Star.
London, England, 1821-06-06 00:00:00

BRIDGE-STREET A 3SOCI A FLOM

MaNsiosi-House:.—Yesterday Mr. PARKINq, the
ex-Sheriff, waited upon the LORD MAYOR, at the Jus-
tice-room, as his Lordship was performing the public
duties of the day, and stated that he had an applica-
tion to make to him of the most serious nature.
Mr. P.a nuns stated, that himself and other citi-
zens had obtained the knowledge, and had seen with
alarm, the growth of a monstrous Association, which
he had, from its origin, conceived to be illegal ; and
perceiving its growth to assume a most dangerous
character, he had, some days since, taken the opinion
of Mr. Thackray, a Barrister of considerable research,
who at once declared it to be an Association con-
trary to the Statutes, and, in fact, to the Common
Law of the land. Ttr o Lawyers of great learning
had, since this, spoken of the Association in question
in the House of Commons; but it was not until Mon-
day last that one of them had described it as an ille-
gal combination within the Statute. Seeing that the
combination was increasing, he thought it his duty,
as a subject and as a citizen, to apply to his Lord-
ship for warrants to apprehend the most active mem-
bers of the confederacy, that the penalty of the law
might be visited upon them, and that, by the exam-
ples made of the ringleaders, ignorant persons might
be cautioned against being entrapped into an Asso-
ciation, which they would find to their surprise to be
both illtgal and unconstitutional. He further stated,
that it was for the want of mature arrangement, and
not from any doubt as to the illegality of the com-
bination, that he had not made a much earlier appli-
cation to his Lordship to put the law in force in a
summary manner against the confederacy, which had
assumed the name of the " Constitutional Associa-
tion." lie hal, he said, upon the present occa,ion,
retained the Learned Counsel, who would state to his
Lordship the giounds of the application.
Mr. TUACKItAY said, he grounded the application
for warrants to apprehend the individuals as being
Members of an Association upon the Act of the
;19th of Geo. 111. cap. 79, sec. '2, against illegal As-
sociations. There were three points upon which he
founded the application against the body complained
of. The first was, as being contrary to the Act, in
setting forth, subscribing to, and publishing a De-
claration not required by law, and which had not
been registered at the office of the Clerk of the Peace,
in the manner and form required or directed by
that Statute. The second point upon which the ap.
plication was founded was, that the Association
formed part of a branch Society as forbidden by, and
within the intent of the Act. Upon this point he
cited the Declaration of the Society, in which it was
stated, that it had been determined " to adopt a sys-
tem of correspondence with those Members who live
at a distance, and with such Associations as may be
willing to co-operate in promoting the same objects,"
&c. The third point upon which he proceeded was,
that the parties against whom they applied for war-
rants, formed a portion of a Society, the whole of
whose names were not known to the Society at large.
He lead over the names of several anonymous cor-
respondents—Nil de,Terandum, I'ro liege et Lege, J.
P. P. B,:c. He argued upon the above points, and
commented upon the section of the Act, which is to
the following effect :
" And every Society, the Members whereof shall take, or in
any matinee bind themselves by any oath or engagement, on be-
coming, and in consequence of being, Members of such Society,
and every Society, the Members whereof shall take, subscribe,
or assent to, test or declaration, not required by law, or not au-
thorised in any manner herein after mentioned, and every So-
ciety, of which the names of the Members, or of any of them,
shall be kept secret from the Society at large, or which shill
have any Committee, so chosen or appointed, that the Members
constituting the same shall not be known to the Soeh.ty at large
to be Members of such Committee, or select body, or which
shall have any President, Treasurer, Secretary, Delegate, or
other Officer, so chosen or appointed, that the election or
ap-
pointment of such persons to such offices, shall not be known to
the.Sociaty at large, or of which the names of all the Members
of all the Committees or select bodies, shall not be entered in a
book or books to be open to the inspection of all the Members
of such Society, and every Society which shall be composed of
different divisions or branches, or of different parts acting in any
manner separately, or distinct from each other, or of which any
part shall have a distinct President, Secretary, Treasurer, Dele-
gate or other Officer elected or appointed by such other part, to act
as an Officer for such other part, shall be deemed and taken to be
unlawful combinations and confederacies; and every person or
persons, who from and after the passing of this Act,shall after-
wards act as Members thereof, and every person, who from and
after the passing of this Act, shall directly or Indirectly maintain
correspondence or intercourse with any such Society, or with
any division, branch, Committee, or other select body, President,
&c. or who shall by contribution of money, or otherwise, aid or
abet, or support such Society, shall be deemed guilty of an un-
lawful combination and confederacy."

The Act further goes on to authorise the Magis-
trate to proceed in a summary manner against each
Member, and upon proof on oath, to convict him or
her in the penalty of £2O, and in default of payment,
to three months' imprisonment in the common Jail,
or Home of Correction. The Learned Counsel sub-
mitted that the Association in question was directly
in the face of this Statute and indeed against-the
Common Law. He could offer much more, but he
trusted that what he had already stated would be
fully sufficient for their present purpose.
The LORD MAYOR put it, whether the Act cited
was not of a temporary nature, against particular
Societies existing at the time of the enactment?
Mr. THACkRAY submitted that it was not by any
means of a temporary nature, and that the words of
the Act particularly directed it against such Associa-
tions as that complained of, which, he contended,
under the mask and appearance of a Constitutional
Society, was more dangerous to the .well-being, and
more likely eventually to overturn the Constitution
and the established Government, than any whose
avowed objects were directly hostile to the Govern-
ment. The exception of the Act in favour of such
Societies as were confined to " religious and chari-
table purposes only," confirmed the obvious construc-
tion which he contended for.
The LORD MAYOR said, that as the matter was 1
one in which there was some nicety of legal construe-
tions, and one which was of the most serious import-
ance, he should take time to deliberate and consult
the Legal Authorities, before he decided upon any
measures which might affect the liberty of indivi-
duals.—The parties then left the Office, on the un-
derstanding that they are to receive an answer on a
future day.