longed to the jurifdiction of the courts of law, he would oppofe the motion.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer explained what he had faid with respect to the original capture of thofe fhips. He adinitted that there was fomething of the character of a convention about it, but not fuch a one as that attributed to it by the learned Gentleman on the other fide. He denied that he had ever preffed this motion as a claim of right; he urged it as an appeal to the liberality of the Houfe; and he confeffed that he felt it to be an appeal to fomething more than liberality, confidering all the circumftances, although he had relied on that principally, and he was perfuaded it was that to which a deferving British officer could never apply in vain. When the peculiar nature of this cafe was candidly viewed, when the time which thofe fhips had been in ufe, and the benefit refulting therefrom to the country was confidered, he trufted that no difference of opinion could arife as to the propriety of granting to thofe gallant officers a full equivalent, particularly as it must be recollected that the application was not new in principle, but recognised by the cafes to which he had already referred, cafes which he contended were analogous to that before the Committee.

Dr. Laurence withed it to be diftin&tly underflood, that liberality was the only ground upon which this motion rested; and in fuch a cafe he certainly was not difpofed to be a niggardly remunerator to any of those gallant men who formed the pride and glory of the country. The learned Gentleman took notice of the remarks of the hon. Admiral (Sir Home Popham) that he fhould accede to the motion before the Committee left the rejection of it fhould damp the zeal of our fleets, particularly that now probably before Toulon. For himself he felt no apprehenfion on that fcore. Whatever might be the refult of the prefent motion, he knew the gallant and difinterested character of our navy too well to fuppofe that any confideration of gain could ftimulate them, or any apprehenfion of lofs could reftrain them from the utmost exertion of their duty. He recommended that further time should be taken fully to examine the nature of this question before the motion thould be adopted; and he thought that a motion of this nature fhould be preceded by a refolution of the House as to the fact of the merit of the force to whom the propofed reward was to be given. He concluded with acknowledging the conduct of Minifters, in thus fubmitting the measure to the confideration of the Houfe, to be no

thing more than a performance of their duty; but deprecated any hafty decifion.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that the learned Gentleman had done Minifters nothing more than justice in ftating, that they had brought this motion forward from a fenfe of duty. As to the diftinction made between the grounds of right and liberality, the propofition of this claim to Parliament was itself a proof that it was not conceived to reft upon the ground of right; for if it was, no fuch application need have been made. Neither of the cafes referred to, namely, thofe of the Helder and Copenhagen, were brought before Parliament. The right of his Majefty to grant a remuneration for thofe fhips was not doubted; but yet, from the amount of the prefent claim, and from the time which had gone by fince the expedition to Toulon, referred to in the motion, an application to Parliament was deemed the proper mode of proceeding.

Sir Home Popham, in allution to the notice taken of his fentiments by the learned Gentleman on the lower bench, faid, that perhaps in his anxiety for the adoption of the motion before the Houfe, he might have ufed expreffions too ftrong; but yet he hoped it was not fuppofed that he could be capable of thinking a British feaman would be influenced by fuch motives as the learned Gentleman had inferred from thofe expreffions.

Dr. Laurence faid, he had only animadverted on the fentiment referred to by the hon. Admiral, in order to have it difclaimed.

Mr. W. Smith thought, that when it was propofed to Vote away a fum of fuch magnitude as that specified in the motion, no bufinefs about to be brought forward should prevent Gentlemen from fully ftating their opinions as to the juftice and neceffity of the vote. However much he refpected the character of the navy in general, or admired the conduct of the gallant admirals to whom the motion referred, or however warm his friendship for naval officers who were interefted in the motion, he could not perfuade himself to vote for the propofition before the Committee under the prefent circumstances, although he came down to the Houfe almoft refolved to do fo. This opinion he confeffed was changed, by the arguments he had heard, and which convinced him that further time was neceffary to inquire into the cafe. It was neceffary to afcertain whether thefe fhips were valued properly, whether the fum- propofed to be granted was too much or too little, and to whom and

how

how it ought to be diftributed. If the claim was founded on right, the Houfe fhould not ufurp the privilege of the Admiralty Court by deciding upon it. Thefe, however, were points upon which, if time were allowed, the House would be competent to determine fairly, and alfo upon that which was very material, namely, how many land troops co-operated with the naval force at Toulon, and what proportion of this prize money they were entitled to. He urged as an additional argument for farther time, that the proceedings of the privy council recommending this meafure had only been printed two days. On the whole, there were many reafons for further tine, and none that were forcible for the fudden difcuffion required by the right hon. Gentleman on the Treafury bench.

Admiral Berkeley faid, that the foldiers on board Lord Hood's fleet at the time the French fhips were taken poffeffion of, were unquestionably entitled to their fhare of this prize money, but none of the troops which arrived at Toulon fubfequent to that tranfaction.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer thought that there was no doubt that foldiers in the fituation on board described by the hon. Admiral, would, in the diftribution of the prizemoney, be confidered as marines.

