(fpoken or written) are difmiffed with a general obfervation that they are very few, and by no means to be drawn into precedent, because they are in themfelves evidently contrary to law :" as if the repeated and unquestioned exercife of fuch a power were not, in itfelf, one of the ftrongest proofs of its legality. In justice, how. ever, to this author, we must add that, in fome inftances, he im. partially confutes the reafonings of Sir Francis Burdett, and expofes the mifreprefentations of him and his partizans. Nor does be, at the conclufion of his work, decide abfolutely against the right in queftion, but only fpeaks of legality as, at least, doubtful, and the exercise of it as inconfiftent with the boafted freedom of the nation." Upon the whole, we confider this writer as actuared by patriotic motives, but mistaken in the grounds of his argument, and misled by his zeal against arbitrary power: the defire of which cannot be fairly imputed to a body of men like the Houfe of Commons, compofed (in general) of the most intelli. gent and most honourable men in the nation, and of those who have the greateft intereft in maintaining public liberty. It is true (as this author frequently infifts) that a majority in this affembly is ufually, in a certain degree, influenced by the existing adminiftration. But this influence, as experience has frequently fhown, extends not to matters vitally affecting the public welfare. Thofe perfons therefore who, with this author, confider the reprefentatives of the people as opposed to the people themselves, and tell us (in his words) that "the people have to contend against the united force of the Commons and the Ministry," either labour under a dangerous error, or wilfully, and often for the worst of purposes, pervert and mifrepresent the principles of the conftitution,

As, however, nearly all that can be faid against the privilege in queftion is produced by this author, the reader may compare his tract with that of Mr. Wynne, though it can hardly, we think, be doubted to which he will give the preference.

ART. 17.

MILITARY.

The Tactical Regulator: by John Ruffell, Lieutenant and Adjutant, Nottingham Staff; Author of The Drill, Movements of a Battalion, Military Experiments,' &c. Dedicated by Permiffion to the Right Hon. Sir David Dundas, K. B. Com mander in Chief, &c. &c. Sc. Illustrated with thirty-five Plates, to an exact Scale. 327 pp. Printed for the Author; fold by Stockdale. 1810.

It may very juftly be faid of this work in general, that it may prove ufeful to young officers, as it quotes from "the Rules and Regulations," the leading principles of the move. ments of a Battalion, accompanied with judicious remarks by

the author; and tending to facilitate the ftudy of an important fubject. The work contains calculations of military paces reduced to yards, &c.; of the ground covered by any number of files; and of the time in minutes and fractions, required to move over any number of paces, in the various times, ordinary, quick, and wheeling. Thefe calculations are creditable to the induftry of the author; and may frequently prove of ufeful application, as the work amply exemplifics. The Author, in a former publication, gave an elucidation of the eighteen or nineteen manœuvres, generally required to be gone through, to show the ftate of difcipline of a Battalion. He has here detailed thefe manœuvres, if poffible, more methodically, and with the addition of fome of his own calculations applied to them. The plates of English military works are deficient in ftrength, expreffion, and minutenefs. Our Military delineations are very inferior in thefe, and other refpects, to thofe of the French. The Plates before us, are of a defcription much beyond mediocrity. Confiderable pains are beftowed to prove, that English columns march at a quicker rate than those of the enemy. The real fact

is, that in Column of Route, the troops of both nations move, with an uncadenced, or the natural step of life, which the French term pas de route, and go over nearly equal spaces in equal times. The principal attention is directed to the occupying no more extent of ground in Column, than in Line. The French armies, frequently, move at the rate of above three miles an hour. It is, as yet, by no means made out, that the ftep of 30 inches from heel to heel, is the moft advantageous, and that best calculated for effecting accurate movement. It is far beyond the natural common ftep; requires a conftant effort to keep up; and by much exceeds that of the Pruffians and French.

