would have been unexceptionable, even in a land of liberty. To relieve officers of the army from the neceffity of practifing deceitful arts, by fubftituting a fair and constitutional mode of recruiting the army, was a valuable improvement. It was of importance with refpect to its direct intendment; but of much greater, with refpect to its confequences. One of the few difadvantages of a free ftate, is licentioufnefs in the common people, who may wallow in diforder and profligacy without control, if they but refrain from grofs crimes, punishable by law. Now, as it appears to me, there never was devised a plan more efficacious for reftoring induftry and fobriety, than that under confideration. Its falutary effects were confpicuous, even during the fhort time it fubfifted. The dread of being forc'd into the fervice, rendered the populace peaceable and orderly it did more; it rendered them industrious in order to conciliate favour. The moft beneficial difcoveries have been accidental: without having any view but for recruiting the army, our legiflature ftumbled upon an excellent plan for reclaiming the idle and the profligate; a matter, matter, in the prefent depravity of manners, of greater importance than any other that concerns the police of Britain. A perpetual law of that kind, by promo→ ting industry, would prove a fovereign remedy against mobs and riots, difeafes of a free state, full of people and of manufactures. Why were the foregoing ftatutes, for there were two of them, limited to a temporary existence? There is not on record another ftatute better intitled to immortality. And now to the project, which after all my efforts I produce with trepidation; not from any doubt of its folidity, but as ill fuited to the prefent manners of this ifland. To hope that it will be put in practice, would indeed be highly ridiculous this can never happen, till patriotifm flourish more in Britain than it has * Several late mobs in the fouth of England, all of them on pretext of fcarcity, greatly alarmed the adminiftration. A fact was difcovered by a private perfon (Six-weeks tour through the fouth of England) which our minifters ought to have difcovered, that thefe mobs conftantly happened where wages were high and provifions low; confequently that they were occafioned, not by want, but by wantonnefs. done done for fome time past. Suppofing now an army of 60,000 men to be fufficient for Britain, a rational method for raising such an army, were there no ftanding forces, would be, that land-proprietors, in proportion to their valued rents, should furnish men to serve seven years, and no longer *. But as it would be no lefs unjust than imprudent, to disband at once our prefent army, we begin with moulding gradually the old army into the new, by filling up vacancies with men bound to serve seven years and no longer. And for raising proper men, a matter of much delicacy, it is proposed, that in every shire a special commiffion be given to certain landholders of rank and figure, to raise recruits out of the lower claffes, felecting always those who are the least useful at home. Second. Those who claim to be difmiffed after serving the appointed time, fhall never again be called to the fervice, ex * In Denmark, every land-proprietor of a certain rent, is obliged to furnish a militia-man, whom he can withdraw at pleafure upon fubftituting another; an excellent method for taming the peasants, and for rendering them industrious. cept cept in case of an actual invafion. They fhall be intitled each of them to a premium of eight or ten pounds, for enabling them to follow a trade or calling, without being fubjected to corporationlaws. The private men in France are inlifted but for fix years; and that mode has never been attended with any inconvenience *. Third. With respect to the private men, idleness must be totally and for ever banished. Suppofing three months yearly to be fufficient for military discipline; the men, during the rest of the year, ought to be employ'd upon public works, forming roads, erecting bridges, making rivers navigable, clearing harbours, &c. &c. Why not alfo furnish men for half-pay to private undertakers of useful works? And fuppofing the daily pay of a foldier to be * Had the plan of discharging foldiers after a fervice of five or feven years been early adopted by the Emperors of Rome, the Pretorian bands would never have become masters of the ftate. It was a grofs error to keep thefe troops always on foot without change of members; which gave them a confidence in one another, to unite in one folid body, and to be actuated as it were by one mind. ten ten pence, it would greatly encourage extenfive improvements, to have at command a number of ftout fellows under ftrict difcipline, at the low wages of five pence a-day. An army of 60,000 men thus employ'd, would not be fo expenfive to the public, as 20,000 men upon the prefent establishment: for befide the money contributed. by private undertakers, public works carried on by foldiers would be miferably ill contrived, if not cheaply purchased with their pay It has more than once been under deliberation, whether the tolls may not be added to the public revenue, after paying the expence of keeping the turnpike-roads in good order. But as minifters frequently are more intent upon ferving themselves than their country, it may happen that the tolls will be levied and the roads neglected. Upon the plan here propofed of a military establishment, the reparation of the roads would contribute to keep the fol * Taking this for granted, I bring only into the computation the pay of the three months spent in military difcipline; and the calculation is very fimple, the pay of 20,000 for twelve months amounting to a greater fum than the pay of 60,000 for three months. diers |