Star.
London, England, 1801-04-29 00:00:00

MILXP r. N.\LL.

Tl.:s alion was brought to recover the fum of
hying the rah= of a beavad fold by the
befendant to the Plaintiff, and which the had re-
turned, alleding it was not worth the money.—
Three witneffcs were called on the part of the De-
fendant to prove the bedilead was worth the fam
which had been paid for it, and that at the time
the received it the declared lurfelf fatisfred with it.
Lord Kr '.vow raid. that the contra' was bind-
ing on the part of the plaintiff. as it had been
proved to be worth what had been chargvd. If
each dealings were not adhered to, there would
be an end to all kind of butinefs in a fait and ho-
womb way.--Verai:t for lktenchn.t.

B.F.WITICITS SOCIETIES.

ABSTRACT OF THE SECOND REPORT OF THE COM-
MITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS, WHICH WAS
YES EkRDAY Et ENISG DELIVERED TO THEIR LORD-

SHIPS.

When it became known to tome of the moll
[Erring Members of the Society, which, tinder the
name of the London Correfponding Society, is fo
particularly defcribed in the former report, that
the Alt for ireventing Seditious Meetings bad ex-
pired, they drew together at firit in fmall parties
with a degree of caution, changing frequently
their place of meeting, and omitting their accuf-
tomcd forms, being apprehcnfive, as they ex-
preffed themfelves, of the Aa which had not then
expired, for the Sufpenfion of thf Habeas Corpus
.1,?. In this condition, various plans were form-
ed in different meetings for refuming and carrying
on with more fecurity their former praaices.—
Among other devices, one was propofed and adop-
ted by a confiderable number, to atrume the name
and appearance of a Benefit Society.
Thole who were thus to take the name of a
Benefit Society had no other purpofe, but to mark
under the name a Political Society, formed for
purpores the molt flagitious ; for it was exprefsly
declared, that no fund, railed by regular contri-
bution, fhould form the flock of this Society, no
perfons admitted Members but thole of democratic
fentiments, who were to receive copies of the rules
of a Benefit Society, not that they fhould be ob-
ferved, but that they might deceive the Magi prates,
in cafe any of the Meetings fhould be fufpeeted ;
converting thereby, in fraud of the law, an excel-
lent eltabfilhment for the relief of the fober and
induftrious looor, into an inftrument for the de•
aruetion of fobriety and indultry. Many Mem-
bers of the former Correfponding Society and their
friends were in this manner engaged.—Others ap-
pear to have been at the fame time concerting a
deeper defign of a Secret Society, which, after it
had attained a proper maturity, was announced
to the Base.* Society that had been ellablilhed about
three weeks, and became numerous, by two per-
fon: in the charaaer of Delegates from a Society
for Emancipation, and defiring to know, whether
the pretended Benefit Society would conned ittelt
with their Society ? The propofal was favourably
received, and a future Meeting appointed, at which
they Mould be furnithed with the inftrultions of
the plan of that Society. At that Meeting the in-
itruaions produced in writing were to this effea
The Members to be admitted by a telt, or decla-
ration on oath, to be (worn on the bible, when it
can be produced ; but it is obferved, that fence ,
Paine's Age of Renton, it is looked on as a mark
of incivifm to keep a bible. The perfons entrufted
to !wear others, or, in the phrafe of the Society, 1
to initiate them, are termed Cotulution. They re-
ceive a written appointment, with a printed in-
(fruition and printed declaration (copies of each
of thefe are annexed to this Report ;) ten initiated
are allotted to each conduaor, who is to make a
report of them, at Rated times, to another officer,
called a Sorereriakrulant, appointed over every ten
Conduaors. To each Superintendant a Afore
is affigned, by whom he is to communicate with
the Executive, the names and number of which are
only to be known by themfelves, or perhaps to the
Meffengers; but they are fuppotcd to be perfons of
fuperior confequence. Signs are inftituted, by
which the Members may know each other; but it
does not diftinaly appear whither all the initiated
or only theConduaors are intrufted with the know-
ledge of the figns. The plan thus explained was
fully approved, and the Benefit Society agreed to
form one indivifibre Society, under the name of
United Britons. This Affociation appears to have
taken place about the middle of the month of I
March lafk. Of the praaice and habits of this
Affociation, the Committee has received more
precife information. In their general meetings
they are fomewhat refereed on the Cubic& of re-
ligion, for fear of frightening away perfons who
have tome rcfpea for religion (which happily has
been the cafe, and has contributed to the detettion
of their fchcmes). But it appears to your Corn
mince that a very principal objca of their leaders
has been to ufe every means in their power to work
upon all perfons whofe religious opinions differ
from there of the oftablifkment : for which pur-
pude the Gamed Executive has recommended it in
the ftrongefl manner to their followers to mix as
much as poffible with fitch perfons ; and, by con-
cealing their own fentiments, which are adverfe to
all religion, and feemingly adopting thofe of the
pertains with whom they lbould communicate, to
gain profelytes to their political defigns, and thus
to promote the execution of their mikhievous and
determined purpofe of overthrowing the Conftitu-
tion. In the confidential Meetings of the initia-
ted, however, they endeavour to turn the people
againft religion, in order to overthrow the State
through the Church; obferving, that if there were
no Pi-tells there would be no King. Amongft the
molt frequent fubje&s treated in there confidential
Meetings of the initiated, plans of infiirreaions to
he excited on the pretext of the high price of pro-
vilions, btn direeted to the fubvertion of Govern-
ment, have been Lin-cuffed, and the means traced
out for procuring arms of the molt dangerous fpe.
cies. The Members are inftroaed to frequent
Clubs where Workmen and Soldiers refort, to ap-
pear there unconneacd, and to hold oppofitc fides
in the queltions they are inftrueled to raife. Their
purples are of a more fan guinary complexion than
the ordinary rnifehiefs of a mob; for your Corn- I
mince has had particular information of the time
and place, and of fome perfons attending the meet-
ing within a very recent period, when a plan of
all'affit.ating certain 'Members of Parliament at
their own houfcs, formed with no inconfiderable
degree of contrivance, was propofed, and teemed
to meet with the general acquiefcence of all the
company, that it would be meritorious.
It has alfo appeared to your Committee, that
Societies of a fimilar formation with this, fence the
period when it became generally known that the
AEI for preventing Seditious Meetings lad ex-
pired, have been formed in various parts of the
country, and after the expiration of the Aft for
fug-pending the }Libras Corpus Aft, afrunicd a

