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The Appendix consists of the handbill calling the meeting at Kennington Common; papers in flaming the minds of the people on account of the high price of provisions; oaths binding to maintain the rights of man; an extract from Spence's pamphlet, recommending that land should not be the property of individuals but of parishes, and the rents common to all; and that a convention should meet to enforce the plan. There are also several inflammatory papers from the United Irish, and an address to the Irish sailors of the same nature, together with long depositions of persons employed on courts-martial in Ireland; and depositions, and other evidence, respecting the general state of that country.

Abstract of the Second Report of the Committee of the House of Lords, which was delivered to their Lordships on April 28.

When it became known to some of the most stirring members of the society, which under the name of the London Corresponding Society is so particularly described in the former report, that the act for preventing seditious meetings had expired, they drew together at first in small parties with a degree of caution, changing frequently their place of meeting, and omitting their accustomed forms, being still apprehensive, as they expressed them selves, of the act which had not then expired for the suspension of the habeas-corpus act. In this condition, various plans were formed in different meetings for resuming and carrying on with more security their former practices. Among other devices, one was proposed and adopted by a considerable number, to assume the name and appearance of a benefit-society.

Those who were thus to take the name of a benefit-society had no other purpose but to mask under that name a political society formed for purposes the most flagitious; for it was expressly declared that no fund, raised by regular contribution, should form the stock of this society; no persons admitted members but those of democratic sentiments, who were to receive copies of the rules of a benefit-society, not that they should be observed, but that they might deceive the magistrates in case any of the meetings should be suspected; converting thereby, in fraud of the law, an excellent establishment for the relief of the sober and industrious poor, into an instrument for the destruction of sobriety and industry. Many members of the former corresponding society and their friends were in this manner engaged.-Others appear to have been at the same time concerting a deeper de sign of a secret society, which after it had attained a proper maturity was announced to the benefit-society, that had been established about three weeks, and became numerous, by two persons in the character of delegates from a society for emancipation, and desiring to know whether the pretended benefit-society would connect itself with their society. The proposal was favourably received, and a future meeting appointed, at which they should be furnished with the instructions of the plan of that society. At that meeting the instructions produced in writing were to this effect:-The members to be admitted by a test, or declaration on oath, to be sworn on the Bible when it can be produced; but it is observed, that since Paine's Age of Reason it is looked on as a mark of incivism to keep a Bible. The

persons

persons entrusted to swear others, or, in the phrase of the society, to initiate them, are termed conductors. They receive a written appointment, with a printed instruction and printed declaration (copies of each of these are annexed to this report); ten initiated are allotted to each conductor, who is to make a report of them at stated times to another officer, called a

superintendant, appointed over every ten conductors. To each superintendant a messenger is assigned, by whom he is to communicate with the executive, the names and number of which are only to be known by themselves, or perhaps to the messengers; but they are supposed to be persons of su perior consequence. Signs are instituted by which the members may know each other; but it does not distinctly appear whether all the initiated, or only the conductors, are intrusted with the knowledge of the signs. The plan thus explained was fully approved, and the benefitsociety agreed to form one indivisible society, under the name of United Britons. This association appears to have taken place about the middle of the month of March last. Of the practice and habits of this association the committee has received more precise information. In their general meetings they are somewhat reserved on the subject of religion, for fear of frightening away persons who have some respect for religion (which happily has been the case, and has contributed to the detecting of their schemes). But it appears to your committee that a very principal object of their leaders has been to use every means in their power to work upon all persons whose religious opinions differ from those of the establishment: for which purpose

