Star.
London, England, 1801-04-15 00:00:00

MR. SIIERID:IN'S MOTION.

Mr. PELHAM laid a few words relative to a mo-
tion of which notice had been given by an Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Sheridan). It was underftood
the Hon. Member alluded to the indifpotition of
a Nohle Lord (Caßlereagh), and expreih:d a wilh
hat the Hon. Gentleman would, in con(equence
• of that circumilanec, poilpone his motion.
Mr. Su Fit In admitted the Noble Lord alluded
to was highly intereded in the motion of which he
bad given notice, and he was lorry to hear of the
Noble Lord's indifpofition. He had no objeftion
to accede to the requelt made by the Right Hon.
Gentleman, and to podpone his motion, but as it
was entirely uncertain when the Noble Lord would
be in his place, he thould wait that event, before
he fired on a day for its di lc Aim].

FIRST REPORT FROM THE COMMI I'M. OF SPCRECY.
The Comnittee of Secrecy, to whom the fevcral Papers, which
were prefentcd (felled up) to the Houle, by Mr. Chancellor
of the Exchequer, upon the tit and ad days of this inftant,
April, by his Majelty'i command, were referred ; and who
were dirceled to examine the matters thereof, and report

the ame, as they Lhall appear to them, to the Houk—
—"Have proceeded, with the utmoll diligence, to
the confideration of the matters referred to them ;
but, from the extent and variety of the information
relpedlng different parts of the United Kingdom,
which has been laid before them, they are under
the ncceffity of requciling the indulgence of the
Houle for a Ilion time, before they can fubmit the
refult of their invciligation on all the points to
which it has ettended.
" Your Committee, however, think it incum- ,
bent upon thein to state, without delay, that they
have received the fulleproofs that the dangerous
and treafonable confpiracy for the fubverfion of
the Contlitution and Government, which in the
year 5798, in concert with a Foreign Enemy, pro-
duced the horrid and fanguinary rebellion in Ire-
land, and the progrefs and cent of which, in
Great Britain, is detailed in the Report of the
Committee off Secrecy in the year 1799, has never
been abandoned. The hopes and activity of the
difaffeded were checked, and their intentions 1
fruftratcd by, the vigilance of Government, and byl
the effect of the laws which were adopted : But
their principles and deigns remained unchanged,
and they have for fome time, and more efpeciallyl
of late, been endeavouring to take advantage of 1
the diftrefs occafioned by the high price of provi.
lions, for carrying thoferwicked deigns into effect.
It has particularly appeared to your Committee,
that the intligators of theft proceedings :lave, on
repeated °cc:Ulan% fecretly exprelled their with
for the aggravation of thofe evils, which they
every where endeavour to ufe as a pretext and en-
gine for excitingpular difcontent : They appear
popular
to have derived their principal encouragement
from the preffure arifing from the fcarcity ; from
the hopes of aili nce from a Foreign Enemy upon
the invafion o Great Britain or Ireland ; and
la
from the expi tion of the laws before referred to,
which from the concurrent teftimony from ilif-
ferent parts of the kingdom, they acknowledge
and declare to have been the prinCipal übltaele to
their mcafures.

" Within a few weeks pall, and to the lateß pe-
riod to which the information received by your
Comm:ttee can apply, their aetivity has been great
and encreafing in the Metropolis and in other parts
of the kingdom ; every effort is employed that can
tend to diflurb the public tranquillity ; and recent
intelligence has been received from different quar-
ters, which juftifies your Coinrnittee in believing,,
that, at this moment, the immediate objea of the
difaffeeted, is to endeavour, by a fudden explofion,
to avail thentfilves of the interval which may Hill
take place befure aloft: laws ea.i be renewed. The
dangerous fyllem of a keret Confederacy, under
the obligation of an unlawful oath, which prevail-
ed in Ireland, and afterwards extended itfelf to
Great Britain, has been revived, with additional
precautions, for the purpof: of eluding deteetion,
and of entUring concert, fecrecy, and difpatch :
And, it appears to be in agitation, fuddenly, by
thcle means, to call numerous meetings, in diffe-
rent parts of the country, at the fame day and
hour, to an extent which, if not prevented, mull
materially endanger the public peace; and that
among the pertims moil forward hi infligating thcfc
criminal proceedings, arc lonic of thole a° had
been detained under the fufpention of the Habeas
Corpus AEI, and who have been recently relcafed
from confinement.

" Thcfe confederations, your Committee have
felt theagelres bound to eubmit, in the firfl
to the wildom of the Houle, believing that any de-
lay in lo doing would be attended with material
danger to the country; and, for the f.unc rcafon,
they feel it a duty incumbent on them, to take the
tint moment of Hating. to the Houle, their !Irons
and unanimous opinion, grounded on the informa-
tion wh;eli they Inve received, that no time ought
to be loft in renewing thole mealures of precaution,
whieh the wifdom of the Legigature has before
adopted, particularly the Aft for the Sufpenfion
.d the Provillons of the Habeas Corpus Mt, and
the Aa to prevent Seditious Meetings ; which,
while they remained in force, were attended with
the happiefi effects in prcferving the public tran-
quillity, and which your Committee have the moil
confident !nip,: would have the fame falutary opc.
ration, under the preterit cireumftances."