The Sun.
London, England, 1817-02-25 00:00:00

PETITIONS FOR REFORM.

Sir F. Bvtiourr sui4l, that before the House
should enter on the discussion of that widely ex-
tended conspiracy, which had excited so much
alarm on the opposite side—(Laughter),---he bad a
few more Petitions. for Parliamentary Reform to
present. lie then presented petitions to that effect
from the borough Of Taddingliam and its vicinity,
the town of Ludlow, 'and the borough of Black-
burn, Duffield, Stewarton, Carmanagb, Recha•
bee, and several Others.—Ordered to lie on the
table. _ _

.General Ft;CG UTS N presented At petition horn
the inhabitants of the City and Royal Bo-
rough of Perth, in Perthshire, in tavola of Par-
liamentary Reform. Ile stated that it was a
most groundless libel on the mass of the peatple,
td say that they were desirous of revolution under
the name of reform. In Scotland, although the
people were most zealous reformers, none were.
snore loyal, or would be more ready to stand by
the constitution of the country.—Read, and or-
dered to lie on the table. •
Mr. STANIFORTII presented a Petition in' favour
of Reform anti Economy, from the inhabitants of
Kingston. upon-Hull.
Air. Baouott AM could assure the Ilonsi, from -
the communications which he had received-from
persons present at the meeting, that although at-
tended by lrge numbers, nothing could have been
more order 6edispitsionate, either -in the Corninet
of the people or the langt.age of the speakers.
But this wasnot an extraordinary instance. XVith
one solitary exception, every thing Which had
passed proved,.that•although numerous beyond all
precedent, .411 the meetings in the country had
been carried on with a /tepee of tranquillity and
decorum, which would do honour to the best
cause.—(l-lear, bear !)—llowever misrepreSented,
peace and good conduct still formed the charac-
teristics of the people.
The Peti ion was then read, and ordered to lie
on the table. _ .....

MR.'HUNT'S P.E.Tronv
~,uottAtzst 'stated that he held a petition,
Which had been put into his hands only ten nl-
notes before. It was from 'an indieldnal, Mr.'
Henry limit, who declared that be tsas ready to
aPpear at the bar of the lloit'se, anti to disprove by
evidence'met rtaitt ellegations made in a Report of
a Secret Coinmittee of that House, which he bad
read in the public papers. lie tionmght that ;time
petition ought to be taken into consideration ;by
-the house before it shonid proceed. not indeed to
vote away, but to suveutt the liberties of the
notion. That petition stated, that time petitioner,
while in the country, had_ received a letter last
November-from Preston, requesting him to attend
a meeting of the distressed inhabitants of London
and its vicinity. That lie had, in conettntenee,
written to Preston to know the object. oldie
meeting, and had received in reply a paper
entitled the`‘ Indepe»dent Whik," containing
en 'advertisement calling upon the inhabitants
of London, Westminster, and Southwark, to
assemble. and petition the Prince Regent in
favour of Relo.rua and EconoMy: That he had
come to London,- and found a memorial ;ready
preparedi, of which he had disapproved, -as
well to Of time plan of going,in a body to present
it at Carlton-house. That he had proposed other
resolutions, which bad been unanimously adopted
and presented to the Prince Regent. -That the
adjournment Of the meeting iv.. Spa-fields to the
2d of December, in Palace-yard, was not the ef-
fect of any previous concert, lint merely the re-
sult of ignorance as tosthe time when Parliament
would Meet. That when he had seen Lord Sid-

