APPENDIX D. Appendix D. Copy of a Letter 'from the Society for Conftitutional Information at Sheffield, to the Editors of the English Chronicle. Sheffield, 15th January, 1792. Gentlemen, The Society for Conftitutional Information now eftablished at Sheffield, in the County of York, being defirous of forming a connection with all the like Societies in England, and efpecially with thofe, or fome of them, in London, the Thatched Houfe, the London Tavern, or others, humbly folicits your Advice and Affiftance in the accomplishing thereof, in order to form our Refolves fimilar to theirs; becaufe, as we are actuated by the fame caufe and principle, and all our interefts being one, our fentiments ought and must be the fame. Your Information of the method, terms, and manner of application, for the above purpose, as likewife to have one of our Friends admitted a Member of theirs, fo as a regular communication may be carried on between us, being directed to me, will be efteemed a particular favour, and gratefully acknowledged by this Society; and the expence incurred by your attention to this bufinefs fhall be duly paid to your order, either to the Poft-mafter here, or as you may please to direct, for and by the order of this Society. I am refpectfully Your fincere Friend [The following paragraphs are added in the fame hand.] As the manner of our beginning to affociate on this occafion was fomewhat fingular, we beg your permiffion to mention a few remarks thereon. It first originated in an Affembly of five or fix Mechanics, who, by their meeting at fome one of their houses, and converfing about the enormous high price of provifions, &c.-the grofs abufes this Nation labours under from the unbounded authority of the Monopolifers of all ranks, from the King to the Peafant; the waste and lavish of the public property by Placemen, Penfioners, Luxury, and Debauchery, fources of the grievous burthen under which this Nation groans; together with the mock Representation of the People-thefe being the fubjects of their converfation, they concluded that nothing but darkness and ignorance in the People could fuffer the natural Rights of every Freeman to be thus violated; and this excited them to invite and to vifit their neighbours, whence a small Society of twenty or thirty foon commenced, and kept increasing, fo that they were obliged to divide into feparate Bodies; and, at this time, they have formed eight of thefe fmaller Societies, which meet each at their different houfes, all on the fame Evening; this preferves good order, and none are admitted without his ticket, that they are perfectly fafe from being intruded upon, and perfectly regular good order kept up; thefe meet every two weeks. Their General Meeting, at which fome hundreds attend, is held once a month at [a part here appears to be torn off] but true knowledge will progreffively extend itfelf with the fame effect, throughout the whole Nation, as it hath hitherto done here. We have now in the Prefs a Re-publication of Paine's Rights of Man, for 1,600 Copies, by 1,400 Subfcribers, at the low price of Six Pence each Copy, to which we purpose to annex an Abstract of the noted iniquitous Corn Bill of laft Year, We We have also had an impreffion here of that famous Addrefs, figned by J. H. Tooke, Efq. Chairman; whofe Addrefs we should like to be favoured with. Please to favour us with your anfwer to the above as foon as convenient; and if you can form any thing from the above, worthy of your truly laudable paper, you are at liberty; but as it was not thought of at our Meeting, it is not properly methodized and digefted, as it ftands for that purpofe-we mean, in future, to trouble you with fomething of the kind for that purpose. Copy of a Letter from the Secretary to the London Correfponding Society to the Chairman of the Society for Conftitutional Information. Sir, Thursday, 14th March, 1792. The Delegates of the Correfponding Society think it their duty to acquaint you, without delay, of the Subfcription begun on Monday laft, at this place, for the defence of the prosecution faid to be com menced against your worthy Member Mr. Thomas Paine, in confequence of his valuable Publication, intituled The Rights of Man. The Division assembled here on that Evening amounted to about twenty perfons. At the defire of one of our Members, Mr. Paine's Letter to Mr. Secretary Dundas was read; after which the fubfcription was propofed, and immediately figned by every one prefent. We have just learnt that the Divifion No. 5 of this Society likewife begun their fubfcription on Tuesday laft.-It is our intention to recommend to each of our feveral Divifions the purfuance of the fame laudable defign; and we doubt not but that a numerous Body of our Countrymen will be found to follow an example fo juft in itself, and fo effential to the fupport of that fmall portion of liberty which the People of England are still fuppofed to enjoy. The approbation and the encouragement which our feeble endeavours have met with from the Conftitutional Society, make us defirous of uniting more strongly and more immediately with you. For this purpofe we wish that fix of our Members might be admitted amongst you, after the manner of those whom you received from the Societies established at Sheffield and Norwich.