Star. — London, England, 1817-02-19 00:00:00

THE _is NINO , s FAIL LONDON. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1917. Asa Wkbei AV.—Ho liJay at the tank.Exchetuer v and South bia I louse. The Commons dii not meet yesterday in number sallicient to proceed to husinr”, and of course the House was adjourned. The Report from the Secret Committees, which h as f o r some days here so anxiously looked for by the Public, was presented last night to the Peers by the E.irl of Hanttowny. It has been ordered to be printed, hut as, in the mean time, it will be gratify. ins to oar Readers to be as fully informed of its con tents as pOssible, we here give the correct substance of THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. It s commenres by stati.tg that the Committee had first directed their attention to such documents as re lated to the Metropolis t and that the result of their investigation on this point is a conviction, that a con spiracy existed to overthrow by a general insurrec tion, the established Government, and to produce a general system of plunder. It goes on to state, that, in pursuance of this trea sonable object, different consultations were• held in London in the last autumn, when, slier considering and rejecting various plains, it was at last resolved to call a Public Meeting in Spafields : it was conceived that this plan would acquaint them with the probable Dumber of adherents that could be raised, while at the same time the place chosen was a central spot, from which the City might be entered and attacked in various places at once. For this purpose adver tisements and hand-bills were circulated, addressed to the lower orders, and particularly to those whose distressed circumstances and extreme sufferings, horn the pressure of the tines, were supposed to render them the fittest tools for discontent and disaffection. The Report then briefly describes the proceedings of the first Meeting of the 15th November, dwelling strongly on the violent and inflammatory language used by some of the speakers ; and refers to the pion. der that took place on that first evening, as a conse quence of the doctrines promulgated in the course of the day. The Report then notices the appointment of December 2, as the time for a second meeting ; and supposes that day was intended for the executian of tl.eir object. • The modes of effecting their purpose were—first, a liberation of all prisoners in the different pots of the Metropolis, to whom, accordingly, notice was given (in the shape of an Address). that they would all. be set free on that day, and have arms put into their hands ; a recommendation bring added, to pro cure the National tricoloured cockade, and to spare no means, however sanguinaiy, to ensure success.— A second scheme was to set fire to all the Barracks; and an attack on the Bank and the Tower was de termined upon after several consultations. Pikes and arms were procured ; leaders were chosen ; and the places of attack pointed our. Attempts were made to seduce the soldiery at different stations, and the most unremitting exertions were employed in the in terval of the two Meetings, in visiting all the clubs and public-houses'in the Metropolis, where. even io the most apparently c tsual conversations, endeavours were made so to irritate and inflame the minds of the hearers, that when collected in a burly they might be ripe for the most desperate eqteriorise. The per. sons so employed in going about and haranguing at these clubs are stated to be the same who on the se. cond day shewed themselves in Spafields, with arms, ammunition, tricolour flags, tricolour cockades, and the banner bearing the inscription— s. The brave soldiers are our brothers, treat them kindly." The Report then alludes to that direct exhortation to open insurrection made by one speaker at Spa. fields, and expresses its conviction that the outrage, plunder, and . insurrectionary violence that ensued were nut accidental and unpremeditated, but the re sult of a deliberate plan ; which, in their own opi. nion, failed only from unexpected occurrences, and was not altogether abandoned even alter this failure, It notices also that different assoeiatiens, in different parts of the country, had a knowledge and expecta tion of the riotous proceedings of that day. The Committee then states, that these insurrectionary de signs had extended to many of the most popetous arid manufacturing districts of Great Britain. As a proof of the concert of even the :cost distant and widely.separated parts of the kingdom, it is ,cared that, conformably to the resolution of the Spai.eitls leaders to meet again on the 10th of February, Jar meetings were fixed for the very same day