way to obtain the grand object of reform; for men need only be made acquainted with the abufes of government, and they will readily join in every lawful means to obtain redrefs. We have the pleasure to inform you that our Societies confift of fome hundreds; and new Societies are frequently forming, which by delegates preferve a mutual intercourfe with each other for Inftruction and Information; and the greatest care has been taken to preferve order and regularity at our meetings, to convince the world that riot and diforder are no parts of our Political Creed. 3ly. We believe, and are firmly perfuaded, that Mr. Burke (the once Friend of Liberty) has traduced the greatest and most glorious revolution ever recorded in the annals of hiftory-We thank Mr. Burke for the political difcuffion provoked, and by which he has opened unto us the dawn of a glorious day. 4thly. To Mr. Thomas Paine our thanks are especially due, for his firit and fecond part of the Rights of Man; and we fincerely with that he may live to fee his labours crowned with fuccefs in the general diffusion of liberty and happiness among mankind. 5thly. We view, with concern, the late difcoveries relative to the Westminfter Election, in 1788; and conceive ourfelves, and all true friends of freedom, under great obligations to Meffrs. I homfon, Wyndham, Francis, Taylor, and all the noble and fpirited Minority, for their exertions in order to discover the true fource of that abominable and iniquitous procedure. 6thly. We congratulate our brethren in the various parts of the kingdom, on the progrefs of political knowledge, and earnestly intreat them to increase their alsociations, in order to form one grand and extensive union of all the friends of general liberty-And we hope the time is not far diftant, when the people of England will be equally and faithfully reprefented in Parliament. Signed by order, Chairman, Copy of a Letter from the Secretary to the London Correfponding Society to the President of the Society for Conftitutional Information. Sir, I am ordered by the Committee to fend to the Society for Conftitutional Information in London, a copy of our motives for affociating, and the refolutions we have come to. We mean to persevere in the cause we have embarked in; that is, to have (if poffible) an equal reprefentation of the people of this nation in Parliament. We should be exceedingly happy to enter into a correfpondence with that Society, if it is not too much prefumption in us to expect fuch an honour; but as our caufe is one, we hope that they will deign to take fome notice of us, who are now entering upon a matter of fuch vaft importance. You will fee, by one of our refolutions, that we have entered into a Correfpondence with the Society at Sheffield. I am, Sir, With all deference, Your moft obedient March 30th, 1792. And most humble fervant, Copy of a Letter from Lord John Ruffel to J. Cartwright, Efquire Chairman of the Society for Conftitutional Information. Sir, Fully fenfible that the Society for Conftitutional Information have made no facrifice to delicacy in their addrefs to us, we on our part fhall affect no difguife. Voluntary affociations not being armed with public authority, have no force but that of truth, no hope of fuccefs but in the ftrength of reafon, and the concurrence of the public. We profefs not to entertain a with "that the great plan of public benefit which Mr. Paine has fo powerfully recommended will speedily be carried into effect," nor to amufe our fellow Citizens with the magnificent promife of obtaining for them "the rights of the people in the full extent," the indefinite language of delusion, which by opening unbounded projects of political adventure, tends to deftroy that public opinion which is the fupport of all free governments, and to excite a fpirit of innovation of which no wifdom can foresee the effects, and no fkill direct the courfe. We view man as he is, the creature of habit, as well as of reafon. We think it therefore our bounden duty to propofe no extreme changes, which, however fpecious in theory, can never be accomplished without violence to the fettled opinions of mankind, nor attempted without endangering fome of the most eftimable advantages which we confeffedly enjoy. We are convinced that the people bear a fixed attachment to the happy form of our Government, and the genuine principles of our Conftitution; thefe we cherish as objects of just affection; not from any implicit reverence, or habitual fuperftition, but as inftitutions beft calculated to produce the happiness of man in civil Society and it is because we are convinced that abufes are undermining and corrupting them, that we have affociated for the prefervation of thofe principles. "We with to reform the Conftitution, because we wish to preserve it." Affociations formed in the face of power, in oppofition to the interefts of our prefent legislators, evince that individual fecurity and perfonal independence are already established by our laws. The iminenfe accumulation of debt, the enormous taxation of seventeen millions of annual revenue, demonftrate that the collective interefts of the community have been neglected or betrayed. We believe the defective Conftitution of the Affembly, entrusted with the public purfe, to be the real fource of this evil. With this view we have pledged ourselves to attempt a timely and falutary reform, adhering in every ineafure we may take to the fundamental principles