which every poffible reliance was placed, in the course of a very few hours fuffered the monarchy to be overturned, and the revolution to triumph. In making this allufion, it was the farthest in the world from his intention to impeach the loyalty of our regular army. On the contrary, he believed that no body of men were ever animated with truer or more affectionate attachment to their fovereign. He admired, however, the prefent conftitution of our military force, as being exempted from the inconveniencies and the evils which attached to a certain degree to all ftanding, exclufive, permanent, armies. Bv fuch a conftitution, the strength and efficiency of the whole was confirmed and confolidated. He liked the prefent attitude of the country, whether we looked forward to the continuance of war or to the conclufion of peace. On the fubject of peace he should just say one word. He fhould be the ready advocate of peace, if it could be obtained on terms confiftent with the national honour and safety. This, however, he would diftinctly fay, and he was fure that he spoke the language of his Majesty's Ministers when he made the declaration, that no peace could be formed, no negociation could be liftened to, no offer for negociation could be accepted, while there was a hoftile army in any part of the united empire. If he had fuppofed it poffible for Minifters to have entertained contrary fentiments, he fhould have felt it his duty to have brought forward a diftin&t propofition, that the Minifter who thould listen to so disgraceful a propofition, would deferve to be impeached, and to lose his head as the punishment of his infamy. He stated it distinctly, therefore, as what he conceived was the unalterable resolution of Minifters, that no propofal for peace fhould be entertained, while a fingle French foldier had a footing on British ground. (This fentiment was univerfally applauded). The hon. Gentleman, after this patriotic effufion, went on to recommend unanimity on this interefting occafion. He did not call on Gentlemen to give up their opinions. He did not with by any means to dictate to them the courfe of political conduc which they were to purfue. Within the walls of that House every man had a fair right fully and unequivocally to declare his opinions on public affairs. He might be permitted, however, to entreat of Gentlemen, that as the period of their feparation was now at hand, they would not utter fuch fentiments out of doors; that they would not refort to any meatures which could damp the increafing ardour and energy of the country; that they would not lend the fanction of

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their names to fentiments which coming from unauthorized fources, had never been received with any portion of favour. Ail that he asked of them was, to fufpend their political animofities for a moment; not to reprefent the fervants of the Crown as weak and inefficient, at a moment when confidence in their exertions was fo neceffary to the falvation of the country; not to waste that time, and thofe talents in party fpirit and intrigue, which might be fo much more worthily emploved in performing the fublime and animated duties of patriotifm. This was a moment which called on every honeft man to unite heart and hand in support of all that is dear to us as a great and free people, against the greatest danger with which we were ever threatened. It was not, furely, afking too much of honourable Gentlemen, to afk them, during the fhort recefs of Parliament, to fufpend all purfuits, to relinquith all pursuits of fecondary importance, and to think only of the great caufe which interested all minds and attracted all hearts. Surely their party spirit was not fo violent, their hoftility to Minifters was not fo virulent as at all to come in competition with the great object of fav ing the country, which they uniformly declared was the first object of their regard. In that fhort interval, properly employed, much important fervice might be rendered to the country. Much might be done in giving a proper direction to that fpirit of patriotifm which now fortunately pervaded every part of the empire. Let but this fmall facrifice be made to patriotifm, and when they once more affembled in that House, they might again refume their favourite purtuits, under the pleating confcioufnefs, that they had contributed their efforts to the general fafety, that the patriotism of the people at large had at length fecured us against enemies, however malignant, and dangers however formidable. The hon. Gentleman, in conclufion, declined occupying the time of the Houfe, by any arguments in fupport of his motion. The zeal, the fortitude, the promptitude, with which the volunteer affociations had obeyed the call of their country in the hour of her danger, could never be fufficiently admired. He would not expatiate on their conduct, he would leave it without comment to the honest unbiaffed feelings of the Houfe He then moved,

"Tuat the thanks of this House be given to the volunteer and yeomanry corps, for the zeal and promptitude with which they affoeiated for the defence of the country, in this important and dangerous crifis."

He

He also moved—

“That a return of the different volunteer corps be laid before the House, in order that they may be handed down to pofterity, by being entered on the journals."

