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the Irish militia were rendered transferable to England, they would do infinitely more harm than good; and, it can hardly be forgotten, that the same opinion was pretty distinctly expressed by Lord Limerick, in seconding the address to the throne, on the 22d of November last. "With respect," he said. to the militia of Ireland, the wisest policy was, to employ them, par"tially, at least, in this country. There might, indeed, exist an aversion, on the part of the English and Scotch militia to crossing the sea; but, he repeated his "opinion, that, with respect to the Irish "militia, they would, it brought to this "country, behave as well as troops possibly "could." Now, every one knows, that his lordship, if he had thought it prudent to speak out, would have said, that the 18,000 men, raised in Ireland, at four guineas a man, under the name of militia, were of very little use: so little, in the opinions of some persons, as to render their absence something truly desirable; nay, I have heard it declared, by a gentleman very well acquainted with the state of Ireland, and very deeply interested in its fate, that he should look upon his estates in that country as being much more valuable than they now are, if the 18,000 militia had never had arms put into their hands. When, therefore, one reflects, that of this body of men, eight or ten thousand might, by a bounty of seven guineas a man, have been enrolled in the regular army, and, of course, sent to any part of the world, we are astonished at the assurance of those, who can, with the lesson of experience before them, still rail at the objections urged by Mr. Elliot and Mr. Windham against the measure in question.

But, the Near Observer says, that these gentlemen were now, and for the first time toc, discovered to be "adverse to "the system and principle of militia forces "altogether." Mr. Elliot began his speech not only by stating, that "he thought it highly important that the principle of the "militia should be preserved and cherished," but he also said, that he “had no objection "to the adoption of the principle of a mi"litia in Ireland;" and, in the same debate, though Mr. Windham appeared to be more averse to a militia system than Mr. Elliot, he said, "that he did not mean, that "there should be no militia at all; he only "alluded to the proportion of it compared "to the standing army, which he thought "much more essential to the defence of the

country, and which, therefore, he did not "wish to see sapped by bounties given to "raise recruits for what were called militia

"regiments."I have already observed that the passage above quoted from the Near Observer is a mere rechauffee of what was delivered from the Treasury Bench, on the 15th and 16th of March last. The Attorney-General of Ireland is, indeed, quoted by name, though the candid partisans of the candid Addingtons omitted to notice Mr. Elliot's answer, which, as we have seen, contained a complete refutation of the charge preferred against him by that learned gentleman. The same sort of candour has been observed with respect to Mr. Windham, of whom it is asserted, in a rèpetition of almost the very words of Mr. Yorke, that he "in his official situation "appeared the most zealous advocate of this

species of army; that, during the time he "was in office, the militia in England had "been augmented to an unprecedented "degree, and the militia of Scotland and "Ireland instituted and begun." Hence, it is concluded, that Mr. Windham lent his name to measures which he condemned; and, that he was ready to submit his do"cile conscience to the hand of Mr. Pitt," These are the words of the Near Observer. Let us now hear Mr. Yorke. “He did not,

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by any means complain of the hon. gentle"man's objections to this measure; he only "complained that the right hon. gent. had "made his general objections at a time, "and upon an occasion, when these objec"tions could lead to no practical conclusion. "He complained that the right honourable gentleman, entertaining such opinions. upon this subject as he now appeared to "do, should, while he was in office, bave augmented the militia to a degree hereto"fore unprecedented; for the right hon. "gent. was at that time in a department "(war office) immediately connected with "the public force. The right hon. gent. "had not only suffered the militia in Eng"land to be so augmented; but, while he "held an important office in administration, "the militia of Scotland was formed, and "he believed that of Ireland; and yet upon "these occasions the right hon. gent. had

urged no objection. But now, even if the "right honourable gentleman's objections "should prevail, (unless the parliament

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were to supercede all the militia laws at "once,) he stated them for the first time. "When the bill, of which the present one