of the Conftitution. According to thofe acknowledged principles, the people have a perfect right to poffefs an organ, by which the public mind may fpeak in legiflation; and to bind their reprefentatives to the interefts of the whole community, by a frequent renovation of the truft. Thefe objects accomplished, we believe abufes will find no protection in ́a genuine reprefentation of the people; that regulations beft adapted to the public happiness will be gradually infufed into our laws, through the known channels of legiflation: And that the agitated minds of men, refuming their confidence in Parliament, will fubfide into a calm expectation of Redrefs, without forgetting the principles or violating the form of the Constitution. Thefe, as we think, are the views of men detefting Anarchy, yet fincere Friends of the People. Your Letter appears to us to be written with a view to create diftruft of our designs, to infinuate doubts of our fincerity, and to excite an early fufpicion of our Principles in the minds of the People. We have not, however, refused, in anfwer, to disclaim what we condemn, and to avow our real objects, from the pursuit of which we will not fuffer ourselves to be diverted by any controversy. controverfy. We muft beg leave, at the fame time, to decline all furure intercourfe with a Society whofe views and objects, as far as we can recollect them from the various Refolutions and Proceedings which have been published, we cannot help regarding as irreconcile. able with thofe real interefts on which you profefs to inform and enlighten the People. Freemafon's Tavern, Saturday, May 12th, 1792. (signed) John Ruffel, Chairman. Freemafon's Tavern, May 12th, 1792. At a General Meeting of the Society of the Friends of the People affociated for the purpofe of obtaining Parliamentary Reform, The Right Honourable Lord John Ruffel in the Chair. Refolved, That the proceedings of the day, including the letter from the Society for Conflitutional Information, and the anfwer of this Society to that Letter, be printed and published. Refolved, That, together with the anfwer of this Society to the Letter of the Society for Conftitutional Information, there be tranfmitted to John Cartwright, Efq. Chairman of that Society, a copy of the Refolution of the Society of the Friends of the People, to print and publish the Letter and reply. John Ruffel, Chairman. Copy of a Letter from Stockport, to the Secretary of the London Correfponding Society. Received 27th of Sept. 1792. Dear Sir, In obedience to the wishes of the Society here, I have the pleasure of acknowledging the honour of your letter, and the packet which the kindnefs of our brothers of the London Correfponding Society fo opportunely prefented us with. It is doubly deferving our thanks, as it fhews your kindness, and as it will be ufeful in the formation of our infant Society: We ftand much in need of your experience in this particular, and we doubt not of your best affiftance. We are furrounded by a Majority, a formidable one indeed, in power, abilities, and numbers, but we are not difmaved. We have carefully perufed the addreffes, and I am to obferve on their contents in general, that the fentiments hardly rife to that height which we expect from men, fenfible of their full claims to abfolute and uncontrculable Liberty, i. e. unaccountable any to power which they have not immediately conflituted and offeinted. We Thefe are our fentiments, whatever may be yours; though in the prefent ftate of political knowledge it may be prudent not to avow them openly. We defire your fentiments on the means of accomplishing that object which we prefume you have in view in common with us. think it expedient that we fhould perfectly understand each other in the beginning, left the appearance of difunion might furnish matter of triumph to our enemies. We obferve one expreflion, which fays, Numerous other reforms would undoubtedly take place, &c. &c."But we afk, how is that Parliament to be chofen? Can we expect it from the prefent order of things? Would not all the evil be done away at once by the people affembled in Convention? Does it appear probable, that the odious laws which we complain of will be abolished any other way? Can the grievances arifing from ariftocracy be redreffed, while the retains its prefent authority in the Legislature? Is the uni verfal right of confcience ever to be attained, while the Btain their feats on the main Your Your thoughts on thefe important points we moft earneftly defire may be tranfmitted to us as foon as poffible: Not directed as the laft; we fear it will excite fufpicion. Direct to Mr. who is Chairman occafionally in the abfence of too far from hence to be at hand on emergencies. Your's, &c. Stockport, who refides Copy of a Letter from Mr. Margarot to the Friends of Univerfal Peace and of the Rights of Man Society at Stockport. Sir, London, 11th October, 1792. With infinite fatisfaction the London Corresponding Society Committee perufed your letter: They are happy to learn your fteady determination, fpite of all obftacles, to purfue that fole means of political felicity, a perfect reprefentation of the people. With regard to our publications, our fentiments are expreffed in as ftrong terms as prudence will permit, yet plain enough we imagine to convince the public, that while we expect every thing from an honest an annual Parliament, nothing fhort of fuch a Senate, chofen by the whole Nation, will fatisfy