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[Pracz SEVBNPENC

month, previous" to the 2d December, his Lout-
ship had not asked him to Withhold from attending
the Spa-fields Meeting, but had told him that his
presence and Lls•ermduct there appeared to have
prevented great misehief.—(Hear, hear !)—That
the timers who had committed excesses in the
city did not belong to the Meeting, but, had been
Met by the petitioner on his way to it, where be
had proposed a resolution against rioting, which
had been unanimously adopted. That the third
add last Spa-fields Meeting had been still mote
numerous than either of qie,Nriner, awl had passed
without the least distprbatice. not as to the
pike heads, be hakrßeeived, an anonymous letter
whilst at the last *fling, 'informing him that,a
person dressed as a gamekeeper had called on a
man of the name of Bencliffe, a smith, in Covent..
Orden, and, hail employed hint to make spikes
a fish porttl-; That some had been made, which.
he had takenzway, and ordered more ; and tout
a Police officer hail since called on Bencliffe, and
had a similar., ne made, to be laid before the Secret
CoMmitteifd that he conceived the letter might,
proie'an important clue. As to the planfhe an at-
tack on the. Tower or the Batik, 'the adjourn-
tnent to Palau;-yard proved that no such intention
was formed, and if the meeting had not after all
taken place there, it was to prevent any inconve-
nience which might arise from its vicinity to Par-
liament. In fine, that the petition proposed by
the petitioners, and adopted at the different meet-
ings, hind been receiad Ikthat House, the House
of Peers) and his 113iYar1-flghness the Prince Ile-
gent himself. lie (Iritireoehrane) thotOit that.
such a petition shouhrhe'ieCeived, and if its al-
legations were found to be false, and the design
of its author had been to impose upon the Housr,
he tnight then be visited with severe punishment.
Evidence should not be rejected. It would be a
most extraordinary circumstance that the whole
people of England should be condemned by, he
would not say a packed, but n Select Committer,
instead of a fair Jury, to which they were en-
titled, and without being allowed a singls ()ppm-,
tunity of refuting the charges made against them.'
(Bear, hear, hear t)—Soch a proceeding would
be most inignitons, and he protested against it in •
his place as a Member of that llouse. lie had
known of no serious riot or disturbance to justiiy
the measures intended:,-14 Rear, hear, hear !)-7--As
to the men designatedr*iller appellatiou of
Spenceans, he undeiitfintidltiat the Lord Mayor
himself did not conside Went to consist of more
than 100 individuals. Vila there should be 300
infatuated vagabonds in the metropolis was not
astonishing, but that it was possible for them to
endanger the Constitution of the Country,
what he could not reconcile to his belief.---The
petition was then read, and ordered to lie on the
able. . ,

REPORT OF THE SECRET COMNIITTEE.
The Order of the Day for taking intos consi-
deration the Report of the Secret CoMMittee
having been read,
Lord eAsy.entrAiltr assured the Ifouse; that
he had never come forward, in the whole courte
of his Parliamentary career, with more, real pain '
than at the present moment. It had been a duty
often imposed upon him in these latter times, to
provide extraordinarCi ihreasures to meet extra-
ordinary dangers. BLit' severe' as had been that
duty, it was still more 'Painful and grievous,
at a period, not of war, when foreign hos. ,
Why ntie;lit be connected with domes:ic tree-
boo, but of peace, when every appearance of
external danger had disappeared,---(lfear. hear,
hear !)—to call the attention of Parliament to -
civil divisions. Ile had hoped, that after the
aveildfnl record, of the sufferings of mankind
which the last twenty•five years had present-
ed---after the memorable lesson given to those
disposed to embark in desperate enterprise,
that the calamities which they, occasioned
fell back upon their own heads, and upon
their Country, 511(1 affected all elaSses of the
community ;—he had hoped, that alter the close:
of a war, in wl.ich tile country had been rescued
from the greatest perils-hOth'at home and abroad,
would have been diffiehlt ,:if' not imposeitlia..-ic
find indivitlnlds so derllt.to prone to be actcd
00311"ortSI'icked and designing Counsellors, as to
rentlet it necessary fol. Parliament to come to the
grave considerations to which it was his (boy to
call time [louse.: however unlikely that ought to
have been-, m one who had read of, or looked at.:
the spirit of auslieity and wide which had grown.
out of the French Revolution, in which persons
without natural pretensions had not only tisen to
:he first Mikes of the State, but had tendered •
Litemselves' masters of the whole property of
the conntry,--no one who had twilled the
his-
tc of the times could be sUrprised that indie.-
duals should -he found amongst us so
tuated as to try, by ti 1)014 effort, to effect 'similar
objects", and to attain erktial elevation. AS loo;;
a period of ealatnityi:Ridd enable them to direee
lite passions of the pOiPle,' it was not astonishing
that such persons should risk even their own lives
to turn those passions to their o ten ion poses,— •
There were many circumstances, however, which
threw a ray of 'Consolation over the picture.
we had not yet traversed the whole period of rem
volution and of danger, we had at least seen the,
moment when they bad passed their acme ard
were on their decline. It was a subject of con.
gratulation for the country, more real than that
which might be derived efrom the endeavours of
the Noble, Lord who- had presented the petition
(Cochrane), to depreciate the peril, that treason
had so far become less dangerous, beettuSe it had
now deseeuded to the lowest orders of society,
which were more liable to seduction, The tendency
,of there revolutionary dangers bad been to purity
and to sfeparnie the other cloSses. The poison now
operated only on the- liiict•juties., where it had