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was only a part, was before the House, "and when, from the situation of the coun"try, his objections could have been more "deliberately and maturely examined, the "right hon. gent. sat perfectly silent."From the Addingtons or the Hawkesburies

one might have expected to hear insinuations and charges like these, but, though "evil communications corrupt good man"ners," from Mr. Yorke, I, most assuredly, should not have expected them. As a cabinet-minister Mr. Windham might, in the cabinet, oppose the measures here spoken of; but if his opposition proved unsuccess ful, if he could not enforce his opinion against that of the rest of the council, will Mr. Yorke say, that it was his duty to resign his office, and to quit the cabinet? Of this, however, more bereafter. Mr. Yorke charges him with having augmented the militia," and with having, "while in a department immediately connected with the public force, "SUFFERED the militia of England to "be augmented, and that of Scotland and "Ireland to be formed." Who, that is un acquainted with the nature of the office that Mr. Windham held, would not, from this representation, inagine, that Mr. Windham was the author, the first proposer of the augmentation of the militia in England, as well as of the establishment of a militia in Scotland and Ireland; especially as his office was that of Secretary at War. Mr. Yorke certainly could not intend to send forth to the world so gross a misrepresentation; and, yet one hardly knows how to account for his expressions in any other way, without imputing to him a want of even common discernment. Mr. Yorke knew; Mr. Yorke must know, for he was Secretary at War himself at the time when he made the above quoted speech; he must, therefore, well know, that Mr. Windham, as Sccretary at War, had no more to do with the augmenting or creating of militia forces, than the Lord Chancellor had. Mr. Yorke knew, that the management of the militia lay exclusively with the Secretary of State for the War Department, which office was then filled by Mr. Dundas, now Lord Melville; Mr. Yorke knew, that by Mr. Dundas and the Commander in Chief the whole of that branch of the public service was managed; that no official communication existed between it and the war-office; and that, except as far as his opinion and vote would go in the cabinet council, Mr. Windham had no more controul over the measures alluded to, than the Emperor of China had. This bring the true state of the case, let the world judge, whether it was fair and manly in Mr. Yorke to charge Mr. Windham with

would not have succeeded, there would have been nothing for it to stick to; but, the appellation of late Secretary at War was charmingly calculated to take with the ignorant gaping crowd in the galleries. I would, however, put it to Mr. Yone, whether the taking advantage of such a circumstance was worthy of him, or of any one who had the honour to reply to Mr. W ndham; whether he thinks that Mr. Windham would have resorted to the use of such means; whe her he does not now lament, that he has furnished the Near Observer with the materials of misrepresentation and calumny; and, finally, whether he can view without feeling some degree of humiliation, the contrast exhibited in the conduct of Mr. Windham.-- One point only remains. Mr Yorke states, that Mr. Windham "urged no objection" to the militia measures adopted while he was in office. Where does Mr. Yorke mean? He cannot know, that he urged no objections in the cabinet; he must, therefore, mean, that he urged none in parliament; and, I would, then, like to hear Mr. Yorke say, whether it was the custom, whether it ever has been the custom, whether an instance of that kind ever was heard of, for a member of the cabi net to oppose, in parliament, a cabinet measure. But, Mr. Yoke goes further, and says, that, since Mr. Windham has been out of the cab net, he has never opposed any militia arrangement till now. "Even," says be, "if the Right Honourable Gentle"man's objections were to prevail, he has now stated them for the first time.” I hope Mr. Yorke's memory is very short; for, I should be sorry to suppose, that, when he made this assertion, he had not completely forgotten what passed upon the bringing up the report of the Scotch militia bill, on the 31st of May 1802. The object of this bill was to enable his Majesty, in case of inva sion, or any other great emergency, to augment the Scotch militia in the proportion of one half. Mr. Elliot objected to the measure, for the same reason that we have seen him object to the Irish militia system; to wit, that it would tend to destroy the recruiting service for the regular army. The concluding words of Mr. Elliot's speech express opini ons, which cannot be too generally inculcated, and to which it is, at this time, peculi arly useful to call the attention of the public.

