The National Register.
London, England, 1817-03-03 00:00:00

THE SECRET CO. .INIITTF.E'S REPORT.

On the order of the I)sy being read fur considering die
report of the Seeret Committee.
Lord CACCLFIIiiACH rose, an(
teion of tits Rouse the principal
wore, Jed. The Noble Lot,
folly the Csiuniiittee in
Imes! in the state, and the ree,
htive ineasiires ; nor could his
he charged, at the bar of the I
forte stranger meacn s than du
Tilt insurrectionists had grrat
elan:, and Imp. J t.r attach to
however, would not go the len;;;
of their lives. There had liven
deeper cnieipirary existed f':11)
since the resolution. No
swept in Ireland i ..titi it
Laid not marked the zreasotl

tid brought under the consider•
i.ll farts upon which the repast
rd obsi•rved, that the report
it stating. that illtie•yr neatly ex-
eaniineasdatoni of s Legis_
i Nlajcst)'s Government justly
country, with wishing to eli-
te cal ai a. of the case
hopes of succet•ling in ;heir
their vicara iud•vtduah glut,
Oh
they desired, at the hazard
en proof of the fact, that a
144 any that had been hatched
ice of a similar , uue had arisen, .
a character of trea,on a hit It
former times. Thia )14',
-15 411
164
pp. •
f
•

