, feeling a most anxious wish to avoid every topic that could interfere with the consideration of what is necessary to the public defence, and at the same time desirous to direct your attention to those points most essential to it. The subject of the sea-fencibles has been alluded to, and I think has been misunderstood by my right honourable friend. Upon this head I may be allowed to speak with some confidence, as, from local situation, I have had an opportunity of examining it with care. If the seafencibles were composed of men liable to serve in the navy, the objections to it would be well founded; but this is not the case. They are composed of sea-faring men, it is true, but chiefly pilots and others obliged, not merely by their own pursuits, but by their importance to the commercial interests of their country, to remain at the places of their residence. These men are intended to man the boats which have been prepared for the defence of the coast, and armed only with pikes in situations where they could not act with any other weapons. Indeed, I wish that the admiralty had displayed more diligence in preparing those vessels which the sea-fencibles were intended to man. This species of force will, I am confident, be found of the utmost utility in case of any attempt to invade our shores, and will evince the same superiority over the flotillas of France, which the other branches of our navy have evinced over the maritime force of the enemy; and when brought to trial, will neither disappoint the hopes, nor lower the character of the country.

The different resolutions moved by the Secretary at War, were severally agreed to.

February 27, 1804.

ON a motion for the second reading of the Volunteer regulation bill,

MR. PITT addressed the House as follows:

Sir-From the opinion of the right honourable secretary of state,

that this discussion should be confined within narrow limits, and should apply solely to the consideration of the measure immediately before the house, I decidedly differ; and with the sentiments of my right honourable friend* on the lower bench, that we are now called upon to take into view every thing connected with the national defence, I entirely concur. Although the volunteer system naturally forms the first subject for our deliberation, as it is the principal feature in the picture, and that upon which we must, under all the circumstances, ground our reliance for ultimate security, yet the army, the militia, and all the other branches of our public force press upon our attention, and require to be examined upon the present occasion.

Whether the volunteer system be radically wrong, or inadequate to its object, is not the question proper for the house now to consider; but how far any defects, which experience has rendered manifest in its original formation, may be removed, and how the detail of the measure may be improved; how far, in a word, it may be rendered efficient-this, in my judgment, is the turn which the debate should take. With a sense of the situation in which the country is placed, of the danger which has been so long suspended over us, and of the crisis which, according to all appearances and information, is so rapidly approaching, we should devote ourselves to the consideration of the best means of amending and advancing to perfection the only force of equal magnitude now within our reach; to devise, not only how this force is to be prepared for the first approach of the danger which menaces us, but how its spirit and efficacy may be preserved and made competent to meet the full extent of the danger, and effectually to guard the country.

That the enthusiasm which may enable men to meet the first attack, can last long, it might be permitted to hope; but that it would, no rational man would be very sanguine in calculating upon. It becomes, therefore, necessary to communicate to the volunteers every instruction that is practicable, in order to assimi

* Mr. Windham.