fary uniforms; and the natural modefty of others, which would make them tenacious of entering into the fame corps with their fuperiors in rank. The opinion he entertained upon the fubject was very much ftrengthened by fome very pertinent remarks in the public prints; the contents were not in general of that defcription.

Mr. Sheridan ridiculed the hon. Gentleman's farcafms on the public prints, observing, that in compliment to his friend (Mr. Cobbett) he probably preferred the weekly to the diurnal publications. He praifed the readiness, zeal, and alacrity of the volunteer corps, and remarked, that, with the exception of the regulars, there was not a corps in the kingdom on which the late Secretary at War had not cast some degree of odium. He approved of this bill, because it encouraged volunteer exertions, and pointed out the station in which every man in the country ought to place himfelf. It had been ftated by the right hon. Gentleman, with refpect to the general defence bill, that its object ought to have been to march companies to the army, and that their first destination was to be that of filling up the regiments of the line. He had spoken to Gentlemen upon that fubject, who thought that a nobleman, gentleman, tradesman, or farmer, all of whom were liable to the operation of the act, if they did not volunteer, would be very much furprised to find themselves, perhaps in the courfe of a month, in a private regiment, and liable to be tied up to the halberts. It was impoffible for any man to make a comparison between the volunteers and those who were drilled on compulfion. Could the latter be compared with thofe patriotic volunteers, who were facrificing their time in perfecting themselves in their exercise ? Look at the St. George's and the Westminster volunteers, who most likely might, at this moment, be feen exercising in the Hall. But the hon. Gentleman had faid, he disliked that fuperiority and spirit of aristocracy in towns and villages, which it was the tendency of the bill to introduce. He denied that it would have any fuch effect. The only effect of the bill was that of allowing perfons to volunteer instead of being compelled to ferve. They were not obliged to wear an uniform. If in villages they voluntarily came forward without uniform, they were exempted from the operation of the general defence bill. In large towns, fuch as Birmingham, Sheffield, and Nottingham, he should prefer affociations of the higher claffes, and in the country and villages those of the lower. He was fatisfied with the power this bill gave 5 E 2 his

this Majefty, with regard to the acceptance of volunteer fer:vices. We ought not to ftop while any thing was left to be dore. We should look forward to the poffibility of the moft difaftrous, calamitous, and difgraceful events again occur ring. The ftate of Ireland was fuch, that although every man must rejoice at its prefent fecurity, we ought not to calculate on its remaining free from difturbance. It was abfolutely neceffary that Ireland thould not be separated from this country. It might, perhaps, be neceffary that the whole of our difpofable force fhould be employed for the purpose of retaining Ireland. Upon the whole, he faw no objections to the alterations proposed by this bill, but, on the contrary, thought it a proper extenfion of the fyftem of voJunteer fervice. (Mr. Sheridan delivered this fpeech from the Treasury Bench.)

Mr. Windham, in allufion to the part of the House from whence the hon. Gentleman had spoken, described him as a new convert, and obferved, that like a young foldier he had fired his inufquet too foon. When a measure was brought forward that was new, various in its operations, and depending upon a thoufand different caufes, the effects of which were impoffible to be forefeen, time ought to be allowed to difcufs it. This was a bill which it had been thought neceffary to read a first and fecond time the preceding day. It was a measure in fuch a hurry, that not a moment's time was to be loft in debating it; but it was impoffible, in point of fact, that a measure like that of arming the nation could be carried on with fuch speed. It must proceed with regularity; it was like the feven ages defcribed by Shak fpeare. The bill must first be prepared; it must then be brought in; it had to go through the forms of the Houfe; first and second. readings; committed; third reading; and the fame stages in the other Houfe; it must then be paffed, after which it was to be fent into the country to be carried into execution. Then there followed fuch a clattering, fuch a buftle, and tumult; what with the various duties of the tything-man, the Lord Lieutenant, and the Deputy Lieutenants, the whole business was as confufed as a horfe-race. The tything-man was going to the school-master to read the act, and the feliool-malter to the juftice to underfiand it. In thort, before this bill could produce the men, the enemy might be at the door. It would be fome time before we had the men in their thoes, but how long it would be before they became foldiers, "feeking reputation in the cannon's mouth," he

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could not fay. At prefent we had an army only on paper. He referred to the journals and placards, obferving, that, at the beginning of an invafion, he wished for fomething better than paper bullets. The country was not to be defended by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's coming vapouring down" to the Houfe, exclaiming, Don't be afraid! I am the man. Something like him, who, when he was told up stairs, the houfe was on fire, said, What! and I here! After the right hon. Gentleman had fet the four corners of the world on fire, it was not his coming down with his little bucket, or thimble full of water, that would extinguith the flame. He next referred to the writings and principles of his friend Mr. Cobbett, on whom he pronounced an high-flown panegyric, stating, that he had met every bad revolutionary principle by principles of the most good, loyal, and virtuous, a tendency, and that he (Mr. Cobbett) deferved to have a statue of gold erected to his memory. As to the mode of carrying the bill into execution, he was of opinion, that if Minifters combined the higher orders, and left the lower orders to themselves, they would put the defence of the country upon a bad footing. He defired to know how the volunteers were to be combined. Was it to be a mixture of the old and the young, the robust and the weak, the hufband and man of family, and the fingle man, the enervated with the ftrong. If this was to be the fyftem, the volunteer corps would be merely places of refuge from that fervice which the prerogative of the King might call upon every man for. It was providing a place of retreat for thofe who withed to avoid fervice. He therefore deprecated the force of the country being converted into volunteer corps: he admitted that the bill might be good or bad, according as it was executed,