deiced by what took place on the 24 of December, when
the mob attempted by force of arms to carry Weir object into
effect ; nor should he hesitate to say, that if the question
stout on that single crowd, he shoti-hi think himself author-
ised to provost. the measures which he should bring betbre
the House; the stfort,..however, bed been successfully put
down. It had shewn imokr the tintsks of Pat liamentary
Reform, and had not been confined to the borders of the
metro,eilis.--socit•ties had met, who were- not conterned
with half measures ; they were ell azreed oil the ttrc. ssity of
smiting and co-operating togethei in urine their influence and
physical feria-, if netwesary, to obtain their object , namely
that of rout ruling -the Constituted authorities. The Societies,
the principal of which were tile Speweren, entertained these
views, thonelt he was reads to admit some of them enter-
tained wherry steve. Could may malt doubt their real ob-
ject? tie would assert, that the greater mass were the se- 1
hides fur diseeminating wicked and affiliated revolutionary
Inetroires, and that they received the Spencean doctrines;
that a wicked conspiracy ball existed for subverting the Con-
stitution ; and that it was sidliciently strong fur that purpose.
'Fhey expected to find their hopes of success in corrupting
the public mind, particularly the tilanufai luring part of the;
conutry. If any part of the poptiletion felt more horror
than the other, it was aericultural. This being the situation
of the country, he should atete what measureit it ,was in the
coutemplatiou of Ministers to propose to avert the danger. .4..
Dill had been introduced in the other house for a temporary
suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act ; and though at present
be should not make any propovition of that nature, yet it
would be resorted to. He declared that the adoption of
such a measure was most reptiguatitto the minds of the Mi-
nisters, anti gave him much pain to propose; but while he
admitted this, he must say that any Minister who should neg-
lect to recommend it would betray the ditties which lie owed
to his country. It was a measure aluue calculated to sustain
the laws at present in existence, and to preserve the liberties
of the conuirs. Without it, the conspirators could not be I
arrested? apii they might be permitted, consequently, to co
on with their wicked projects, and deluge the country with
blood. There never was a case in wi.telt the necessity for
adopting it so strongly existed as at present. He should
propose it with every guard for thelibeity of the subject, con-
vest, nt with the safety of the State, and propose to continue
it fur a longer period. He would Wish it to ben local mea-
sure, and not extend it to Ireland. He would now state the
other measures which were inilispensible to the safety of
the state. A law had been passed in 1.70.5 to protect the per-
son of the Sovereign, which unfortnitately, to the disgrace of
those times, had been attempted A law was then enacted to
last during his life. He thought that the House would out
rcf.usc to throw round the Prince Regent that shield which
under similar circumstances, they had placed over the' So-
vereign ; especially as his royal Highness was exercising the
So, ereignty. Another branch of the subject was, the at-
te mils which lead been made to seduce and debauch the sol-
diery and the navy : it was necessary to protect the State
against melt attempts. Those who were guilty of such crimes
committed a must serious offence against the State; fur they
attempted to induce the military to perjure themselves, and to
forgo those oaths whirl; they had sworn of allegiauce to
the Sovereign. The Noble Lord then adverted to the Acts
of 1795 anti 1799, against Seditious Meetings; rendering illegal
all those societies which hound themselves by secret or illegal
associations; and those who affiliated and fraternized, to
colect what they called " the physical three." In 1799, those
societies were rendered illegal ; for the Government of that •
day finetid it necessary to resist the progress of that system
which grew out of the French Revolution. The Statute Law
of the Beaton was rendered nugatory by the operation of the
115th of the King; and, therefore, the object of the Legislature
Insist be to revive both laws, and thus meet the apprehended
dances. When the Seditious bills to which he had Whaled
were introduced, there had been several dangerous Meetitigs '
at Copenhagen-house audelsew here, which were most:alarming
totter loyal part of the nation; but then none of those Meet-
ings, as now, had proceeded to acts of violence. At the Meet-
ings of the present day, popular Orators had presented them-
selves, watching fur the eye of the auditor, to seize the fa-
vourat le opportunity fur wee king on his passions and imbeci-
lities. What, in fact, had been in contemplation only in
1195, had been carried into effect in 1810. hlinisters,there.
fore, would be besotted If they waited for the return of the
danger. The-law was not an arbitrary one, but productive of
snitch gond. He was convinced, that in no country was the
public mind so responsive as in this; and if Parliament spoke
out. naaay ntisgudied persons would be convinced of their
error, and the societies expire. There was soother branch
of the subject, which was of great importance ; and that was,
tlinse bovieties in which individuals were allowed to give pub-
licity to their blasphemies; he meant Debating Socitiees. It
was necessary to place these societies under the restrictions
alluded to, They were common in poblie houses, and were
Open to receive what they called " light and information."
The Spencean and Hampden Chubs met, stud diffused their
lights into Ireland and Scotland, the same as the Societies
Melt formerly met with the British and Corresponding So-
cietit s. The lights they difhised, and the evidence which
was furnished by the Club Officers, were those emanating
from " Philauthropists," far so the Spenceaus called them-
selves; they professed to deal out happiness fur mankind, as
eh H. feimers du. Their creed was evidence of their sin-
cerity iu that rt spiel , nor did lie wish the House to think
that the Hampden (Antis acre any better that' the Spencean,
who were to distribute land, and to subvett all the losinda-
tions in society. The Hampden Chef) and Union Club
prute,seil similai loch hies ; and thought the Coinati:tes might
have mistaken the Cub limn %Inch a Petition was presented
to the other House, set there was an Union Club existing in
London of the description referred to. The Sheffield Union
Cleo recognized it in Isl 6, and stated that any man might
become an honorary member on paying a hue of gas. lf,
therethre, a Cull) did not exist, lee aas suri•rised ; but they
had a happy facility in changing their names, anti adoptie
I c Vutions similar in i ffect to other Clubs. Th., Legislature
would he i:s ivelling if they did not provide against the clan-
g .r. The principles of the Spencea it Clubs, thought profras
mg to be founded on the Agrarian Law, was dust of plunder
--a eyste it to:- establishing a sort of parochial plan, in whirl;
the larrll, rds, whom the.), had despoiled, were lot to he suf-
fered to perish, but to become pensioners on the totality of
their ileeenil. rs. The Noble Lord then recapitulated the
Lead., of his measures, and coneluiled with motet wing, that
Ministers woitl•l betray the duly w Melt they owed to the
country if this did hot press on the attention of' the House
these measures. The Noble Lord moved fur leave to hiring
in a Bill for more effectually preventing Seditious Meciin...
and Assemblies.
Mr. PONSONBY admitted, that it ITAA perfectly true, the
Committee were- unanimous in in4kilig their t, and the
statement of the Noble Lunt Was perfectly cot rect. IL
would go as tar as the Noble Lard iu atreugthcuiug the aria