they refused to obey that will, they would be Ufurpers and not Reprefentatives.

"However the Petition, fuch as it was, being termed disrespectful, was thrown out by a Majority of 79, there being 29 only who voted for its being received, and 108 who voted against it.

"Such imperious treatment rather gives warning than ftrikes

terror.

"We faid to the Houfe of Commons, we are wronged and aggrieved: "will you right us, and redrefs our grievances, or will you not? If you will, we fhall be fatisfied; if you will not, we fhall feek redrefs fome other way. This is the fole queftion with us; and we put it, as we thought, in a moft becoming file to the Houfe of Commons. But our petition being fconted, we fhall trouble them no more with our coarse and unmannerly language." "It will be our duty to proceed, as we have uniformly done hitherto, in enlightening the public mind; and when a complete revolution of fentiment fhall take place (as will fhortly be the cafe) in our country, we fhall open our inouths in that key we think moft agreeable to ourfelves." "And our voice, together with that of our disfranchifed countrymen, will refemble, perhaps, the thunderings from Mount Sinai !?

"Thofe who have a right to peak in a dictatorial tone, difgrace themfelves by petitioning."

"Thefe effential principles are both eafy and comprehenfive. On thefe we build our right to reprefentation, and renounce the idea of future petitions. By thefe maxims, we find that every Englishman is free; and that in the election of a Supreme Magiftrate, or in the delegation of Legislative Powers, he concedes his actions to a certain fuperintendance, for the exprefs purpofe of preventing liberty from vaulting over its limits, and introducing a fyftem of univerfal violence, injury, or licentioufnefs. And although either of thefe two delegated Powers be fufficient to keep any individual to his duty, or to control every Affociation in the community, yet they are always inferior to the force which the whole Society might exert, and are amenable to that Society, either in an Affembly of the Nation, or in a Deputation formed for the purpofe.

"Acts of Parliament, unlefs fanétioned by the approving voice of the whole Community, or their Reprefentatives, are nothing lefs than arbitrary Edicts under different names, and bear a strong refemblance to the Refcripts of the Emperors, or the Decretals of the Vatican.

"What is the Conftitution to us, if we are nothing to it? And what is any Government but tyranny, in which the people have no fhare? The Conftitution of Britain, indeed, is highly extolled, as the greatest effort of human wisdom; fo is the Conftitution of Turkey at Conftantinople but thefe are prejudices, and the long tyranny of prejudice is verging to a speedy termination.

"Yes, Countrymen, we demand Equality of Rights, in which is included Equality of Reprefentation; without which terror is law; and the obligations of juftice are weakened, becaufe unfanétioned by the facred voice of the People. We are not fpeaking of that vifionary Equality of Property, the practical allertion of which would defolate the world, and replunge it into the darknefs and wildeft barbarifm; but that Equality we claim is to make the Slave a Man, the Man a Citizen, and the Citizen an integral part of the State; to make him a joint Sovereign, and not a Subject."

The Reafons which induced the Meeting at Sheffield to omit any Re. folutions upon the fubject of the intended Convention, have been dif

5

tinctly

tinctly stated by two perfons who had been Secretaries to the Conftitutional Society in that town.

From their examination it appears, that a number of printed circular letters had been received at Sheffield from the Secretary to the London Correfponding Society, relative to a Convention, and that the Sheffield Society objected to the calling it at this time, but had no objection to the measure itfelf; that it was their opinion that the British Convention at Edinburgh ought to have fecured the confidence of the people, by a public Addrefs to the Nation, before they had ventured to fit as a permanent body; and that the Addrefs from Sheffield to the Nation, containing a recommendation that no more Petitions fhould be presented to Parliament, was intended to prepare the people for a Convention. While thefe proceedings were taking place in different parts of England, with a view to a General Convention, it appears from the information contained in the letters from the Secretary of State, which have been already referred to, that measures of a similar tendency were carrying on with great activity, and to a great extent, in Scotland. The appointment of Delegates to attend a Convention to be affembled at fome place in England at an early period, feems to have been very generally recommended by the Committee at Edinburgh.

The naming the place was for the prefent omitted, but it was promifed to be fhortly announced through the Secret Committee, in the fame manner as appears from the circular letter of the London Correfponding Society (inferted in the former Report) to have been intended in this part of the kingdom; and the invitation to appoint Delegates, appears to have been circulated by the fame emiffaries who were employed by the Committee at Edinburgh for the purpofe of promoting the plan of arming those with whom they were in correfpondence.

