a

expressions and doctrines are open- by the individual exertion of the ly and repeatedly advanced : that members of the committee, to disas the meetings are professed to cover and foment the prevalent be of a convivial nature, the po- distresses and discontents in the litical debates and readings are metropolis and its vicinity. Reusually followed by songs, in turns were made of those who many of which the most inflam- they thought were to be relied upmatory topics are introduced,

on for daring and hazardous ensome of a seditious and treason- terprises. able nature, and others under the The design was by a sudden form of profane and indecent pa- rising in the dead of the night, to rodies of the liturgy and of the surprise and overpower the soldiers holy scriptures.

in their different barracks, which These societies appear to have were to be set on fire ; at the extended themselves ; and there same time (plans having been arare traces of the existence of a ranged, and some steps taken committee called conservative, with a view to the accomplishment directing the operations of the of that object) to possess themwhole. The doctrines above- inen- selves of the artillery, to seize or tioned have been systematically destroy the bridges, and to take and industriously disseminated possession of the Tower and the amongst niechanics and manufac- Bank. In furtherance of this deturers, discharged soldiers and sign, a machine was projected for sailors, and labourers of all de- clearing the streets of cavalry. A scriptions ; they have been incul- drawing of this machine, fully aucated at frequent appointed meet- thenticated, and also a manuscript ings, and at various places, by speak- sketch or plan of various importers, who have made the distresses ant parts of the Tower, found with of the times topics of excitement the drawing of the machine, have and inflammation; and they have been laid before your committee. been circulated, with incredible This design was however reactivity and perseverance,in cheap linquished a short time before its and often gratuitous publications. intended execution. It was thought It has been proved, to the entire more prudent previously to ascersatisfaction of your committee, tain what force the conspirators that some members of these socie- could actually call together, and ties, acting by delegated or as- this it was agreed could best be sumed authority, as an executive done by convening a public meetcommittee of the whole, conceived ing for the ostensible purpose of the project, and endeavoured to obtaining a redress of grievances prepare the means of raising an in a legal way. The map of Loninsurrection, so formidable from don was inspected, and Spa-Fields numbers, as by dint of physical were selected as the most eligible strength to overpower all resist- spot, from their vicinity to the ance.

Bank and the Tower. AdvertiseThe first step towards the ac- ments were accordingly prepared, complishment of this object was, and written placards circulated, of

the

no

the most dangerous and inflam- of placards and hand-bills : enmatory nature;, of one of which deavours were used to raise subthe following is a copy:

scriptions ; the expense hitherto “ Britons to Arms! incurred in forwarding the object “The whole country waits the of the conspiracy, and in supportsignal from London to fly to arms! ing such inferior members of it as haste, break open gunsmiths and had relinquished their trades and other likely places to find arms! occupations in order to devote run all constables who touch a their whole time to the furtherman of us ; no rise of bread; no ance of the cause, having been Regent; no Castlereagh, off with hitherto principally defrayed by their heads; no placemen, tythes, one individual of the committee. or enclosures ; no taxes ; Plans for the seduction of the bishops, only useless lumber! soldiers were now adopted and stand true, or be slaves for ever.” pursued with unremitting activity;

“N. B.-Five thousand of these appeals were inade to excite their bills are up in the town, and sympathy, and induce them not to printed ones, with further parti- act against the insurgents; atculars, will appear in due time.” tempts were made to inflame their

