As the present secretary at war does not happen to possess either the clearest head or voice in the United Kingdom, it is no wonder that his speech, on moving the army estimates, has been in some instances misrepresented; and this appears to have been particularly the case in that part of it which related to the volunteers.

On this subject he expressed himself with great exultation, that so small a diminution had taken place in their numbers, though the saving to the country had been upwards of £200,000, which, he added, would have amounted to above £300,000 had not circumstances rendered it necessary to keep a great proportion of the volunteers of Ireland on permanent duty. I do not think that the warmest opponent of ministers could have passed a stronger satire upon Mr. Windham's conduct towards the volunteers, than is implied in this assertion; which distinctly admits, that, wherever circumstances of necessity appear, the volunteers are indispensible to government; that their measures towards them are incompatible with their services, and must, in that case, be suspended.

With regard to the diminution of their numbers, general Fitzpatrick is repre -sented to have said, that out of 300,000 volunteers, only 11,000 had absolutely resigned in consequence of the new regulations. The writer of this, understood him to say that the corps which had been actually disbanded, included only that number, It would require a more than Spartan effrontery to make the first assertion: for any man, whose avocations have led him into different parts of the kingdom, must know, that Mr. Windham's measures have had the most paralysing effect upon the whole body of the volunteers; that there is hardly a corps, throughout the kingdom, that ever musters one-half of its original force; and that, instead of being actuated by that zeal for military improvement, which distinguished them as long as they were allowed to consider their services as useful to their country, and acceptable to go-vernment; at least nine-tenths of those which remain embodied, only assemble the number of days necessary to entitle them to the exemptions attached to their so doing..

But general Fitzpatrick says, that were a danger of invasion again to occur, the volunteers would again flock to their standards. I hope and trust that this would be the case: but it would be with the loss of intermediate experience. I believe it is out of the power of any ministry to damp the ardor with which the whole country (except its few jacobin traitors) would unite for the defence of this last asylum of all that is dear to men in society. But general Fitzpatrick has no right to claim merit for the virtues of his countrymen. They are not of ministerial creation. They form, in the hands of government, a great portion of their means for the defence of the country; and it is only for his use or abuse of those means that a minister is entitled to applause or condemnation,

That there were faults in the volunteer system every one knows. Some of them have been dwelt upon in former numbers of this Review. But of Mr. Windham's grand objection, that the volunteer system, interfered with the recruiting for the regular army, the best refutation is to be found in the mirable falling off both in the recruiting and volunteers since his measures have been adopted. The volunteer system never robbed the regular army of a single recruit; but, on the contrary, has, in some degree, promoted recruiting: for the volunteers being originally composed of persons not likely to enter into the line, yet their service as such may have given some of them a military turn, and induced them to adopt the army as a profession. General Fitzpatrick is said to have remarked, with much sarcasm, that none of Mr. Windham's attacks upon the volunteers were so offensive as that of his oppoNo. 6.

nents, which imputed to them the avaricious principle of serving for the sake of the allowances, and of resigning when they were taken away. There may be a great deal of apparent shrewdness in this remark; but it has no solidity. Some of the al lowances to the volunteers were two large, especially those which related to pomp and finery; but without others they could not remain embodied :' for it does not follow, because men have the physical means of serving their country, that they are therefore able to be at the expense of bringing those means into action. And, arguing by a very forced analogy, without any slur upon their patriotism, we may perhaps have reason to fear, that were the salaries of their offices withdrawn, the country might run the risk, of being deprived of the valuable services of the general himself and many of his friends.

In short, never has a country so trifled with a cheap and valuable mode of defence, as is instanced in our conduct to the volunteers: and though it be true that the ardent spirit of British patriotism may prompt most, if not the whole of them, to repair again to their standards in the hour of peril, it cannot be doubted but that the vacil lating conduct of the last parliament towards them, must have a powerful effect in abridging the extent and utility of their future services.

THE BOROUGH OF MALTON.

