Star.
London, England, 1817-02-27 00:00:00

cumstance ::inch must excite le most serious all: fn,i
god that was their system of secret Oda* thi...c:: tended
to unite all the bad passions of men. .Ta.cy kept his
got only of those who belongedto them but of these win
'did oot, and for what purpose could theT keep lists .
of such as did not beloag to them? only hccaose they
intended to wreak their vengeance upon tliem—(llear,
hear.) The absence of foreign war may make some
difference as to the amount of danger, but it was ne
reason why the country should not be protected.—
In time of war they expected: pon former occasion:
assistance from abroad ; but even now, alien that
hope was removed, their machinations did not cease.
It was recommended by an Honourable Baronet (Sir
F. Burdett). that such as were not of their party
should arm themselves, and that this would he suit-
cient to counteract the danger. But could resi.:L nice
of this kind he made without fighting? Must it nut
give rise to a civil war; and, for the &eke of huma-
pity, would it not be better to put into the bans of
Government the means of suppressing the mischief
otherwise ? There were parts of the country in which 1
the danger may not yet be, observable; but if the I
principles of these men were not acted against, they i
would soon contaminate.all parts by their introduc-
tion. He felt confident that nothing short of the 1
propositions offered to the House would be sufficient i
to restore tranquillity,- and enable those who did not I
wish for ruin to live in peace and comfort.
Lord ALTHORPE sad it was impoasilde for '
any person to argue properly up,,n the subject, who I
did. not know the facts that were before the Coatnnit-
tee. With regard to the danger, there was room for i
much difference of opinion. The doctrines of the i
Spenceans were certainly a strong argument of dan-
ger, for t..ough absurd, it often haypened that aboard
doctrines wrought Much mischief. The people pos-
sessing property in the country would however, in
his opinion, he sufficient to resist them. In all sec-
cessful conspiracies, there were always found per- !
sons of more note than were concerned in this.—
It ought to be recollected, that the Habeas Corpus i
Act was one of the greatest privileges. of the subject,
and that it ought not to .be suspended upon any
slight occasion. There had existed periods when the
country had been in. the greatest danger, and yet that
Act had net been suspended. He had little need to
mention the meeting of the fleet at the Nore, when
the country was in as great danger as it ever had been
at any similar crisis. There was at that tines consi-
dered to exist a great connection between the people
of the metropolis and the fleet, but yet no suspension
of the Habeas Corpus Act had taken place. It
was the first time that this Act had ever been suspen-
ded in time of peace. There had been one instance
of its wispensi..n ' • btu that. on examination, would be
found to be very different from the present. He bad
not the evidence before him on the subject, which no
doubt had been before others in that House; but cer-
tainly he thought, that if any such conspiracy existed
as was supposed, it would be the best method to pass
the measure first, and to inquire into the conspiracy
more fully afterwards.
The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND
stated, tnat he was ansious to communicate some
facts to the House. relative to that part of the king-
dom to which he belonged, which must, he conceived,
justify his Majesty's Ministers against the charge pre.
ferred by the Noble Lord. Publications had beets
sfecently circulated there, calculated to famtiiarize
the popular mind with every immoral and seditious.
,principl,.. These productions. however, were so
named as to evade the cognizance of the law, al.,
though their evident object was to bring, not only the',
Crown, but that House, and the Constitution itself,
into contempt. A magazine of petitions had been
•lipened in Scotland, and even speeches sent down to
be.delivered, which those to wham they were sent,
_being unable to speak. hatl, read. Immoral and irre-
ligious as these.docrtinea,were, which were thus in-
cukated and . propagated, there was not soffit/eat
foundation for, any proceedings on the part of the
Law Officers cif the Crown. All that they could do
they did. Directions were given to watch very nar.
rQwly the conduct of those persons who were conspi-
cuous in the sedition of 1796. The consequence
was, that they were soon put in possession of infor-
mation, that a regular conspiracy had been orga.
nized ; and whether it were connected or not with
persons in this part of the country, be could not tell;
but certainly the leaders of it were inactive cone-
spondence with.such persons. It was found thi; an
oath of the most dreadful import was used to bind
together the members of this.conspiracy:

" In mini presence of Goa, 1, A. B. do volustarily swear,
that I will persevere io my. endeavouring to form a brotherhood ,
of affection 'lncept &ltous of every descripliOn, who are-con-
sidered worthy of coati fence; and 'that I will persevere In my
endeavours to ob.ain for all the people is Great Britain and Ira
land, not disqualified by crimes or insanity, the steeds, unsaddle
at the age of twenty-oue, whh tree sod equal Representation,
sad Animal Psritsments—(ifeer.iiter; frees the Ofteeitioa) ; and
that I will support the same fish. utmost of my Tower, either
by moral or phytieni strength—(sheese of Isar),—as the case 'nay
requires and I do further swear, tom ae.ther hopes, fears, not
puolshmeot, shell induce me to inform or give evidence agaiiim
ashy member or members, eolleitively or individually, for any
act or expression done or made in or out In this or skdar SOM.
ties, wider the punishment of death, to be isilicied on um by any
timber or members of such Soddy. ho help me Goo, raid
keep mesteadfast."
Wm shouts at Ike sad of :his -Oath resounded from all faro
of the News. lief wire !mita from she pi: position benches).
Many hundred persons were bound together by
this oath, both in Glasgow and its vicinity. Soon
afterwards, information was obtained, that a meeting
had Win held,. in which a motion was made for the
purpose of modifying the oath, and. of leaving ou tits
most offensive terms; but such was the malignant
disposition of that assembly. such its determination to
hey. nothing to do with persons who would flinch
from their horrid test, that the proposition of amend-
ment was unanimously rejected. The result was,
that at the neat .meeting several persons were appre-
hended while sitting in full. conclave—i Here the
shouts from the Opposition were louder .and more
vehement than we have ever heard on. any forme'
occasion). Though these were all the persons whc
had been taken up, yet there were others in a diffe-
relit sphere. 01 life who ought -to have been appre-
headed, and who would have been taken up, provided
the evidence against them
.had been more satisfac-
tor!--( Vehement shouts, again from the opposition).
This conspiracy was nut confined to Glasgow ; its
siMaftcations extended. throtigh various parts of the
ItingloOs I and so wide had the mischief spread, that
;;; he wasin his conscience convinced, tbstwabthing but
the passing.of this Bill cottld prevent tbe.eirusion.ol
the blood .of our fellow-r.itiaens; for it a &tut once