is various parts of the country. The remote societies waited for the example of the London combination, and the most anxious expectation was awakened as to the result of the proceedings of the 2d of Decem ber. The first news of that day excited their spirits so a high degree, and their disappointment was ne less on the news of the speedy suppression of the in surtection. It is supposed that even partial success iu London would have led to a general rising throughout the kingdom—but since that failure, the malcontents talk of waiting till the country is more 6 corinpletely organized," by which is meant, that they hope, by establishing every where clubs, under paw. of Reform, to be enabled to excite such a general spirit of discontent, especially among the dis_ tressed chases, together with such a hope of relief from general plunder, and with such a desire For what are called their natural rights, that they shall be ready, on the first signal, to take up arms for ac complishing their purposes. The Committee then particularizes some of the clubs and societies in which these principles are taught, and .by which they are expected to be one day put in practice. It first speaks of the Hampden clubs, whose professed object is Parliamentary Re form ; and though it allows that many. members have no conception of the real okjects of the more disaffected leaders, it asserts, that among the manu facturing classes, clubs under this name have been the instruments of disseminating the most dangerous doctrines. It next alludes to the " Union Societies," the parent society under which name is in Lqndon, and branches of it under the same name arc spread through the country. The professed purposes of these associations is Parliamentary Reform, in the shape of universal suffrage and annual Parliaments, which measures, in the opinion of the Committee, involve not a change, but a total subversion of the Constitution. The Spencean Philanthropists arc next alluded to; and it is stated, that the London conspirators discus sed and matured their plots in a club of ibis de scription. The principles of these Spenceans are de scribed as spre s ading rapidly among all the other so cieties of all denominations. These men disclaim Parliamentary Relearn as a worthless object, and their hand-bill (so often quoted) is produced as a proot that their object is a general plunder, under the name of a general division of property. These so. cieties are said to be so numerous as not to be redu cible under any one general description. The coun try societies are chiefly in the neighbourhood of Lei cester, Loughborough, Nottingham, Mansfield, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Blackburne, Manches ter, Birmingham, Norwich, and Glasgow, with its vi cinity. 'they are said, in fact, to be spreading to every village. Besides the hopes of plunder, intimidation is said to be added to seduction ; threats are held out to those who do not join the clubs, and these clubs I themselves are bound to secrecy by the most horrid and atroci;,us oaths. As an additional security for secrecy, the proceedings of these societies are ail con ducted by speech ; nothing is committed to writing ; and the communications between the most distant clubs are not trusted to paper, but are made by means of delegates and missionaries, acting under the guidance of a managing Committee. Arms have. lately been procured in considerable quantities, and subscriptions have been raised, which, though trifling in detail, are important in their aggregate amount. The Committee then enters into a view of the ob jects of these societies, and argues, partly from their publications and partly from its own private sources of information, that their purpose is to destroy all Government, all social order, all morality, all reli. gion. The landholder is represerited as a rapacious monster, and the fundholder as a still greater curse: and the poor are told; that these two proprietors gain fifteen-pence out of every quartern loaf. Parliamen tary Reform is derided, as calculated to change only one set of thieves fur another. Every art is used most calculated to unsettle and inflame the mind. The meetings are prolonged to a late hour in the night; seditious speeches are made, inflonimatnry writings are read, and the sitting, particularly in London, generally concludes with singing profane and seditious songs, and-blasphemous parodies of the Liturgy, in the responses of which the whole com pany join in chorus. Thus by the united force of sedition and infidelity, the minds of the members are tainted and inflamed ; and in the opinion of the Com mittee rendered fit for any atrocity against indivi. duals or the State. The Report then, in