Mr. Coke, Mr. Birch, or any of the friends of the people; and whether it is attended with any expence.Our Members are both inimical to the business. We can give you no accurate statement of the representation in our neighbourhood, only obferve it is equally farcical here as elsewhere. To conclude with for all favours received, wishing you fuccefs, and may Heaven avert We subscribe our felves, Gentlemen, your Note. Please to direct to Obliged humble Servants, St. Mary's Church, Mr. and being no longer our Secretary.-We have between 30 and 40 feparate Societies in Norwich, befides many in the Country Villages. Copy of a Letter from the Secretary of the Society for Constitutional Information at Birmingham to the Secretary of the Society for Conftitutional Information at London. Sir, Birmingham, March 25th, 1793. At the request of the Society for Conftitutional Information I hereby acknowledge the receipt of your Letter, whereby it appears that your Society have acceded to our request, by electing the perfons (whofe names you were furnished with) as affociated Members in your Society, for which we beg you to accept our united thanks, and beft wishes that your Society may go on to accumulate a mafs of true patriots, whofe principles may not be fubverted by interest, or conquered by fear. This Society offers with gratitude their thanks and commendations to Efq. for the prefent accompanying your Letter, but more particularly for his zeal in the cause of freedom, which cannot be promoted but by the free ufe of the press, which we trust will never be restrained from Britons. Another Letter accompanies this, containing a few particulars, which we doubt not you will perufe with pleasure. Will write you further on that subject shortly. I am, &c. Sec. Copy of a Letter from the Secretary to the Conftitutional Society at Sheffield, Sir, I am defired by the Committee to enclose you a printed copy of the Petition agreed on by the inhabitants here, to be prefented to the House of Commons, for a Reform in Parliament, and the Address accompanying the fame. Upwards of five thousand fignatures are already affixed to it, and we have no doubt there will be at least as many more. I am, with great Respect, To the Secretary of the Correfponding Society, London. Your moft obedient Servant, Secretary to the Conftitutional Society. P. S. Having no direction to the Conftitutional Whigs, independents, and Friends of the People, and being defired by them to convey future favours through the fame channel as the laft," which was by your means beg you will fend the other Letter which comes directed to you by the fame poft, to Mr. - -, Secretary of faid Society. Copy of a Letter from the Secretary of the Society for Conftitutional Information to the Secretary of the United Political Societies at Norwich. y 2, Sir, Sir, 16th April, 1793. We have to acknowledge, with great fatisfaction, the Letter which you favoured us with, dated the 5th initant, relative to the most desirable of all other objects, the Reform of a Parliamentary Reprefentation. The honour you do us, in fuppofing that we are better fitted than yourselves for the promotion of political knowledge we must disclaim, because we observe with the greatest pleafure that our country correspondents have too much zeal and information to want fuccefs in their public endeavours, whether at Norwich, at Sheffield, at Manchetter, or elsewhere throughout the Nation. In our fincerity for the good of our country we truft that we are all equal, and as fuch we doubt not of our ultimate fuccefs. We fee, with forrow, the existence of thofe evils which you fo juftly reprefent as the ftreams of corruption overflowing this once free and profperous country. We fee with furprize and abhorrence, that men are to be found both able and willing to fupport thofe corruptions. It is however no fmall confolation to find that others are not wanting, in every point of the nation, of an oppofite character, who are ready to remedy, by all laudable and honourable means, the defect in our reprefentation, the ufurped extenfion of the duration of Parliaments, and other grievances, fuch as you notice in your Letter. That the Conftitution of England has no more of that character it once poffeffed; that the fuppofed Democracy of the country has become a matter of property and privilege; and that we have therefore no longer that mixt government which our adverfaries are praifing, when they know it is no longer in our poffeffion, are facts notorious and indifputable. Where then are we to look for the remedy? To that Parliament of which we complain; to the exe cutive power, which is implicitly obeyed, if not anticipated, in that Parlia ment; or to ourselves reprefented, in fome Meeting of Delegates for the extenfive purpofe of Reform, which we fuppofe you understand by the term Convention? It is the end of each of thefe propofitions that we ought to look to; and as fuccefs in a good caufe muft be the effect of perfeverance, and the rifing reafon of the time, let us determine with coolnes, but let us perfevere with decifion. As to a Convention, we regard it as a plan the most defirable and moft practicable, fo foon as the great body of the people shall be courageous and virtuous enough to join us in the attempt. Hitherto we have no reason to believe that the moment is arrived for that purpofe. As to any petition to the Crown, we believe it hopeless in its contequences-With respect to the laft of your propofals we are at a lefs to advife. If the event is looked to in the vote which may be obtained from that body to whom this petition is to be addreffed, which of us can look to it without the profpect of an abfolute negative? In