Froin a review of thefe proceedings it indifputably appears, that the immediate and oftenfible object profeffed to be aimed at by the measures which have been related (if ftated within the narrow limits) was that of effecting no lefs fundamental a change in the frame of the House of Commons, than the introduction of Univerfal Suffrage in the election of it, and rendering the period of the election annual: That through the whole courfe of the correfpondence which has been carried on, and the concert which has been formed by different Societies for this purpofe, no idea has for a long time been pointed at, of obtaining this change by any application to Parliament; that, on the contrary, any fuch idea has been fpecifically and pointedly difclaimed recently, by the formal and in fome inttances public Refolutions of the Society in London, and many of thofe in the country, and repeatedly, and from an early period, in the private correfpondence, either of the Societies or of their leading Members. It has been exprefsly laid down, that more effectual means than Petitions must be tried. The exprefs object stated in the Refolutions for calling the propofed General Convention of the People, or General Meeting of Friends of Liberty (under whichever of thofe names it is to be defcribed,) was to confider of the means of obtaining a full and equal Reprefentation, not of the thing to be obtained, but of the means of obtaining it, and this fubfequent to the declarations laft mentioned, that more effectual means than petitions must be tried. Thefe more effectual means could in the very nature of the thing, confift of but one of two poffible alternatives, either introducing this change in the frame of one branch of the legislature, by fome other authority than that of the legislature itself, or bringing that legiflature, either by force or intimidation, against its will, to lend its authority to that purpofe. Accordingly,

Accordingly, the mildeft terms in which, for a long time, the parties to this measure have defcribed the mode by which they expected to attain their ends, have pointed at fo extending and diffufing these Socie ties, and establishing fuch an union and concert among them, as might fpread their principles and opinions through every part of the country, and produce a declaration of the collective fenfe of the people, in fuch a manner, as to overcome all resistance.

But on many other occafions, and more openly of late, the language adopted has pointed more diftinctly at the use of open force; at the fpecific object of actually affembling a pretended National Convention; at the neceflity of preparing courageon y for the STRUGGLE, which they muft expect before thofe who were adverfe to their meafures would yield to them; and at obtaining the redrefs which they profefs to feek, not from Parliament, or from the Executive Government, but FROM THEMSELVES, and from THEIR OWN STRENGTH AND VALOUR; from their own laws, and not from the laws of thofe whom they term their plunderers, enemies, and oppreffors: and when the language to this effect, repeatedly and deliberately ufed on fo many occafions, and in fo many quarters, is combined with the means lately employed for providing an armed force, and with the other projects of violence and open attack on different branches of the existing authority, which have appeared to be in the contemplation of fome of the parties in these measures, it is impoffible not to conclude, that it was by fuch means, by their own ftrength and numbers, by open force, defying, and either overawing or fuperfeding the authority of the Legiflature, that (in the extravagance of their imagination) they had formed the hope of accomplishing their daring and defperaté defigns.

But, extravagant and enormous as this project is, even on this ftatement, it appears to your Committee to be by no means confined even within thefe limits. The attempt to obtain a change in one branch of the Legiflature by force or terror, against the will of the whole, does indeed of itself include, if fuccefsful, at least a temporary fufpenfion of all the exifting powers of government, and could hardly be fuppofed to flop short of an entire deftruction of the Conftitution. But from the whole tenor of the fyftem which has been acted upon, it is apparent that this was not merely the pollible or probable confequence of fuch an attempt, but that the principles on which it was founded, and the mode by which it was intended to be executed, obviously and neceffarily tended to fuch a refult. The principles on which the fuppofed right of univerfal fuffrage was founded, were not fuch as led merely to the ingle act of altering to that extent the frame of the Houfe of Commons, and afterwards leaving the Houfe of Commons, thus modelled, in poffeffion, together with the Crown and the Houfe of Lords, of their former legiflative authority, or the Grown in poffeflion of its former executive power; but, while they led to an alteration in the frame of the Houfe of Commons, they equally led, if carried to their natural extent, to the extinction and deftruction of the other two branches of the legiflature.

A propofition fo extravagant may at first be difficult to be credited; but it appears to the Committee to be diftinctly proved, from an examination of the nature of the principles themfelves; from a confideration of the fyftem as actually carried into effect in France, and propofed as a model by those who were the chief actors in thefe proceedings in this country; and, by repeated declarations or acts, which either directly, or by neceffary inference, point at the deftruction of hereditary monarchy, hereditary nobility, and every diftinétion of orders and ranks in fociety.

YOUR COMMITTEE have ftated to the Houfe in their formet Report, that fubfequent to the steps taken for the apprehenfion of the perfons fufpected of being concerned in the defign which has been the fubject of this Report, ftrong indications had appeared of a disposition to concert the means of refifting fuch meafures as might be adopted for preventing the accomplishment of the design itself, or for bringing the authors or abettors of it to punishment.