assnmed a character, not only of treason, but of
crime, which would Nall mote easily to its deice-
teetion and repressioo. The different tribes of
disturbers, tbe•Ludditeist.end the Spenceans, bad
committed open violetioas of the laws, besides
the essumptioa of doctrines SO 111151,1111, as, al.;
thisugh otherwise intended by designing men, to
.nffend the sense of all who were able to judge.--e
The character of the treason had sunk to the
'owes: classes, and disgraced itself wit!!
ealeol,e ed Coootelitet rite purposeS 01 the traitors
-themselves.--e( Hear, hear, hear 1)--This was cer-
tainly a consolation, but the Government would
ebandon its duty it it slept on the existing dangers.
'Whilst he concurred with the view recommended
to be taken by the Secret Corninittee,that the pe-
rils of the present times should be contrasted
with those of the earlier part)► of the Revolutiou,
. he wished the House not to imagine that there
was any absence of talent or ingenuity among
the conspirators oh the day. Let the House
look at the discontent in which their wild doc-
trines were explained, and it would see deo 'it
would be difficult to find more talent or ingenuity.
There certeiuly was. no lack of abilities ameeg
the iediriduels engaged iteethe desperate enter-
ise. Let the libels with which they attempted
to degrade theamthoeities of the State be examitt-
eds--eo trace of a vulgar turn of mind would he
marked in them. They were meo ut eilacation,
but of psrsoted education, and I,f great talents.
lie appealed to 'his Leat7ned and Ilououratile
Vriend (the At torhey7(.leiteral) as to tire dif-
ficulty is Welt lie had foiled in dealing with
these disloyal and immoral libels. But this was
not all. These were many men, distiogeished
in station nod abilities, who, if they were.teit
coimeeted, with those meetings, conducted them-
selves in such a manner as to countenance their
priuciples and their proceediegs.—(licar, hear,
bear ! from the avloole of the Oepositiott).—They
were recognised by the conspirators as their Allies.
(hear, hear, bear !)—riesecopharked in a cotil-
lions teuse--e(ilear, hear,,Areer !)--and though
they did not rooter linble to the ope•
!litho) of the laws, yet" iu the deliberations of the
eonspiraters, they were ri terred to, and named
(*motherly, amongst themselves as those who sllOlllll
olyolipio,e then Committees of Public Strict y—(llsond
anti repeated ties of Hem., hear, hear ! and
Name, name ! front the whole Opposition..)—lle
did not feel it his duty to name any one--(Meer,
hear, hear !)—but the conspirators considered that
such persons so effeettially aided and abetted their
proposes, as to be persuaded, that as soots as an
leserreetion should have avert turned the State,
those individuals worth( be ready to declare theta-
selves, and t'o put themselves at their head.—
(clear, hear, hear !)—Thougli they
,could not be
eltarged et the ber of; beir country,syet in the
eyes of God tool maneeealear, hear, hear ! from
the Oppositioo)--I hey stooktresponsible for the ca-
lamities which might' fti'llarptio the, land—(fiear,
hear, hear !)—aed foe the (hes which deluded in-
dividuals might pay for theareeson which they had
thus encouraged.---(liear, hear I)—He should now
give the House a fair, and nut exaggerated de-
scription of the nature and extent of the dengers
which menaced the country, and direct its atten-
tion.to the remedy seitieh bis MiliestY.s ;Niinkters
thought fit to recommend to Parliament. The
Report of :the Secret Committee had not beeu
drawn by, orte tslass of seen alone, It did got go
beyond tbe.state of the ease ; when a Caps-
mittee so composed laid that a conspiracy existed
which emborgered the existence of the Constitu-
tion and the dearest interests of the country, it
might well.be-credited that it only went as tar as
it was supported by evidee(sie If the baSis of the
haormation before the I lon,e amounted
,to this,
that is conspiracy of ..;o extensive a OW ore and so
tbiugerous i teedency exited, he apprehended
that he wits justified in assuming, that it was a
conspiracy not remotely looked to, as likely, to. be
(sallied iota execot in it wider triune Cirelllnatiloces,
bet one of sedesperate character, On the paint Of
tlpluding, and which in fact had exploded.—
(144tiginer.)—For elthough the conspirators had
Hot beet) joined to the extent avbieh they ex-
pected, yet they had conceived that the general
means which they bad provided were maidens
to enable theta to' make the attempt with a
reti-imal prospect of success. There was now
therefore a. degree of proof which had never before
been .possessed when Parliament had been celled
upon to adopt precautionary measures. Its no in-
eecept perhaps in Ireland, had conspiracy
proceeded so far as to levy war; and.by the force
of arms to attempt tnseize oft the Executive Porter
itstses From this, , however, be drew the
evil misfit be entirety eXtetiv,stneching when ,the
character of desPeret too, which it had not assififieil
in former, days. The fact of a conspiracy was
therefore established, with the fact of an attempt
and effort in arms. It would be confining the ex-
feet of the peril within too narrnw Ihnits, to con-
sider that it, sprung from the Meeting of the 2d
December alone. If the feet of acoespirkcy rested
only on the events of that day, and he saw nothing
in the other purls of the country hitended to sup.
port that .ellort, he might have tbonght %Otis the
Gentlemen opposite that it was crmtemptible in
itself, and that .the State was not under the ne-
cessity of resorting., to extraordinary mea,sures,
bit it would be disgatisipas the truth from the
House ,to, narrow the ..thooser to that single
effort, orjo sepiolite it from others going oil
rte; this very InoinClit hurler :the pietenee of seek-
iog for Parliemenoo y Reform. Ile would not
deny that many iorliVithlais throughout the coon.
try bad a Reform of Parbionent really iu view ;
hut most of sthem looked et it merely as it halt
meastoe,.or a veil to the, carrying on of their de-
signs. All these various Societies intruded to
co-operate, together in order to controul the Coe.
stituted Authorities of tine State, and impose upon
the Ration, the . deluge, whatever it might be,
which dal considered neeesserys, It was not re-
tt"ione to fellow the Spencer's*. Clubs through all
their ramifications, or to bring legal evidence be-
fore the Mau) how they acted in all their secret
InQcuedings. But woisht any man in the country
" "Y Mei-niter it) {lint 1100 Se hose
Societies exiatett Rod acted a .} 'II* of
!_eneaeitrint,aemni
oOolitsso-7:ll:eClini, LtiOleigXl; Whiner
Chn,ame
I Rely as vehicles to coin;
Muttieute revolutionery '
s vomit) *Anne were