this point of view therefore it cannot require a moment's confideration. But if we regard the policy of fuch a petition, it may, in our apprehenfion, be well worth confidering as a warning voice to our prefent Legiflators, and as a fignal for imitation to the majority of the people. Should fuch a plan be vigorously and generally pursued, it would hold out a certainty to our fellow countrymen, that we are not a handful of individuals unworthy of attention or confideration, who delire the reftora tion of the ancient liberties of England; but, on the contrary, it might bring into light that hot of well-meaning men, who, in the different towns and counties of this realm, are filently, bat ferioufly, anxious for reformation in the government. We exhort you, with anxiety, to pursue your laudable endeavours for the common good, and never to defpair of the public caufe. We are, &c. Copy of a printed Letter from the Conftitutional Society at Sheffield to the Secretary of the London Corresponding Society. Sir, Committee Room of the Conftitutional Society, Sheffield, I am defired by the Committee of this Society to tranfmit you the annexed refolutions, and to ask the opinion of your Society, whether it may not be expedient for all the Societies in Great Britain to adopt fimilar refolutions, and to fix on a stated time to follow them up with petitions or remonstrances, or both, against the prefent impolitic and ruinous war?-We think a measure of this kind, coming from fo many quarters of the kingdom at the fame time, would not fail of having great weight; and the prefent lamentable state of the country demands that fomething effectual fhould be adopted towards its relief. Requesting as fpeedy an answer as poilible, I remain, with the greatest refpect, Sir, Your moft obedient Servant, PEACE. -, Secretary. At a General Meeting of the Conftitutional Society of Sheffield, held on Friday the 12th April 1793, in the Chair, Refolved, That peace is the bleffing, and war the curfe and fcourge of nations; and that the prefent war is deftructive of the happiness, commerce, and liberties of this country; that our manufacturers and merchants already deplore its wretched effects; and that nothing thort of an immediate peace can fave this country from ruin. Refolved, That as the motives alledged by the executive magiftrate for conducting war against the Republic of France no longer exist, we deem it improper that a defenfive fhould be converted into an offenfive war, which muft eventually exhauft the revenues, and fpill the blood of our countrymen. Refolved, That no provocatives or manifeftoes of the French warrant us, during this unexampled crifis of public and domeftic dangers, in the profecution of an offenfive war, which is now becoming, we dread, the war of kings, and not of their fubjects. Refolved, That notwithstanding any previous infults we may have offered to the Republic of France, it does not behove the character of a generous government to pursue with vengeance thofe they hate and have injured. Refolved, That as our ally is by public authority declared to be no longer in danger, as her towns are repaired and garrifoned, and as the re-conqueft of Belgic provinces form a potent barrier to any prefent project of invasion on the part of the French, it is our opinion that the British troops ought to be recalled. Refolved, That as an alliance with the kingdom of France was confidered by William Pitt as of the greatest importance to the commerce and happiness of this country, it is the opinion of this Society that it ought to be renewed with the Republic of France, more efpecially to prevent the ambitious views of thofe confederate defpots who, at Pilnitz and Pavia, agree to share the remnant of Poland, the spoil of France and of European Turkey. Copy of a Letter from the Secretary of the Conftitutional Society at Sheffield, to the Secretary of the Corresponding Society in London. Sheffield, Committee Koom of the Conftitutional Society, Sir, May 3d, 1793. I am defired by the Committee to acknowledge the receipt of your laft favour, and to thank you for the fame. You will fee by this copies of the Petitions which we fent you, that we have taken the ftep you fo warmly recommend, and which inded you might well fuppofe, after our circular letter on the fub. ject, we ought not omit doing. We did it as the act, not of the Society alone, but of the whole town and neighbourhood. There were nearly ten thousand fignatures to it. We have fent you herewith feveral copies of the refolutions we have entered into against the war, which we beg you will diftribute in fuch manner as you fhall think beft for the purpofe intended, and let us know, as foon as poffible, how you approve them. The direction you fent before it as good a one as you can have, to Mr. "" Sheffield. By order, and in the name of the com "" at mittee, I am, Sir, Your very humble Servant, Secretary to the Constitutional Society. Draft of a Letter from the London Corresponding Society to the Secretary of the Friends of the People at Edinburgh. London, May 17th, 1793. Sir, The London Corresponding Society eagerly feize the opportunity of Mr. going back to Edinburgh, to request of your Society a renewal of correfpondence, and a more intimate co-operation in that which both Societies alike feek, viz. a Reform in the Parliamentary Reprefentation. We are very fenfible that no fociety can by itself bring about that defirable end; let us therefore unite as much as poffible, not only with each other, but with every other Society throughout the nation. Our Petitions, you will have learned, have been all of them unfuccefsful; our attention must now therefore be turned to fome more