26] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



tary reform, without any pre- 

 vious concert and design, and 

 trusting- wholly to chance for sti- 

 mnlating their instruments in the 

 work of sedition. This was the 

 whole extent of the plot, and the 

 attempt was made in the way that 

 was projected. Those formidable 

 rioters lied at the very mention of 

 a dragoon. They did not wait to 

 see their horses' heads at the top 

 of a street, so admirable were the 

 military arrangements of that able 

 conunander, general lord viscount 

 Si(hnouth. 



The Earl then took a review of 

 the different societies designated 

 in the lepoi t, arid observed that 

 there were acts of parliament, 

 chiefly of modern date, imder 

 which all these offences might be 

 prosecuted and punished. He 

 would, however> have consented 

 to a new law for preventing meet- 

 ings in the open air without a 

 previous notice to a magistrate ; 

 and would also cheerfully have 

 agreed to a bill for the better seca- 

 rityof the person of the I'riuce Re- 

 gent. These two measures would, 

 he conceived, together with the 

 existing laws, iiave been amply 

 sufficient to have met all the e\ils 

 dwelt upim in tlie report. 



Lord Greiiville considered the 

 question before tl\eir lordships to 

 be one of the most impoitant that 

 had ever engaged the attention of 

 parliament He felt it liis bounden 

 duty to dfcciaie, tliat the present 

 situation of tiie country ap])eared 

 to him one of extreme danger, 

 and tliat some extiaoidinary legis- 

 lative measures were absolutely 

 necessary. Sir h being the serious 

 conviction of his mind, he was 

 compelled to gi\e his cordial, 

 though reluctant support for the 



temporary suspension of the 

 Habeas Corpus act. 



After these and some other 

 lords had given their sentiments 

 on the bill, the House divided for 

 its second reading, which was 

 carried by Content 84, Proxies G6, 

 Total 150 ; against, Not Content 

 23, Proxies 12, Total 35. Majo- 

 rity 115. 



A protest was then entered upon 

 the Journals to the following 

 efiect : " Dissentient. Because it 

 df)es not appear to us that, in the 

 report of the Secret Committee, 

 there has been stated such a case 

 of innninent and pressing danger 

 as may not be sufficiently pro- 

 vided against by the powers of the 

 executive government under the 

 existing laws, and as requires the 

 suspension of the most important 

 security of the liberty of the 

 country." It was signed by eigh- 

 teen peers. 



BILL FOR PREVENTING SEDITIOUS 

 MEETINGS. 



On the same day, February 24th, 

 Lord Custlereagh rose in the House 

 of Commons. He began with 

 assuring that assembly, that in 

 the whole course of liis life, he 

 had never performed a more 

 ])ainful duty than that which he 

 was then called upon to discharge. 

 He shoidd have hoped, that after 

 the dreadful record which the 

 Ficnch revolution had afforded of 

 tlie destruction brought upon its 

 country, no individual could be 

 found i'l Great Britain so dead to 

 a sense of private feeling, or 

 public duty, as to engage in 

 schemes which would render the 

 immediate and powerful aid of 

 parliament necessary fov securing 

 the public peace. Looking to the 



history 



