GENERAL HISTORY. 



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expressions and doctrines areopen- 

 ly and rejjeatedly advanced : tliat 

 as the meetings are professed to 

 be of a convivial nature, the po- 

 litical debates and readin^-s are 

 usually followed by songs, in 

 many of which tlie most inflam- 

 matory topics are introduced, 

 some of a seditiovis and treason- 

 able nature, and others under the 

 form of profane and indecent pa- 

 lodies of the liturgy and of the 

 holy scriptures. 



These societies appear to have 

 extended themselves ; and there 

 are traces of the existence of a 

 committee called conservative, 

 directing the operations of the 

 whole. The doctrines above men- 

 tioned have been systematically 

 and industriously disseminated 

 amongst mechanics and manufac- 

 turers, discharged soldiers and 

 sailors, and labourers of all de- 

 scriptions ; they have been incul- 

 cated at frequent appointed meet- 

 ings, and at various places, by speak- 

 ers, who have made the distresses 

 of the times topics of excitement 

 and inflammation ; and they have 

 been circulated, with incredible 

 activity and perseverance, in cheap 

 and often gratuitous publications. 

 It has been proved, to the entire 

 satisfaction of your committee, 

 that some members of these socie- 

 ties, acting by delegated or as- 

 sumed authority, as an executive 

 committee of the whole, conceived 

 the project, and endeavoured to 

 prepare the means of raising an 

 insurrection, so formidable from 

 numbers, as by dint of physical 

 strength to overpower all resist- 

 ance. 



The first step towards the ac- 

 complishment of this object was. 



by the individual exertion of the 

 members of the committee, to dis- 

 cover and foment the prevalent 

 distresses and discontents in the 

 metiopolis and its vicinity. Re- 

 turns were made of those who 

 they thought were to be relied up- 

 on for daring and hazardous en- 

 terprises. 



The design was by a sudden 

 rising in the dead of the night, to 

 surprise and overpower thesoldiers 

 in their diS'eient bari'acks, which 

 Avere to be set on fire ; at the 

 same time (plans having been ar- 

 ranged, and some steps taken 

 with a view to the accomplishment 

 of that object) to possess them- 

 selves of tlie artillery, to seize or 

 destroy the bridges, and to take 

 possession of the Tower and the 

 Bank. In furtherance of this de- 

 sign, a machine was projected for 

 clearing the streets of cavaliy. A 

 drawing of this machine, fully au- 

 thenticated, and also a manusciipt 

 sketch or plan of various impoi t- 

 ant parts of the Tower, found with 

 the drawing of the machine, have 

 been laid before your committee. 



This design was however re- 

 linquished a short time before its 

 intended exef ution. It v. as thought 

 more prudent previously to ascer- 

 tain what force the conspiiators 

 could actually call together, and 

 this it was agreed could best be 

 done by convening a public meet- 

 ing for the ostensible purpose of 

 obtaining a redress of grievances 

 in a legal way. The map of Lon- 

 don was inspected, and Spa-Fields 

 were selected as the most eligible 

 spot, from their vicinity to the 

 Bank and the Tower. Advertise- 

 ments were accordingly prepared, 

 and written placards circulated, of 



the 



