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Mr. Secretary Dundas alluded to the refolutions of the Houfe in the month of April 1797, and an Addrefs to his Majefty, to pray that he would be gracioufly pleafed to give directions for laying before the Houfe certain correfpondence between his Majefty's Secretary of State and certain Governors of the Weft India Colonies, &c. That was with a view of putting the flave trade upon a plan of a melioration in the colonies, and of working the defired effect of abolition gradually. Much, he understood, had been done under that plan for that purpofe. He fhould, therefore, now with to repeat that motion, in order that by the correfpondence which had fince taken place between the Secretary of State and the Governors of the Colonies, &c. the Houfe might fee what was done upon that matter, he then moved, "that an humble Address be prefented to his Majefty, befeeching him to be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before the Houfe fuch copies of the further correfpondence as took place between his Majesty's Secretary of State, and the Governors of the Colonies in the West Indies, fince the 22d of March last."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer rofe to fecond the motion. He was of opinion that it was important these papers should be laid before the Houfe, before they proceeded to difcufs the question of the flave trade. On the one hand it was fair, that those who were of opinion that the trade could only be put an end to by the efforts of the Colonial Legiflatures, fhould have an opportunity of knowing the progrefs they had made towards that object; on the other hand, if it fhould appear that they had made no progrefs, it would be a ftrong argument for those who were of opinion that Parliament ought to abolish it.

Mr. Wilberforce thought this a good reason for deferring his motion, which, after a few words between him and Mr. Secretary Dundas, was deferred till Tuesday the 26th; and the India Budget was understood, in confequence of this, to be deferred to the Tuefday following.

The motion for the Address was then put and carried. MILITIA, VOLUNTEERS, and PROVISIONAL CAVALRY. Mr. Dundas rofe to make his promised motion, respecting the military force of the kingdom, pursuant to his notice in the beginning of the feflion. The object of it, he admitted, was a retrenchment of expence, and a diminution, as far as was confiftent with the security of the country, of the burthens to which it was liable from the exifting laws, if carried fully into effect. He took notice of the found 6 G 2

fenfe

fense which dictated the late Act of Parliament that was paffed for increafing the internal ftrength of this country, and praised alfo the zeal and exertions of all defcriptions of people in it, who had baffled the hopes, and frustrated the defigns of foreign enemies and domeftic traitors. It was not, however, his intention to diminish the prefent standing force of the country; but he thought, after that force had been fo much increased by fo many voluntary offers of fervice from local to more extenfive fcenes of operation, and the country put on fuch a fafe and firm foundation, by the zeal and loyalty of the people, that every thing appertaining to its defence (hould be done with the leaft expence poffible. But, when he flattered himself our fituation might admit fome diminution of expence, he did not mean to infinuate that it would allow any relaxation in our exertions. It was the duty of Government to watch over with constant and unremitting anxiety a conteft, the existence of which de pended on the atrocity of our enemies: it fhould avail itself of every opportunity of relieving both individuals from duty, and the public from expence, when that could be done with fafety to the State. In doing this, however, care should be taken that no measure should be adopted that had the least tendency to diminishing the real ftrength of our present actual military force, it was better to bear the expence than run any hazard upon that occafion. He held out no hope of the speedy termination of the conteft, or that we might not yet obliged to meet a fevere encounter. That the country would be always prepared for fuch an event, he had no doubt. It had been already proved in this House, in the course of the feffion, that there was no pecuniary facrifice which the people were not willing to make to the fupport of the conteft in which they were engaged, and he was fatisfied they would not be lefs fparing in perfonal exertions-there were no efforts which they would think too great to maintain their independence, and preferve their honour. It was upon this fpirit were built all thofe actions that proclaimed their glory. Confident then in the zeal and energy of the people, and the fufficiency of the prefent ftanding force for all poffible contingencies, there were fome regulations which he deemed expedient, and which he intended to put in the fhape of three different propofitions.

In the first place, the Act of Parliament granting certain privileges to Volunteer Corps, who, being raised for local purposes, fhould confent to extend their fervices to the whole of a military diftrict, was limited to the 10th of this

month.

month. Many had taken advantage of it, and had thereby much increased the ftrength of the country; but, owing to many causes, among which was the late inclemency of the weather, there were many of the corps raised that had not an opportunity of meeting, and of confidering, in confequence of fuch meeting, how far they might extend their fervices. He did not look upon that Act as having received the benefit of a fair trial; and therefore he wished to enlarge the time to fuch future day as might be deemed neceffary. There was also an inaccuracy in its frame, which rendered many of its provifions inoperative; for the preamble recited an act of 1797 instead of an act of 1798; and, confequently, the body of the act, wherever it referred to the preamble, was totally defective. His firft motion then, he faid, would be to rectify that mistake, and enlarge its duration.

