The Secretary at Warpresented the army estimates for 1805, with the exception of some papers relative to the volunteer service, and to the barrack department, which could not be made out in time. He observed, that as the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Windham) whose motion on the military state of the country stood for Monday, had consented, with a view to facilitate the dispatch of public business, to postpone it for a few days, he would move that the papers he had just presented to the house should be taken into consideration on Monday next. Agreed to.
Col. Cakraftwished to have the estimates printed, as otherwise it was impossible that they could be completely understood by every member of the house, on account of the difficulty that would occur from every member perusing one manuscript account.
The Secretary at Warsaid, that he was extremely unwilling that any proper information should be withheld from the house; but he suggested, that the printing of these papers would take up so much time, that little opportunity of examining them would be afforded previous to the discussion.
§ Col. Calcraftobserved, that in that case some degree of blame attached to the secretary at war for not bringing them in sooner. If the public service absolutely required that they should be discussed on Monday next, and if they could not conveniently be printed before that time, then be would acquiesce. But they certainly ought to have been presented in proper time to have them printed. It was impossible that the members of the house could accurately examine their contents while they lay unprinted on the table, and he should therefore think it his duty to persevere in his intention of moving chat they should be printed, unless it was positively 6tated, that this would be injurious to the public service.
The Secretary at Warsaid, that it was never the custom to have them printed. The usual mode of proceeding was to lay the estimates on the table, and move for their discussion the week after. As he did not, however, wish to withhold any information from the house, he would not object to the printing. The papers were accordingly ordered to be printed.