He w
lintl

rind 'u s';ecere its the's:. wit itor itefosla,
it was in evidence befos..e tee, that
even these, admitted iirdiv ub professing the
Spencean fictri., to heconte their Members..
It hail bees clearly out that a cnu-
spiracyspir acy eXisted hi the coontry for the soltrersiou
of the Constitution and the State. It had hevs
proved that ti strong effort had been made in arms
to attain the object in view., and it appeared that
crimes 1 the individuals who were deeply implicated the
L crime of treaSon had keen the inoSt‘t active to pro-
cure meetings for the apparsto pnrpese rf Portia-
mentary• Helene, particalarly that 'of the ed of
December. The petition of one ludivideal was
before the House. nci did net, pretend to say
with what sentiments he (Mr. Hunt)' had gone
to that meeting, but admitting the whole of what
lie had stated, vet the meeting would appear to
have been made to feel the pulse of the people.—
The House lied nbw tit deal with treason, the ex-
istence of which wits acknowledged in the coon.
ti y, For while time conspirators bad not even
yet abandoned 'tire hope of firding an occasion,
by desperate effort, to take possession of the
-ruling power, they did not neglect other means,
but 'timed at the total:meet of their .objects
by the progressive Corruption of the minds of
:the people. The arts were chiefly directed to per-
vert the morals anti loyalty of the notunfaeturine
classes ; those very classes which had always set*-
, fen., and would el whys stiffer most front disterb-
' antes and civil broils in the State".—(Hear, hear !)
But they avoided themselves of the facility with
which they could be found and assembled to int-
liths 'their doctriees upon their mintl47and lead
them to acts of desperation. :Ile had explained
natere of the l t.aoger, and should now cull the
attention of the House to time measures whieh his
Majesty's Minivets should feel it their duty to
recommend. First of all, though he should not
have a motion to propose on the subject, he should
open the whole system of measures which were
deemed necessary to strengthen the hands of Go,.
vermnent at this important jultetnre. Ile should
therefore be entitled to refer to a Bill now
under the consideration of another House,
for the temporary suspension of the Act of Ha-
'bens .Corpus. There WAS no MeaSnrn Which
could Jellies upon him greater personal pain,
or a heavier load of responsibility. Al-
though it was one, which time Constitution had.
recognised whenever asease of suflicjent necessity
had been shown, there was none which he
thought thotilti be Adored with mere reluctance,
(Hear, bear !)—There was no kw VdliCh so nobly
and so proudly distinguished the British 'Consti•
tution as the Habeas CorpuS blw.---(liear, hear!)
But while he assumed the whole weight of respOn-
sihility upon himself for snspending such 'a law,
must say that the House would not duly protect
the liberties of the country if it did tiot:artn Mi-
nisters for a tittle with that power, without which
neither the Constitution. nor the State could be
secured from Ilse blow aimed for their overthrow.
The necessity of the present Measure erosc, per-
haps, from the great tenderness with which the
crime of Treason was treated by the existing
laws. It was reqnired to be, .established by so
many legal circumstances, 'as well as by the
evidence of two wituesses, diet the situation
of the country might be such, that Omagh the
State were in poiisession of evidence which in any
other case would send att intliehltea to his trial,
yet unless armed with the power ealled for,
it could not wrest a couspirator at time ter), eve
of his deluging his country with blood, without
running the risk that for want of evidence on thee
particular crime, lie shoohl apply for au flattens
Corpus, and be at once restored to liberty. By
the temporary suspension now proposed, the in-
dividual might be delivered over, to the regular
laws of the country: No Gentlemaoost the other
side of the House could.feel more seosibly thee
he did for the most limited snspension of the
Charter of our liberties. Nothieg butt a case of
the most imperious. necessity, like :the present,
coulti justify such a measure. His Mojesty's Go-
vernment intended to propose it with every pos-
sihle guard, to skew the reluctance with which
they adopted it, and their dispositimi remit it
at the earliest opportunky. lie shonld not wish
in the preamble to the Bill to fix a leriger period'
for its duration than the present Session of Par-
liament so that if might naturally expire with
it, unless fresh Clrplillilitatices tilloithi arise to
render its continuation Necessary. lie should
also wish to render it a local measusre. No-
thing had appeared before the Committee to
require the extension of the proposed 511.1.
pension to other parts of the. Ileited Kingdom,
(Hear, hear, hear !)—The internal situation of
laved was so tranquillized as to show a noble
nonoce its that c-fst-it.;;;Y 'and
to
an.
Lot
state of peace and loyalty which would do honour
to the whole kingdom.—(Hear, beer, beer !)
He should now.proceeri to other measures, which,
in consideration of existing circumstances, he
should think it Lolispensihie. toy kiarliortent to
adopt. A. latv bed been passed; ice heliaed-itr
1795, in consequence of an atrocions',act then at-
tempted on the person orthe Sovereigu, as be
was going to perform one of the most importatt
functions of the Legislature. Asimilar attempt
had been made on the person of the Illnstrieets
Individenl stow, holding the highest nethorily iii
the State. A similar law worth! therefore be pro-
posed to extend to his Royal Highness the Pt iece
Regent theprotectfon which the former Act pro.
smiled for the better security of his lilnjestO
Person. On this branch of the subject he wes
sure there would not be two opinions in the
House, but that it would be determined to be
wise to extend to the Prince Regent the slime
lewd protectioo in the, discharge, of th's duties of
hie high office, Wbich it hod been thought preper
to provide for the pet sun of the Sovereign
in e siteatiou, lie shottld therefore pro.
pose to extend to the person of therPriewe Re?,setit-
those putts of the Act of the 35th of tlte present
reign, which' related to the proiectioo of the per-
ton of the Ktuij
,Another petit of, the Pion which
',mild propose related to the Attempts which
...well matte to drew over the soldiery to a pde-
cipation in the crimes which bad beco commit-
ed. It bed evidently:been part of the }logics of
Itc tlisaffected to succeed by seducing the Military
force ; and it was proved the systetneticso tempts
had been mule to effect that purpose. The House,