At

In a note under page viii. of his Preface, the Author thinks that no alteration materially for the better can be made in the British fyftem; and is inclined to think, that any attempt of the kind would conftitute an innovation. Did our limits admit of it, we could eafily point out material improvements, deriving their proof from this author's own calculations. p. 62, treating of wheeling, he states, that after wheeling a divifion of 15 files, there remains a fpace of time of 1 fecond andths for the Captain to give the words, Halt, Drefs, March, to his divifion. This time is fo fhort, that it is next to im. poffible to pronounce diftinctly thefe words of Command in it, and the divifion cannot obey three diftinct commands which must be articulated in fuch a manner, as to coalefce into one confufed noise. From thefe circumftances, the very best trained battalions lofe their column of company-diftances, at the wheeling point; and are obliged to step out, or step fhort, on one fide or other of the wheeling point, in order to regain them. If a Column is marching in quick time, its wheeling pace must he

quickened.

quickened in proportion beyond 120 fteps in a minute. In fuch cafe, the time for a paufe to exprefs and obey the commands of Halt, Drefs, March, muft vanish into almoft nothing. "Thefe things are better ordered in France.” There, the pivot-man on arriving at the angular point of wheeling, inftantly turns on his heel at right angles into the new direction, and marches on at the uniform rate of march. The other files of the divifion, break momentarily, wheel up rapidly on the march, and quickly, and fucceffively, drefs up to the pivot-flank. By this fimple procedure, it is morally impoffible that the divifions can lofe their distances. In the movements of many of our beft battalions, we have obferved that many improvements from the French fyftem have been adopted by our best officers; particularly, in movements in Echellon, and in Line.

In a note, the Author writes thus: "It is a favourite opinion of fome officers, that the movements, as laid down for the practice of our Infantry, could be executed with greater rapidity on a trot, as they call it; by which they mean double quick time,' that is, that when the men are trotting along, they fuppofe them to be moving correctly at the rate of 216 paces, of 30 inches each, in a minute. By applying the tables (meaning his own) and measurement to fuch movements, this opinion will be found erroneous." The Author's. fentiments are very decided on this point; but he will find it neceflary to alter them, when he is informed, that the French, fince the period of publishing their Tactics, frequently manoeuvre in nearly this time, which they term marcher au trot. Sir John Moore, of immortal memory, taught his fine Regiment movements in double quick time. It has been proved by experiments actually made on a measured line having paces of 30 inches marked on it, that troops may eafily move in double quick time, at the rate of 180 paces in a minute, or three paces in a fecond: and we have feen an English battalion manoeuvring accurately at this rate.. The reader will find no difficulty in comprehending the perfect practicability of this moft ferviceable rate of manoeuvring, when he is reminded, that even the English rules prefcribe a rate of movement above a hundred and twenty paces, in cafes of wheeling where it may be neceffary to clear a pivot point, on account of increased celerity of common marching. It may be very proper, in general, to draw the line between improvement and innovation: but when the authority of fuch a man as Sir John Moore, is confirmed by experiment, independent of the writings and practice of a fcientific enemy, the author may probably be induced to think, that he may not, as yet, have fufficiently confidered the practicability of the movements he alludes to.

ART. 18. The Military Cabinet, being a Collection of Extracts from the beft Authors, both Ancient and Modern; interspersed

with occafional Remarks, and arranged under different Heads. The whole calculated to convey Inftruction in the most agreeable Manner. And to give to young Officers corre& Notions in regard. to many Subjects belonging to or connected with the Military Profeffion. In Three Volumes, by Captain T. H. Cooper, Half Pay 56th Regiment Infantry. Author of a Practical Guide for the Light Infantry Officer. 12mo. pp. 1165. Sherwood

and Co. 1810.