In the northern part of that country, "too, through the spirit of clanship, and "the hereditary attachment which prevailed "there to particular families, there were

means of recruiting which existed in no "other parts of the empire. The establish "ment, therefore, of a large local force

"within so contracted a space was, he "maintained, to cut up by the roots the re"cruiting service of the army. It was abso"Jutely to frustrate and nullify the military

resources of the country. The attempt to " combine a considerable augmentation of "the local force with the recruiting service "of the army was, he asserted, an incongruous system. It was to present induce"ments to men to stay at home, at the 66 same time that invitations were held out to them for enlistment for general service. A premium was offered with one hand against the bounty which was tendered with the other. For these reasons, he "had always thought the original institution "of the Scotch militia an injudicious ar

rangement; and he was sure its augmen"tation would be a perseverance in a very "injurious error. It might, perhaps, be "said, that the number of men proposed "to be added was not large. For the ex"tent of the country, however, he alleged, "it was not inconsiderable. It might pro"bably be stated, that the measure was not "to be carried into effect, unless in case of "the danger of invasion, or some pressing emergency. To that he should answer, "that it was not evident that it would be

measure should prove requisite, the inter"vention of parliament might then be used; "and if it was not sitting, it could be con"vened soon enough to give its sanction to "the measure. The bill, however, did not "limit the measure to the event of invasion, "but extended it to any other great emergency, which words vested in the government a complete discretion on the subject. A great emergency might, for in"stance, be the commencement of a war, "the very conjuncture at which he should "most deprecate such a measure. In short, he desired to be understood as objecting "to the principle of the arrangement, since it led to a system, which was fundament"ally vicious, and which appeared to him "to be directly the reverse to that which in

"

the event of a war, it would be expedient "for this country to adopt."-Now, I ask any observing and impartial man, whether these opinions have not already been verified? We are giving from 35 to 50 guineas for recruits for the Army of Reserve, recruits

See Register, Vol. I. p. 692.

to do little more than stay at home; and, we have, during nine months of exertion, raised, out of fifteen millions of souls, about nine thousand recruits for the regular army, seven thousand of whom have, in one way or another, each individual of them cost the country fifty guineas, at the least farthing, previous to his joining a regular regiment !But, what did Mr. Windham say, upon the occasion alluded to? He said, "he concur"red with every thing that had been ad"vanced by his honourable friend, (Mr. El"liot) but thought he had not gone far "enough. Not only any clause of the bill, "but its whole principle ought to be op

posed; as it went to lay out the force of "the country in a defensive instead of an "offensive army. He did not wish to see the "militia totally extinguished; yet he thought, "that instead of increasing its numbers, it "ought to be reduced below the old establishment, both in Scotland and England, and never to be augmented except in cases of emergency. To one consideration he "would particularly call the attention of "the House: every compulsory force em

ployed in raising men must necessarily "increase the difficulty of voluntary recruit"ing, as it takes away the fair competition, " and thus raises the bounty; as appeared "in the late war, where it rose to 15 guineas, instead of one guinea, the usual

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price formerly given. The reason of this "was evident: it was absolutely necesssary "to allow the employing substitutes. Peo ple in certain circumstances gave any price for substitutes, rather than serve themselves; the consequence was, that "the premium for substitutes was known to "be enormously high, and of course the price "of recruits for the regular army was rais"ed in proportion. From these and many "other considerations, he was a decided foe "to the militia system; he considered a re"gular army as the most proper and best "defence of the country *."-This debate took place, as I have before observed, on the 31st of May, 1802: Mr. Yorke was present at the time; and, which is singular enough. scarcely opened his mouth in reply. He was,, as yet, little schooled in the ways of the Addingtons and Hawkesburies: he was, as yet, incapable of charging Mr. Windham with having, as Secretary at War, "augmented "the militia," or with having suffered it to be augmented." Still, as I have already declared, I would fain believe, that, when Mr. Yorke did, on the 16th of March last, accuse Mr. Windham of having then ob

