20 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



evidence which he doubts not has 

 been produced to your lordships 

 secret committee to justify this 

 description, is wholly and entirely 

 false, as your petitioner is ready 

 to prove, in the most satisfactory 

 manner, at the bar of your right 

 honourable House. 



" Upon this important point 

 your petitioner humbly begs leave 

 to represent to your right ho- 

 nourable House, that the London 

 Union Society was founded in 

 1S12 by Mr. Edward Bolton Clive, 

 Mr. Walter Fawkes, the late co- 

 lonel Bosviile, Mr. Montague 

 Burgoyne, the present lord mayor, 

 Mr. Aliierman Goodbehere, Mr. 

 Francis Canning, Mr. William 

 Hallet, sir Francis Burdett, major 

 Cartwright, Mr. Robert Slade, 

 Mr. Timothy Brown, Mr. J.J. 

 Clarke^ and several other indivi- 

 duals equally respectable ; that it 

 continued to hold meetings but a 

 very short time ; that it never did 

 any act except the publishing of 

 one address to the nation on the 

 subject of reform ; that it never 

 had any one "Brancli;" that it 

 never held any correspondence 

 either written or verbal with any 

 society of any sort ; tliat it never 

 was affiliated to any society, or 

 branch, or any body of men wliat- 

 soever ; finally, that it has not 

 met for nearly three yeais and a 

 half last past ; and, of course, 

 that it is not now in existence. 



" What, then, must have been 

 the surprise and the pain of your 

 hun)ble petitioner, when he saw, 

 in the report of your lordships 

 secret committee, this London 

 Union Society represented, not 

 only as being still in existence, 

 but busily and extensively at 

 work, establishing branches and 

 affiliations, carrying on an active 



correspondence, infusing life into 

 societies of Spencean Philanthro- 

 pists, and producing, by these 

 means, plans of conspiracy, revo- 

 lution", and treason I and though 

 your petitioner is too well assured 

 of the upright views and of the 

 justice of every committee con- 

 sisting of members of your noble 

 and right honourable House not to 

 be convinced that very strong evi- 

 dence in support of these charges 

 must have been produced to your 

 lord.ships secret committee, your 

 petitioner cannot, nevertheless, 

 refrain from expressing most hum- 

 bly his deep regret, that your 

 lordships committee should not 

 have deigned to send for the 

 books and other testimonials of 

 the character and proceedings of 

 the London Union Society ; and 

 your petitioner humbly begs leave 

 to observe, that this omission ap- 

 pears singularly unfortunate for 

 the London Union Society, seeing 

 that the secret connnittee of your 

 lordships appear, in another part 

 of their report, to lament the w«nt 

 of means of obtaining the written 

 proceedings of societies, anil seeing 

 that it was natural to expect, that 

 a society having branches, an 

 affiliation, and an active corre- 

 spondence, had also a copious col- 

 lection of wiitten documents. 



'• Your petitioner is aware, that 

 he has trespassed too long on the 

 patience of your lordships ; but, 

 well knowing that your lordships 

 seek only for truth as the basis 

 of your proceedings, he humbly 

 hopes that you will be pleased to 

 excuse the earnestness of his pi'e- 

 sent representation, and lie a'so 

 presumes humbly to express his 

 hope, that your lordships will be 

 pleased, in yoiu' great tenderness 

 for the character and liberties of 



hia 



