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fervices might be required-fhould be capable of conforming to orders without confufion or delay-of collecting with celerity, and acting with decision. Such a defirable, for it would be unwife to leave the defence of the Such a plan is highly country placed on our naval force, however fuperior, or in our regular army, however gallant and well difciplined, or even in the people armed en maffe, unless previously drilled in military manœuvres, and fubject to the directions of Government, who, by the measure before the Houfe, are to be invested with ample powers of rendering the application of this force effectual, of directing it to the feveral branches of public service which circumftances may call for. The training of the people, however, fhould be prompt; no delay fhould be fuffered, for there was no room to allow it. efforts of thofe to be entrusted with the execution of this The important duty fhould be unremitted, and indeed of all public and private individuals, until the country fhall be completely fecure against any attacks of the enemy. This fecurity is certain if every man will be active in his station, and of that activity I have not the least doubt, if Government will give the proper ftimulus. With refpect to the obfervations of my noble Friend upon the fentiments of my right hon. Friend (Mr. Windham) as to the dangers of invafion, the noble Lord feems to have quite miftaken his meaning, for my right hon. Friend did not at all defcribe the danger in such a way as to damp the fpirit of the country, but rather to excite its caution and energy, by removing the idea that an invafion is impracticable; and as foon as that delufive notion shall ceafe to prevail, I am quite certain that the whole tenor of my right hon. Friend's remarks will be to produce confidence of fecurity in the public mind, at the time when that feeling of confidence ought to exift, either with reference to the fafety of the ftate, or of individuals. The amount of our danger, therefore, it would be impolitic to conceal from the people. It was the firft duty of Minifters to make it known, and after doing fo, it should have been their study to provide against it, and to point out the means to the country by which it might be averted. It is quite impoffible that a people will make adequate efforts to refift a danger, of the nature and extent of which they are ftudioufly kept in ignorance. Upon thofe grounds I difapprove of the outcry fo often raised against my right hon. Friend and others, who have endeavoured by their fpeeches to roufe the energies of the country in the most effectual way, namely, by pointing

out

out the neceffity which existed for employing those energies. After, however, the grounds of apprehenfion fhall have been extinguished, I have little doubt that the exertions of my right hon. Friend will be to point the attention of Ministers to fuch means of annoying the enemy as his ingenuity can fuggeft, and that thofe grounds will be removed with proper attention and activity on the part of Minifters, I can have no doubt; for who can fear for the event when millions of Englishmen are to be opped to the detachment of the inftruments of French ambition? and whatever the number of our invaders may be, they cannot, comparatively with the force I truft we shall have to oppofe them, be more than a mere detachment. I have not underflood from the words of my right hon. Friend that he had any fear as to the event, but that he wished folely to urge to the adoption of fuch measures as might tend to give an effective direction to our natural trength. My right hon. Friend has appeared to me very Jittle to indulge in thofe gloomy prefages which are afcribed to him by thofe of whofe fluggithnefs, fupineness, and inactivity he has been long in the habit of complaining, but I feet the most fincere gladnefs that the charge of fupineness can no longer apply: his Majefty's Minifters feem now determined upon roufing the fpirit of the country, and upon giving that fpirit a juft and powerful direction. I hail, for the fake of my country, the appearance of this refolution. This is an aufpicious day; but I cannot help expreffing my furprife that this measure has not been fubmitted to the ccnfideration of the Houfe long ago; but even now I hope it will answer its purpofe, that it will meet the approbation of Parliament, and that the people will promptly come forward to fecond its object. After the precife views of this country thall be made known, and after its dangers fhall be fully understood, I am fure that no man will shrink from the calls of his country in this hour of peril, unlefs. from motives fuch as he dare not avow. Whether Minifters onght fooner to have propofed this meafure, is a question into which I fhall not now enter at large, but I will merely obferve, that if it becomes neceffary from a knowledge of the enemy's views, I believe no knowledge of that kind has been recently obtained-none of which Minifters and the public were not aware at the time that war was declared; and even before. Why then was this impor ant measure delayed? The danger to be looked for has been a p ehended for a confiderable time back, and upon the contingency of it

