§ Mr. Addingtonmoved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the laws relating to the Militia. He observed that the alterations he proposed were merely matters of form, and were not at all, connected with the present state of public affairs. He should be ready to give any explanation either now or upon a future day after the Bill was brought in.
§ Lord Miltonbegged to know what was the nature of the amendments.
§ Mr. Addingtonhad no objection to state the substance of the various clauses. The first was to settle a doubt entertained by the law officers of the Crown, whether, under the words of the existing Act, officers who had volunteered into the line could retain their half-pay on the disbanding of their regiments. The second referred to the half-pay of captains, who had also volunteered; and the third was to enable officers who had entered the regular service to receive their half-pay on returning to the militia. A fourth clause regarded courts-martial, empowering commanding officers to summon officers more than ten miles distant, and to allow them travelling expenses. A fifth was to empower Government to call out the Local Militia for a period less than a month; and a sixth to indemnify the counties for retaining their militias embodied beyond the termination of the war.
§ Lord Miltonobserved, that the last clause was a sort of admission on the part of Government that they were blameable in retaining the militia embodied.
§ Mr. Addingtonsaid, that the measure was entirely justifiable by circumstances.
§ Lord Stanleyadverted to the expense Government would be put to in collecting officers for courts-martial, some of whom were fifty miles distant from head-quarters.
After a few remarks from Mr. Addington and sir Thomas Acland, leave was given, and the Bill was immediately brought in.