The fecond propofition refpected the Militia as it now tood. Of this part of our force, the Hon. Gentleman who heard him muft remember that the Supplementary Militia were now almoft trebled. If fully completed under the prefent laws, it would amount to 106,000: the fact, however, was, that it was deficient of the number, and did not exceed 82,000. This deficiency was to be attributed, among other causes, principally to an exemption in feveral counties from filling up the places of those which might become vacant under certain circumftances.-It was a deficiency, however, of which he was not difpofed to complain, feeling that the force at prefent raifed was fufficient for every poflible event. He had also formerly stated, that the whole amount of the general military force of this country for its internal defence was about 250,000 men. He did not pretend to speak with ftrict accuracy upon figures, upon each of the heads of which this amount was made up, but he was substantially right in the general refult. He was confident, that as things are now circumftanced, it was not in the power of the enemy to make any ferious attempt on the ifland in which we had the happiness to live; they might indeed poffibly make fome predatory and partial attempts, as part of a general fyftem of annoyance to this country; but that would not deferve the name of an attempt to invade the country. And as the fervice was now changed from that of distinct and local to a general fervice in defence of the country, he was apprehenfive the fecurity of the whole kingdom was much better provided for than it had been formerly. He did not mean to pledge himself that it was

totally

totally impoffible for a fingle fhip's crew of the enemy to bring their force, fuch as it was, on fhore in fome part of this country, but this he meant to fay, and meant to infift upon, that there was at this moment, in this country, a military force fufficient for all the purposes of its internal defence and perfect general fecurity; but as there were numbers of men wanted for the purposes of manufacture and of agriculture, he fhould be forry that more fhould be brought out of the Militia than was actually neceffary.

In laying this, he did not wish to hide, but on the contrary to give the country a view of all its danger; for he did not deny, notwithstanding the fuperiority of our fleet, and the many toffes fuftained by the enemy, that fome fuch attempt of invafion might be practicable under favourable and accidental circumftances impoffible to forefee or avoid.Not being aware, however, of any fuch circumftances, and feeling that, combined with our other forces, 82,000 Supplementary Militia were perfectly adequate to every purpose, it was his intention that it should not be increased beyond that amount, but to continue it as it now ftood. In fuch cafe it would appear, that fome regiments, according as they were more complete, as raised for the purpose of effecting a body of 106,000, would have more than their due complement or proportion for the smaller number of 82,000, while other regiments would have lefs. The bill, therefore, which he intended to bring in, would be, to limit the number; and it was also his wifh that an option fhould be given to discharge the fupernumeraries, or keep them as fuch on the establishment, to fupply the deficiencies that might arise from time to time in the regiments to which they respectively belonged. This, he faid, was the great outline he had to offer on the fecond part.

The third propofition, he faid, was founded on the fame principle as the fecond, namely, a wifh not to increase our force beyond what was actually neceffary; and it was the more particularly expedient to do fo, if poffible, at a season of the year when fo many hands would be wanting for the purposes of agriculture. This further regulation then related to the Provifional Cavalry. Of this body fix corps were already called out, and in actual fervice, with respect to which he did not mean to offer any decided measure, but fhould leave it to his Majefty to difband them if it should be adviseable. But as they were in a ftate of very good difcipline, perhaps it might be thought right to keep them embodied; and in that cafe individuals would be relieved from any farther burden with regard to them. His propofition

propofition was to relieve the counties from any further obligations of contributing to the fupport of the Provisional Cavalry. But at the fame time he was from admitting, but that the principle on which they had been raised was fuch as might again be reforted to, whenever a great body of cavalry fhould be wanted. Therefore, the prefent measure did not arife from any direliction of that principle. At the time his Right Honourable Friend had propofed the raising of these corps, the corps of Volunteer Cavalry and Yeomanry did not amount to more than 5000 men. They now confifted of 30,000; and constituted as well trained and disciplined a body of men as could be found any where. That was a force which did great honour to those who were engaged in it. They afforded to their country the beft means for its internal defence; it was a body of men who, from their education, were beft qualified to judge of-from their property, moft likely to feel a deep interest in, and from their habits, the most likely to have an affection for, the Conftitution of this country. Such a body of men, armed for the defence of their country, were the best fecurity its best friends could defire. He trufted that these Gentlemen, whofe difcipline became as much the object of praise, as their zeal was the object of admiration, should not find that Government had relaxed, or become indfferent, because the country was become fafe?-No: the fame zeal in the one, watchfulness in the other, fhould continue, in order that the tranquillity which had been obtained might alfo continue.

Thefe corps are peculiarly adapted to all the purposes of effential fervice, and entitled to be confidered the beft bulwark which we could rely on. He did not fay this from any feeling of his own, but on the authority of the commanding officers in the feveral diftricts, who had an opportunity of observing their difcipline, and who placed the utmost dependence on their exertions. He thought such an augmentation of force muft fuperfede that act, and render it unneceffary to call forth this part of our intended force. Mr. Dundas faid, this was the fubftance of what he had to propofe; and on these grounds he concluded with moving for leave to bring in a bill to enlarge the time of an act paffed for granting certain privileges to perfons extending their fervice from local to whole districts; for reducing the number of Militia raised in the different counties of England; and the other purposes ftated in the above propoGitions,

Colonel

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