Mr. Sheridan, in reply to the obfervations that he was a new convert, afked the hon. Gentleman whether it was a new fituation for him to come forward and state his opinion when the country was in danger? Did he call out like the hon. Gentleman," restore me and my friends to power, or the country cannot be faved?" Was it new to him to be an advocate in the cause of the country? The hon. Gentleman had accused him of firing his mufquet too foon; he had, however, returned the fire. He ought to apologize to his Majesty's Ministers for the danger into which he had brought them; but happily the hon. Gentleman had fired his muf ket, but had forgot to put ball in it. The hon. Gentleman commanded a fine piece of artillery, which was formidable whenever

whenever he had recourfe to it; but he was fo fond of fquibs and crackers, that he feldom did any execution. It was not long fince the hon. Gentleman had stated, that there was no fpirit in the country, and that journals lagged in rousing its energies. Would he have had thefe bills brought in at that time? He had faid, the people of England were a degraded, bafe, and lost people. Was that the time for bringing forward fuch a meafure? No, it was more likely to be attended with effect, by having been brought forward after the spirit of the people had been excited. With regard to that clattering and race course bustle the hon. Gentleman had described, he was glad to hear that noife of the machinery of the bill, but it was with regret he had heard the hon. Gentleman fpeak of it with difguft and rebuke. The hon. Gentleman had called the placards of the enemy paper bullets, and had faid what a time for Bonaparte to come! It was to be hoped he would not come the fooner in confequence of what the hon. Gentleman had said, but if he did, he would find that the measures adopted by Minifters had already produced an army of 100,000 volunteers. The hon. Gentleman regretted the measure had not been brought forward fooner, but he could have no fubftantial reason for his regret, except that he would have had three times fo many opportunities of abufing Minifters. His fyftem had been a fyftem of dif couragement, which, if it had been followed, would have led the country to defpair, and proftrate itself at the feet of its enemy. He had faid, that there was no falvation for the country, except by a particular individual being Minister; that the country had nothing to fight for; that after the dif graceful Treaty of Amiens, the country had received, on the part of honour, kicks innumerable; that it had nothing like glory or honour for which to contend. This was one of his modes of difcouragement. The next was to lay down by moft laborious demonftration, that no irregular force could contend with the regular. That fuch a force as we had, was impoffible to refift fuch a force as the enemy could bring against us. The next was, that nothing could be done for the country till the prefent Minifters were out-that they were an incubus, a night-mare-and that the more that was given them, the worse they were. He then referred to what he defcribed as the hon. Gentleman's filly panegyric upon Mr. Cobbett, and the erection of a ftatue of gold to his honour. (Here Mr. Windham said fomething in a low tone of voice) Mr. Sheridan continued. The hon. Gentleman, he

faid, feemed to mutter at this; nay, he groaned; he was glad to hear him groan. However, he hoped, he would go on with his ftatue of gold, and make it a colossal statue; but he advifed him not to folicit fubfcriptions at the Royal Exchange; it was not likely he would be very fuccefsful there, for, he believed, in one of that Gentleman's papers, he had obferved, that the ftocks could not exift if the monarchy exift. It was not very probable that the writer of fuch a fentiment would be very popular in that wealthy city where any fubfcribtion could be raifed with effect.

Mr. William Smith faid, he approved of the bill in its orignal shape, because it conveyed the idea of the whole mafs of the people being trained. He wished the training to extend to every clafs, as the country might be placed in a fituation in which it would be neceffary all fhould be ready to act. He was aware there might be fome perfons lefs to be trufted than others, but he was perfuaded the people at large were loyal. He obferved that the volunteer force was difperfed over the whole country, and might not be easily drawn together at the point where it was wanted. He liked the original measure, because it was to make us an armed nation. There was befides an advantage in having an indefinite force,if it was afcertained the enemy might be able to bring a force adequate to meet it.

Mr. Archdale ftated, that Mr. Cobbett, in his Journal, had afferted, there were not 18,000 men in Ireland, and that France had only to fend four ships of war, with as many troops as they could convey, in order to take poffeffion of that country. Now was this a fentiment for which a man ought to have a ftatue of gold? It was not an attempt to fet fire to the four corners of the world, but to the four corners of Ireland. If his Majefty's Minifters ought to be difmiffed, let Gentlemen move to that effect. If they did not poffefs the confidence of the Houfe they would be difmiffed; but at a time like this, to go on embarraffing Minifters was useless and unavailing.

Mr. Windham faid a few words in explanation.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, it was with reluctance he protracted the difcuffion. feeling that Gentlemen might be better employed; he should be forry to fix on himself the imputation of having delayed by unneceflary obfervations, those exertions that were neceffary for the fafety of the country. An hon. Gentleman (Mr. Smith) had ftared his opinion of the bill under a wrong impreffion. He had flated that the

force