The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-10 00:00:00

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addressing the people to dissuade them from the
expedition, said, ' If you determine on taking this
course, your must make up your minds at once on one
of two things—either to cut your way, sword in
hand, to London, for you will, not be allowed to-
proceed quietly, or to submit to he brought back and
put into the New 1.1 %Vey Prison at Manchester.'—'
Byrthe expresilon to cat their way, sword in band,
'after
.preservedby the informer, without any
after pltt of ttesebtence.-tilear !)z-lAtletfter per-'
*on who addressed the meeting, said, You must
-*know, that however virtuous your own abject and
• istintions are at Setting out, it is quite impassible for
.7eii to get tb•Losion without being joined by per-
sons of bad character, and very different intentions, fo r
whose acts you will be4ield responsible Now the only
tart of this lationalwild fair address which was pre.
Sleeted, wife %ail which intimated to the people the
likelihOod of their being joined by other conspirators
chi the" way: * ' The connexion of the number who
went on the expedition, with the Petitioners who
met in the'lltiehrstartre to prepare a Petition, may
be estimated from this fact—that the leaders or promi-
nent pertions at the several preceding Meetings
slight amount to about seventeen, only two or three
sif *boor took any part in the Blanketeers' espedi,
Sion. The military followed these poor people,'
sod two or three hundred of them were taken and
thrown into prison. Some of three poor people,
when brought before the Magistrates, and asked
what was their object in undertaking this journey,
, limply replied, 'to throw ourselves'on our khees be-
fore the Prince Regent, to state our Sufferings, Ind
tope he would give .us some relief.' That this was
their immediate and only object, I base •no doubt;
and that a Reform iii Parliament by cnostitutiornil
Weans, was that of the other meetings, I am equally'
eohvinced. When Mr. Event, 'of 'Manchester, ad-
dressed the prisoners' un their discharge, he alluded
tit the information given against them, that it was
their intention to hale proceeded to Birmingham.—
Now it was a remarkable fect, that when these poor
people set out from the Meeting, not one of them
took the Birmingham road, they all Went by Stock-
port. In looking tit these proceeding', I feel it
Incumbent on me to bring before the MUSS some
ettliernentS relative to the oni.chirrnus activity of
three or four persons, whom I Shall not hesitate
to thsgoste as the spies, and I 'shall show that they
mere an, by whose measures the poor people Were
SliplPti to the course they adopted.—(//ear, hear!)
-4)ste of them, named Plummer, made In fact se-
veral propositions so the people in different parts of
the country, all of which had. for their 'object the
dissemination of lawless doctrines. He not only
tried to estate mischief himself, but he 'employed
ethers to 5041 him in the underrating; but his plaits
"were uniformly rejected. 'He, however, succeeded
ito far in his marwenyres on Marth 28, that'it the
•Meeting a number of persons were taken op and
revolt to prison. This spy was himself, for show-
'sake, arrested on that day, but discharged on the
folio wing.—( Hear, hear!)—He Star also seen
10 the 'gig of Sir J. By rig. lie' de Scribed himself
:es a delegate sent down from London, armed with
*rest powers, and capable of doing great things for
ltbe inst., classes. To effect his villaillous purpose
-he does all he c.n t*lsad them into Crimes, and on
'aria bring totally disappointed,' he' entraps a few at
'al open and public undirguisedMeettrig. A second
whir was: tells. en this 'tletaiicin, was named
)fiAtnatt, 414 antithei named Waadingten. There
*wit person of 'the name of Acres, who bad advanced
Iveitit•the'lllanketeers, end oil his return met Lomas,
who liarnogaed on' the necessity of resorting to sio.
•leuce for a redrefis grieiratices, iintritho'argued for
the neresi!ty of dispatching emisiariei throughout 'the
country for this purpose.- They dent together hitt)
t. iiouse on the toad, when Lomiawrote down on a
piece of paper the following lentenCe—
• England rspeeis c*er la Wlll So his duty. Arise.
Ji r i 444 us! relieve plur brethren io.pristm.—Cord save the XIII

This he wanted Acres to get printed; but the printer
-mold have nothing to do with it. This occurred on
be 10th of March. On the 11th (that is, the following
•ilav) Acres called on this man to know when the
Meetifig of which he talked ives.to take place. He
urged Acres, at the F.lephant puhlk.houtte, to start it
himself; bet he refused ; Lomas then said, that a pri.
• *Ate Committee was sitting for the purpose in an ad-
joining room, end he would go and speak to them,
and consult what Acres had better do; Me latter not
liking the maneeuvres of this fellow, and suspect.
ins that his object was to entrap him, after waiting
some time for Lomas's return from the private
Comittee, at length took the resolution of going
to ask for him in the room, when on opening the
doer he discovered that the' Committee wai a very,
secret one indeed,' for there was nobody there but
Lomas . hirnself.—(lleor !)—Here is a fellow pre.
.ternillog to act on the part of private Committees
with wriew to stimulate poor people to acts of vio-
lence, 'sod then to pounce upon theca. Lomas ew..,
plairoWte this Acres that he tins waiting for the sit.
tilig of this Secret Committee. ''Hi-'then proposed et
subscription for assisting the subject of 'Reform, and.
the calling together Meetings and as at 'great piece
of confidential intelligence. Informed two 'persons
named 'rein, and George Berber (brother.in.lavi ie
Acres) that there was •to be a• meeting under
the Aqueduct (a place **PI knowall the neighbour.
hood) and that it was determined to set -Manchester
nit tire. '''hey declared itgainst such a *Maisons
project, and said they would hate' no more to do
with this fellow. On'-the sitme'darke. stilt pate-
'eered is another direction,' tiird' Went towards Old.
ham, where he.offered helf-e•OlOOR le One foiling.
wood, to•show him the bowie of a Mr. Hagoe—Ae
was shoo wit, and he entered and eattaired for Mr.
Wipe. Ile was told be was oct, but he said he must
staY tepee him, having business *I great moment to
Vtosmunicate. After waiting for come time, end
not finding that Mr. Hague had returned, he dere.
'loped the business of his mission to the family, end
said that the factories were to be alt burned the game
tight. I Tiya people thought him inad, end did not
press him to remain. On Iris return from the, house,
he met Hague with others oir their way home. He
-stopped with them, and said that the fictories at
Manchester were to be berried :thattighi, and be
urged' them to meet and join Marge patty which
would be in; readinele at a tertsih 0104 to entrance
-sod release their brethren who had been film Otto'.
custody. These people refused to have any thing to
do with it, and ariu the spy was foiled iu his