'NtiC

be was ore, 'feel tire neeetsity ertiirotee -
ing the soldier agreittst such Artifices as 'Might tend
to make bias bretdt his allegiance, tont join in the
crimes of his, sednekrs ; and it woold be allowq
tlrai the most .effeetnaf way to succeed in affording
this protection would he, to enact that those
olio should attempt to' seduce soldiers from
their allegiance, should for the future be consi-
dered guilty of the greatest crime, ant} punishahte
accoralingly.—(Heer, hear !) On this part of
the subject ho wits sure there
.would only be one
opinion the House. He note came to a branch
ot.the tpsestion , which, Whet) formerly agitated,
bad caused much discussion, and on %Illicit great
diflereure of opittiott hail prevailed. ‘Vltat he al-
luded to tvms the debates in 1795 and 1799. Dot
he was. sure -that .all the considerations which
weighed on the whirls itt the Legislature at these
periods, and induced them to pass the vote which
declared the illegality of all secret associations
for political purposes, and of all affiliations, which
admitted to a -fraternity with such associations
other classes of persons, whose sole object, was
the application of what they- called '' physical
force," for the purpose of bloodshed and rebel-
lon, would be adthowledged to occur more for-
cibly on the present Occasion. The House had not
hesitated, ft) 1799, to declare such assochrionS illes
gsl, by a lawdiot of a temporary nature, hut perma-
nent stud unrestricted as to the time &riot; which it
was to runtime iii torce.• It was Jar from the
wish or the intention ofothe Legislature by that Act
to oppose atlyobstacle-to the exercise of constitu-
tional rights. What it was wished to oppose,
was to pot down that System, springing out of the
Freatch lievolutioo, which sought, by titeatis of
Societies and :affiliated Societies, to czeite the
people. to rebellion agitiost every Government.
That laW considered the very principle of affilia-
tion and fraternization so abhorrent to the spirit
of our Constitution, that the law against them
was made perms rtent ; but it had become ineffis
dent by the Accidental-eircumstanee of the Act of
'the 3Gth of the King then in force being only
temporary Act, and it so happened that s,ottte
the operativ'e clauses in the Act of the 39111 rf
ferret! to the pros isiotts of the Act of the 360
existence of which tuns therefore necessary to
operation of the Act of the 39th, in its •execti,
clauses. When the Act of the 36th expired, t
intention of the Legislatro e was from this citron)
stance defeated, and the Act of the 39th of the
King became inoperative. With respect to this
part of the subject, therefore, Parliament would
'timid it now not only_necesiaq to revive the•Att
of the-39th of the King, but also that of the
.3611); corronrittly' knoWn ''by the came of the
'Sedition Act, •At the ti-me when the Scditiot) Act
was passed, sevet al Meetings of A very alarming
nature, had beett held, amid threatened.tbe most
serious consetittences.. But none of the meetings.
at that time hail pros-ceded.to acts of open
leoce. The Legislature then did what waif:very
wise, in anticipating the designs of the agitators,
and preventing all .the 'mischiefs- and cabaiiiiier
with whieli the comitry was threatened. Do, in
the present case, there tvas 1.0 need to (7)CrciSt:
trittCll foresight; it was net neees.sery oow to cal-
