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other motion, "A motion was alfo made for the Convention allowing the members of the united Society of Irishmen to speak and vote here."

"Referred to the Sections." Citizens who were country delegates, "requested leave of abfence, which was granted, upon condition that they would do their utmost to fend delegates in their place."

In the fame fitting there are the following motions, viz.

"Motion by Mr. *** refpecting dividing the country into departments and appointing provincial conventions, whereby they may become more acquainted with each others fentiments."

"Referred to the Committee of Union."

"Motion by containing thanks to the movers of the divifion into claffes, mentioning the advantages already obtained from it, and requesting a fresh fhuffle. Referred to the committee of regulations, and agreed that the members of Societies in Edinburgh join the fections" -and this day's federunt clofes as follows: "The prefident warned the fections to meet as full as poffible on Monday.

"Citizen ***'s Motion, relative to admitting the members of the United Society of Irishmen to speak and vote in this Convention, came forward for difcuffion, when Citizens

fpoke upon it, and agreed to and guaranteed by a folemn joining of hands-it being followed by a motion for tranfmitting the above refolution to Citizen Archibald Hamilton Rowan, which was paffed accordingly.

"Secretary Skirving stated, that he had just now received five fhillings from an unknown hand for the ufe of the Convention; honourable mention was ordered to be made of this patriotic donation." "A motion made by refpecting the appointment of an interim Committee at the end of every Convention, to call together the delegates on extraordinary emergencies."

At the clofe of this meeting, the Convention being divided into fections, a delegate moved, "That the motions fhould be laid before the sections, and defired the council of the table to condescend on these that were to be first difcuffed."

Seventh day's fitting 26th November, 1793.

After debate, an original motion was referred to the "Committee of Finance."

"Ordered, That the Convention fhall caufe a regular fet of books to be kept for the infertion of minutes, motions, and other proceedings; a book of finance, &c. to be at all times subject to the inspection of an intermediate Committee."

"All these motions were ordered to lie over to be confidered by the sections."

"Mr. - -'s motion being taken under confideration, amendments were proposed by Citizens

-'s Mo

"Mr. Margarot pled for adopting the fpirit of Mr. tion: but thought it would be more advantageous to poftpone adopting it till the conclufion of the Convention's business.

"Moved by Mr. Margarot, That a Committee, confifting of the Mover, Seconder, and those who had moved for amendments of Mr.

's motion, be appointed to draw up a motion from the whole, that may probably meet the ideas of the whole Convention-After fome converfation it was agreed upon, on the motion of Mr. **, that the vote of the House be put; ft, on the spirit of Mr. tion; adly, on the words of the motion; and 3dly, on Mr. Mar

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-'s Mo

garot's

garot's motion." Agreed." The fenfe of the House being taken on the first, it carried unanimoufly, to adopt the motion as to the fpirit of it. On the 2nd, It carried by a great majority, not to adopt the motion as fo worded-and 3dly, It was refolved, that the faid motion, and all amendments, be referred as above."

Convention Hall, 28th of November, 1793. Ninth day's fitting.

Citizen

in the Chair.

"Citizen * read the amendments upon Citizen motion, as agreed upon by the Committee; and it was agreed, that the Houfe fhould refolve itself into a Committee for it's mature confideration."-In the course of the converfation, Citizen

gave

a hiftory of the Habeas Corpus A&t.—After an excellent difcuffion of the question, pertinent remarks, and amendments, the Convention was refumed, and the whole, as amended, being read over, the members ftood upon their feet, and paffed the refolution unanimously, as follows.

[Here a blank is left in the minutes, as mentioned in the report.]

After the faid refolution was agreed to and folemnly approved of as above, the minutes import, "That Citizen Gerald, in an energetic and animated fpeech, addreffed the meeting, and expreffed his happiness at the motion paffed; and exposed the act of the Irish Parliament, called a convention Bill-and Citizen • *followed him in a manly fpeech, and proved the influence of the Executive Government over the Parliament."

Citizen Margarot read and propofed the following motion: "That a Secret Committee of three, with the Secretary, be appointed to determine the place where fuch Convention of emergency fhall meet; that fuch place fhall remain a secret with them, and with the Secretary of this Convention; and that each delegate fhall, at the breaking up of the prefent Seffion, be entrusted with a fealed letter, containing the name of the place of meeting; that this letter fhall be delivered unopened to his conftituents, the receipt of which shall be acknowledged by a letter to the Secretary-preserved in the fame State until the period shall arrive at which it fhall be deemed neceffary for the delegates to fet off. This motion was feconded by * * and the fame paffed unanimoufly. Accordingly the follow Citizens were nominated a fecret Committee upon this business, viz. Margarot, with the Secreta

ry; and they were requested to devise the best poffible means of conveying this intimation to thofe Societies whofe views are the fame with ours, but may not have delegates at this time.”

The minutes of this day's fitting close with a variety of motions; and amongst others the following, by Citizen * by Citizen *, and feconded "That a fund be raised by fubfcription for defraying the expence of fmall patriotic publications to be distributed in the Highlands. Every publication shall bear the figure of a Highland man in full drefs, with target and broad fword, to attract the attention of Highland men. No publication to coft more than a halfpenny."

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By Citizens "That a Committee be appointed to draw up a declaration of the natural, unalienable, and unprefcriptable Rights of Man, and that the fame be prefixed to an addrefs to the people of Great Britain

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And, "That a Committee of obfervation be appointed in London, to give the earlieft intimation of any motion of the kind mentioned in the foregoing refolution to the different Societies."

Convention

Convention Hall, first year of the British Convention, 29th November, Anno Domini 1793-Tenth day's fitting.

Citizen * in the Chair.

"Citizen Margarot gave in the Report of the Committee of regulations; which was ordered to be printed, and copies to be given in to the fections on Monday, for their confideration."

"The Secretary read *'s motion for the Committee of observation to be appointed in London. Citizen Margarot stated, that there was no occafion for a Committee of that nature in London, as there were feveral thousands of people in that city upon the lookout. It was accordingly agreed, that the Convention fhould requeft the London Committee of correfpondence to give the earliest intelligence of what paffed in Parliament."

"A letter from a friend, &c. which had been transmitted to A. Scott, of the Gazetter, was read, containing patriotic fentiments, and two guineas; and Citizen Taylor prefented a guinea from another Citizen, whofe name he was not at liberty to mention. It was stated by the Secretary, that a Citizen from London was present, who was to give 51. 5s. to the Convention, when a collection fhould be made for enlightening the Highlanders. The thanks of the House was unanimoufly given to the before-mentioned patriots for their dona

tions."

Eleventh day's fitting, 30th November, 1793.

"The Secretary read a motion, that a Committee be appointed to revife each day's minutes immediately on the rifing of the Convention, for the purpose of sending them to the prefs, to make hereafter a daily Bulletin of the fame. The Queftion being put, the motion passed unanimously. "Citizen

likewife moved, that no perfon fhould be allowed the Honours of the Sitting, unlefs recommended by two members; which, with amendments, as in the motion itself, paffed unanimoufly."

"The Secretary read a motion for publishing the natural, unalienable, and unprefcriptable Rights of Man, which was ordered to be given to the Committee of Union."

"It was moved, that Captain

fhould report fome circumftances to the Convention; for which purpose the House refolved itfelf into a Committee, when he read an account of the trial and fentence of D. Holt for re-printing the Duke of Richmond and Mr. Pitt's refolution for a Parliamentary Reform; after which, the Chairman being replaced, the Secretary moved, that Captain * fhould be allowed the honours of the fitting. "Citizen quefted leave of abfence should be granted, and moved, that all the delegates who had left the Convention, fhould receive letters to return immediately, and remain at their posts until the important bufinefs which was daily introduced into the Convention should be properly difcuffed."

from Strathaven, and

from Hamilton, re

"A Motion to fine thofe Members who did not attend their Sections. -The Order of the Day was called for.

"A Motion for drawing out a Scroll of a Petition to Parliament; which being read, The Order of the Day was moved upon it."

СС 2

Monday

Monday, 2d December, 1793. First Year British Convention.

Twelfth Day's Sitting.

Citizen *** in the Chair, and Citizens *** and *** Affiftants at the Table.

"Citizen Skirving infifted that all the Members, both of the Convention and Primary Societies, fhould fubfcribe a folemn League and Covenant."

"Citizen Gerald pled for liberty of fentiment; and compared the people and their enemies to the worshippers of the true God and of Baal. He afterwards read fome paragraphs from the Edinburgh Herald, with suitable comments; and compared the Constitution of 1688 to a dead horfe. He fhewed the infipidity of the title "gentleman," and the propriety of the term "Citizen;" remarked the impropriety of the mode of promulgating our laws, by reftricting them to be fold by one printer, and published in the Saxon character, which few can read." "Citizen Skirving alfo pled for the motion, and infifted that it was proper, on all occafions, to take the opinion of the Primary Societies, and confidered the Convention as only a Committee of the People."

"Citizen Margarot pled in favour of the motion. The approbation given by the many thousands of their Conflituents in London, Sheffield, Norwich, Leeds, &c."

"The motion being agreed to, with one diffentient voice, who afterwards acceded, Citizen * read a fpirited advertisement from the Nottingham Society, inferted in the Sheffield newspaper."

"A motion made by Citizen and feconded by Citizen that the Convention fhall pafs fome refolutions refpecting the late unprecedented and unwarrantable infringements on the Freedom of the Prefs, particularly the arbitrary fentence of Judge Wilfon against Mr. Holt, for re-printing the Duke of Richmond and Mr. Pitt's plan of Reform.

"Citizens

and

moved that this Convention take un! der confideration whether (after the contemptible manner in which the late petitions for Parliamentary Reform were treated) they fhall again petition for Reform, or at what period they should recommend the fame to their constituents."

At the thirteenth day's fitting.

Citizen *, of Sheffield, produced a commiffion from the Leeds Conftitution Society, appointing him their delegate; which was approved of by the Convention.

The minutes of the fourteenth day's fitting are begun and entered thus:

Edinburgh, 4th November, 1793. "Fourteenth fitting

of the B. Convention."

In the above, November is, by mistake, inserted in place of December. "Mr. Margarot begged leave to bring in a motion to the effect, that the moment of the illegal difperfion of the present Convention be confidered as our fummons to repair to the place of meeting appointed for the Convention of emergency by the Secret Committee; and that the fame motion be confidered this evening.

"The Convention then heard the only two motions on their table read, which regarded the fame matter; and it being objected to, that the bufinefs of thefe motions was to be taken up to-morrow evening, after fome conversation, it was carried by a vote of the house to delay further confideration till to-morrow evening. Mr. Margarot being

prepared

prepared to bring forward his motion above mentioned, the fame was taken under confideration, and was as follows:

"Moved, that the moment of any illegal difperfion of the British Convention fhall be confidered as a fummons to the de egates to repair to the place of meeting appointed for the Convention of emergency by the Secret Committee; and that the Secret Committee be inftructed to proceed, without delay, to fix the place of meeting.

"Convention, having confidered the motion fully, unanimously refolved the fame, and appointed the Secret Committee to proceed as directed."

A delegate from Glafgow prefented to the Sections, during the fitting of this Convention, a motion of the following tenor; viz.

The delegation from Glasgow moves, that the Convention take into their confideration the nature and extent of a refolution adopted by their constituents, and by most of the other Societies in Scotland, and afterwards ratified and approved of at the general Convention held at Edinburgh in December, 193, the import of which was, that if any member of their Society affociated for the purpose of obtaining a Parliamentary Reform fhould, while in the legal profecution of that object, be oppreffed or perfecuted by the Arm of Power, they fhould not only meet with the affiftance of the S.ciety to which they belong, but also by the united Efforts of all their Brethren in Scotland.

Since the above period, however, we are forry to fay, several of our members have been perfecured, and that in a moft wanton manner, and the above refolution (which, if duly put in force would, we humbly apprehend, have the happy effect of emboldening thofe who have already come forward, and of encouraging others who have not yet taken any a ive part to unite their efforts in the general cause) has, never yet been attended to.

We therefore humbly move, that the Convention take into confideration the above particulars, and confider what measures may be moft conducive towards the performance of the obligation we lie under, in confequence of that refolution, and thereby fhew to the world that we not unmindful of those who have already fuffered, or may in future fuffer, in their Country's caufe.

By order of the delegation,

Edinburgh, October 30th, 1793.

No. 11.

are

Extract of a Letter from Mr. Margarot to the Norwich Societies, dated Edinburgh, 24th November, 1793.

You know that at our arrival here we found that the Conven tion had, after fitting four days, adjourned, and the delegates were all gone back to their refpective habitations, without proceeding any farther in the bufinefs of reform, than fimply agreeing that nothing short of Univerfal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments would fatisfy them, and on that ground propofing not to fend any petition to the King or to the Parliament, leaft by fo doing the enemies of reform might be tempted to counteract their with, and exert themfelves to prevent a peace; but at the fame time it was recommended by the Convention, that all Friends to Reform fhould fign any petition for peace, which might originate in another quarter-We foon prevailed on the Edinburgh Committee to recal the adjourned Convention; the Country Societies, informed that England meant to take a ferious part in the great caufe, fent back all their former delegates, and feveral of them, who had not fent delegates to

the

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