effectual means-From your Society we would willingly learn them, and you, on your part, may depend upon our adopting the firmest meafures, provided they are conftitutional; and we hope the country will not be behind hand with us. This war has already opened the eyes of many; and fhould it continue much longer, there is no answering for its effects on the minds of the people. Our Society has met with much perfecution, nevertheless we go on increaf ing in number and political knowledge. Wishing you and your cause all fucfels, we remain moft cordially, Sir, For the London Correfponding Society, To the Friends of the People of Edinburgh. Chairman. Copy of a Letter from the Secretary of the Friends of the People at Edinburgh to the Secretary of the London Corresponding Society. Mr. did me the pleature to call on Thursday afternoon, and delivered your Letter of the 17th current. I am much pleafed with the contents of it, and shall lay it before the first Meeting of our Societies here, which however does not take place till Monday fevennight. I would have acknowledged the receipt of your favour by yefterday's poft, but was too much employed in removing our houfhold to another lodging to attend to any thing else. Ir either you in England or we in Scotland should attempt feparately the Reform which we, I truft, feek to obtain, we should by fo doing only expofe our weakness, and manifeft our ignorance of the corruption which opposes our important undertaking. If we fought only the extirpation of one let of interefted men from the management of national affairs, that place might be given to another fet without affecting the vitals of the fyltem adverfe to re fonn. form. Thefe might be easily accomplished; but to cut up deep and wide rooted prejudices, to give effectual energy to the dictates of truth in favour of public virtue and national profperity, in oppofition to felf and all its interelted habits, and to withstand and overawe the final efforts of the powers of darkness, is the work of the whole and not of a part; a work to which mankind, till this awful period, were never adequate, becaufe never till now difpofed to fraternize; not merely, or only, I truft, from the fenfe of the common danger to which we are expofed, but from the ennobling principle of univerfal benevolence. I know no greater service that I can do to my Country than to promote the union you fo wifely defire; and I am happy to affure you that I have hitherto difcovered no fentiment in our Affociation adverfe to the moft intimate and brotherly union with the Affociations in England. I think the minds of all muft, in the nature of things, be now turned to more effectual means of Reform. Not one perfon was convinced of the neceffity of it by the most convincing arguments of reafon, together with the moft unequivocal expreffions of univerfal defire. What then is to be hoped for from repetition? I am only afraid that the bow in England againft Reform is fo contracted, that in returning it may break. You would willingly learn, you fay, from us. I own that we ought to be forward in this. We have, at once, in great wifdom perfected our plan of organization; and if we were in the fame independent ftate of mind as the People of England, we would be able to take the lead. The Affociations with you are no more I fear-excufe my freedom-than an Ariftocracy for the good of the People. They are indeed moderate, firm, and virtuous, and better cannot be; but we are the people themselves; and we are the first to fhew that the people can both judge and refolve, if undirected by faction, with both wildom and modera tion. I have not a higher with in the prefent exertions for Reform, than to fee the people univerfally and regularly affociated, because I am perfuaded that the prefent difaftrous engagements will iffue in ruin, and the people then must provide for themselves; and it would be unhappy, when we fhould be ready to act with unanimity, to be occupied about organization, without which however anarchy muft enfue. We will not need but to be prepared for the event, to ftand and fee the Salvation of the Lord." Let us therefore take the hint given us by our oppofers; let us begin in earneft to make up our minds relative to the extent of Reform which we ought to feek; be prepared to juftify it, and to controvert objections; let us model the whole in the public mind; let us provide every ftake and stay of the tabernacle which we would erect: fo that when the Tabernacles of Oppreffion in the Palaces of Ambition are broken down, under the madness and folly of their fupporters, we may then, without anarchy and dangerous delay, erect at once our Tabernacle of Righteoufnefs. And may the Lord himself be in it. How hurtful to the feelings of a reflecting mind to look back to the wretched state in which the Roman Monarchy, enfeebled and broken by its own corruption, left the nations which it had fubjeЯed! like "fheep without a fhepherd," they foon became a prey to every invader, because there was none to gather and unite them. Had they, forefeeing the evil, affociated for mutual defence, no robber would have been able to enflave them; they would have given laws to all parties as well as to themfelves; all feparate Colonies and Nations would have fought their alliance; but not having virtue to affo ciate, and heal the divifions, and root out the fulfifh fpirit, which ambitionfoftering governments procure to their fubjects, they fell under oppreffions, from under whofe iron fceptre they have never yet been able to deliver themfelves. We may fuppofe an event which we deprecate; nay, fhould we not be prepared for every poffible iffue of the prefent unprecedented divifions of man |