the most pointed language, calls the attention of the House to the cheap, and sometimes gratuitous, circulation, throughout the kingdom, of seditious, inflammatory, irreligious and blasphemous publications, which cut at the very foundations of all society and government. The Committee cons:ders the late attack upon the Prince Regent as an additional and melancholy proof of the efficacy of the system before described, to de stroy all reverence for eesstituted authority, even' in its most important form. The Committee neat describes it to be a part of the system of the leaders of these societies, to give ut terance in all the great public meetings, to language of the most unparalleled violence ; and even to an nounce openly, that if their Petitions are not com plied with, the Sovereign will have forfeited all claim to allegiance. The publication of the speeches so made at these meetings is stated to be a fresh vehicle for sedition and treason. The Committee in the last place notices the novel practice of adjourning these meetings from time to time and of thus alarming and agitating the minds of all the peaceable and well-affected. This alarm is increased by the plan of holding various Meetings oat the same time in different places; a practice which 'seems to facilitate to the disaffected the means of ac complishing their designs, and embarrasses and dis tracts the civil power, while even the military torce must necessarily be so subdivided, that Government cannot readily send effectual assistance to the civil power so as to secure the public tranquillity. The Committee Concludes by saying that this state of things cannot be suffered to continue without the greatest evil ; and although it will not anticipate any decision of Parliament as to the measures proper to be adopted, it feels it to be a duty to express a deci.. ded opinion that further provision) ere ritcesiary for the preservation of public peace, and fur the mainte nance of the common welfare of all classes of the People. Till the complete doeurneat shall hate been pub lished, we will retrain trum making many remarks on the subject of the Report, or on the measures which may in consequence be suggested for the adoption of Parl:ament. That it is the duty of Government to watch over the public safety ; that the machina tions of wicked men, whether to rob and plander, or to overthrow the Constitution, should be counter acted and the individuals who m I be proved guilty, be visited with exemplary vengeance ; and that those to whom the preservation of peace and order, and the protection of property, are more im mediately intrusted, should be armed with sufficient power for these important purposes, are so many sell-evident truisms. On these there can be bus one opinion among rational men. The questions fur cool discuss on will be, whether the arm of the law has not s:rength sufficient td pu nish the guilty, w ithout involving the innocent ? Whe titer it cannot arrest, imprison, try, and punish the criminals, without invading the privileges and liberty of the loyal ? Whether the danger, whatever may be its complexion, is such, from the aurnbers, the cha racter, the influence. the resources of the trait'ms, as to warrant other than the usual means so bring the guilty to punishment, and to provide for the security of persons and property ? Ott these points it is impossible, from what is yet before us, to form any thing like a correct opinion. To these the wisdom of Parliameat will be directed ; and we doubt not that they will all be discussed with coolness, and with an anxious desire to come ta the most correct conclusion. In fact, the main question is one of very great magnitude. On the one hand the preservation of the rights and liberties of the subjects ; on the other the due protection of their properties and their lives ; and all of these involved in the mainte- nance of the laws and Constitution of the country. DUTCH MAILS. Two Dutch Mails have arrived this mcrning. The following is the only article of intelligence of any interest. It reports an insurrection to have broken out at Madrid, headed by some of the Members of the ex-Cortes, and to have been only quelled after a hard fighting of three hours. N 'body who has attended to the state of affairs in Spain since the restoration of FERDINAND, can be at all surprized should it at last have led to some popular commotion ; but for the present we are not inclined to place much reliance en the authenticity of this Dutch rumour—Amsterdam is not exactly the most direct or expeditious channel for news from Madrid; nor is the date of the pre tended insurrection (the 17th of January), so very recent that it should not have been officially known in London before now, bad any such occurrence actually taken place. MADRID, JANUARY 24. !TRACT FROM A PAIVATI mans. This City has been thrown into elm m by a to_ mult which for some moments endangered the exist ence of our Goverment. This tumult seems to have beeo excited or undertaken by the Heads of the Cortes. .