Baronial committees on or before the 8th. County committees on or before the 25th of the above months. guft, to be on or before the 5th. Baronial, county, and provincial committees, fhall meet at least once in every month, and report to their constituents. Names of committee men fhould not be known by any person but by those who elect them. TEST for Secretaries of Societies or Committees. "In the awful prefence of God, I, A. B. do voluntarily declare, that as long as I fhall hold the office of fecretary to this I will, to the utmost of my power, faithfully discharge the duties thereof. That all papers or documents received by me, as fecretrary, I will in fafety keep; I will not give any of them, or any copy or copies of them, to any perfon or perfons, members or others, but by a vote of this and that I will, at the expiration of my fecretaryfhip, deliver up to this 11 fuch papers as may be then in my poffeffion.' CERTIFICATE. Society of United Englishmen of "I HEREBY certify, that A. B. has been duly elected, and having taken the teft provided in the conftitution, has been admitted a member of this fociety." APPENDIX, (No. 14.) Copy of Teft to be used by the Soldiers. Sec. I A. B. do fwear not to obey the Colonel, but the People, not the Officers, but the Committee of United Englishmen, then fitting in England, Ireland, and Scotland, and to affift with arms, as far as lies in my power, to eftablish a Republican form of Government in this country, and others, and to affift the French on their landing to free this country. So help me GoD. APPENDIX, (No. 15.) RESOLUTIONS and CONSTITUTION of the SOCIETY of UNITED SCOTSMEN. In the prefent age, when knowledge is making rapid ftrides among mankind, and neighbouring nations have been under the neceffity of meliorating their condition, owing to the stubbornness and perfidy of the governments under which they lived, by defpifing and rejecting the reiterated and juft calls of the People for Reform;-it becomes us, as friends to peace and good order, at the prefent awful crifis, when we are engaged in an unprecedented, bloody, and expenfive war, to investigate with calmness and deliberation into the fyftem of our own government, on purpose to discover its errors and defects; fo that whatever abufes may exift, they may be rectified by a timely Reform, and the like calamities which have befallen a neighbouring nation may be pre vented. Confcious of the rectitude of our affociation and intentions, and regardless of the threats of the venal and interested, we will en quire into our grievances with a determined and manly freedom, knowing that we have no other object in view, but the peace and happiness of our native country. Poffeffing fuch ideas, we cannot but exclaim with aftonishment, what a multitude of ages have mankind been kept in complete ignorance with respect to their natural rights!-rights of which no affociation of men have a power to deprive them, whatever foolish titles they may affume. Was the human race created with reafoning faculties by the Supreme Being, for no other purpofe than to be poffeffed and made tools by corrupt governments, for the deftruction of their own fpecies? No. It was for a more noble end. We difdain the principles of corrupt courtiers and their fatellites, who propagate fuch nefarious doctrine. Mankind are naturally friends to each other; and it is only the corruptions and abuses in governments that make them enemies. We profefs ourselves friends to mankind, of whatever nation or religion. National and party diftinctions have been created and fupported by tyrannic men, on purpose to maintain their unjust ufurpations over the people. We will ask any unprejudiced perfon, if the people in Britain are fairly, fully, or equally reprefented? Have the people in general any controul or concern in the election of magiftrates in the different boroughs in Scotland? Are clergymen, in many parts of Scotland, forced on the people against their inclination? Are there any intricacies or inequalities in law procedure that could be rectified? We decline enumerating many other abuses, all of which could be removed by a timely and radical Reform in the House of Commons. We abhor and deteft all riots and tumults. Our armour shall be reafon and truth, which we will not fwerve from on any account. Our whole aim is to procure Annual Parliaments and Univerfal Suffrage. Till this is done we declare to the World, that we will never defift till we procure this our national right, the want of which is probably the fource of all our national grievances. Impreffed with thefe fentiments, we have collectively and individually agreed to form an Affociation, to be called The United Scotfmen; and we do pledge ourselves to our country, and mutually to each other, to carry into effect, by all just means, the following Refolution: An equal Reprefentation of all the People in Par liament. CONSTITUTION. 1. This fociety is conftituted for the purpose of forwarding a brotherhood of affection, a communion of rights, and an union of power, among Britons of every defcription,-for the purpose of obtaining a complete Reform in the Legiflature, founded on the principles of civil, political, and religious Liberty. 2. The members of this fociety, fhall not be confined to any defcription of men, but extended to all perfons who may be deemed eligible. 7 Y 2 3. Every 3. Every candidate for admiffion into this fociety fhall be propofed by one member, and feconded by another; both of whom Thall vouch for his character and principles, and be balloted for, before he can be admitted a member. 4. Each member fhall pay not less than fix-pence on entering the fociety; and not lefs than three-pence per month, during his continuance in the faid fociety. 5. The one half of the income to be paid into the hands of the fecret committee, the other half to defray expences of delegates attending their duty in different committees. 6. The officers of this fociety, fhall be a fecretary and trea furer, who shall be chofen by ballot, and continue in office two months. 7. No member shall speak more than twice to one queftion, without leave from the chairman, whom he shall address, flanding. 8. A prefident to be chofen by ballot each meeting, whole business it shall be to keep order, and not to enter into debate. 9. When any fociety amounts to fixteen members, they fhall divide into two focieties, the new fociety taking along with them a fecretary properly constituted. PAROCHIAL COMMITTEES. 1. When any parish or district fhall contain three focieties, two perfons from each fhall be appointed, by ballot, to form a parochial committee, one of whom fhall go out each month, and another balloted for. 2. When any parish or diftrict fhall contain ten focieties, they fhall divide into a fecond committee of faid parish. 