hold and daring afpea ; betides thefe places where
the operations of loch Societies have only been
known to the vigilant attention of the Magi (Irate%
and kept down by their prudence and &mods, a
very dangerous confpiracy of a !imam- natu c Las
manifetted itfelf in tome parts of the country
which, from all its forms and habits, afford. th,
hongeft prefumption of mutual interconrfe be-
tween
thole conlpirators and the United Britons.
The only apparent ditference being, that the Meet-
ing in the Country, being chiefly connc&ed with
Ivianufidurers, is obliged to atfume a more appa-
rent concern for their intereft in regard to the
dearnefs of living, and ollenfibly aims at the re-
du Lion of the price of pro; ilions, or the incrcafe
of the price of labour, whereas the Society of
United Britons in London does not hetitate to pro-
fefs their with to fruarate every plan for the relief
of the poor; the high price of provillons being moll
favourable to their object of exciting infurredion.
The Committee has further to obfervc, that by
molt certain intelligence,it appears that there fill
exift in the dominions of the King's enemies, at
leaft two ellablillied Committees of Traitors to the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
adlively employed in carrying on correfpondcnce,
by their agents, with the Leaders of there Socie-
ties, and abetting them in the moll atrocious en,
cumflances of the crimes they are meditating, and
encouraging them by holding out hopes ofinvafion.
The Committee has alfo had great reafon to be.
lieve, that many of the United Irifh, who, either
by the lenity of the Government of that country,
or by their own apprehenfion of its juft feverity,
have taken refuge here, have, by all the means
they had been ufed to praaife, ftimulated and in-
flamed the minds of the Members of thofe Meet-
ings to an higher pitch of extravagance, and ren-
dered it more necelfary to fubjct them to that
controul, which, in its former exercife, was as ufe-
ful to themfelves as it was falutary to the State ;
for it is remarkable that no ad of reftriaion could
be more truly preventive of evil, than the Statute
sn queftion has proved to be, there having feldom
occurred an occafion for enforcing. the Al during
the period of its continuance ; it is therefore the
unanimous and decided opinion of your Commit-
tee, that the Bill now referred to their confidera-
tion ought to pats into a law. • I
APPOINTIARNT Or A CONDUCTOR.
Fellow-Citizen, March teth, dot.
The Bx appoints yro to ad as a Concluder. They aped 1
you will faithfully difcharge your duty agreeable to the lame-
does you receive. Health and Refpcd, A.M. Z.
1