the general executive has recommended it in the strongest manner to their followers to mix as much as possible with such persons, and, by concealing their own sentiments, which are adverse to all religion, and seemingly adopting those of the persons with whom they should communicate, to gain proselytes to their political designs, and thus to promote the execution of their mischievous and determined purpose of overthrowing the constitution. In the confidential meetings of the initiated, however, they endeavour to turn the people against religion, in order to overthrow the state through the church; observing, that if there were no priests there would be no king. Amongst the most frequent subjects treated in these confidential meetings of the initiated, plans of insurrections to be excited on the pretext of the high price of provisions, but directed to the subversion of government, have been discussed, and the means traced out for procuring arms of the most dangerous species. The members are instructed to frequent clubs where workmen and soldiers resort, to appear there unconnected, and to hold opposite sides in the questions they are instructed to raise. Their purposes are of a more sanguinary complexion than the ordinary mischiefs of a mob; for your committee has had particular information of the time and place, and of some persons attending the meeting within a very recent period, when a plan of assassinating certain members of parliament at their own houses, formed with no inconsiderable degree of contrivance, was proposed, and seemed to meet with the general acquiescence of all the company, that it would be meritorious.

It has also appeared to your committee

commitice, that societies of a similar formation with this, since the period when it became generally known that the act for preventing seditious meetings had expired, have been formed in various parts of the country, and, after the expiration of the act for suspending the habeas-corpus act, assumed a bold and daring aspect. Besides these places, where the operations of such societies have only been known to the vigilant attention of the magistrates, and kept down by their prudence and firmness, a very dangerous conspiracy of a similar nature has manifested itself in some parts of the country, which from all its forms and habits affords the strongest presumption of mutual intercourse between those conspirators and the United Britons; the only apparent difference being, that the meeting in the country, being chiefly connected with manu facturers, is obliged to assume a more apparent concern for their interest in regard to the dearness of living, and ostensibly aims at the reduction of the price of provisions, or the increase of the price of labour; whereas the society of United Britons in London does not hesitate to profess their wish to frustrate every plan for the relief of the poor; the high price of provisions being most favourable to their object of exciting insurrection.

The committee has further to observe, that by most certain intelligence, it appears that there still exist in the dominions of the king's enemies at least two established committees of traitors to the united kingdom of Great-Britain and Ireland, actively employed in carrying on correspondence by their agents with the leaders of these societies, and abetting them in the most atrocious circumstances of the

crimes they are meditating, and encouraging them by holding out hopes of invasion.

The committee has also had great reason to believe that many of the United Irish, who, either by the lenity of the government of that country, or by their own apprehension of its just severity, have taken refuge here, have, by all the means they had been used to prac tise, stimulated and inflamed the minds of the members of these meetings to an higher pitch of ex, travagance, and rendered it more necessary to subject them to that controul, which in its former ex. ercise was as useful to themselves as it was salutary to the state; for it is remarkable that no act of restriction could be more truly pre ventive of evil than the statute in question has proved to be, there having seldom occurred an occasion for enforcing the act during the period of its continuance. It is therefore the unanimous and decided opinion of your committee, that the bill now referred to their consideration ought to pass into a law.

Report of the Committee of the House

of Commons respecting Corn.

The committee appointed to con sider of the present high price of provisions, and to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, from time to time, to the house, have proceeded to consider of the present state of the corn trade, with a view to inquire into the abuses supposed to exist therein, and to examine any regulations which it might be thought expe dient to propose, in order to the more regular and satisfactory man agement of the business in future: they now offer the general result of this investigation to the house, together with the evidence which has

been

been laid before them (to which they beg leave to refer for more detailed information), with a view to prepare for the subject's being resumed in a future session, under circumstances, it is to be hoped, more favourable for legislative interference, on a point of so much delicacy and diflicuity as the permanent regulation of the corn trade.

Your committee have found themselves obliged to confine their inquiries principally to the corntrade in this metropolis; the state of which, however, in seasons of dearth and scarcity like the present, cannot but have a very material effect on most of the markets throughout England.

