dispersed by the military, acting fected places were present; and under the orders of the magis- at which it was resolved to protrates, and the principal leaders mote a general rising at Mancheswere apprehended, under war- ter, on Sunday the 30th of March, rants from the secretary of state, or the following day. A meeting a considerable number actually was appointed for the leaders at marched off on their way to Lon- Ardwick bridge, close to Mandon; many were intercepted be- chester, on the Friday before that fore they reached Stockport, but day; where they expected to reseveral found their way as far as ceive information from BirmingAshbourne.

ham, Sheffield, and other places, The act for enabling his ma- with which they were in commujesty to detain suspected persons nication ; having previously learnt had now passed ; most of those, from an emissary, who had visited who had rendered themselves most Huldersfield and Leeds, that the conspicuous in exciting disaffec- disaffected in that part of the tion in this part of the country, country were all ready to begin had either been apprehended, or at any time, and were preparing had secreted themselves; and all arms for the purpose. The dehopes were precluded of any im- sign was, to assemble as many as mediate result from the assem- could be collected, in the nighi, blage which had been so long at Manchester ; to attack the concerted; yet it appears to your barracks, the police office, the committee, from a variety of con- prison, the houses of magistrates current testimony, on which they and constables, and the banks, in rely, that the previous organiza- separate parties; and to set fire tion had been extended so widely, to the factories in the town.

It and the expectation of ultimate was even declared by one of the success had been so confidently conspirators, that this last atrocity entertained, that these circum- was intended for the purpose of stances produced no other effect increasing the prevalent distress, on the great body of the discon- in the hope of thereby adding to tented, than to delay the explo- the numbers of the discontented, sion, which had so long been me- by throwing the workmen out of ditated; to occasion the discon- employment. It was calculated tinuance of the mure open nieet

that two or three thousand men ings of the association; and to would be enough to commence call forth the exertions of new these operations, as they reckoned leaders, who were determined (in upon being joined by 50,000 at their own phrase) to re-orga- the dawn of day. A proclamanize the party." Meetings were tion was said to be prepared, in accordingly held in several of the order to be produced on this octownships in the neighbourhood casion, justifying the revolt, and of Manchester, between the 10th absolving the insurgents from and 25th of March, with more their allegiance. Expectations privacy, but under the established were held out, that a general insystem of delegation, at which surrection would take place, at only the deputies from the disaf- the same time, in different parts of

the

66

the counties of Lancaster, York, of a gentleman, who was acting Warwick, Leicester, Nottingham, as a special constable. Shortly Chester and Stafford ; and though after this period, it appears to have some of these, particularly the two been discussed, whether it would latter counties, may have been in- not be more prudent to disconcluded without any sufficient tinue the appointment of deleground, your committee see just gates, and to rely only upon one reason to apprehend, that a suc- man in each town, who might call cessful insurrection at Manches- the disaffected together a short ter would have been followed by time before the intended insurrecpartial risings, to an alarming tion, and seize on horses, preparaamount, in each of the other

tory to the attack on Manchester. counties. Some preparations were But notwithstanding this proposimade for providing ammunition, tion, the same system of connected with a view to the arms, which it operation by ineans of delegates was intended to seize. The exe- was indefatigably persevered in. cution of this plan was defeated Delegates from Manchester, by the vigilance of the magistrates, Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby, who being apprized of what was Leeds, Sheffield, Wakefield, Hudin agitation, made a communica- dersfield, and other places in the tion to the secretary of state, by disturbed part of the country, whom warrants were immediately either constantly or occasionally issued, and the ringleaders, as- attended these meetings. The sembleil at Hardwick bridge, were numbers assembled were not large, consequently seized on the 28th. but the activity was unceasing ; The magistrates of Manchester emissaries were continually passthereupon published an address to ing from one of those places to the inhabitants, announcing the another, to compare their accounts danger, and calling upon the of the state of the public mind ; to householders to be sworn as special foment the irritation among the constables, and to assist in pre- disaffected; and to combine some serving the peace of the town. general plan of sinultaneous, or This plan of the disaffected being connected insurrection; the object thus discovered, and deranged, of which was, after consolidating they became