‘ The following is what took place on the evening of the 17th of this month :--Some squares and streets were thronged with a tumultuous crowd of people, whose crier. announced terrible events. The Autho rities and the armed force were active. In the night of the 17th a most furious contest ensued, the result 41* which, after a battle of above three hours, termi nated in favour of the Government. Numerous arrests succeeded to this bloody scene, and tranquil lity was not entirely re-established till the 20th." • The following are other Extracts : BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 8. Notwiskistanding the great endeavours of the French Government to supply the Northern Depart ments with corn, and the great sacrifices made by different cities, as for maple Lille, which has given 600,000 francs for this purpose, it seems that the dif ficulty is not yet lessened. It has already occasioned scenes of tumult in some places, so that particularly in French Flanders, on the sea side the armed force has been obliged to interfere. The corn for the right song of the Army of Oc cupation c does entirely from the interior of France. The Government fulfils its engagements pith all possible punctuality. It is hoped that the diminu tion of the Allied Army, and above all, the goad will of the inhabitants of French Flanders and Ar tois will diminish the evil. BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 12. Corn continues to be imported into the harbours of Havre, Calais, and Dunkirk ; part of which is sent to Paris, and the rest to Arras, Lille, or Cam bray. The number of British troops returning is said to be 7000. The Duke of Wellington. it seems, will not return till the various arrangements with the French Go vernment, respecting the Amy of Occupation, are completed. Yesterday the PRINCE REGENT held a — Court at Carlton House.- At two o'clock the VICE-CHANCEL LOR and the Delegates from the University -ot C int bridge arrived in grand procession. The liaises REGENT being seated on his Throne, the CHANCEL.. boa, and the other Members of the University, were introduced into the Royal presence by the LORD CHAMBERLAIN and the Gentlemen-Ushers in waiting ; whenthe Address was read by the Royal CHANCELLOR, and a gracious answer was returned by the REGENT. PUPAL 1147ELLVERCE; I:ALMOU I H, FF.BRUARY te. No arrivals.—Sailed the foilowing packets, al! mails : the Duke of Kent, far Lisbon ; Llrd Eta for Gibraltar and Malta ; Francis Freeliog, for rica ; the Osborne, for the Brazils. —Wind W., YORTSMOU IH, FEHRUAttY ia. Arrived his Majesty's ship HOPE, from a eru z and the Equity, Smut, from the Downs ter T • LTAI., FEBRUARY IR. Arrived and s..iled for the River the Ir GARDNER, 110 M the South seas; and Tom C u RostatTs. from St. Michael's,—the latter rens4ik Came down tram the River and remain the Hero , Britannia, for Gren ida ; Dick, (or Botany 13, RAMSGATE, FEHR uARY is. Put in for sielter the T M:neiva, Fly, bier, Mowbray, May er, Portsritouth, Ren - aiuti Commerce, Hope, Fi iendship, Swallow, and Psi:, ter—the latter is leaky. LIVERPOOL, FEB:LI:ARV 17. Arrived the Golden Yu e,e, ToomPst , N, frnrn fast for Jr« , naica, with less of bulw.ol Amphion, from Charleston, which was on shore, Rut off. GIyVENTNI), FEbRUARY Arrived the Alert, ltith +rd., from llublln; Rower, from tit. Michael's; Mary .Ind sally, Arlarmt, front dim); Woodden, Halkin, from Tenerilre.—saikti the faring, 11 for Sr. Helena sod Fort William; etrb.rtis, OweL, lor William ; Caledonia, Wales, for Fort St. George; Eliza, 1 for Isle of France; Symetry, Morgan, and Wahingtiam, borne, for Genoa and Leghorn ; long Elizaheih, Lilo it, Antwerp ; and Friendshap,Nirt, for kotterd.an CUSTOM-HOUSE, FR11111111( is. SHIPS rrato ODTWARDI4.-1 Me My, Gt urge, for n<if Skipsey, Lasdler, for Montreal ; Isabslia, Cornturth, and V 'mast. Milkma (or Hamburgh ; Harmony, Gray, tur and Montreal ; kambkr, Godfrey, for • Fetterdll ;.1 hot then, Spaull , for LiAbon ; and Ws, Mrlven, for 12u bcct A letter from Lamlash says, that on Friday night, doting a heavy gale from W.N.W. the Firmer, of Kincardine, drove from her anchors, went on shore on the Hilly Isle, when all on F four men, a lady and a child, were drowned. were found on the lady notes and London bilis the amount of upwards of £S(X), two watches, gold rings, and a medal. TUE ,111111 Y. ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTH REGIMENT. It is but justice to the Officers and Men of thi Regiment (for the reduction of which orders hay just been given) to observe that few Regiments has evinced greater zeal in the Aervice of their Kin` country titan this has. Raised under the auspi Litutenant-General Maims HUNTEII, at the niencement of the late war, its set vim were nally limited to British North America, bin it sooner completed to its establishment of 1,000 than it unanimously volunteered for general Being ordered to Canada in the winter of 181: Regiment actually marched on snow-shnes from Brunswick to Quebec, a distance of 260 mils, the thermometer was 20 degrees below the c) p! circumstance which astonished esen the Can; Scarcely had the men recovered from being bitten (which most of them were) than the Reg was ordered to the frontiers of Upper Canada, 450 miles. The fatigue and difficulty of such a at the most inclement season of the year cannot be imagined. It was performed with die gr, cheerfulness, and the Regiment had the good f. to reach Upper Canada in time to take a distill( share in the active operations in that quarter. advanced posts were occupied by it during the p rips of 1813 and 1814. In the attack :it Erie, that gallant Off. er Lieutenant-Colonel Di mono, fell at the head of the Grenadier Cormp and several other Officer's were wounded. On whole the condeet of this Regiment does ere" the Province it was raised in, and thews that the of the old American Loyalists still exists in tlei The necessity fur retrenchment in the public diture having placed the Officers of this Regime half.pay, their services will not, it is present: , overloked, as opportunities of restoring them ' pay occur. CORN EXCHANGE, FEBRUARY 19 —We have no arrivals of any Grain since Monday, and the mand being very limited, that day's prices with difficulty supported for prime samples, bi ordinary qualities were unsaleable. Barley is sale, and rather lower. Oid Oats sell freely Now are a drug on die Market. In Peas, Beane other articles, there is no alteration. The Contractor for the present small Lltt, compliment to the pentlernan who frame, Scheme, and who is a Cambro-Briton, has translated in Welch, for the information of such natives of that country who have no taste for Larvazer.—The Scheme whether in Welch r r k certainly a very pretty scheme, and present those who chime to embrace them, various t p: nities of acquiring that which enables a man to a language understood in all countries. The very great satisfaction the plan adopted dirt Lottery gave to persons residing in the cm his induced T. l3isH, the Contractor, to repeat the firerent. The undermentioned Tickets are rest for sues pereuns as may order them, and as the Nunibett advertised were approved by many reams netting M Lsr' k has been thought advisable for the convet.ience of the When part at the East and part at the West end of the Ti The fallowing may be had at N 0.4, Cornhill, enlist . in Tickets, Halves, Quarters, Eighths, or Sixteenths: No. 128 I No. 239 I No. 871 No. 1,130 No.l. 168 441 1,077 1,467 2, 07] 204 513 1,079 1,651 07 221 I 530 1 1,126 I 1,711 I 2 , 6 E 2sti 020 1 1,129 1,714 VII The following may be had at No A, Charitig.Crost Mole Tickets, Halves, Quarters, Eighths, or Sixtevirlis. No. 153 I 618 lO6B I 2,075 21'8 875 1,652 2,#.8.) 238 1,078 1,713 240 I 1,080 I ),819 1 2,665 5..9 1,127 2,072 c ,SI. The velutle Litttery cnie.iiited originally of °Ali 3 . 441 (the mailed mumter !VET brown) and AI will he i.!ra'A fl Ist March, 1817. Piticlt--Ticket iss 18 0 Half sirt 2 7 0 Eighth . 5 Quarter o 5 0 Sixteenth •.• Letters (post ) duly answered. !slit I H. Friday, In Doctor's Commons, the I ady of Gevrie Jon. E.q. of a daughter.. DIED. - - - Friday last In the sth year (dates are, Witliz~t, youne of Captain Ationtagu, of liven ham DM near Rod im LONIJO, INt Printel by Laws& Ss' l'ublisbed ib e re, a n d at t h e StarVilev, Tamer , s, al! %. kitlb,: fns- rn N.N ▪ Clll z r ftY:pettor no Cod.' :n•4ios. Hero an any 13, 1 Iv f GAr , 1%1 C` l ):Ulh'! 1 rifny : rrnro F , v shore, r s•tr, ditto !! in?,{.aTE r., lor La i Far Wb: 1110 4, For /4 if and Vio. iur gut {lin t 11: ; I Let. clay se'n the s!o• hors, a:, on hard . 'cher 11 bilis : :hes, tic Jag at slim( •1 he co .) re oriel t. it was DO met 4. servic. 512, th urn Nt• wh; p!.er, inkdiar ig fro:! .egitnt la, heir, me:. not ft)r: V. 7. • lguibhe r. TL he cart hitF• 1 Drtut On tt, Tedit t he spir stir tees. c elptle tnent nnd, be a to is t. we ha. I the dt es %sc . • but t! , is do ly, h: 11)3, t' awry red H s has ~ It co . •;i 4 run:: p::• v*D. • d in t t ! :num!. chit it vsny.i ibns L.Gr. ds Tom: 0 in Wt.:: gip It 0• 14 1,681 io II ekkir is: Va I 6 • 3ge.t "• • ; 11. I.