In the month of May, 1786, the county of York went mad, on account of the birth of a son to the noble family of Fitzwilliam. The congratulations which then passed amongst the friends of the whig interest were general. Festivities at Wentworth castle, carousals in the dependent towns, and Yorkshire stingo amongst the peasantry, were the order of the day. All these things savour of the good times of old; and so far from aught being said against them, they evince the munificence of the noble tenant (for so I call him, under favour of sir Francis Burdett) the earl Fitzwilliam. So far then, so good. But, I observe, that a lord Milton is returned member for the free and independent borough of Malton. Now, I wish to know, who is this lord Milton? I never heard but of two lords of the name of Milton, to wit, George Damer, lord viscount Milton, now earl of Dorchester, a peer of the realm, and a most respectable peer too, who represented, before the death of his father, the late earl of Dorchester, this identical borough of Malton. His lordship cannot be the representative of the worthy borough, because, he is in the lords. Who then is the lord Milton chosen? It cannot be the son of earl Fitzwilliam, because, being under age, of course, he cannot sit in the house of commons, without a most impudent and barefaced violation of the laws and customs of parliament; and it is well-known, that his noble father as a whig, is so tenacious of the rights and liberties of the people, that he would rather lose Wentworth castle itself, and all its demesnes, than wink at one infraction of the national privileges. Who then can this lord Milton be?—I have shewn, that lord viscount Milton, is now earl of Dorchester, a peer of the realm; and I have also shewn, that lord Milton, the son and heir of earl Fitzwilliam, (a member of the cabinet-council) was born in May, 1786, consequently, is under age, and is not qualified to sit as a representative of the people, being incompetent, according to law, to form any contract, except for food, education, and clothing, and being, in the contemplation of law, AN INFANT therefore, as it is impossible, this infant can be the person returned, I shall feel much indebted to any of my better-informed readers to make me acquainted, through the medium of my Review, with the name, rank, and age, of this third lord Milton, who represents the free and worthy borough of Malton.

A STROKE OF POWER IN THE ISLAND OF JAMAICA. By the last mail, which arrived from Jamaica, I have received a packet, containing as curious morsels of legislative authority as ever were exhibited to the eyes of the public; and that the people of England may be made acquainted with what lenity the inhabitants of that island are treated by their representatives, when the subject of the expenditure of money is discussed by them, I shall here present them with the documents, and then offer such remarks upon them, as they appear to merit.

To render the nature of the transaction intelligible to my readers, it will be first necessary to give a short sketch of the political constitution of Jamaica. The legis Thibourts, 4

lature is composed of the captain-general or commander in chief, of a council nomiuated by the crown, consisting of twelve gentlemen; and an house of assembly, containing forty-three members, who are elected by the freeholders, viz. three for the several towns and parishes of St. Jago-de-la-Vega, Kingston, and Port-Royal, and two for each of the other parishes. The qualification required in the elector, is a freehold of ten pounds per annum in the parish where the election is made; and in the representative, a land freehold of three hundred pounds per annum, in any' part of the island, or a personal estate of three thousand pounds. In the proceedings of the general assembly, they copy, as nearly as local circumstances will admit, the legis lature of Great Britain; and all their bills, (those of a private nature excepted) have the force of laws as soon as the governor's assent is obtained. The power of rejection, however, is still reserved in the crown; but until the royal disapprobation is signified, the laws are valid.

*

According to this constitution, the house of assembly in Jamaica, may be said to assimilate with the house of commons in England, and, consequently, to be governed by the same rules of proceeding. We now enter upon the business.

In the course of the last two years, the house of assembly have passed repeated resolutions, in which the island has been represented to be in the most alarming state of distress. Notwithstanding these resolutions, the assembly voted a sum of three thousand guineas, for the purchase of a service of plate, to be presented to Admiral Sir J. T. Duckworth, for the victory he obtained over the French squadron on the 6th of February, 1806. The freeholders assembled, in consequence of this vote, to mark their dissatisfaction; not at any token of gratitude towards Admiral Duckworth, but, at the inconsistency of the conduct of their representatives, in thus. blowing hot and cold at the same time; in passing resolutions significative of the pecuniary distress of the island, while, at the same moment, the assembly, in the vote of so large a sum, made a wanton and improvident expenditure of the public money; and they justly observe, that, by so doing, their representatives have forfeited the confidence of their constituents. These proceedings of the inhabitants, I here insert, upon the authority, of the vouchers which I have received.

City and Parish of Kingston, Dec. 4, 1806.—At a very numerous meeting of the freeholders of this city and parish, convened this day, agreeably to advertisement of the 1st instant, to consider of the propriety of the conduct of our representatives in the hon. house of assembly, in voting with the majority on a late division.

