that the noble Marquis (Titchfield) reprefented to him fome time fince, that the militia laws in force were not applicable to Middlefex. He then thought the noble Lord miftaken in that opinion, and conceived that a remedy might be found in putting it under a new regulation; but in that he found himfelf difappointed, for the militia of Middlesex were then no better railed than it had been before. It was evident, therefore, that fome other measure became neceffary; but it was not within the exclusive department of the Secretary at War, nor could it be likely to prove effectual, unlefs devifed in conjunction with the Lord Lieutenant and others.

The Marquis of Titchfield replied, that the explanation was fatisfactory, as far as regarded himself perfonally, but he was much more folicitous to eafe the wounded feelings of the Deputy Lieutenants. The converfation then ended upon that part of the fubject.

The House then refolved itself into the Committee, in which a variety of claufes were introduced. Among others. was a clause for exempting the Judges of England and Scotland from the operation of the act.

The Secretary at War propofed a clause to the effect, that the perfons comprized in the first clafs, who engaged to ferve as volunteers, fhould be bound to march in cafe of invasion, and that all perfons comprized in the other claffes fhould remain, and continue to exercife in the parishes till further orders. This claufe was agreed to.

The next claufe was, that it his Majesty ordered out any part of the fubfequent claffes, that it fhould be chofen by ballot.

Mr. IV. Smith faid, it would be more advantageous to have the ballot beforehand, than at the moment the men might be wanted.

Mr. Pitt fuggefted that it was not poffible that any more would be required to go out of the country, than those who were contained in the first clafs.

The Secretary at War faid, the details as to the number and defcription of the men to be drawn out ought to be left to his Majesty. It was certain that the perfons in the first clafs would be the first to affemble; but it was neceffary to provide for a case which, though unlikely to happen, might happen The next claufe was for training the men for 21 days at VOL. IV. 1802-3. 4 K far.heft,

fartheft, and not lefs than 14 days till the 25th of December

next.

Colonel Wood wished, that men fhould be trained all the year round, as there was no knowing how long the alarm might laft.

Mr. Pitt faid, the object was, that the 20 days training fhould take place as early as poffible. He thought 14 days' would be too little, unless it was meant to be in addition to the Sundays. He thought it was not poffible to train any number equal to the first clafs in the courfe of the present year. It would be much better to leave it to his Majefty.

The Secretary at War obferved, that it was in his Majesty's difcretion to give directions as to the period of training. In fourteen days a man might learn all that was sufficient. It was not neceffary to keep men longer exercifing than just to give them the first rudiments.

Sir W. Pulteney remarked, that exercifing men upwards of two hours at a time only tortured and wearied them, instead, of facilitating their improvement.

Mr. Courtenay ftated, that he remembered a regiment under Lord Howe, in the year 1756, which, confifting of raw recruits, in three weeks learnt its exercife, and was able to fire in platoons as well as the most experienced regiment; he faw it afterwards embark for America He mentioned this to fhew that twenty-one days were fufficient to learn people the use of arms. He often faw old regiments manoeuvring, looking to the right and left, and figuring in and out like fchool miffes with French dancing mafters, while young reCruits, with very little inftruction, became effective foldiers. If this bill was effentially carried into effect, it would make every man able to face the enemy.

The next clause related to the number of men his Majesty fhould draw out in the first inftance upon the aların of inva fion Agreed to.

The next required that the muster-roll fhould make a report of the prefent and the abfentees at the parochial drills. Agreed to.

The Secretary at War then brought up a claufe, enacting, that perfons earning their livelihood by daily labour should be paid is for every day's attendance; and that the fame fhould be reimbursed by the overfeers of the poor, who should be reimbursed every month by the receiver-general, under the order of two juftices of the peace.

Siz

Sir William Pulteney thought this claufe would be ruinous to the whole fyftem. If fuch a principle of remuneration was once begun, it could not be withdrawn. He was therefore averfe to there being any payment at all. He wished that people should come forth to exercife after their hours of labour were over. He recollected that when the French fleet in the Channel was fuperior to ours, and there was a fear of invafion, the people exercised after their labour was over, and all they received was two-pence to drink. It was a propofition destructive of the whole fyftem, for he was well perfuaded the money must eventually come out of the public purfe. He hoped the Committee would not liften for one

moment to it

Mr. Pitt faid, he confidered the adoption of the claufe necessary to render the bill efficient for the prefent purposes of it. He did not mean to fay that men were to be paid when they were not taken from their labour. He had no with that they thould be remunerated for exercising on a Sunday. Referring to the employing of the people during the approaching hay and corn harveft, he was fure they could not devote themselves to fwenty-one days exercise without taking fo much time from their labour. In a future year the payment propofed might be regulated, but at present it was a propofition of indifpenfible neceffity.

