tinued with increased industry; and 'the focieties flattered themselves that they had, by thefe means, really made a progrefs towards preparing a large portion of the nation to favour their project.

The zeal, indeed, of many of the. country focieties appears to have outrun the inftructions of the agents, and to have carried them into difcuffions beyond thofe limits which the perfons who planned and inftigated the meafure thought it prudent, in the firft inftance to prefcribe. The agents were inftructed to confine the views of the feveral focieties to whom they were deputed, and to point the wishes of individuals purely to the attainment of univerfal fuffrage, from which, once eftablished, it was reprefented that all the reforms which could be defired would naturally flow; and it appeared to have been the defign of thole who directed the bufinefs to prevent the premature difcuffion of any of thofe points, which they reprefented as fubordinate, until after the convention fhould have been af fembled, and this primary object of univerfal fuffrage obtained. No caution or prohibition, however, could prevent many of the country focieties from thowing how confidently they anticipated, as the refult to which the deliberations of that convention must neceflarily lead, the abolition of monarchy, of ariftocracy, and of other eftablishments, which they deemed equally oppreffive; and the fubftitution of a reprefentative government, founded on the new doctrine of the rights of man; and uniting, in one body, all the legislative and executive powers

of the fiate.

arreft of the fecretaries, and of feve ral members of the two focieties, called "the London correfponding Society," and "the Conftitutional Society." The fecretaries and leading members of the focieties at Sheffield and Norwich (which, together with feveral other fubordinate focieties in different parts of the kingdom, were in conftant correfpondence with them) were also taken into cuftody. The attention of parliament was at this period directed to thefe proceedings; and in confequence of the evidence then laid before a fecret committee of this house, the power of detaining fufpected perfons was intrufted to his ma jefty.

The fubfequent proceedings are fufficiently known. Some of the perfons fo arrested were profecuted for high treason. A grand jury for the county of Middlefex found a bill againft Thomas Hardy, the secretary of the London correfponding fociety, and eleven others. Three of the perfons fo indicted, viz. Thomas Hardy, John Horne Tooke, and John Thelwall, were tried, and on their trials were acquitted of the charge in the indictment. But the evidence given on those trials establifhed, in the cleareft manner, the grounds on which the committees of the two houfes of parliament had formed their reports in 1794, and fhewed, beyond a poffibility of doubt, that the views of these perfons and their confederates were, in their nature, completely hoftile to the exifting government and conftitution of this kingdom, and went directly to the fubverfion of every established and legitimate authority.

The difclofures made upon these trials, the detentions already mentioned, and the powers vefted in government, by the act to empower his majefty to fecure and detain fuch perfons as his majefty fhall fufpect are confpiring againft his perfon and government," which received the royal affent on the 23d of May, 1794; broke for a time all the measures which had been concerted by the difaffected, and obliged them to proceed with more caution and referve. But they never appear for a moment to have relinquifhed their original defign; and the nature and conftitution of the correfponding fociety (which still fubfifted) peculiarly qualified it fecretly to continue its machinations, and to extend and diffufe its pernicious principles a mong the lower orders of the people. The plan of this conftitution, as originally propofed, not having been ftated in the reports before referred to, is inferted in the Appendix. It is evident, that the overthrow of every part of the government and conftitution of this kingdom was in the immediate contemplation of those by whom this plan was formed; and that it was contrived with the view of being appliVOL. XLI.

ed to the most extenfive purpofes, if they had fucceeded in that object, and of enabling the confpirators, after the overthrow of the exifting government, to ufurp and exercife an uncontrolled authority over the whole kingdom. It does not appear that this plan was ever formally adopted; but fo much of it as led to the establishment of a fecret fyftem of direction, resembling that of the United Irishmen, was agreed to, and reduced to practice.

Not contented with employing thefe means gradually to extend their influence through different parts of the kingdom, the leading members of thefe focieties, fhortly before the opening of the feffion of parliament, in October, 1795, called together an unlawful meeting, in a field near the metropolis, evidently with a view of trying the temper of the populace. Under the pretence of "debates," language of the most feditious and inflammatory nature was held to a large multitude, whom curiofity, or other motives, had affembled there, and the moft daring libels were uttered against every part of the conftitution of these realms.