Daniel Moore, Esq. Senior Alderman in the Chair, Resolved, That the voting a sum of three thousand guineas, for the purchase of a service of plate, to be presented by the hon. house of assembly, to sir John T. Duckworth, is a wanton and improvident expenditure of the public money.

Resolved, That the honourable John Jaques, Richard Lake, and William Holgate, Esquires, in supporting this vote, have acted most inconsistently, when, according to many resolutions of the house, the island is in an alarming state of distress; that they have thereby justly forfeited the confidence of their constituents, and merited the decided censure of this meeting.

Resolved, That an address and petition be presented in humble and constitutional terms, to his majesty's representative, praying that he may be pleased to dissolve the present assembly, which has forfeited every claim to the confidence of the good people of the island, by its inconsistent, extravagant, and unconstitutional conduct in respect to the disposal of the public money; and that the chairman, with Messrs. Hamilton, Molony, Hule, Chamberlain, Meek, and Evans, or any three of them, be a committee for preparing such humble address and petition.

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to Mr. George Minot, Mr. Vidal, Mr. Stewart, (of Trelawny,) Mr. Allwood, Mr. Munro, Mr. Stewart, (of Westmoreland), Mr. Grant, Mr. J. S. Minot, Mr. Vernon, Mr. Henry, Mr. Whitehorn, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Finlayson, the thirteen independent members who formed the minority on the division of the house, on the vote in question.

Resolved, That it is not the intention of the freeholders composing this meeting,

* Vide Hist. of the West Indies, by Bryan Edwards, Esq. of the Island of Jamaica, vol. 1. p. 214. book 2, chap. 5.

to detract from, or deny, in the smallest degree, the merit of sir John T. Duckworth, of whose exertions, together with those of the gallant officers and men under his command, in achieving the signal victory of the 6th February last, they are fully sensible. But they feel assured, that his honourable and independent spirit, receives more satisfaction from the well earned applauses of his country, than from any acknowledgment or token of gratitude to be obtained, by raising money upon a com'munity already taxed to their utmost ability.

Resolved, That the chairman be requested to sign the above resolutions, and that they be inserted in all the papers throughout the island, for one month.

DANIEL MOORE, Chairman.

The chairman having left the chair, Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to him, for his impartial conduct in the chair.

St. Andrew, Jamaica, ss.-At a meeting of the freeholders of this parish, held at the Court-House, at Halfway-Tree, this 6th day of December, 1806, in pursuance of a public advertisement, signed by Alexander Ector, Esq. senior acting magistrate. Mr. Ector, in the Chair.

Resolved, That the recent grant of three thousand guineas, for the purchase of a service of plate, to be presented by the hon. house of assembly, to vice-admiral sir John Thomas Duckworth, is a shameful profusion of the public money; and that our representative, Edward Marshall, esq. in voting with the majority on that occasion, abused the trust reposed in him by his constituents.

Resolved, That Mr. Ector, Mr. Fraser, Mr. Donald Ronald Campbell, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Robert Smith, Mr. James Smith, and Mr. Daly, or any three of them, be a committee to draw up a petition to the representative of our sovereign, praying that he will immediately dissolve the present assembly, in order that we may have an opportunity of choosing a person to represent us, who will not sacrifice his public trust to private friendship.

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting, are justly due to the worthy minority, Mr. G. Minot, Mr. Vidal, Mr. Stewart, (of Trelawny,) Mr. Allwood, Mr. Munro, Mr. Stewart, (of Westmoreland,) Mr. J. S. Minot, Mr. Grant, Mr. Vernon, Mr. Henry, Mr. Whitehorne, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Finlayson, who stood forth in opposition to this scandalous waste of public property.

Resolved, That the intention of this meeting is not to derogate, or take from, the merit of sir John Thomas Duckworth, or any of those brave officers and men, who served under him on the 6th of February last, but solely to express our sense of the extravagance and partial expenditure of the property of a people, already overburthened with taxes.

Resolved, That these resolutions be signed by the chairman, and be published in all the papers of the island, for one month. A. ECTOR, Chairman.

The chairman having left the chair:

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting are due to him, for his impartial conduct on this occasion.