my

my noble Friend admits, that even during peace a very large 589 and expensive establishment was kept up. I cannot conceive any excufe that can be alleged for fuch procraftination. It did not proceed, I fuppofe, from the defire of Minifters to confider the fcale and measure of our dangers [a laugh], or from an opinion on their part, that it was better they tho uld be tardy and gradual in their measures of defence against the gigantic efforts of the enemy [a laugh].-This cannot have been the reafon, and really I fee no difference in the state of Europe, nor in the relative fituation of this country with refpect to France, from what it was at the commencement of the war. I am therefore at a lofs to divine the motives which have influenced the conduct of Ministers, and why this meafure was not brought forward long fince. If there was no neceffity to be active, if there was leifure for flow deliberation, then of courfe the period is not fuch in their estimation as to call for any extraordinary promptitude or exertion, or fuch as ought to excite alarm; but, in truth, if there was any particular measure which claimed precedency, it was that now under confideration, which could not interfere with any other military arrangements. The queftion fimply is thiswas it prudent to poftpone the introduction of a measure which had for its object to prepare the people for a general armament, and which preparation must neceffarily confume fome time before it could be efficient; yet in the wisdom of Minifters this is the particular measure which is to be delayed to the laft. I will not, however, ftop to inquire into the time which has been already loft; but I fhall exprefs my earneft hope that no time will be wasted hereafter-that every inftant will be actively engaged until the country be completely fafe. I think that fome arrangements fhould be made to connect the different departments of the executive authority, that upon orders iffued from Government to the Lord Lieutenants of counties, the people might be immediately fet in motion; that, without interfering with agriculture, which fhould not by any means be dilturbed, the feveral claffes might be difciplined; to attend the drill at least two days in each week; to affemble in particular places throughout the country; the limitation of distance from the refidence of each man to the place of affembly to be about fix miles; the time of attendance to be not lefs than half-a-day. The distance I propofe is not more than the ftout English peafantry are in the habit of going to a cricket match, or any other rural amufement. Thefe men, in my conception, might be dif VOL. IV. 1802-3. 4 D ciplined

ciplined by foldiers on furlough, who, on being called back to their regiment, when danger fhould actually reach our fhores, might be enabled to bring with them one hundred fturdy recruits prepared for military action through their means. With regard to the motion before the House, I must fay that it is not liable to the objections advanced by my right hon. Friend, on the ground that it would have a compulfory operation, for in fact it does not propofe to refort to compulfion, if the object can be attained by voluntary offers; and I am of opinion that the purposes may be fo effected. These voluntary offers may be promoted confiderably by the prefence of the nobility and gentry in their refpective districts, and on that account I rejoice in the profpect that we are foon to feparate, not only with reference to this, but to the other measures which have paffed the Houfe, and to the execution. of which the prefence I have alluded to must materially contribute. The great men of the country to animate by their example, to countenance by their authority, and to affift by their advice the operations of the people, have it in their power to achieve the most important good, to excite a zeal and devotion to the public caufe, and to diffufe their own spirit through all ranks of the community. With a view to thofe defirable advantages, I with that the feffion may be fhort; and I hope that as little time as poffible may be loft in examining and arranging the details of this important measure, and that whatever reasons we may have to look for voluntary offers, we shall not rely on thofe offers altogether; for, as the representatives of the people, we are bound to provide for their fafety, and to provide a fufficient force. Though they may not be difpofed to take care of themselves, it is our duty to take care of them. If, therefore, voluntary offers fhall not be adequate to the purpose, we must of course refort to compulfory proceedings. The dwelling of the man is, as I have already obferved, the principal object to be attended to; but I beg it to be understood that, in my opinion, the poorer claffes fhould be remunerated for the time they may be engaged in difcipline. I hope it is fo intended, though I have not heard any thing of the kind mentioned by my right hon. Friend in the opening. The man who is taken from his labour for the public fafety ought certainly to be paid for his time, and this would ferve to reconcile fuch persons to a practice which otherwife would be justly confidered a very great hardship. As to the trouble which the nobility and gentry may be called upon tofubmit to in this general arma

ment,

ment, I cannot do them the injustice of supposing that they would not fubmit to it with alacrity, or that questions of mere perfonal convenience would, in fuch a crifis as the prefent, have any weight with them. In the execution of this meafure I do not like the idea of waiting for the flow progrefs of a ballot. I think that unlefs the volunteers should, within a certain date, comply with the condition prescribed, their confent thould not be waited for. In those parithes where the voluntary offers fhould not be promptly made, the compulfory levy should be promptly enforced. This compulfion, however, would not, according to my apprehenfion, be in any inftance neceffary, if the Lord Lieutenants of counties, with the deputies and other perfons of refpectability, would go round from houfe to houfe in their refpective diftricts, and folicit the people to come forward. This 1 know I am not too fanguine in believing would effectually accomplith within one month the ends we have in view without any compulfion whatever, particularly when they are apprised fully of the neceffity for their fervice; when they were encouraged by the advice of their fuperiors; and when they have the latisfaction of knowing that the Legislature have deemed their country's danger demands it. Much has been faid of the danger of arming the people. I confefs that there was a time when that fear would have had fome weight, but there never was a time when there could have been any fear of arming the whole people of England, and particularly not under the prefent circumflances. I never, indeed, entertained any apprehenfions from a patriot army regularly officered, according to the manner specified in the measure before the Houfe, however I might hefitate to permit the affemblage of a tumultuary army otherwife conftituted. From an army to confift of the round bulk of the people, no man who knows the British character could have the leaft fear-if it even were to include the difaffected, for they would bear fo fmall a proportion to the whole, as to be incapable of doing mifchief however mischievously difpofed. There was, indeed, a time when atfociations of traitors, fyftematically organized, excited an apprehenfion of the confequences of a fudden armament of the populace, but that time is no more, and the probability is now, as occurred in the cafe of the volunteers, that if there are still any material number of difaffected, that by mixing them with the loyal part of the community, the fame patriotic zeal, the fame fubmiftion to juft authority will be foon found to pervade the whole body, and that all will be equally anxious

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