It appears to your Committee, that immediately after the apprehenfion of feveral of the leading members of the London Corresponding Society, a Committee was appointed, under the title of a Committee of Emergency, for the expreis purpose of counteracting the fteps which had been taken by the executive government to check the further progrefs of the fyftem which has been detailed in this Report. It also appears, that it has been made matter of deliberation, in the divisions of the London Correfponding Society, whether, in the prefent exigency, they should proceed to addrefs the King, to petition Parliament, or to make an appeal to the Nation at large: the latter propofition was adopted; and, in confequence of that decifion, a paper has been printed and published under the name of the London Correfponding Society, and which your Committee has every reafon to believe to be authentic: this paper contains the following paffages; viz. "That we intended to call a Convention is a truth, which needed neither general warrants, armed meffengers, or fecret Committees to difcover, fince it was accompanied by a refolution, to make that intention known, by 200,000 printed copies of that day's proceedings. But the purport afcribed to that Convention. viz. the affuming gislative power, is a groundless falfehood :—the fole intent was to devife means of attaining a complete reprefentative body, on the principles of univerfal fuffrage, equal perfonal reprefentation, and annual election; and whenever, or however, fuch a body can be obtained, it will not be in the power of all the placemen and penfioners in St. Stephen's Chapel to difpute its legiflative authority. We are aware that in thefe times of conftitutional bigotry, the laft fentence may found unpleafantly to many, who do not deferve to be confidered as enemies to liberty; we therefore with it to be clearly underftood, that we fpeak of a reprefentative body of the whole nation, and not of any particular part or def ription of men;-and as the divine right of kings is not at this time directly afferted (at least in this country) by any but the most extremely ignorant, we think it ought to follow, as a natu ral confequence, that the people are the only legitimate jource of authority; and it appears to us, that the vain attempt to draw a medium between thefe opinions has produced endiefs abfurdities and contradictions, to the difgrace of our records and law books. Among thefe the most confpicuous is called, The Abdication of James the Second, which phrase (coined for that purpose) may be either understood to mean his expulfion by popular authority, or bis voluntary refignation: if the former, it fanctions the doctrine which we have advanced; if the latter, we fcruple not to call it a national lie. To the honour of Scotland, their Parliament explicitly declared him banished by the authority of the people. But, Citizens, let us explain the truth:-the expulfion of James the Second, and the establishment of William the Third, though doubtlefs agreeable to the general wifles of the people, was not, in point of form, an act of the people. It was the act of a number of perfons, calling themselves a convention, but not regularly authorized by popular dele. gation, and confequently falling under the defcription of a faction; and this not merely in theory, but in fact; for their unwillingness to acknowledge the rightful power of the people was the reafon of their adopting the explicable phrate above-mentioned.

"The

"The providing arms is another charge, on which we wish to speak with caution; left in afferting, which we do that it is totally falfe-we fhould be understood to admit, that if it had been true, it would have proved criminality.

"We freely acknowledge, that fome of our members have applied themselves to the knowledge of arms; and, far from detiring to make a fecret of this circumftance, we with their example was followed by the whole nation. We then need not fear invation, either from Frenchinen, Heffians, or Hanoverians: nor fhould we easily be alarmed by the mock difcovery of plots which never existed.

"We are perfely convinced of the propriety of our opinions refpecting the rights of the people to have arms, and to regulate their conftitution.

"It may be expected that we should not conclude without exhorting the affociated friends of freedom to an active perfeverance in the object of their affociation;-but, judging from the conduct of our own members, we are happy in declaring that we think no fuch exhortation neceffary."

From these paffages it appears, that fince the apprehenfion of their leading members, and the measures which have been lately taken in Parliament on the fubject of their defigns, the London Corresponding Society have openly avowed their intention to call a Convention, for the purpofe of devifing means to attain a complete reprefentative body, on the principles of annual election and of univerfal fuffrage, without any reference whatever to Parliament, and (as far as can be collected from their own interpretation of the phrafes which they have ufed to defcribe the House of Commons) with the further intention of arrogating to the body conftituted according to the manner to be prefcribed by fuch a Convention, the whole legiflative authority of the nation.

It appears alfo that the London Correfponding Society admit that fome of their members have applied themfelves to the knowledge of arms; and although they deny having provided arms, they defire not to be understood as admitting that if it had been true it would have proved criminality; and they affert the propriety of their opinion refpecting the rights of the people to have arms, and to regulate their conftitu

tion.

And this open avowal of the defign of calling a Convention, and of the fact of having applied themfelves to the ufe of arms, is accompanied with a declaration of their determined purpose to perfevere, with activity, in the objects of their affociation;-objects which have been already fufficiently explained to the Houfe by reference to the acts of the Society, and to the profeffed principles of its leading members.

IF the circumftances which have been ftated in this Report appear to the House in the fame view in which, on the most attentive consideraration, they have appeared to your Committee, it is fcarcely neceflary to ftate any collateral matter in order to fatisfy the Houfe how much the peace, fafety, and happiness of the country muft have been affected by the farther progrefs of the meatures which have been ftated.

But if any thing were wanting to add to this impreffion, it would arife from the recollection, that the incitement to internal commotions in other countries is the moft diftinguishing feature, both of the declared principles and of the uniform practice of France under their prefent fyftem, and that in the public acts of thofe exerciling the powers of government in that country, an intention of invading thefe kingdoms, founded on the idea of receiving fupport and afliftance within the country, has been openly avowed. The cafe does not, however, rest here. It has come under the obfervation of your Committee that reP2

cent