These lawful and just animadversions on the conduct of the representatives of the people, aroused the resentment of the members of the house of assembly, who authorized a committee of their house to make a report, whether its privileges were not invaded by the couduct of their constituents. Accordingly, on the 6th of last December, Mr. Taylor, the chairman of the committee, made the following report to the house, which was instantly succeeded by the events hereafter :. detailed.

Mr. Speaker. I am directed by the committee of privileges to report to the house that, in their opinion, a breach of the privileges of the house has been committed by a publication, purporting to be certain resolutions which have been adopted at a meeting of the freeholders of the city and parish of Kingston, on the 4th of December, 1806, and signed " Daniel Moore, Chairman," and by the insertion of the same in the respective newspapers, entitled the " Daily Advertiser," "The Kingston Chronicle and City Advertiser," and "The Courant."

After the report was read, a motion was made to amend the said report by inBerting after the word " publication," the following words, "one of several resolu

tions," which was negatived after debate, and the report was immediately agreed to, and ordered to be referred to the committee on the state of the island. The house then resolved itself into such committee, and Mr. Speaker having resumed the chair, Mr. Murphy, the chairman of the committee, reported the four resolutions, which follow, on each of which there was a debate and division:

Resolved, That any set of individuals, presuming to censure the proceedings of this house, is a breach of the privileges, and destructive of the freedom of this house;

That the editors of the respective newspapers, entitled, "The Daily Advertiser," "The Kingston Chronicle and City Advertiser," and "The Courant," for having inserted in their several newspapers of Friday, Dec. 5, 1806, certain resolutions, signed "Daniel Moore, Chairman, are guilty of a breach of the privileges of this house:

That it tends to the subversion of the constitution of this house to call any part of its proceedings a wanton and improvident expenditure of the public money.

That it is a breach of the privileges of this house for any set of individuals to say, that this honourable house has forfeited every claim to the confidence of the good people of this island, by its inconsistent, extravagant, and unconstitutional conduct, in respect to the disposal of the public money.

A motion was then made that Daniel Moore, and the editors of the respective newspapers, should attend at the bar of the house on Tuesday. On this motion an amendment was moved to strike out the name of Daniel Moore, which, on debate and division, was carried by the speaker's vote. Another motion was then made, instead of their attending on Tuesday next, it should be this day three months, which last motion was, on debate and division, negatived, and the first was passed with the first amendment, and notices were immediately signed, ordering the attendance of the printers at the bar of the house.

On Monday, the 8th, Alexander Aikman, sen. esq. (member for the parish of St. George,) and Mr. Alexander Aikman, jun. (printer to the house,) editors of of this paper, were ordered to attend the house, the former in his place, and the latter at the bar.

On Tuesday, the 9th, Mr. Aikman, according to order, attending in his place, was shewn, by Mr. Speaker, the Royal Gazette newspaper, of the 6th December, containing certain resolutions, at a meeting in Kingston, on the 4th of December, and being asked by Mr. Speaker if he was the editor of the said paper? Mr. Aikman said he was one of them.

Being asked if he knew of the publication of the said resolutions in his paper; Answered, only by seeing them after insertion..

Mr. Speaker then read to Mr. Aikman the report of the committee of privileges. Mr. Aikman said, that, having voted with the majority on the occasion in question, it could not reasonably be supposed he would countenance any publication censuring their conduct; that several members present could testify his previous anxiety, that the resolutions should not appear in his paper; but which he had not time to prevent, they being inserted in his absence, and while attending his duty in this house.

Mr. Aikman then withdrew.

Mr. Taylor then moved, that Alexander Aikman, esquire, a member of the house, be taken into the custody of the Sergeant at Arms, and that the Speaker do issue his warrant accordingly; which, on debate and division, was resolved in the affirmative.

Alexander Aikman, junior, attending, was ordered to the bar, and was shewn the Royal Gazette of the 6th of December, and asked if he was printer and publisher thereof?

A. He was one of them.

Q. Do you know of the insertion in that paper of the above-mentioned resolu tions? A. Yes.

Q. Do you know of the report of the committee of, privileges?-A. No. Q. How did you come to insert the said resolutions?—A. That he was in SpanishTown on Thursday, when they were offered and left at his office in Kingston.