a sufficient force, to march upon secret in their proceedings; but London, and there to overturn in the moment of disappointment, the existing government, and to declarations were made, that it establish a republic. The same would be impossible to prevent designs were continued of attackthe rising for a month longer. ing the barracks, and depôts, in The assassination of persons most different parts of the country (one obnoxious to their resentinent was of which was particularly reconsuggested by some of the most noitered with that view); of plundesperate of the conspirators; an dering the houses of noblemen attack was made upon the house and gentlemen, where arms were of one of the magistrates ; the life supposed to be lodged; of seizing of another was threatened ; and the magistrates, and keeping them a pistol was fired into the house as hostages, and as authorities for levying contributions on the coun- the immediate attainment of their try; of disarming the soldiers by object, or for the present relinnight, in their quarters, or se- quish it, and return to their acducing them from their duty; and customed occupations. On the of providing arms for themselves, 28th of May a meeting of delepartly by these seizures, and partly gates in the neighbourhood of by an easy method of forming Sheffield was dispersed, and some pike heads out of common tools of the parties were apprehended ; and utensils.

and on the 6th of June, several It appears to your committee, persons described to be delegates, that the utmost confidence pre- (and believed by your committee vailed among the delegates, as to to be such), who were assembled the ultimate attainment of their at another place in the same neighobject; that the successive arrests bourhood, were apprehended by of several of the principal leaders, the magistrates of the riding, asthough they occasioned momen- sisted by the military; and the tary disappointnient, did not ex- final arrangement of the plan, tinguish the spirit of insurrection, which was there to be settled, or the hopes of success, in the was thus happily frustrated. It parts of the country above men- was confidently expected, that tioned; and the utmost impati- these arrests would disconcert ence was manifested at the delays whatever measures were in prewhich had taken place in fixing paration, and they appear to have the day for the general rising. had that effect in the immediate This, after several postponements, vicinity of Sheffield; but the spirit was appointed for the Monday in which had been excited could not Whitsun week, and was after- be wholly suppressed. In the wards again postponed to the 9th neighbourhood of Huddersfield, of June, which was thought more in the night of the sth instant, favourable for a midnight insur- several houses were forcibly enterrection, as the moon would then ed and plundered of arms. A conbe in the wane. Notice of this siderable body of armed men were last appointment had been so approaching the town, when a widely circulated, that it became sinall patrol of yeomanry cavalry, almost of public notoriety; which, attentied by a peace officer, fell in while it awakened the attention of with them, and was received with those whose duty it was to pre- the discharge of several shot, by serve the public peace, did not which one of their troop horses appear to derange the preparations was wounded. The patrol having of those who were disposed to ascertained, that they were too distorb it. Even where the plan- few to oppose such numbers, ners of the insurrection suggested thought it prudent to retreat, a farther delay, they found it im- when several shots were fired after possible to restrain the impatience them without effect. On returnwhich they had excited among ing with an additional force to the their followers, who had forsaken spot, they found that the whole their ordinary habits of industry, of the insurgents had disappeared ; and who must either proceed to but guns fired as signals, in differ