General Gascoyne feconded the motion, and observed, that great exertions had been made by the town which he had the honour of representing, though the service of one particular corps, which he thought peculiarly entitled to confideration, had not been accepted. He therefore hoped the motion would pafs without a diffenting voice. There was one thing only which he conceived objectionable in the conftitution of the volunteer corps, and unfortunately it was an evil which was every day running to a greater extent. It was that men of rank and fortune, and abilities, enrolled themselves as privates in a great number of corps. When he heard of Members of the other Houfe entering themselves as privates in the Lawyers' corps, and fome in this Houfe, too, he meant the Master of the Rolls (a laugh); he confeffed he felt much regret. For when the prefervation of law and order was one of the objects for which we were at war, he thought it right that the distinction of ranks, which made fo effential a part of that order, fhould be kept up. A promifcuous enrolment of perfons of this kind was alfo difadvantageous in a military point of view; for there were many duties annexed to the fituation of a private foldier, which they neither could perform, nor could be expected to perform, and he wished no man to enter the ranks who was not capable of doing all the duties of a foldier, and in a fituation to be commanded to do all thofe duties if occafion required. He wished alfo to obferve, that the number of men now in arms amounted to 300,000, independent of many offers which had not yet been accepted from difficulties of form, which were very easy to be got over, the principal difficulty being, that the offer was for limited fervice; and that being almost unive: fally obviated, as foon as it was underftood to be a difficulty, by withdrawing the offers, in order to renew them for more extended fervice. There was also another misconception, which prevailed to a confiderable extent, and which interfered with the objects of the volunteer service; it was, that those corps, whofe offers had originally been accepted for limited service, were not fucject to the exertion of the prerogative, fo as to be called, if occafion fhould require, to fervice more extended. When these dif

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ficulties and mifconceptions were removed, he conceived, that with fuch a force as we had, and with that force daily increafing, it would be very wrong to confine our fyftem of warfare to the defenfive. It was the common practice of the great Generals and military heroes, celebrated in history, when their terri.ory was invaded or menaced, to carry the feat of war into the enemy's country. He trufted, therefore, that when the fpirit which prevailed every where in the country, was matured, and rendered fteady by difcipline, fo glorious an impulfe would not be fuffered to waste itfelf, without reaping that harvest of glory, to which it was entitled; and as he feared the enemy would not give it the opportunity of gathering the laurels of which it was fo defirous on Britith ground, that opportunity should at least be afforded on the enemy's thore. He was the more defirous to impress this confideration on his Majefty's Minifters, as thofe preparations, which were only anticipation when he first pressed it, were now advanced, and every day approached nearer to completion. This country was the more called upon for fuch an attempt, as our fleet afforded us what may not be improperly called a draw-bridge to the Continent. He believed that fuch a system of warfare, if it were even only held out as a threat to the enemy, would have a good effect in teaching him to refpect us more, and to prefume lefs on himSelf. It would alfo have a good effect in fhewing the powers of Europe how differently we were circumftanced with refpect to the means of annoying our enemy, from what that enemy r. prefented. He withed every perfon, from the peer to the labourer, to adopt a military character, under the circumftances fuited to their refpective fituations; and he wifhed this attention to the diverfity of fituation the more, as he was aware there was no deficiency of fpirit in any fituation. He would here fay one word of a corps of Gentlemen, which he understood was to be formed, though he was not yet aware whether their fervices were to be accepted or not. He wished the Gentlemen who propofed to enter this corps, to confider how much more effectually they would promote the fervice, by entering in their proper ftations into other corps. The very difference of treatment, as a collective corps, which they would have in the fervice, when each would be attended by fervant to take care of him, would excite difcontent in the other corps ferving with them. He wished that confiderations of this kind were attended to, though they were not of any great comparative VOL. IV. 1802-3. importance.

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importance. He was fure, that if the fpirit that pervaded all ranks was properly directed, we should be very soon in that state, in which we fhould have nothing to fear from the enemy, and he would have much to fear from us. The motion had his cordial affent.

Mr. Chapman, after disclaiming any intention of disturbing the unanimity defired on the motion of Mr. Sheridan, adverted to the cafe of the Officers in the Eaft-India Company's fervice now in England, who having been alluded to by the Secretary at War, as a refource to affift in difciplining the army of referve, had offered their fervices in the moft gallant manner. To thefe offers, however, he understood no anfwer had been returned. Such conduct he confidered neither right nor handfome towards men who had frequently met the French in the field, were at the ftorming of Seringapatam, and at other enterprifes equally bold and daring; that there could be no doubt of their doing honour to any fervice on which they might be employed; but, that from the state of fufpence in which they were kept, they were precluded from coming forward in any other line. Mr. Chapman then declared that he could not accept his difmiffal without expreffing an earnest hope, that after the generous and laudable exertions of the volunteers, added to thofe of the other gallant troops in the fervice of their country, fhould have placed it in a state of perfect fecurity against hostile attacks, means would be found of annoying the enemy. That these were abundant he had not a doubt; and, with the permiffion of the Houfe, he would venture to fuggeft a quarter whence fome of them might be derived. Mr. Chapman then proceeded to state, that in the east a population of fifty millions yielded obedience to the mild fway of the fceptre of our benevolent fovereign. That this population added to that of our own iflands, was not inferior to the number of the hoft which trembles under the coercive rod of the Conful of France. That he meant not to aver that our fellow fubjects in the eaft were phyfically equal in energy or bodily ftrength to the hardy fons of more northern regions. Nor would he propofe to bring them to combat in thefe climates. But it was a juftice due to them to declare them capable of a very high degree of military difcipline, to poffefs great perfonal bravery, and to have manifefted a fidelity to our cause in difficulties unexampled. That his Majefty poffelfed dominions fituated in climates fimilar in many parts to their own. He alluded to the Weft-Indies. That in these he

was