culate on the probability of aces'of openslideirce,
which, in 1795, whet: t!lis. Act had been passed,
were guessed at awl expected.. Xhost-acts of
!4'iolence,- which, in 1793, had 'only bees come!».
libtted, had in the present ease hoes) put inio exc.
tution.'There Wkl3 110 CXl6"lllity to Wiii.Cll.tity
ilOt now either actually proceeded, or. at 'least
carried so fae Hs to make tiny doubt or hesita-
tion as to their designs iinpossible. All the aril-
-6ces-L--all the preparationsall the precautions.
which could Make such crimes most dangerous,
had in the Present case beet) .resorted
mob Was aisembled—their bastot passimosiwere
appealed to—their cupidity inthitned—oheirintost
lawless appetites' proMised to be gratified-s—the
means too Were pointed out,, and these :rtgi-:
tators Watched in the countenances of the de-
luded rabble the effect of their harangues, till
they foutol them wrought tip to the perpetra-
tion of the most horrid excesses and, eritnes.-S--
All thiS had actually been done. There were not
only thesemeetiogs the Orators, but also those
who absolutely went there to 'watch the effects
produced opun the people. After all' this, lie
wool(' say that it be most 'besotted, if
Parliametir were' to wait brfoits it p;it these
laws into force,' till ,it should see there was really
Occasion for them by a repetition of the crimes.—
(Hear, liesr, hear !)—liriten tinder less menacing
circumstances the Legislature had drought it ne-
cessary to- coact the IaWS to which he alluded,
there could be very little doubt Whether, in the
present times, it was 'not the duty of Pat liatnent
to make these • laws ticictit, and to give th:11
power to the Governmeol which it had 'formerly
given. There had grown out of that law a good ef-
40.»...th;Ip'rkeisieltirerilieTailto7.uhil 'sift"?' lirbeeesoptrlittel'iroferaottii:oift
preventing the exercise of the right or prtiti"
(wtifch this Act was, o menus,
wa"s oui)d by every (cnibtley7tltii: i
the cub+entry ii3tttoi ft-
pruvet)ted that right froth being made the iodireer
tucans.of corrupting the public wind-'—(llear
not merely corrupting, but leading the '
to the perpetration of 'every Atrocity, high On
m itea-
son, felony, And rebellion,---(heat', hear,hear !)
Ile bad no doubt, that when Parliament spoketto
the public on this subject,' in the authoratatiVe ..,„ . language of the latv—whett it wasby P 1
.Parlianlent that by such .means a fewronounpo deiloring,
Oleo were attempting to lead
.the: tunny.to,:t lie
commission of such dreadful crimes; wilco ,this
tens done, he had or) donto that all those criminal
NC's Would. explic Under the the,nooral influence
of the law ; that the public mind "wild be en-
lightened ;. the instigators %torrid tall into me-
rited disgrace,, and such a change, would he
produced where t)te mischief was now begun,
that it would not even be : found necessary to
ut in force„ or to inflict the penalties which
,e 'Act imposcs.-7,(Hear,..bear, hear
'tot* illy remed m y ost also txtt4tol to the
ofe its which these pernicious doctrines had
dissemitrated. The most extraordinary assi-
uicy and isidustry had been used in time eitenla4
ion of blasphemy, every,species ot ittfisfclity, and
From the means used for this purpose),
it deemed it necessary to have all serf )t ions Clubs.
Fusel Debating Societies placed' r) the Same fe.roring
AS to crinnuality as they had been by the Aetor