ent

ent directions, and lights shown fore magistrates. The character on the heights throughout the of the danger remains the same as country, sufficiently prored the was described in the former reextent of the confederacy, and the port. It arises from the indefa concert with which it was orga- tigable exertions of persons in the nized. In some populous villages lower ranks of life, or but little of Derbyshire, a more open in- above them, of some popular tasurrection took place on the 9th of lents, inflaming and aggravating June. A delegate from this part the actual distress of a numerous of the country had attended a pre- manufacturing population, by exrious meeting at Nottingham, and citiny hopes of an immediate rean active emissary from thence medy to all their sufferings from a had joined them in the course of reform in parliament, and prethe night. The insurrection be- paring them (in despair of attaingan, according to the general ing that object) to attempt by plan proposed, with attacks upon force the total subversion of the houses, for the purpose of pro- established constitution of governo curing arms ; in one of which, a ment. servant was wantonly shot; about Your committee stated, in their 200 insurgents were soon assem- former report, that the mode of bled, mostly armed either with organization, practised with such pikes or with fire-arms, and began mischievous success in the poputheir march towards Nottingham, lous districts, had been in very in expectation of increasing their many instances conducted under mimbers as they went, and of the cover of associations, called finding that place in full insurrec- Hampden Clubs, formed for the tion, and prepared to support ostensible purpose of procuring a them. They were however inter- reform in parliament ; and they cepted by detachments of cavalry now find that in many instances, (under the orders of active and in- where the open meetings of those telligent magistrates), which came societies have been discontinued, up with them in different direc- several of the members of them tions, and totally dispersed them. have assembled more privately, Between 50 and 60 were taken and been the principal leaders in and lodged in the different gaols; the projected combinations. . many fire-arms and pikes were In their foriner report they did taken at the same time, and a not think it necessary to advert to quantity of aminunition was found that atrocious system of combinaupon the persons of the prisoners. tion, outrage, and hired assassi

Your committee hare thus nation, which his prevailed in stated the prominent points of the some of the midland counties, information, which has been laid under the name of Luddism ; both before them, particularly as affect- because the trials of persons, charge ing the manufacturing districts ined with those crimes, were then tie Northern and Midland coun- known to be depending; and beties, and which has been substan- cause the system itself did not then tiated, in almost every particular, distinctly appear to your commitby depositions on oath, taken be- tee to have any immediate appli

na

many have

cation to political purposes. But lower order of the manufacturing they have since found reason to population, in particular parts of believe, that those who are con- the country, many of whom are cerned in instigating the people to labouring under considerable priinsurrection, have availed them- vations, from the low rate of selves of this powerful engine for wages, and the increasing price the more extended purposes of po- of the necessaries of life ; though litical innovation.

your committee cannot but reUpon the whole, your commit- mark that the most active and detee have been anxious neither to termined insurgents are in many exaggerate, nor extenuate, the instances to be found amongst ture and extent of the danger. those, whose earnings, even in They have not been insensible to the present state of the manufacthe jealousy, with which the tes- tures, would enable them to suptimony of persons, originally im- port their families in comfort. plicated in the designs of the con- They find that of the promoters of spirators, or even of persons who these commotions, never having engaged in those either left the country, or are predesigns, have attended their meet- vented from prosecuting their deings, in order to discover and re- signs. The disaffected appear to port their proceedings, ought to want leaders to conduct such enbe received; but the facts stated terprises as they have conceived by your committee, rest not only are frequently disconcerted by upon confirmatory evidence, but jealousy and distrust of each other, on distinct, substantive, and satis- and by the consciousness that their factory testimony; and although plans are watched; and by the your committee have seen reason arrests of the ringleaders. Great to apprehend, that the language as the numbers probably are, and conduct of some persons from among whoin disaffection, to an whom information has been de- alarning extent, has made conrived, may in some instances, have siderable progress, fomented at had the effect of encouraging those first by popular harangues, and designs, which it was intended still by the more powerful and they should only be the instru- general excitement of seditious ments of detecting; yet it is per- publications, your committee are fectly clear to your committee, fully aware, that the number of that before any such encourage- those, who are now prepared to ment could have been given, thc take the lead in any project of plan of a simultaneous insurrec- open insurrection, is not to be tion, in different parts of the estimated by the exaggeratel recountry, had been actually con- poils of their delegates. Though rerted, and its cxecution fully de- ihey have been all along tanght to termined on.

look to London for countenance Your committee have the satis- and support, though some of their faction to continue to believe, as own immediate emissaries have, they have before stated, that the from time to time, affected to danger, which they have described, bring them hopes of encourageis to be found only among the ment from that quarter, in case

of