THRE

jected," for the first time," to the augmentation of the militia; I would fain believe, and I must believe, that when Mr. Yorke made this assertion, he had totally forgotten the occurrences of the 31st of May, 1802; but, I never can believe, that it is reconcileable either to that dignity or that manliness of character, which I always look for in Mr. Yorke, to have so spoken in Parliameat as to have furnished the sentiments, and almost the very words, wherewith a Treasury Hireling has dressed out the most shameful calumnies.—It should be observed, that the object, which this writer has in view, in misrepresenting the conduct of Mr. Elliot and this part of the conduct of Mr. Windham, is, to inculcate a belief, that the objections which they made to the militia system arose from their desire to embarrass the ministers, and to retard, if not obstruct altogether, the warlike preparations of those wise and vigorous gentlemen; and, it must be confessed, that the language made use of by Mr. Yorke, and by others in the same debate, evidently led to such a conclusion; but, that this conclusion was false, that it was a most gross error, or most malignant misinterpretation, no doubt can, I think, be entertained. Their objections arose from their anxious desire to prevent the source of the recruiting service from being dried up; and, who will now deny, that it would be happy for the country, if that desire had been gratified? Who, that looks at the bloated accounts of volunteer corps, army of reserve, and militia, and compares them with the meagre skeleton returns of the regular army, the only army on which we can safely rely for defence, and on which we can possibly rely for offence; who, that makes this comparison, and that considers what may be the fatal consequences of a protracted and inglorious war, can help sorely lamenting, that the opinions of Messrs. Elliot and Windham did not prevail, that their advice was not followed, and that they had not the power to prevent, as well as the sagacity to foresee, and the integrity to foretell, the effects of the system to which they objected?

Here I close my observations on that part of the Cursory Remarks, which contains misrepresentations and calumnies that the Accurate Observer found it too troublesome or too difficult to answer. In observing upon the remarks, which relate to Mr. Elliot, I have been obliged to include those, which, on the particular subject of the militia force, relate also to Mr. Windham,-I should now proceed in my analytical and comparative view of the two pamphlets, as far as they relate to the parliamentary conduct of Mr.

Canning, Lord Grenville, and Mr. Windham; but, for want of room, I find myself compelled to defer it to my next. (To be continued.)

INTELLIGENCE.

FOREIGN. According to late accounts from India, the Peishwa has been enthroned at Poonah, with great pomp, amidst the cougratulations of an hundred thousand people. -Scindea has not broken up his camp, but it is supposed will besiege Indoor, the capital of Holkar, who, in consequence of the desertion of great numbers of his troops, and the want of provisions, is in great distress.-Madajee Boonslah, the chief of the eastern Mahirattas, has formed an additional alliance with the Company, of a very advantageous nature. -Mulha Rao has yet eluded the vigilance of the Hill chiefs in the Guzzurat; and although Futty Sing Guicuar has used all bis influence with the Rajahs who are interested in the cause, he has yet been unsuccessful. -The trade between Persia and the Company, has been opened in its full extent, according to the treaty concluded with the Persian ambassador; and the imports daring the three first months have exceeded all expectation.-Letters from China have been received at Bombay, which represent that country to be generally tranquil, although Ong Fong, a daring chief, is at the head of a rebellion in the north, with nearly 50,000 followers-The ports of the Ligurian Republic have not yet been blockaded by the ships of his Britannic Majesty; but the mer chants are so apprehensive of that event, that the commerce of the country has been suffered to dwindle into a state of comparative insignificance.-The Emperor of Germany has authorized the establishment of a General Consistory for the Protestant Churches in Gallicia. He has, also, appointed M. Mercard, Secretary of the Royal and Imperial Legation to the Circle of Franconia.-The Elector of Metz, Arch-Chancellor, has named Baron Franckenstien Minister Plenipotentiary to the Electoral Court of Bavaria.-The Grecian Prince Argitople, who has been, for six years, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Sublime Porte, in Holland, has returned to Constantinople.-Gen. Lasnes, the French ambassador at Lisbon has been recalled; and it is said has been appointed to an important command in the army intended for the invasion of Eugland.-Accounts from the WestIndies, received by the way of Philadelphia, state that the French troops have been almost expelled from the island of St. Domiugo. Port-de-Paix has been taken possession