E the

of phi

ass:ociat iuueti

171):'). TJic Same sy:tern
%vas now renewed. Tilde seas
in any publis...bouse whielt
some meeting of this kind. It waster,'-
much regret that he found that sore
such a rank in society as left them so
the ei mutt] of ignorance/ should In
Ilampdeti Clubs .and moue sltcecurtttKt
doctrines svhicl., to say the
most mischievous description.
w!trS, it society that deserved to be
repobation, and .to have its name held
onmeee execration as had., been branded
the. Legislator( on such (;lubS As diet-1;r::
men, he' Col responding SOCirtiti, Chl'•
the same kind—the Speneeim
Serving every mark of reprobation. •;,
opposite (Lord Cochrane) bad cliscano.
this Society did nut consist of more th 4
tired Members. He could only 531,, „..
was evidence before the Secret Cobiall'l",i'
proved, that at one point of reuniono,',.:
cicty in the metropolis, the number trial
than that at which the Noble Lord tlicy.
per to estimate ; and this, bad appel„fe.aett
other evidence than that of the very 0,51`
Society
w"
-had, with a strange slactigefie
their statements and disclosures tvi
readiness. These men seemed to e"'",
when they called thernselveis pliilatithr.olll'lo
very name must disarm suspicion. I
I,:
characteristic feature of these reforraig,
v)
thatp l,al e
ies n
arlteleld
they
ure
all
projects,rcf.ese alll set the most tiotP)ll"6".k
against our our
believed them, conceived in lovioi,
the human race.—(hear, hear, bthat lrerol
made no scruple of asowing
their society wits the destruction or P'r*
Perry ; and thus, by a singular P:i:
society or association tees 10111101 °11,10,0
the direet tendency of which teas the
from the very foundation, of theit:ollhee
societ...v.—(l.lear,, hear !)—M2O, 11-sariet'
persons trri
tied, known by the name of
_f. 110'4
d by some itulivi had been alleged4";xist,
11.0411d0n Union Society had ee"sged oot,
this subject be
...wished explicit'Y ;04-
1 he-Committee had been pot of
cnlnen
ICi:l)teibrisy at Sheffield Mans6eld, (jte'rdi
tWinn csretpt"tr'belisiiieci:riute:lnr(:lll::,eentr(.l)setAlhserdcl:::::b:bree°ll''
this.
theby rpranyrten'el'utt 2ht tn
t/ ":;::
Sheffield, or,any of the other pliecyrs'„,.
%vim paid this Slim Wag tux& an ban"iiptd',
ber of the Union Society ot. Landon
Hear;
"Mar I)-13nt really it was irvrecio
(Itzt.l4"lise to attend to all theslitifilial44ll,oo
.
shifts to theie Societies tee
t!' in'ir•tmtnes ; for they Seen) to 11'1`.e
i tt
1616 Y at tilimging N°,"14411 o
u„iOV,
matte, whet her they ekneti ibeinscor.
t mninten t'lts'")•, tliey seemed all %ice