-Conceiving that fhould this plan be adopted generally, it could not fail to ftrengthen the caufe in which we are engaged, we beg the favour of you to propofe it at your next Meeting, and to return us the decifion of your Society thereupon. I am, Sir, with great attachment and esteem, Secretary. the Secretary Copy of a Letter from the Sheffield Society to Mr. Sir, It is now about four months fince this Society firft formed itself into a regular Body, then but very few in number; the enclosed will inform you of their increase, and which is most probable will foon become very numerous; and not only this large and populous Town, but the whole neighbourhood for many miles round about, have an attentive eye upon us; most of the Towns and Villages indeed are forming themselves into fimilar Affociations, and frictly adhere to the mode of copying after us; you will eafily conceive the neceffity for the leading Members of this Body to pay ftrict attention to good order and regularity, and the need we have of confulting and communicating with thofe who are fincere Friends and able Advocates for the fame caufe; for thefe reafons we took the liberty I liberty of writing to Mr. Horne Tooke, that worthy Friend and Patriot for the Rights of the People, informing him of our earseû defires of entering into a connection with the society of the fame denomination with ours in London: his very obliging and affectionate anfwer favours us with your Addrefs; in confquence we have taken the liberty herewith to tranfmit to you fome Refolves which were paffed at our laft Meeting by the whole Body, and the Committee was charged with the difpatch of printing and forwarding them to you accordingly, for the purpofe of fubmitting them to the confideration of your Society, to make fuch ufe of them as they think most prudent. You will alfo notice the Belpar Address; they applied to us about two months ago for inftructions as to our mode of conducting, &c. had not then formed themselves into any regular Affociation. Belpar is nearly thirty miles from this place, in Derbyshire, and eight or ten miles from Derby. If the Society for Conftitutional Information in London fhould vouchfafe fo far to notice us as to enter into a connection and correspondence with us, it cannot fail of promoting honour, and adding strength to our feeble endeavours, and to the common caufe, which is the entire motive we have in view. I am, Sir, Sheffield, 14th May, 1792. With the greatest refpect and esteem, We have taken the liberty of enclofing a parcel for Mr. in anfwer to a Letter from him to this Society, requesting fome information concerning our method of conducting the bufinefs we are embarked in, &c. Alfo informing us there are in London a number of mechanics, fhopkeepers, &c. forming themfelves into a Society on the broad basis of the Rights of Man. You will be fo obliging as to let the packet remain with you until he call for it, as by this post I have wrote him thereof. We have given him our manner of proceeding, from our fetting out to this time, and hope it may be of fome ufe; the improvement we are about to adopt is certainly the beft for managing large Bodies, as in great and populons Towns, viz dividing them into fmall Bodies or Meetings of ten perfons each, and these ten to appoint a Delegate: ten of thefe Delegates form another Meeting, and fo on, delegating from one to another, till at laft are reduced to a proper number for conftituting the Committee or Grand Council. Pleafe to forward the Packet to Mr. as foon as convenient. Copy of a Letter from the Society for Conftitutional Information at Sheffield, to the Society for Conftitutional Information in London. Gentlemen, This Society, feeling as they do the grievous effects of the prefent corrupt ftate defects, and abufe of our country, the great and heavy oppreitions which the common mafs of the People labour under as the natural confequence of that corruption; and, at the fame time, being fenfible, to a degree of certainty, that the public minds and general fentiments of the People are determined to obtain a radical Reform of the Country, as foon as Prudence and Difcretion will permit, believes it their duty to make ufe of every prudent means, as far as their abilities can be extended, to obtain fo falutary and desirable an object as a thorough Reformation of our Country, established upon that fyftem which น which is confiftent with the Rights of Man. For thefe Reafons, with great deference and fubmiffion to the Members of the Society for Conftitutional Information in London, we beg leave to request that they will be pleafed to admit the perfons of the following names annexed hereto as Members of their Society (they being our Friends, and Members of our Society) in order that a cloíe connection may be formed, and a regular communication maintained, between the two Bodies; that being thus ftrengthened, this Society may be better enabled to govern itself with more propriety, and to render affiftance to their Fellow Citizens in this neighbourhood, and in parts more remote; that they, in their turn, may extend ufeful knowledge ftill further, from Town to Village, and from Village to Town, until the whole Nation be fufficiently enlightened, and united in the fame caufe, which cannot fail of being the cafe wherever the moft excellent Works of Mr. Thomas Paine find refidence. I