The public tranquillity appears to your committee to have been greatly endangered by this ftep; fo exactly refembling that which fifteen years before had nearly led to the deftruction of the metropolis: and your committee are decidedly of opinion, that the fhameful and high'ly criminal outrages which foon after took place, on the first day of the feffion, are, in a great degree, to be afcribed to the influence of these inflammatory proceedings, and of this public and open violation of the laws. It is not without regret that your committee feel themselves obliged to recall to the recollection

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of the houfe, the horrid and facrilegious attempt against his majesty's perfon, with which thofe outrages were accompanied.

This alarming proof of the dreadful and defperate confequences, which meetings and proceedings of fuch a defcription naturally tend to produce, made a deep impreffion on the mind of the public, and neceffarily engaged the attention of parliament. On a full confideration of all the circumftances, the legiflature, by falutary laws, ftrengthened the authority of the magiftrate, for the repreflion of fedition and tumult; provided fresh checks against meetings of a dangerous tendency, and of a defcription unknown in the hiftory and conftitution of this country, increased the penalties of obftinate and repeated guilt, and added a fresh fafeguard to the facred perfon of his majefty.

One of the immediate effects of these measures was to put a stop to a practice which had too long been fuffered in the metropolis, to the difgrace of all order and government-the open and regular delivery of public lectures, inculcating the doctrines of sedition and treafon; inciting the hearers to follow the example of France, and animating them to the commiffion of the moft atrocious crimes. This practice has not fince been revived in the fame fhape; but many of the debating focieties which fubfift at the present time appear to your committee to be, in a great measure, directed to the fame pernicious objects, and to require farther animadverfion and correction. Some check was alfo given to the licentioufnefs of the prefs, which had, till then, been in a great measure unrestrained. That licentioufnefs has furnished, in every

part of Europe, one of the most dangerous inftruments in the hands of confpirators. The industry with which every fpecies of inflammatory and feditious libels had been diffeminated, applying to the various paffions and prejudices of every clafs of fociety, but particularly of that which is the leaft informed, and therefore the most open to feduetion, is an unanswerable proof both of the extent and of the zeal of the confpiracy in this country.

After the paffing of thefe bills, the London correfponding focieties fent their delegates into the country, to point out the method of evading them, and for the purpose of feeling the difpofition of the people. Two perfons, in this character, John Binns and John Gale Jones, were fent, by the London Correfponding. Society, to Birmingham, where they were arrested. They were found addreffing a meeting of perfous in that town. Upon the perfon of Jones were found two papers; one a letter of credence from the fociety, figned by John Aftley, their fecretary, introducing Binns and Jones as their accredited delegates; and the other, the inftruction of the fociety for the conduct of these delegates; both which papers your committee have inferted in the Appendix (Nos. 3 and 4); they will particularly to notice, that after directions given to the delegates, to perfuade the people whom they were to addrefs, that the fole object of the fociety was parliamentary reform, and that the bills laft referred to need not prevent their continuing to meet, the 7th article of the inftructions is in thefe words: "The defign of the above article is to remove mifapprehenfions relative to the fafety of our association under:

the

the new laws. This part of your miffion being effected, you are to frain every power of your mind to awaken the fleeping fpirit of liberty: you are to call upon our fellowcitizens to be ready with us, to purfue our common object, if it must be, to the fcaffold, or rather, (if our enemies are defperate enough to har up every avenue to inquiry and difcuffion) to the field, at the hazard of extermination; convinced that no temper lefs decided than this will fuffice to regain liberty from a bold ufurping faction. But, to the end that we may fucceed, by the irrefiftible voice of the people, you are to excite in every fociety the defire which animates our bofoms, to embrace the nation as brethren, and the resolution to bear every repulfe from paffion and prejudice which fails to deprive us of the fure grounds of argument." And in the 13th article are the following expreffions:

"In a word, you are always to reflect, that you are wreftling with the enemies of the human race, not for yourfelves merely, for you may not fee the full day of liberty, but for the child hanging at the breaft; and that the queftion, whether the next generation fhall be free or not, may greatly depend on the wifdom and integrity of your conduct in the generous miffions which you and your fellow-deputies now take upon yourselves."

