392 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



features, connections, or any thing 

 else that might lead to a discovery 

 of the same, either by word or 

 deed, or sign, under the penalty of 

 being sent out of the world by the 

 first brother who shall meet me, 

 and my name and character blot- 

 ted out of existence, and never to 

 be remembered but with contempt 

 and abhorrence ; and 1 further 

 now do swear, that 1 will use my 

 best endeavours to punish by 

 death any traitor or traitors, should 

 any rise up amongst us, wherever 

 lean find himor them, and though 

 he should fly to the verge of na- 

 ture, 1 will pursue him witli in- 

 creasing vengeance. So lielp me 

 God, and bless me to keep this my 

 oath inviolable," 



The military organization car- 

 ried on by i)ersons engaged in 

 these societies, has also proceeded 

 to an alarming length ; they as- 

 semble in large nnmbers, in gene- 

 ral by night, upon heaths or com- 

 mons, which are numerous and 

 extensive in some of the districts 

 where the disturbances have been 

 most serious; so assembled, they 

 take the usual military precautions 

 of paroles and countersigns; then 

 muster rolls are called over by 

 numbers, not by names ; they are 

 directed by leaders sometimes in 

 disguise; they place sentries to 

 give alarm at the approach of any 

 persons whom they may suspect of 

 meaning to interrupt or give infor- 

 mation of their proieedings; and 

 they disperse instantly at the firing 

 of a gun, or other signal agreed 

 upon, and so disperse as to avoid 

 detection. They have in some in- 

 stances used signals by rockets or 

 blue lights, by which they com- 

 municate intelligence to their par- 

 ties. 



They have procured a consider- 

 ble quantity of arms, by the depre- 

 dations which are daily and nightly 

 continued; they have plundered 

 many places of lead for the purpose 

 of making musket balls, and have 

 made some seizures of gunpow- 

 der. 



Their progress in discipline ap- 

 pears from the representation be- 

 fore given of the two attacks upon 

 the mills of Rawdon and Hen- 

 bury ; and the money, which has 

 been in many instances obtained 

 by contribution or plunder, an- 

 swers the purpose of support, and 

 may serve as an inducement to 

 many persons to engage in these 

 disturbances. 



The system of intimidation, pro- 

 duced not only by the oaths and 

 engagements before mentioned, or 

 by threats of violence, but by the 

 attack and destruction of houses 

 and factories, bj' actual assassina- 

 tions in some instances, and at- 

 tempts at assassination in other's, 

 under circumstances which have 

 hitherto generally baffled all endea- 

 vours to discover and bring tojus- 

 lice the offenders, all tend to ren- 

 der these proceed! n gs greatly alarra- 

 ing to the country. In many parts 

 the quiet inhabitants consider them- 

 selves as enjoying protection only 

 as far as the military force can ex- 

 tend its exertions, and look upon 

 the rest of the country, where the 

 disturbances took place, as at the 

 mercy of the rioters. 



The legal proceedings at Not- 

 tingham checked the disposition 

 to disturbance in that quarter, but 

 this effect did not extend to other 

 parts of the country ; and though 

 the proceedings under the special 

 commissions since issued, and the 

 convictions and executions at Lan- 

 caster 