Sir IV. Pulteney faid, that if fuch a precedent was laid down it never could be departed from. We ought to make a ftruggle to avoid paying any thing; the fervice thould be entirely voluntary.

Lord Caftlereagh faid, he partly felt the force of the ob jection. With regard to Sunday, it would be travelling out of the queftion to talk of giving pay on that day, or in any cafe where the hour of exercife was not the hour of occupa tion. He thought the claufe ought not to be general, becaufe undoubtedly there were individuals who would with to make a facrifice of their time to the public. He was of opinion, that if words were introduced into the claufe, limiting its operation to those who fhould require remuneration, the objection might be obviated, and he thought the officer ought to certify when the party exercised after the ufual hours of labour. He was fatisfied, that a people fo full of the caufe in which they were engaged, were capable of making whatever facrifice might be neceffary. The people of Ireland had willingly made that facrifice, and nothing had ever occurred more to confirm hem in habits of industry. As legiflating for the

4 K 2

public,

public, he was of opinion the remuneration ought to be given where it was required.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer fuggefted fome flight verbal alteration in the clause.

Mr. Plumer faid, many men went to work at five in the morning, and continued till eight at night. If gentlemen thought a man, after fuch labour, could go to exercise with any degree of fpirit, they were mistaken.

Mr. Cour.enay obferved, that those who were adverse to the clause, seemed to think that virtue was its own reward; but he believed men who rofe at four o'clock, and worked all day, would have very little inclination to exercise for two hours afterwards, merely from a fpirit of patriotifm. When he looked up to the higher ranks, he did not perceive that they were fond of working gratuitoufly for the public. Much importance feemed to be attached to this fplendid fhilling. He thought it was a proper encour gement to men to give up their time. It was not very light labour, after an hard day's work, to handle a firelock for a couple of hours; and he was perfuaded, if the hon. Baronet tried his hand at it, he would not think himself very well paid at receiving only a fhilling. It had been mentioned that the people who exercife themselves upon an alarm of invafion, had received only two-pence; now he recollected having read in the works of General Monk, that when men were led on to dangerous enterprizes, it was neceffary to give them a pot of beer. General Monk was a man of experience, and as he had said in his time, that every man, in a fervice of danger or trouble, fhould have a pot of beer, furely it was not too much to fay that they should now have a fhilling to drink the King's health, and fuccefs to Old England. The precedent was not intended to apply to another year. It only referred to the prefent and enfuing harvest.

Colonel Porter was of opinion the allowance ought to be made.

Mr. Kinnaird objected to allowing the 1s. per day, unless the men exercifed 21 confecutive days

Mr. IV Smith was of opinion, that is. a day might be too much at one period of the year, and too little at another.

Lord Caflereagh admitted, it might fometimes be more or lefs than a compensation, but no man was to receive it at any rate, unless he earned his bread by daily labour, and required it.

Mr. Gyles obferved, that labourers in fome parts of the

country

country were hired for the month, and fed by their masters; confequently, if they exercifed during the hours allotted to labour, the lofs would be their masters', and not theirs. He thought the remuneration ought to be left to the difcretion of the Lord Lieutenants.

Mr. W. Smith faid, he wished that the fyftem of training might extend to 1,000.000 of men; and to talk of paying them a fhilling a day, would be to impofe a very heavy bur then upon the country. The price of labour was already rifing in the country, but this plan would tend to make it ri ftill more; for if a man could get a fhilling for exercising two hours, he would be apt to compare that remuneration with the profit of his whole day's labour.

After fome further converfation between Lord Caftlereagh, Mr. Plumer, the Secretary at War, Colonel Wood, General Galcoyne, Doctor Laurence, and Sir William Pulteney, the claufe was agreed to.

The Secretary at War then propofed a claufe, impowering fheriffs of counties to fummon juries to afcertain the value of property appropriated to the public fervice, in cafes where the owners thould be diffatisfied with the compenfation allowed by the Lords Lieutenants.

The last claufe propofed by the Secretary at War, was the fchedule containing the form of the mufter-roll.

Mr. Tyrwhitt (the Prince of Wales's Secretary) brought up a claufe giving the fame powers to the Lord Warden and Deputy Warden of the Stannaries, as to Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants: and also another clause endowing them with the fame military command in the Stannaries, as Lords and Deputy Lieutenants in the counties.

The Houfe refumed, and the report was received and ordered to be taken into further confideration the next day. TAX ON PROPERTY.

The order of the day was moved for the Houfe to refsive itfelf into a Committee on the property bill.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer trufted, the Committee would approve of the arrangement he meant to propose. He had a great number of clauses to submit, but it was impoffible they could be taken into confideration in the flate they now were. It was his intention they should be engrafted in the bill, and that the bill fhould be reported and printed; but it would be recollected, that there were fome amendments which could be made in a Committee. He therefore thould

propofe,