At this time, if not before, the hopes by promises of rank and reintended insurrection assumed the ward, and to alarm their jealousy symbols of the French revolution; by the absurd fiction of the actual a committee of public safety, con- landing of a considerable foreign sisting of 24, was agreed upon, army, for the purpose of controlincluding the names of several ling them. persons, extremely unlikely to The barracks were again reconlend, theinselves to such a cause. noitred with a view to attack. A tricolor flag and cockades' were The marufacture of tricolor-ribactually prepared; the flag was bon was encouraged, with a view openly carried and displayed at of rendering it familiar to the eyes the first meeting which took place of the public. in Spa-Fields, on the 15th of No- Visits were repeated to those vember. No acts of violence were quarters of the town, where the however encouraged on that day, distress was considered as the most though some few instances of prevalent; and warehouses along plunder occurred after the assem- the river, as well as shops in cther bly dispersed, but care was taken places, which were known to conto adjourn the meeting to the 2d tain arms, conibustibles, and of December, by which time it clothing, were examined and noted was hoped that the preparations down, with the view of seizing for insurrection would be fully those articles on the proper occamatured. Not a moment was lost sion. Plans were also formed in advertising the next meeting, for seducing the sailors on the and great assiduity was employed river, by offers of advancement in circulating the intelligence to high rank under the through all the great manufactur- government, and for seizing and ing towns in the cou ry, by means equipping such ships as were ac

new

| cessible. Immediately previous to ostensible business of the day

the day appointed for meeting, commenced in the other part of arms were provided for the use of the field, the most inflammatory some of the persons most actively speeches were delivered, tending engaged. This provision was directly to excite insurrection, deemed sufficient for the begin- and concluded by an appeal to the ning of the insurrection, as they multitude assembled, whether they felt confident that if it should be were prepared to redress their own successful for two hours, as many grievances. A tricolor cockade arms might be procured as would was then exhibited, and the tribe necessary, from the depots and color flag was displayed, and a gunsmiths shops, which had been number of persons followed it out reconnoitred with that view.

of the field. Your Committee have further The direction which they took received undoubted information was towards that part of the town that a large quantity of pike heads previously designed ; gunsmiths had been ordered of one indivi- shops were broken open, addresses dual, and 250 actually made by and offers were made to the solhim, and delivered and paid for. diers at the Tower to induce them It was also undoubtedly intended to open the gates ; but from the to liberate the prisoners in the failure of the numbers expected principal gaols in or about the to join the insurgents, no attempt metropolis, in the hope of their was made to force the gates. An concurrence and assistance in the attack was however made upon intended insurrection. Addresses the city magistrates assembled in were introduced into some of the Royal Exchange, a shot fired, those prisons, and recommended and a tricolor flag and cockade to be communicated to others, in openly displayed and seized on the which the persons confined were

offender. invited, in the name of the tri- In reviewing the whole of the colored committee, to rally round transactions of the 2d of Decemthe tricolored standard, which ber, your committee are firmly would be erected on Monday, De- persuaded, that, however improcember the ed, and to wear tri- bable the success of such a plan colored cockades themselves. It may appear, it yet was deliberately was promised that the prisoners premeditated by desperate men, should be liberated by force, and who calculated without reasonable arms were stated to be provided ground upon defection in their for them, and they were directed opposers, and upon active support to be ready to assist in over- from those multitudes, whose dispowering the turnkeys. A waggon tress they had witnessed, and was hired for the business of the whom they had vainly instigated day, in which the flags and banner to revolt. That consequently it or standard, which had been pre- was not merely the sudden ebulviously prepared, together with lition of the moment, or the unsome ammunition, were secretly authorized attempt of any un

conveyed to the place of meeting, connected individual. ! From this waggon, before the Your Committee are further

convinced,

convinced, that notwithstanding don, and are expected to assemble the failure on the 2d of Decem- again early in March. Whatever ber, the same designs still con- may be the real object of these tinue to be prosecuted with san- clubs in general, your Committee guine hopes of success.

