THE PARLIAMENTARY MILITIA.
THERE is a class of persons in the House of Commons, whose eagerness to take offence when no offence is meant, and whose vain and vapouring mode of resenting supposed affronts, are con- stantly exciting the contempt and disgust of all rational and sober men both in and out of Parliament. We allude to the officers of the Army and Navy; who really seem to suppose, that the fact of their being almost necessarily the subservient tools of the Crown, and dependent upon an annual vote of the House for their subsist- ence, entitles them to bristle up, like so many "ancient Pistols," upon the least hint from one of their paymasters, that they are not the most useful or trustworthy organs of the popular voice within the walls of St. Stephen's. An offensive although somewhat amusing exhibition of this kind took place last week, during the debate on a motion of Mr. HUME for a committee to inquire into the number of members of both Houses of Parliament who held offices under the Crown. Mr. HUME, in bringing forward his motion, expressed an opinion pretty generally held, that it would be quite as well if all Military and Naval officers were excluded from Parliament; because, from their liability to be cashiered whenever it suited the pleasure of the King, and thereby, in many instances, reduced to poverty, it was absurd and unreasonable to expect that they could be inde- pendent representatives of the People. In confirmation of this opinion, Mr. HUME said, that the class of members alluded to were almost invariably found voting with the Minister of the day, -in opposition to retrenchment and reform. He made no personal allusion, however, to any member; but merely stated, as it was his unquestionable duty to do, a fact of no small importance in itself, and quite pertinent to the argument he maintained. But what followed? Why, as usual, up jumps an angry soldier, "bearded like a pard," and bristling with professional fury, to vin- dicate his own independence, and to call Mr. HUME to account for vilifying the Army. It was in vain that the Member for Middlesex disclaimed all intention of impugning the motives or actions of individual members : the opportuvity of displaying personal valour, without the slightest degree of personal risk, was too tempting to be lost; and accordingly Captain BagacELay, not content with de- fending his own character, thought proper to express his belief, that if Mr. HUME were in the Army he would be guilty of that truckling to power and betrayal of principle which he slanderously imputed to the Military Members of Parliament. The gallant Cap- tain then marched out of the House—but not with colours flying. He had attacked a man whose industry and independence had placed him, in popular estimation, far above such noisy and insig- nificant persons as Captain BERKELEY, and who really must have felt the contempt for his conduct which in the course of the evening he took occasion to express. It was clear that Mr. HUME was right in point of order; for be- fore Captain BERKELEY spoke, he had in distinct terms disclaimed all personal allusions. It was equally evident that the Captain had violated the rules of the House, in directly attacking the Member for Middlesex. The Speaker—Lord ALTHORP'S impartial Speaker—ought therefore to have called upon him to explain and apologize. But he did no such thing; and when Lord AL- THORP, who was not present at the beginning of the debate, inter- fered to prevent hostile proceedings, he adroitly contrived to make it appear that Mr. HUME, rather than Captain BERKELEY, was in fault, and that an apology was due from him.
We fully expected, that in the course of the week Captain BERKELEY would have made the amende honorable. But we sup- pose that it would have been considered a derogation from his military dignity had he done so. It is not our intention at present to discuss the question of the propriety or advantage of returning officers of the Army or Navy to the House of Commons. While they hold seats in Parliament, however, their insolence should be repressed; and they should be taught to behave with something like the civility of gentlemen and the sobriety of legislators. At present they are too apt to mistake the House of Commons for the mess-room, and to conduct themselves accordingly.
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