am, Gentlemen, Sheffield, 14th March, 1792. Your moft refpectful and fincere Friend, the Committee, Secretary for this Society. Names of the Twelve Members of the Society for Conftitutional Information in Sheffield, requested to be entered as Members of the Society of the fame denomination in London. Copy of a Letter from the Sheffield Society for Conftitutional Information, to the Secretary of the London Corresponding Society. Received 19th March, 1792. Sir, Your letter of the 8th inftant to Mr. was yesterday handed to us by means of that Gentleman: He is not a Member of this Society, and therefore cannot perfectly anfwer your request refpecting the Rules and Orders of this Society. It affords us infinite fatisfaction that the people in London are beginning to form themfelves into orderly societies, and taking into their consideration the great importance and the neceflity of a reform of the corrupt ftate of our government; a work, than which none is more needful in this Nation, for the relief of the oppreffed: The noble obfervation in yours is worthy of the acceptation of all, viz. "That no man who is an advocate from principle for the liberty of a Black Man, but will ftrenuously promote and support the rights of a white Man, and vice verfa." The inclofed, fent to Mr. as below, will inform you of the principles we fet out upon, when at firit a very fmall number, fome four or five of us, meeting in each other's houfes in an evening, confulting and condoling the very low and even miferable condition the people of this nation were reduced to by the avaricioufnefs and extortion of that haughty, voluptuous, and luxurious clafs of beings, who would have us us to poffefs no more knowledge, than to believe all things were created only for the use of that fmall groupe of worthlefs individuals. With thele fentiments, and perufing Mr. Paine's Rights of Man, maturely confidering the force and weight of argument therein contained, by degrees became confirmed in our judgment, that pride, ambition, luxury, and oppreffion, with every vice, appeared to be at the height, or nearly at the utmost stretch; and admitting this to be the cafe (as we do really believe it is) we may with the greatest probability expect it cannot be very long before a great and perhaps a general change will take place, which will redound with more happinefs to the people, as their manners and moral practices are more confiftent to the Divine will of the all wife Difpofer of all things in Heaven and on Earth. On thefe principles our numbers kept increafing, fo that we found it neceflary for the fake of good order, to divide ourselves into fmall bodies, of ten perfons each, and to hold a general meeting once a month; but of late our numbers have encreased fo rapidly, and only having thirteen meeting places all of the fame evening, they are fo crouded, that we are adopting the plan we first fet out with, and to divide the whole (which do now confift of about 2000 members) into tythings, or meetings of ten members each;-two hundred of thefe meetings will include the whole, from each of which a delegate or leading man will be chofen, and appointed to attend at their refpective placesten at each: Thefe 200 Delegates will form twenty meetings, of ten members; and laftly, from each of these meetings a delegate will be appointed to meet at the appointed place, and thefe will form the Committee, or the Grand Council: by this method, order and regularity will be maintained; and by this method a regular communication throughout the whole nation might be kept up with the most perfect harmony-and we would particularly recommend it to you in London as worthy your adoption. As you increase in numbers, neceflity will confirm these fentiments. We fhall be glad at any time to correfpond, and be in clofe connection with you; as our caufe is one, fo ought our fentiments to be unanimous: We alfo would recommend you to enter into connection with the members of the Society for Constitutional Information in London, of whom Mr. is one; and we are fully affured that Gentleman will be the true friend and advocate in our caule, confiftent with his principles hitherto manifefted, both in public and private. We have enclosed a packet directed to you, with a parcel to Mr. —in ——, who is Secretary for the faid Society, and who will deliver it to you when you call for it, it containing fome information. Copy of refolutions tranfmitted to the Society for Constitutional Infor mation. At a meeting of the delegates of the united Conftitutional Societies, held the 24th of March, 1792, at the Wheel of Fortune, Saint Edmund's, in the city of Norwich, it was unanimoufly agreed to communicate to the gentlemen of the London Society for Conftitutional Information the following Refolutions: ift. We are happy to fee the fuccefs of the Sheffield Society for Conftitutional Reform, and approve of the delegations which you and they have made in order to form a plan of General Information; we humbly beg that you would grant to us the fame favour, and it is our with that all the Societies of a fimilar kind in England were only as fo many members ftrongly and indiffolubly united in one political body. adly. We believe that inftructing the people in political knowledge, and in their natural and inherent Rights as Men, is the only effectual |