Notwithflanding this difpofition to refift and evade the effect of thefe bills, yet the feasonable and effectual check thus, for a fecond time, given to the progres of fedition and treafon, averted immediate danger; and if it did not extinguish the hopes of the confpirators, at leaft deterred them from the public avowal and

purfuit of their projects. But the attempt to poifon the minds of the lower orders of the people, and to prepare the means, which might be refórted to on any favourable occafion, was purfued with unabated perfeverance.

During the remainder of the year 1796, the fyftem continued to operate filently and fecretly; but, in the beginning of the following year, its contagious influence was found to have extended to a quarter where it was the leaft to be fufpected, and produced effects which fuddenly threatened the deareft interefts and immediate fafety of the country with the most imminent danger.

The mutiny, which took place in the fleet, if confidered in all its circumftances, will be traced to an intimate connection with the principles and practices defcribed by your committee, and furnishes the moft alarming proof of the efficacy of thofe plans of fecrecy and con cert, fo often referred to, and of the facility with which they are ap plied for inflaming and heightening difcontent (from whatever caufe it proceeds), and for converting what might otherwife produce only a hafty and inconfiderate breach of fubordination and difcipline, into the moft fettled and fyftematic treafon and rebellion. Thefe principles and this concert could alone have produced the wide extent of the mutiny, and the uniformity of its operation in fo many and fuch diftant quarters. The perfons principally engaged in it, even in its early ftages, were many of them' United Irifhmen. The mutineers were bound by fecret oaths to the perpetration of the greatest crimes. An attempt was made to give to

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the hips in mutiny the name of "The Floating Republic," and this attempt was countenanced both by papers published in France, and by a paper here, called " The Courier," which has, on many occafions, appeared almost equally devoted to the French caufe. In fome inftances, a difpofition was manifefted to direct the efforts of the mutineers to the object of compelling the government of this country to conclude a peace with the foreign enemy; and they at length even meditated betraying the hips of his majefty into the hands of that enemy. All these circumftances combine to imprefs your committee with a firm perfuafion that whatever were the pretences and mifreprefentations employed to feduce from their duty a brave and loyal body of men; yet a fpirit, in itself fo repugnant to the habits and difpofitions of British failors, muft have had its origin in thofe principles of foreign growth which the focieties of the confpirators have industrioufly introduced into this country, and which they have inceflantly laboured to diffeminate among all defcriptions of men; but especially among thofe whofe fidelity and steadiness is moft important to the public fafety. A ftriking inftance of the defperate extent to which thefe principles were carried appears in the proceedings of a court martial, held in the month of June, 1797, an abftract of which your committee have thought it right to infert in the Appendix, (No. 17). The opinion flated by your committee will be ftill more confirmed by the repeated and atrocious attempts (bearing ftill more evidently the character of

thofe principles in which they originated), which have been made in a great number of inftances fince the general mutiny was fuppreffed; and of which it will be neceffary for your committee hereafter to take notice. At the period now referred to, thefe fyftematic attempts, made to feduce both the failors and fol diers from their duty and allegiance, to incite them to mutiny, and to engage them in plans for the fubverfion of government, had become foapparent and frequent as to attract the immediate notice of the legiflature. Among these attempts, that one, made by a perfon of the name of Fellows, convicted at Maidstone, in July, 1797, deferves particular attention. The feditious hand-bill, which he was proved to have distributed among the foldiers, is inferted in the Appendix (No. 5); and it appears from a letter (alfo there inferted), No. 6, written by him to Evans and Bone, two of the most active members of the London Correfponding Society, and who have fucceffively filled the office of fecretary to that fociety, fhortly before his arreft, that he had gone to Maidftone, for the purpose of circulating feditious papers, as well as of making reports of the fociety at Maidstone.

In confequence of the prevalence of thefe dangerous practices, two acts of parliament were paffed in the year 1797;* one inflicting fevere penalties on any perfon guilty of inciting any of his majesty's forces by fea or land to mutiny; the other for more effectually preventing the adminiftering or taking of unlawful oaths. The propriety and necefity of both thele acts was farther evin

ced