of by the negroes; who also made prisoners of the garrison, consisting of five hundred men. Rochambeau continues at the Cape, but is desirous of getting to the place generally called St. Domingo; this, however, the negroes will not suffer, as four thousand of them occupy the intermediate country. All the places which have been taken by the ships of the British blockading squadron, have been given up to the negroes, who treat the inhabitants, as well as the French prisoners with great humanity. Port-au-Prince is in a state of equal distress. Great numbers of the inhabitants have fled to St. Jago de Cuba; and Dessalines bas summoned the town to surrender. Gen. Lavalet, who commands there, has refused, and has declared his resolution of holding out to the last extremi ty but the want of provisions will soon compel him to submit. The American Congress is occupied in discussing subjects relating to the cession of Louisiana: the levy of the military force, which they authorized to be raised for taking possession of that colony, is carried on with great expedition.

DOMESTIC.-The King has been pleased to appoint Charles Cameron, Esq. to be Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over his Majesty's Bahama Islands in Ame ica. He has, also, been pleased to appoint the Right Hon. Percy, Lord Viscount Strang: ford, to be his Majesty's Secretary of Legation at the Court of Lisbon.-He has, also, been pleased to grant to the Hon. Cropley Ashley, the office of Clerk of the Deliveries of the Ordnance of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in the 100m of Joseph Hunt, Esq.-The farmers in different parts of the country, fearful that their stores of corn, hay, straw, &c. would be put into requisition, on the landing of an enemy, are anxious to dispose of those articles. Great quantities have, therefore, been sent to the London markets, from Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, and Essex; and sold at a lower rate than has been known for a long time.-Mr. Yoke has written a letter to the Lords Lieutenant of the counties on the coast, informing them, that, as Dutch vessels from Ho land, under Prussian colours, have been in the practice of resorting to the east coast of England, for the double purpose of carrying on contraband trade, and conveying intelligence to the enemy, it has been judged proper to direct that they should in future be prevented from doing so, between the Humber and the Downs, Yarmouth Roads and the Downs excepted: and that as the measures taken for this purpose may, in some instances, be eluded by their putting persons clandestinely on shore, the peace

officers are to be particularly watchful in discovering such persons, and bringing them before the magistrates for examination; in which case the result is to be transmitted, as soon as possible, to him.-On the 3d inst. the volunteers of Pimlico, styled the Queen's Royal Volunteers, received their colours from her Majesty. The ceremony of presentation, which was conducted with great pomp, and at which many distinguished persons were present, took place at Ranelagh. An excellent military band was provided; and Braham, Incledon, and several other vocal performers, dressed in the uniforms of the different volunteer corps to which they belonged, and the organist and choristers from both cathedrals attended. At one o'clock the Countess of Harrington, who was the representative of her Majesty on the occasion, was announced, and ushered into her box with all the pomp due to majesty: two principal officers of the corps, and two ladies of the Queen's household waited upon her. The band then played "God save the King," and the two battalions presented arms. Several prayers were read by the chaplain of the corps, after which a sermon was preached by one of her Majesty's chaplains. After the sermon, the coronation anthem was sung and played by all the vocal and instrumental perforaiers present. Two ensigns, a captain, and six serjeants from each battalion then stepped forward to receive the colours; Lord Hobart, as commandant, gave the word to the whole corps to present arms. The Countess of Harrington then presented the colours, and Lord Hobart received them kneeling, as if the Queen were personally present. Her Ladyship delivered a speech of a few words, in a low tone; to which Lord Hobart returned an answer, in the name of the corps, expressive of the gratitude which they must feel for the peculiar honour which had been done them, and of their resolution to lose the colours, only with their lives.

"God

save the King" was then played and sung in full chorus. The corps again saluted, and the Countess and her attendants withdrew.The last mail from the Leeward Islands brings intelligence of the death of Gen. Greenfield, commander of the British troops in that quarter; and of Major Gen. Clephane, Governor of Grenada. It is said, however, that no official accounts to that effect have been received.-The same mail also brings information of the sailing of an expedition against the Batavian colony of St. Eustatia, the defenceless state of which left no doubt of its becoming an easy conquest to his Majesty's arms.

MILITARY.-The whole of the French