have no hesitation in stating, from Your Committee having thus information on which they place stated the general result of the full reliance, that in far the greater evidence which has been laid be- number of them, and particularly fore them, respecting the state in those which are established in of the metropolis, have now the no the great manufacturing districts less painful duty of calling the of Lancashire, Leicestershire, Notattention of the House to what tinghamshire, and Derbyshire, and has been passing during the same which are composed of the lower period in different parts of the order of artizans, nothing short country, a subject of equally mo- of a revolution is the object exmentous consideration. The first pected and avowed. thing which has here forced itself Your Committee find, from upon their observation, is the equally undoubted inforınation, widely diffused ramification of a that the doctrines of the Spencean systein of clubs, associated pro- clubs have been widely diffused fessedly for the purpose of parlia- through the country, either by the mentary reform, upon the most extension of similar societies, or extended principle of universal more frequently by the intervensuffrage and annual parliaments. tion of missionaries or delegates, These clubs in general designate whose business it is to propagate themselves by the same name of those doctrines throughout every Hampden clubs. On the pro- society to which they have access: fessed object of their institution, it is the universal practice of these they appear to be in communica- societies, tu require from the tion and connexion with the club members a small weekly subscripof that name in London.

tion, which provides a fund for It appears to be part of the the expenses of these missionaries, system of these clubs, to promote and also for the purchase of sedi. an extension of clubs of the same tious tracts, which are read and name and nature, so widely as, if commented on at their meetings. possible, to include every village Some of these tracts, now before in the kingdom. The leading your committee, inculcate in the members are active in the circu- most artful manner, the necessity lation of publications likely to of overturning what they call promote their object. Petitions, “ the privileged class," as disready prepared, have been sent tinguished from the people, who down from the metropolis to all are described as consisting of lasocieties in the country disposed bourers, artizans, tradesmen, and to receive them. The communi- every profession useful to society. cation between these clubs takes A new order is declared to be the place by the mission of delegates; will of the people ; rebellion is delegates from these clubs in the justified by the assertion that a country, have assembled in Lon- nation cannot be a rebel ; and all

religion

a

we

religion is disavowed, as well as mon interest which they feel, if loyalty, by the assertion, in answer not of the connexion which is to the question, “would you live formed with the most implicated without gods or kings, in the outrages committed in the abjure tyranny of every kind." metropolis, that about Manchester

It seems, indeed, to be a part and some other places, the greatof the system adopted by these so- est exultation was manifested precieties, to prepare the minds of vious to the meeting in Spa-Fields the people for the destruction of on the 2nd of December ; and the the present frame of society, by taking of the Tower, and the ruin undermining not only their habits of the Bank, were publicly and of decent and regular subordina- confidently predicted. The news tion, but all the principles of mo- of the result was impatiently exrality and religion. Your Com- pected, the roads were crowded mittee find, that there is scarcely during the night with a number any very numerous society, in the of persons, many of them deleparts ahove referred to, of whose gates from the different societies proceedings they have obtained an in the country, waiting for the account, in which some of the arrival of the mail coach, and the leading speakers do not openly disappointment was not concealed, avow the most seditious opinions, when it was ascertained that the and do not excite their hearers to riot had been quelled without be prepared for actual insurrec- much serious or extensive mistion. Topics for discussion are chief. selected with this view : amongst It appears, that the confidence others, the question, whether the of the disaffected is such, that they jacobin or the loyalist was the best represent the numbers enrolled friend to his country? Even where as amounting to several hundred petitioning is recommended, it is thousand, and that their societies proposed to be conducted in such are daily increasing ; that in their a manner, by an immense number lists they distinguish by particular of delegates attending in London marks those among their subat the same time, in several par- scribers who are able bodied men, ties, attached to each petition, as and ready to act when required ; might induce an effort to obtain and that they also keep a list of by force whatever they demanded. those who refuse to join them in A general idea seenis prevalent what they call a - black book," among those who compose these and threaten vengeance against socitties, that some fixed day, at these persons when the general inno very great distance, is to be surrection shall take place. In some appointed for a general rising. parts of one populous country, They have been taught to look to where nearly every village has althe meetings in London as the ready its Hampden club, the memsignal for their operations, and hers make it no secret that they have been in the habit of adjourn- consider themselves as of no other ing their own assemblies simulta- use than as being ready to act neously to the same day; and it is whenever they are called upon ; a lamentable instance of the com- on their admission they are said VoL, LIX.

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