3. Parochial committees fhall receive delegates from Societies of a neighbouring parish, providing faid parish does not contain three focieties. 4. That all queftions fhall be determined by a majority of the members prefent. None to fit in the committee but delegates. 5. That any bufinefs originating in any fociety fhall, at the inftance of fuch fociety's delegates, be, by the parochial laid before the other focieties. COUNTY COMMITTEES. 1. When any town or county contains three or more parochial committees, they fhall elect two perfons from each to form a county committee. 2. When any county fhall contain twelve parochials, it fhall divide into a fecond committee of said county. 3. County committees fhall receive delegates from parochials of adjacent counties, if faid county does not contain three parochial committees. PROVINCIAL COMMITTEES. 1. When any province contains three county committees, they fhall elect two from each to form a provincial committee. 2. Provincial committees fhall receive delegates from adjacent provinces, if faid provinces do not contain three county commit tees. 3. Every 3. Every provincial committee fhall fend not less than two delegates to the fupreme national committee. NATIONAL COMMITTEE. The national committee fhall elect a fecret committee of seven members, all refiding in or near the place where the national holds its fittings; two of them to go out by rotation each national meeting, and two others elected in their place. ORDINARY BUSINESS AT MEETINGS. 1. Prefident elected. 2. Reports of delegates received. 3. Communications called for. 4. Candidates voted for. 5. Motions made and determined. 6. Time and place of next meeting appointed. PLAN OF DISCIPLINE. That there fhall be a committee of three elected out of every fociety, confifting of the fecretary and two of the members, chofen for the following purpofes; namely, to receive fuch perfons as have been approved by the Society, and to admonish members who have behaved improperly. TEST FOR MEMBERS. In the awful prefence of God, I, A. B. do voluntarily declare, that I will perfevere in endeavouring to form a brotherhood of affection among Britons of every defcription; and that I will alfo perfevere in my endeavours to obtain an equal, full, and adequate reprefentation of all the people in Great Britain: I do further declare, that whatever misfortunes may befal any member or members of this or fimilar focieties, in legally purfuing the objects of this union, I will efteem it my duty to fupport them lawfully, to the utmost of my ability. So help me God. TEST FOR SECRETARY. In the awful prefence of God, I, A. B. do voluntarily declare, that as long as I fhall hold the office of fecretary to this I will, to the utmost of my abilities, faithfully difcharge the duties thereof. That all papers or documents, received by me as fecretary, I will in fafety keep: I will not give any of them, or any copy or copies of them, to any perfon or perfons, members or others, but by a vote of this and that I will, at the expiration of my fecretaryfhip, deliver up to this all fuch papers as may be then in my poffeffion. So help me God. TEST OF SECRECY. In the awful prefence of God, I, A. B. do declare that neither hopes, fears, rewards, nor punishments fhall ever induce me, directly or indirectly, to inform or give any evidence against any member or members of this or fimilar focieties, for any act or expreffion of theirs, done or made collectively or individually, in or out of this fociety, in purfuance of the fpirit of this obligation. So help me God. APPENDIX, APPENDIX, (No. 16.) ADDRESS diftributed by MARTIN DUNNOVAN at Gofport. An IRISHMAN'S Addrefs to his Fellow Countrymen in England. Irishmen! ARE you dead to the fufferings of your devoted country? Is her profperity become indifferent to you, because the oppreffion of her Government has forced you to feek for bread in a foreign country? No! you anfwer, we love Ireland as we love our lives, and are willing to ferve her upon all occafions. The fertile plains of Ireland produce corn plentifully, and nourish cattle in abundance; yet the poor, from the oppreffion of the rich, are deprived of the means of providing fubfiftence, and driven by hard neceffity to feek fupport in a country where they are upbraided with their poverty, and obliged to labour almost unceasingly. Your condition may with propriety be compared with the Ifraelites of old: they were in bondage, and compelled ro perform the most laborious and degrading employments that their tafkmaflers, the Egyptians, thought proper to impofe. You are flaves in a land which boasts of liberty, and your country is enslaved by the agents of England! In Ireland, Government protects only fpies and informers, and thofe, who with themselves opprefs the inhabitants. To be an Irishman, to love Irishmen, and to unite with Irifhmen, are crimes for which our countrymen are daily dragged from their families, and thrown into cold damp dungeons, where, if they do not perifh from the cruelty of their treatment, they are fent to unwholesome climates, where no vigour or ftrength of conftitution can preferve them: in fhort, murder, rapine, and plunder, are practifed with impunity in every corner of our unfortunate country. I rejoice to fee you fenfible of your country's wrongs-the labouring figh with which your generous bofom feems ready to burft; and the big tear which rolls down your manly cheek, difplay your deftation of fuch horrid oppreffions. But let us not be for ever weeping and lamenting, and for ever fubmitting to lick the foot which is upraised to trample on our dearest rights. No, my loved countrymen, Indignation fhall glow in our bofoms, and the injuries we fuffer fhall foon fan the fame till it burfts into active revenge. If revenge is not a virtue, injuftice is not a crime. Oh! degraded, injured, and infulted Ireland! whofe towns are plundered-whofe villages are burned -whofe fons are butchered-whofe daughters are violated-and whofe infants pine for want of the protection of their parents. Oh! ever-to-be lamented stain upon the national honour of Irishmen, who are now unable to protect their women (dear to them as their existence) from the brutal luft of British fencibles. unhappy country, where an attachment to liberty, virtue, and morality, is punished as the most criminal of vices; and where an adherence to tyranny, injustice, and inhumanity, is rewarded as the most virtuous of actions. Awake to a just sense of your injuries-aroufe from your torpor-join the bands of your country Oh! men |