us. True generofity, the characteristic of this Nation, and of all unperverted men throughout the globe, calling upon us to countenance, at this juncture, the arduous ftruggle of the French Nation against Defpotifm and Ariftocracy, thofe foes to the Human Race, we have refolved upon addrefling the French National Convention. Without entering into the probable effects of such a measure, effects which your Society will not fail to difcover, we invite you to join us ; and to that end herewith you have a copy of our intended addrels; if you approve the idea, and will concur in fending it, be pleafed to return ns, without delay, a copy, figned by your Prefident and Secretary, or by the Delegates, ftating each for how many perfons he figns; we will thea affociate your Body with ours, and with fome others who have already aflented to the meafure.-If, on the contrary, you difapprove that mark of zeal towards the only Nation that has hitherto undertaken to reitore to mankind its just rights, please to communicate to us your objections. I am, Sir, For the Committee of Delegates, M. M. Ch. Copy of a Letter from the Editors of The Patriot to the Secretary of the London Correfponding Society. Sir, Sheffield, Oober 15th, 1792. Having nothing particular to communicate to your Society at the time of the publication of our laft Number, we contented ourselves with a general acknowledgment of the receipt of your favour. We no gladly embrace this opportunity of efpecially thanking you for the fame, and at the fame time affuring you, that the communications you fent us fhall appear in the next Number of The Patriot. We beg leave alfo to throw in our mite of commendation on the lau. dable fpirit which you have evinced, in your intention to addrefs the National Convention of France; and hope fincerely, that your example will be followed by all the Societies in the two kingdoms, Ireland having already fet the example. Within thefe few days we have received a letter from the Secretary of a Society intended to be formed at Stockport, a very populous manufac turing town, only feven miles from Manchetter, a copy of which we think it neceffary to fend you herewith, by which you will fee the unjustifiable oppofition which is making by the enemies to a Reform, and the friends and tools of arbitrary power, against the increase of thole So 5 cieties, cieties, and the attempt to crush and annihilate our efforts in the cause of freedom in the very bud. We thought it our duty to answer the letter immediately, in order to give them every encouragement within the scope of our feeble abilities; and herewith alfo fend your Society a copy of our letter on that occafion; but we are apprehensive that the voice of a few individuals may not have weight enough to answer the wished for end, of infpiring them with fufficient confidence to perfevere. We hope your Society will alfo give them your fanétion, advice, and fupport, as it will be in vain for the Friends to Reform to contend with the tremendous hoft of enemies they have to encounter, unless they firmly on all occafions ftand by and fuccour one another. It is with the greatest fatisfaction we announce to you, that feveral Societies have been formed within the laft Three Weeks in Edinburgh, not lefs than Seven or Eight; and alfo that a Patriotic Print is about to make its appearance, under the direction of Major Johnfon, who is alfo Frefident of one of the Societies. We have received fome moft fpirited communications from thence; and our Bookfeller has fent an order for so additional Numbers of every publication of our Work more than what was before in circulation, with an affurance that it was daily increafing in fame and demand for it. We clearly forefee that Scotland will foon take the lead of this country, and conceive it will be neceffary to take the greatest care that an univerfal communication fhould be conftantly kept up between the feveral Societies, however diftant, and that all thould determine to act upon the fame principle, and move together, as near as may be, in regular and active unifon. 'Twas by this method France became fo thoroughly united; and we ought never to loofe fight of it. The Sheffield Society has been lately revifed and re-organized, and in a very fhort time they will prefent the public with an Addrefs, and a fet of rules, regulations, and refolves, which I think will do them infinite credit. We fhall be happy to hear from your Society on every occafion that may be agreeable and convenient; and any communications which in future they may with to convey to the Public through the Medium of The Patriot, they may rely on it every attention and regard fhall be paid to them. We remain, with great respect, Your's most refpectfully, The Editors of The Patriot. Copy of a Letter from Leicester to the Secretary of the Society for Conftitutional Information. Sir, As I have not yet heard from you, I hope you will not omit my Requeft, and forward every neceffary particular by the first mail. We are happy to have our firft adjourned meeting on Monday evening next; and I with our Secretary to be well prepared to meet every expectation, and every objection. We fhall stand in need of a fort of creed for immediate publication. I am, &c. Copy of a Letter from the Society for Political Information at Nor. Sir, We, the Society for Political Information, are defirous of holding and ftrenuously fupporting the noble fentiments which you so lately and friendly |