160) 
Jeast impropriety or disaffection to 
government. They canvassed its 
measures with unreserve; but were 
‘steadily attached to the constitution 
itself; which indeed had so little to 
apprehend from these societies, that 
itwas chiefly among them the warm- 
est supporters of it were found. The 
reform of parliament had long been 
their principal object. Motives of 
prudence and moderation had, in 
the present tempestuous season, sus- 
pended their efforts to accomplish 
it; but they would certainly pursue 
their determinations on that point 
at a more auspicious period. 
Such was the purport of the re- 
markable ‘speech made by Mr, 
Lambton, on thisoccasion. It was 
answered by the attorney-general, 
who solemnly declared, that he was 
induced by no other motive than 
conviction of its propriety, to sup- 
port the continuance of the suspen- 
sion-act. It was withgrief, he said, 
that he had heard the arguments of 
so able a speaker as the iast, in op- 
position to it, as they seemed cal. 
culated to encourage persons ill- 
affe&ted. It was not, he said, the 
guilt of particular individuals that 
was now under examination: it was 
the existence’ of a conspiracy of 
which parliament was clearly com- 
petent to decide the reality, what- 
ever might have been the opinion 
of a court of justice. ‘The accused 
had indeed been pronounced not’ 
guilty: but that did not impose 
silence on the supreme court of the 
nation; which, without interfering 
with judical authority, had still a 
fi ight to retain its own opinions. 
Who could deny the prepossession of 
the societies in favour of the French 
and of French principles, as well as 
that of the writingsof Paine, Barlow, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1795. 
Macintosh, Mrs. Wolstencroft, Mr. 
Christie, and other champions of 
the revolution? Was it not incum. 
bent on persons in power to guard 
against the dissemination of such 
dangerous do&trines? From the 
conduct of those who formed the 
convention in Scotland, it fully ap- 
peared, that the societies, and their 
abettors, had mo intention to apply 
to parliament for those alterations 
they required; they had determined, 
it was, plain, to depend solely on 
oe ownenergy, 
- Jekyll contended for the 
bis of conduct in the so- 
cieties, in commissioning their 
agents to Insist on arcform in par- 
liament, which would never, of 
its own accord, undertake a task, 
so irksome to most of its compo- 
nents. No punishment, it had been 
said, was inili€ted, by holding per- 
sons in custody, as if their very de- 
tention were not a sufficient punish- 
ment. 
unqualified manner in which the 
persons acquitted at the late tri. 
als had been stigmatized in the 
house. The suspension-a&t, he in- 
sinuated, was gliding into an an- 
nual motion, and unless arrested 
in its progress, would be, at Iast,. 
considered as a standing rule for 
every session. He resolutely ex- 
posed the ignominious employment 
of spics, wherever they could be 
introduced on any part of society. 
He read, in proof of what he as- 
serted, a letter, des¢ ribing the ar- 
tifice ‘and bribery that had been 
used, in order to prevail upon 2 
ccriain person to become a spy. 
Mr. Curwen, and Mr. Francis, _ 
zealously opposed the suspension. 
att: Mr. Francis particularly ex. 
posed the inconsistency of pre. 
‘ ferring 
He warmly reprobated the. 