!le same Spirit, thcv .futsecf the '''"
clung, and the 11Othe most not al"!::,
p.il:ry nominal 'distinctions --Ili". r
c
'leafed. by Sic , /Lk r
' it;gi
Lca-ure would actually be drivel,'
te.iided tO any such dig j flctiOng•
elzon; thlCtritlrs iiii„ht be bid O'Toole',
11. it cheie Sorieties Were 6,lllolthe !
6',1111e 'Whit I,les
, 01 1 1;1( Ot clo!
,stye efOre till rdtt:+lay
tiHn of Prtrihttliellt; Snenceilf, "‘1::
:ee° gniZeri 311101 i„,„!ote:i by all
~..tatler by, what Hanle they called tlIC3l3':
n'l‘4l
`/,_liiY tile 'Sirettcean doctrines ? o'l
t
; all more especially.agre'l'ii„.
because they' were founded '
and participation of Pr'l)`:rd'ie 11°11,,';
lion'. beat ! from all plats `'"
was by plunder that they boi'ell w
of vise. poor deluded trAdesmaii• ret,'
all on the same agrarian principle --4! jo'gt
vision of property--the simultancoos r:ji,„lEler
tat isfics,—t he hunting down e'e rile etch
1-I,ty, so beaotifoi,wkis their systerni fit"
poor landholder was lior CO be etesTroY° I), too',
Pt _e had been stripped of his pre)l'`liiliedr.hiciY
it
a pensioner of the public."‘
ft it 'vele not that it would he ilia'
the .door'',
it on the rirue Hf
tcerottiisls:lll;';:trs;(l)o(sl(:isciety.aitrell
makers,- but withstnair of elogrialce
astonish the
-"use. - The doctrinee ire;
nil.'
10. r
Socid its wished to inipress .pun
people, with respect to the etiv" bte old
Perry, reminded him.of what linainercoote':.
raised to his .soldiers, %vile!),
Pareienlar tract of theettemy.g "'tiff°. 4)4:
apliropfiaCtd' to than, aura sh)it'Ltlrz,ipiC"
This Prcienise had never beery
..11V sidoced to enlist tilt.tilt.
til eSe, OrtitatititrOplSts: OW the tvi“)l'
ioo
a its .c
:LS :::1:1:es)
re;
nd
19
;'l,l
vbielt ' P"
The
trit..To extend the Aet of 1795 'for tile stet° Ks:l°f' 1
s pers 'an, to
the perAou exerekinlgiiStlB::(tailtl.cillitg,:s":;gtob::llll;:l-CC
bf die 3tl
' 34. 'l'. etithody into,i,riti Act the i;i'vvi'iar/s
1795, relative to tumultuous eneetirwstkiiitdcl'3l-:,:4,''11;:
the;iieci
ever
or if met by secret oaths, 01,,1 ti `.xtrv(oJl r
detroidtrie:,:(age!
),se4l
xIt):::1
ea es o
sidur
,t
12011/14'
4th. To make stlekettartniCnts s9OW° br'„attot,;
w at
effectual to !owlish with the utzno4t rigour
gain. ulcer Soldiers or sailors to, act with :WY „'
IP
r
men, arid wiltiiirAw then film their allegl3",
11'8;
liir etas ;•inxiogs tb-tt Ilse Houk should obserglioo of t~
permaneot Taws ; but other,' ;night he aloe
!alcitel:ine4l4:l,:: 0111: slt:i:hioatiliglstitts:lodril:,°,ubleict'oc:'lli::g:l4:l;;;!;eltr
• toobl'it4

aLvitid Ise ltiu i ht absQluttli• neco: