feem to have acquired additional ftrength. It is foon after diftinctly ftated, that more effectual means than Petitions must be adopted; and early in the autumn of 1793, the joint efforts of the Two Societies were directed to the formation of a Convention at Edinburgh, to which delegates were to be fent from London, and were invited from many of the country Societies. Many of thefe Societies actually fent delegates; and of those who did not, feveral approved of the meafure, and only objected to the time; while others, approving both of the time and of the meafure, declined any fhare in it, on account of their not having received a fufficiently early notice, ar of their being unable to afford the expence with which it was neceffarily attended.

The immediate foundations of these proceedings appear to have been a letter from the Corresponding Society, May 17th, 1793, to the Friends of the People at Edinburgh, which, after expreffing their defire to unite, not only with each other, bnt with every other Society throughout the Nation, proceeds: Our Petitions, you will have learned, have all been unfuccefsful; our attention muft 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 firmeft meafures, provided they are Conftitutional; and we hope the country will not be behind us." ""

A letter from Skirving to Hardy, dated 25th May 1793, is inferted in the Appendix, and contains many paffages which appear to be very material, but which will be more particularly referred to in the account of the Correspondence of the Scotch Convention.

On the 10th of June 1793, the Secretary of the Correfponding Society writes to the Secretary of the Constitutional Society at Birmingham: "We are entirely of your opinion with regard to the neceflity of a General Union; and believe as you do, that when once the country fhall be fo united, the Neros of the day will be forced to yield to the just demand of a long and fore oppreffed people."

A letter from the Political Societies of Norwich, which appears to have been received by the Secretary of the London Correfponding Society, on the 25th of June 1793, contains the following passages: "We received your friendly Letter wherein you ftated three propositions; first, a Petition to his Majefty, or to Parliament, or, a National Convention. I gave my opinion on the fubject to the Conftitutional Society at London, and found their ideas congenial to mine, viz. an Addrefs to the King, futile; a Petition to Parliament, as a conquered people, tolerable; a National Convention, if circumstances permitted, beft of all."

And in a letter from the Secretary of the Correfponding Society, of the 25th of July 1793, which appears to be an anfwer to the foregoing, it is faid, "With regard to the questions themselves, however individuals may have made up their minds on them, the public feeming moft to approve of the mode of petitioning Parliament, we accordingly acquiefced, and fent in a Petition, figned by nearly 6,000 perfons; with this letter you will receive a copy of it, and of its fate you are doubtless not unacquainted." After faying that their firmness is not confined to words, and that they will be foremost in afferting and recovering the loft liberties of the country, the letter recommends to the Norwich Society to form a junction with all others affociated for the fame purpofe throughout the nation; and, above all, orderly and courageously to prepare themselves for the event, as they cannot expect to repossess their rights without a ftruggle; that it may be advantageous to humanity, that they should hew themfelves at firft an indignant op

preffed

preffed people, in whom is not yet entirely extinct the valour of their forefathers.

In the month of October the Refolutions were paffed in the Society for Constitutional Information, and the London Correfponding Society, relative to the Convention at Edinburgh, which have been already taken notice of.

The Society for Conftitutional Information at Sheffield infert, in a letter to the London Conftitutional Society, the following Extract from a Letter, which was fent to the Convention at Edinburgh.

“That it would have given this Society the most heartfelt satisfaction to have had a Delegation prefent at their approaching Convention, had we received timely notice of their wishes that it fhould be fo: But it unfortunately happens that all the Gentlemen belonging to the Society, which it would choofe for fo important a bufinefs, are fo previoutly engaged in affairs which they cannot poffibly poftpone in fo fhort an interval, that it is not in our power to comply with their requifition on the prefent occafion.

This Society are alfo of opinion, that to give fuch a measure its full effect, it would be neceffary that the other Societies in South Britain hould have communication with each other on the fubject, and be able to afcertain that Deputations would be fent from, at least, a majority of the Societies in this part of the kingdom. And, to evince that we fhould be happy to unite our efforts with their's in one firm and fettled plan, we affure them, that if they think proper to fix another Meeting in January or February, or any other time which may be more agreeable, and give us immediate notice thereof, and that they wish to fee Delegates from the feveral Societies in this part of the kingdom, we will write to all thofe we are in correfpondence with, to get fuch a Delegation as may be truly refpectable and important."

In a letter from the Conftitutional Society at Leeds, dated 5th November 1793, to the Society for Conftitutional Information in London, is the following paragragh:

"It is with great fatisfaction we read your letter, and approve of your having elected your Delegates to ferve upon fuch a laudable undertaking; but, if you meant for the Leeds Society to adopt the fame meafures, fhall be glad if you will anfwer this immediately; as we are not acquainted with the time of their fitting, we fear our Delegates will be too late."

A letter from the Society of Birmingham to the London Conftitutional Society, ftates, that they had received a letter from the Conftitu tional Society, which had obtained the approbation of every Member prefent, and that they would at all times concur with the Conftitutional Society in any measure that may have a tendency to haften the return of departed Liberty; that the object of the miflion of Delegates to the Scotch Convention is a measure upon which depends the regeneration of Britain from a state of flavery to a state of freedom and happiness ; and that the Society at Birmingham have only to regret that, at prefent, their ability will not allow them to co-operate with the Ĉonftitutional Society, by fending a Delegate to the Convention at Edinburgh; and this they ftate to be one of the calamities of the War.

The Society at Coventry tranfmit to the London Conftitutional Society the copy of a Refolution of the 28th October 1793, relative to the election of Delegates, communicating their approbation of a meafure which they conceive peculiarly calculated to accelerate the acquifition of the object propofed.

The proceedings of the Convention, which affembled at Edinburgh

in

in the clofe of 1793, appear to your Committee to have been of fuch importance, and to throw fo much light upon the fubject of this part of the Report, that it has been thought neceffary to give a connected account of them in this place, with references to extracts from the minutes of that Affembly inferted in the Appendix; and, in order to render this account more compleat, it may be neceffary fhortly to recur to the proceedings of two other Meetings which had taken place at Edinburgh at an earlier period.

A number of perfons, ftiling themfelves a General Convention of Delegates from the Societies of the Friends of the People throughout Scotland, appear, from the papers laid before the Committee, to have affembled at Edinburgh on the 11th of December 1792, for the purpose, as they alledged, of concerting measures for obtaining a redrefs of grievances, and for reftoring the freedom of Election, and an equal Representation of the People in Parliament. This Meeting was compofed of a number of perfons affembled from different parts of Scotland, and delegated by the various Clubs and Societies which had lately been established in that country under the name of the Friends of the People. They amounted to about 170, amongst whom were fome perfons of a higher fituation and rank in life, moft of whom however afterwards difcontinued their attendance. Skirving, fince convicted and tranfported by fentence of the Court of Jufticiary, acted as their Secretary, and continued uniformly to act in that capacity.

After fitting a few days, this Convention appears to have adjourned to the end of April 1793, when they again affembled, though not in fuch numbers as before, Skirving ftill officiating as their Secretary, and correfponding with all the Societies in Scotland and feveral in England, on the fubject of a Reform in Parliament. This Convention feparated in four days, and appointed their next Meeting to take place at Edinburgh on the 29th of October following.

About the time when the First Convention feparated, in April 1793, a correspondence feems to have commenced between Skirving (the Secretary) and various Societies in England; and the fyftem of uniting all thefe Societies in Great Britain and Ireland, in common meafures, appears to have been regularly acted upon. From a variety of letters found in the poffeffion of Skirving when apprehended at Edinburgh on the 5th December 1793, it appears that he correfponded, as Secretary of the Scotch Convention, with the following Societies:

The Society for Conftitutional Information, Crown and Anchor Tavern, London ;-the London Correfponding Society;-the Society of the Friends of the People, Free Mafons Tavern, London;-the Sheffield Conftitutional Society;-Leeds Conftitutional Sociey;-Nottingham Society for promoting a Parliamentary Reform;-and a Society at Norwich.

The Correfpondence with the Sheffield Conftitutional Society commences in April 1793.

Three letters from their Secretary were found in the poffeffion of Skirving, to whom they are addreffed.

The first of thefe, inclofing a copy of the Petition then about to be prefented to the Houfe of Commons-the fecond, inclofing a fet of Refolutions against the War, which the Secretary tranfinits, with a request that they fhould be adopted by all the Societies in Great Britain-and the third, dated the 27th of May, after acknowledging the receipt of a letter of the 10th of that month from Skirving, communicating to the Sheffield Society the proceedings of the Convention Edinburgh, which feparated in April, approves of its proceedings,

and

and flates an Addrefs made by their late Prefident to the Sheffield Society, which, after complaining of the late rejection of the Sheffield Petition in the Houfe of Commons, declares that a Reform in Parliament can never be brought about but by the powerful interposition of the great Body of the People.

The Society of Leeds begin their Correfpondence with Skirving, by a letter of the 29th of May 1793, by defiring fraternal communication with the Society of Edinburgh, requefting its affiftance and inftruction, and that, though their numbers are few, not exceeding two hundred, they are men, and determined to inftruct their neighbours in their com mon intereft.

On the 18th of May 1793, the Friends of the People, Free Mason's Tavern, London, paffed a vote of thanks to the Convention which had taken place at the beginning of that year, for their zeal an activity in the caufe of Parliamentary Reform, and recommended a continuance of the fame fpirit, induftry, and temper, during the recefs of Parliament. This vote appears to have been tranfmitted to Skirving in a letter from the Secretary, which requests that the vote of thanks might be communicated to the various Societies in Scotland.

A very

On the 23d of July, the Secretary of the Friends of the People wrote another letter to Skirving (apparently in anfwer to a letter from him on the fubject) in which is the following paffages-" The plan of Delegates would be very improper in this country at prefent. fmall part of it indeed would be active for Reform. If fuch a Meeting is attempted, it will operate, like many rafh fteps of fome who wish well to the caufe, much to its difadvantage."

Another letter, dated the 24th of October, from the Secretary of the Friends of the People in London, addreffed alfo to Skirving, acknow ledges the receipt of feveral copies of the Trials of Muir and Palmer, which he fays he will bind up with the Trial of Paine, and recommends to the Scottish Convention to avoid the violence which has done mifchief to the caufe of Reform in England.

The correfpondence of the London Correfponding Society with Skirving, previous to May 1793, does not appear; but a letter of the 17th of this month, from the Secretary to Skirving, which has been already referred to, folicits a renewal of correfpondence, and more intimate co-operation.

To this an answer was returned by Skirving, dated 25th of May 1793, which has alfo been referred to, and the following remarkable paffages:

"If we fought only the extirpation of one fet of interested men from the management of national affairs, that place might be given to another fet; without affecting the vitals of the fyftem adverfe to reform, this might be easily accomplished; but to cut up wide and deep-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 interefted habits, and to withstand and over-awe the final efforts of the powers of darknefs, is the work of the whole, and not of a part;-a work to which mankind, till this awful period, were never adequate, because never, till now, difpofed to fraternize.

"Let us begin in earneft to make up our minds relative to the extent of Reform which we ought to feek, be prepared to justify it, and to controvert objections. Let us model the whole in the public mind. Let us provide every ftake and flay of the Tabernacle which we would erect: fo that when the tabernacles of oppreflion in the palaces of ambition are broken down, under the madnets and foHy of their fupporters,

we may then, without anarchy and all dangerous délay, erect at once our Tabernacle of Righteoufnefs."

On the 5th of October the Secretary of the London Correfponding Society again writes to Skirving, highly approving of the idea of a Convention, and expreffing his belief that the London Correfponding Society will fend Delegates to it: "Our freedom, as you justly obferve, depends entirely on ourselves, and upon our availing ourfelves of this opportunity, which once loft may not be fo foon recovered."

On the 8th of November, he again writes to the Delegates Margarot and Gerald, then at Edinburgh, informing them of what had been doing in the Society fince their departure; and requests to be favoured "with the number of Delegates in the Convention, and the number from England alfo, and how the Civil and Military Power relishes your meeting.

On the 29th of November he again writes to them, ftating that the General Committee "are highly pleafed with the propofed union with our Northern brethren, and beg you will ufe every exertion in your power to establish that defirable union upon a firm and permanent bafis. It gives us great pleasure and encouragement to hear that the fpirit of liberty is fo flourishing in the North; and are happy to inform you that the fame noble fpirit is making a rapid progrefs in the

South."

The inftructions from the Correfponding Society to Margarot and Gerald, dated the 24th of October, 1793, figned by their Chairman and Secretary, were alfo found in the poffeffion of Skirving. They confift of Nine different Articles. By Article ift, the Delegate is inftructed, "that he fhall on no account depart from the original object and principle of this Society, namely, the obtaining Annual Parliaments and Univerfal Suffrage by rational and lawful means:

"2d. To fupport the opinion that Representatives in Parliament ought to be paid by their Conflituents:

th. That it is the duty of the people to refift any act of Parliament repugnant to the original principles of the Conftitution, as would be every attempt to prohibit Affociations for the purpofe of Reform."

The instructions by the Society for Constitutional Information to their Delegates were alfo found in the poffeffion of Skirving, the purport of which have been already stated in the former Report of the Committee.

There was likewife found in the poffeffion of Skirving a letter from the Secretary of the Leeds Conftitutional Society, addreffed " to the Members of the Scotch Convention," and which is inferted at full length in the Appendix.

From the papers produced to the Committee, it appears that this Convention did accordingly affemble at Edinburgh, on the 28th of October last, to the number of about 150 perfons; and after fitting four days, in the hope of being joined by the Delegates from England, they Separated, in the apprehenfion that the English Delegates did not mean to attend. Two days afterwards Margarot and Gerald, with two other perfons, one of them a Delegate from the London Society for Conftitutional Information, and the other a Delegate from Sheffield, arrived in Edinburgh. Skirving immediately called together a new Convention, to meet upon the 19th of November; and in an advertisement inferted in the newspaper called the Edinburgh Gazeteer, and by hand-bills, ftrongly urged the neceffity of the Delegates throughout Scotland attending to this meeting.

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