Sir William Scott declined to give any opinion upon the general queftion implicated in this motion, as it came to be decided upon by him in other circumftances; but with refpect to the fubje&t alluded to by his right hon. Friend who fpoke laft, he stated that foldiers ferving on board the fleets were entitled to their fhare of prize money as marines.

Mr. Kinnaird confidered this a queftion of much import ance. He would afk, whether, if the Bourbon family should be reftored to the throne of France, the Houfe might not be again called upon to give a remuncration for thofe fhips? He thought fuch a claim in fuch an event not improbable, and for that and other reafons he would oppofe the motion, and move the previous queflion.

This motion was confidered irregular in a Committee.

Mr. Johnstone obferved, that Lord Mulgrave was at Toulon, and afked if it was intended in the propofed diftribution of this prize money that his Lordfhip fhould fhare as a marine? The hon. Member faid, that he understood there were four regiments of land forces at Toulon, who were entitled to their proportion of this remuneration,

Admiral Berkeley faid, there were only two regiments ferving as marines.

"Sir C. Pole obferved, that the force which was at Toulon under General O'Hara arrived after the fhips were captured, and therefore had no claim to any of the money propofed to be voted.

Mr. Windham thought the refult of all the difcuffion was this, that the Houfe could not then come to any decision upon the fubje&t, and confidering the queftion exceedingly complicated, he wished that further time fhould be allowed to examine its details; fo fully perfuaded was he of the neceffity for fuch time, that if any hon. Member would move that the Chairman thould leave the chair, he would fupport him.

..

Mr. Kinnaird rofe and moved that the Chairman fhould leave the chair.

This motion was negatived without a divifion, and the original motion was carried. The Houfe refumed, and the report was ordered to be received the next day. ng ami

Mr. Secretary Yorke moved the confideration of his Majefty's meffage, relative to the offers made by feveral regiments of Irish militia to extend their fervices to this country.

Sir F. Burdett immediately rofe to ftate, that he wished to take the earlieft opportunity of calling the attention of the Houfe to this fubject, which he thought involved conftitutional queftions of the highest importance. He would not then go into any difcuffion on the bufinefs, but wished it to be underfood that he thould, on a future day, bring the matter under confideration.

Mr. Secretary Yarke, after the reading of the meffage, al luded to the fatisfaction which he was fure, in common with every other Member of the Houfe, he felt, at the patriotic difplay exhibited by the militia of Ireland, in offering to extend their fervices to this country. They had nobly come forward at a great crifis, when this part of the united kingdom was threatened by a moft formidable invafion, and when the means of carrying that attempt into effect had been allowed a long interval to be carried into perfection. Such a display of loyalty and attachment to the conftitution of the united empire, muft preclude every idea of oppofition to the addrefs, which he should feel it his duty to move on the meffage, which had been read to the Houfe. It was, in the true fenfe of the word, a liberal and generous return to that example of fimilar difintereftcdnefs and patriotism,

which,

which, on a former occafion, when Ireland was threatened with terrible difafters, had been difplayed by the militia of this country. Though the meffage of his Majefty referred to this particular point, yet as it was in the contemplation of his Majefty's Minifters to introduce fome meafures calculated to place the military force of the country on a more extenfive eftablishment, he hoped he fhould meet with the induigence of the Houfe if he took the prefent opportunity of explaining generally what was the nature of the improvements to be introduced. Before he entered on this ftatement, he however wifhed to call the attention of the House to fome views refpecting the prefent fituation of the army, which had been very much mifreprefented throughout the country. With this view he thought it must be confidered important by the Houfe to compare what was the actual amount of our military eftablishment at the prefent, and at two preceding periods. The periods to which he referred were October 1801, when the preliminaries were figned, the state of the army in the beginning of April 1803, and on the firft of March in the prefent year. He fhould begin by referring to what was the actual ftate. of our army at the beginning of the prefent month. At the prefent moment the force of the country amounted to two hundred and fiftytwo thoufand eight hundred and forty one, compofed of regular cavalry, of regiments of the line, and of militia. The amount of the artillery is about fourteen thousand. He wished next to advert to what was the ftate of our mili tary force in the beginning of October 1801. In the one cafe it was to be confidered that there was a renewal of hoftilities not extending beyond ten months, whereas in the other the war had continued for more than nine years. In the first period after a war of nine years, the total amount of our military force of every defcription did not exceed two hundred and fixty-fix thoufand eight hundred and ninety-five men; fo that the total difference in that period, and at the beginning of March, was not more than fourteen thousand on the whole view of our military establishment. Our military force at this laft period, it was to be obferved alfo, included twenty-five thoufand fencibles, a description of force which was at this moment not in exiftence. He wifhed next to allude to what was the ftate of the army in April 1803, a month after the delivery of his Majefty's meffage, and previous to the declaration of hoftilities. The whole amount of the regular cavalry, infantry, and militia, in England and Ireland, was upwards of 124,000 men.

There