HC Deb 30 April 1806 vol 6 cc960-1

A message was received from the lords, stating, that they had agreed to the amendments made by the commons to the Witnesses' Declaratory bill; also that their lordships would proceed farther in the trial of lord viscount Melville to-morrow morning, at 10 o'clock.—Mr. Goulding gave notice that he should on Tuesday next propose the second reading of the Nabob of Arcot's bill.—On the motion of sir John Frederick, the Surry Coal Delivery bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to a private committee.—On the motion of Mr. Manning, the London Wet Dock bill was read a third time and passed.—Mr. Yorke, with a view to obtain a just estimate of the probable effect of recruiting for a term of years, wished the house to be in possession of the total amount of the army in the American war, for the purpose of shewing what proportion the men raised for limited service bore to the general amount. He therefore moved, that there be laid before the house an account of the effective force of the regular army on the British establishment, rank and file, distinguishing those for limited and unlimited service, and distinguishing cavalry from infantry, for each year, from 21st December 1774, to 21st December 1784, distinguishing each year. The Secretary at War said, that he had no objection to the production of the account, which, when produced, would shew that the recruiting service was considerably advanced by the principle of enlistment for limited periods.—Lord Castlereagh thought, that certainly the best opportunity for discussing that subject, would be when the papers should be before the house. But he believed the right hon. gent. would find, that, upon a comparison of any seven years of the last war, with a similar period of the American war, it would appear, the number of recruits for unlimited service greatly exceeded those for limited service; and that it was not until after the surrender of the Saratoga army, that the raising of men for limited terms was adopted, and then under circumstances which afforded no fair criterion to judge comparatively of its effects; for the recruiting service was urged with unprecedented activity by the Corporation of London, and other great public bodies throughout the kingdom. The motion was then agreed to.—On the motion of the lord advocate of Scotland, it was ordered that the house do to-morrow resolve into a committee of the whole house, to consider of proper augmentations to the salaries of the judges of the admiralty in Scotland, and of the commissaries of Edinburgh.