Confidering the prodigious magnitude to which our army and navy have attained, and the numerous characters marked by intelligence and information which such a mass must contain, it is a fubject of furprise to many, and of regret to all, that few works of importance, or fcientific intereft, are published to meliorate the imperfect ftate of general tactics. The laudum immenfa cupido, is not alone fufficient to stimulate officers of information and talents to lay the refult of their obfervations and ftudies before the public. Independent of an evident want of encouragement and patronage, the expence of publication, more especially where engravings are requifite, forms a ferious, and frequently, an infurmountable obftacle. Many important and ufeful improvements never extend beyond the regiment, or naval ftation where they originate, owing to caufes of long ftanding. If forwarded, it has been too fre quently experienced, that public characters, diftracted by a mul tiplicity of avocations, cannot command time to give them the degree of confideration they may amply merit. Thus, the cause of the public is injured, while no blame is imputable to individuals. Can no practicable remedy be applied to fo obvious an evil? Is there no occafion for a department in the ftate, for receiving, and carrying into practical effect, improvements in the two leading branches of national fafety? Can Boards of Trade and Plantations; of Agriculture; of Transports; of Works; or of Green Cloth, &c. &c. be of more real importance than a Board of Naval ; and a Board of Military Tactics? were thefe two laft Boards once established, numberlefs highly useful communications would be immediately directed to them from a variety of quarters, where neglected genius would be thus roufed into exertion. The tranf actions of thefe Boards, neatly drawn up, and diftributed in the Navy and Army, would be ultimately productive of incalculable national benefit. In an annual expenditure of feventy millions, we leave it to our readers to judge, whether the additional item of falaries to the meritorious members of fuch effential Boards, can, for one moment, be put in competition with the utility of the Inftitution. In perufing our future Reviews, we truft our readers will bear in mind what is here advanced; as fooner or later, the Boards we mention cannot but beconftituted.

Having premifed thus much, we now come to the work whofe ample title pretty well unfolds its nature. Captain Cooper appears to have read much on military fubjects; and to have made extracts

tracts arranged alphabetically, with a view of making the prefent book, which, however, young officers will find inftructive and ufeful; and the little that could only be faid on fuch a multipli city of fubjects, will induce them to pursue it at greater length in the originals referred to. Subjects follow each other in rapid fucceffion. After TACITUS and TEARS, we have TEMPER. If that may not fuit the temper of the reader, in the next page, he will find TEMPERANCE difcuffed in a page and a half, fucceeded by THEORY difcuffed in lefs than thirteen lines. Then we have TIMOUR (a Buonaparté of his time;) TOURNAMENTS; TREASON; TRUCE; TRUMPETER ; TRUTH; VALOUR; VETERAN VICTORY; VINEGAR; VOLUNTEERS; WAR; YOUTH, and the laft article, ZEAL. Thefe fubjects are all handled within the limits of 107 pages; fo very rapid are the movements of this author, whofe compilation we still think of confiderable utility.

Captain Cooper has taken opportunities of enlivening his hif torical extracts with fome amufing anecdotes of a military defcrip. tion." In the year 1756, Colonel Clive laid fiege to a mud fort on the Hughly, called Bougee Bougee (generally pronounced Budge Budge,) and landed a ftrong party with an intention of ftorming the fort on the following morning. In the mean time, a failor of the name of Strahan, having drank too freely of his grog, ftrayed towards the breach made in the fort. He mounted it, and entered a baftion where he found feveral Moorish foldiers fitting on the platforms. Without the fmalleft difmay, he fired his piftol at them, and attacked them with his cutlafs, giving three loud huzzas, and crying out "The place is mine.” The Moorish foldiers attacked him; and in the rencounter, he had the blade of his cutlafs cut in two near the hilt. Fortunately, a few other failors hearing the huzzas, entered the fort, and joined in the combat and huzzaing. The noife roufed the whole army which entered the fort pell-mell, and fecured Strahan's conqueft. Strahan having been guilty of disobedience of orders, was called before the admiral, who addreffed him, faying "Mr. Strahan, what is this you have been doing?" Strahan, twirling his hat, scratching his head, and making a failor's bow, anfwered; "why, to be fure, Sir, it was I who took the fort; but I hope there was no harm in it." The fimplicity of this anfwer, the ludicrous ap pearance he made, and his ftrange account of the manner in which he accomplished his extraordinary exploit, highly diverted the admiral and officers prefent. The interefts of difcipline and fubordination required, however, that he should be not only reprimanded, but even punished. He was difmiffed; and it was hinted to him, that an opportunity would be taken, in due time, to punish him for the rath act he had been guilty of. As foon as Strahan had got out of the Admiral's Cabin, he could not avoid muttering; "If I am flogged for this here action, I will never take another fart by myfelf, as long as I live.”