It appears, from a variety of evidence which is annexed to this report, that, strictly speaking, there is no regulated public corn-market at this day existing in the city of London; the corn-trade therein being wholly carried on at the Cornexchange in Mark-lane, which was erected in a confined space, and on a limited scale, about forty or fifty years ago, for the accommodation of the factors and dealers (who, before that time, carried on their business at Bear Quay, exposed to the weather, and other inconveniences), at the private expense of individuals, and is conse, quently private property; that this property is divided into about eighty shares, most of which are held by factors or dealers in corn; the estate being managed by a comImittee of three trustees, chosen by the proprietors, to whom Mr. Smiton is secretary, and is likewise inspector of corn returns in London, elected to that office by the same body of proprietors in virtue of the statute 31 George III. c. 30. This committee have the uncontrouled disposal of all the stands

on which the samples of corn are: exposed to sale, and which are limited to the number of seventytwo; sixty-four of them being leased to factors or dealers, and the remaining eight appropriated to the use of the Kentish hoymen. Although it is stated to your committee, that the possession of these stands is never transferred for a valuable consideration, as the lease would thereby be vacated; yet there seems reason to believe, that in some instances large sums have been given for such an accommo‐ dation; without which it appears wholly impracticable for any one to carry on the trade of a factor or dealer in corn to any material extent; though the Exchange is indeed considered as open to all who come to buy and sell; and there are instances of persons attending the market at times, who bring with them their samples in their pockets.

It also appears to your committee, that the factors and dealers are at liberty either to expose all their samples at the same time on their stands, or as few of them as they think fit; so that in fact a buyer has no means whatever of judging, from the appearance of the samples exposed on the stands, during any period of the market, what the supply is: added to which, it does not appear to your committee that any public authentic mode is at present provided for communicating to the frequenters of the Corn-exchange what the actual quantities of corn imported coastwise, or from abroad, at any given period, really are; nor whit part of it is in a merchantable state, and fit for immediate sale; though it is true that persons carrying on the business on a great scale, and having large connexions,

may

may, with more or less trouble and difficulty, acquire the necessary in formation on these points, by a reference to the entries at the Custom-house and Cocket-office, and by a comparison of different returns ordered to be made, by law, for various purposes.

It further appears to your committee, that in some instances factors import largely, and even deal in British corn to a great extent on their own account; but that several of them think it more proper to abstain from such a practice, considering, as it has been stated by some of them," that the business of a corn-factor is perfectly distinct from that of a corn-merchant, because a person who receives consignments, and deals at the same time on his own account, may not always be inclined to serve his employers with that impartiality he otherwise would do."There is reason also to apprehend, that in some instances factors, having large quantities of corn of their own to dispose of, may be tempted to employ the superior knowledge and influence they possess in the market, for the undue advancing or main taining the prices of the article, in times of earnest demand and inadequate supply, to the disadvantage of the public. This practice, however, does not seem altogether of modern date; though your committee think it not improbable, from the increased importations which have taken place within a few years past, that it may have been carried to a greater extent within a late period. It further appears to your committee, that a practice has prevailed, for a considerable time, of purchasing corn with a view to sell it again in the same or some future market, at an increased price, by persons who are

called jobbers: but it should seem that these transactions principally apply to the trade in oats; and there is even a considerable difference of opinion among those who have been examined on this point, both as to the extent of such a proceeding, and the number of individuals concerned.

Such being the leading facts, as they appear upon the evidence, your committee beg leave to observe upon them :

1. That the present Corn-exchange is much too confined for the business carried on in it, which has of late years increased considerably. That the number of stands is too small for the fair and reasonable accommodation of all those who may have business to transact, and that consequently the present cornmarket can hardly be considered as an open one; competition is to a certain degree prevented, and the trade thrown into too few hands. That from the Exchange being private property, and principally in the hands of corn-factors and dealers, there is some reason to suspect partiality in the manner of transferring and leasing the stands. That considerable inconvenience results to the public from the want of a sworn clerk or superintendant of the market, appointed by some competent and impartial authority, and placed, by means of an adequate compensation for his time. and trouble, beyond the suspicion of undue influence; by the want of an open and correct register of transactions in the market; and from there being no regular hours prescribed for opening and closing the Exchange on every market day.

With a view to remedy these material inconveniencies, your committee recommend that effectual measures should be adopted, early

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