g the number
of officers entitled to pay within that part of Great Britain, called
England. While this bill was under consideration, the house received
a petition from the mayor, aldermen, town-clerk, sheriffs, gentlemen,
merchants, clergy, tradesmen, and others, inhabitants of the ancient
city of Lincoln, representing, That by an act passed relating to the
militia it was provided, that when any militia-men should be ordered
out into actual service, leaving families unable to support themselves
during their absence, the overseers of the parish where such families
reside, should allow them such weekly support as should be prescribed by
any one justice of the peace, which allowance should be reimbursed out
of the county stock. They alleged, that a considerable number of men,
inhabitants of the said city, had entered themselves to serve in the
militia of the county of Lincoln, as volunteers, for several parishes
and persons; yet their families were, nevertheless, supported by the
county stock of the city and county of the city of Lincoln. They took
notice of the bill under deliberation, and prayed that if it should pass
into a law, they might have such relief in the premises, as to the house
should seem meet. Regard was had to this petition in the amendments to
the bill, [535] _[See note 4 G, at the end of this Vol.]_ which passed
through both houses, and received the royal assent by commission. During
the dependence of this bill another was brought in, to explain so much
of the militia act passed in the thirty-first year of his majesty's
reign, as related to the money to be given to private militia-men, upon
their being ordered out into actual service. By this law it was enacted,
that the guinea, which by the former act was due to every private man
of every regiment or company of militia, when ordered out into actual
service, should be paid to every man that shall afterwards be enrolled
into such regiment or company whilst in actual service; that no man
should be entitled to his clothes for his own use, until he should have
served three years, if unembodied, or one year, if embodied, after the
delivery of the clothes; and that the full pay of the militia should
commence from the date of his majesty's warrant for drawing them
out. The difficulties which these successive regulations were made to
obviate, will be amply recompenced by the good effects of a national
militia, provided it be employed in a national way, and for nat