GENERAL HISTORY 



[69 



been proposed, that Manchester 

 should be made a Moscow, for the 

 purpose of strengthening- their 

 cause, by throwing numbers of 

 people out of employment. 



It was on the night of the 30th 

 of March that a general insurrec- 

 tion was intended to have com- 

 menced at Manchester. The ma- 

 gistiates were to be seized ; the 

 prisoners were to be liberated ; 

 the soldiers were either to be sur- 

 prised in their barracks, or a cer- 

 tain number of factories were to 

 be set on fire, for the purpose of 

 drawing the soldiers out of their 

 barracks, of which a party sta- 

 tioned near them for that ol>ject 

 were then to take possession with 

 the view of seizing the magazine. 



The signal for the commence- 

 ment of these proceedings was to 

 be, the firingofarocketor rockets; 

 and hopes were held out that 

 2,000 or 3,000 men would be 

 sufficient to accomplish the first 

 object, and that the insurgents 

 would be 50,000 strong in the 

 morning. 



At this period, and in other 

 parts of these proceedings, there 

 are traces of an intention to issxie 

 proclamations, declaring the king's 

 subjects absolved from their alle- 

 giance, and denouncing death 

 against all oppose rs ; but the com- 

 mittee have not found any evi- 

 dence of the act\ial preparation of 

 such proclamations. 



This atrocious conspiracy was 

 detected by the vigilance of the 

 magistrates, and defeated by the 

 apprehension and confinement of 

 some of the ringleaders a few 

 days before the period fixed for its 

 execution. The timely prevention 

 *)f this desperate attemj)t a])pears 

 to have given a considerable check 



to the proceedings of the disaf- 

 fected in that quarter ; and all 

 the subsequent intelligence which 

 the committee has seen from thence 

 continues to be of a more favour- 

 able character. 



During part of the month of 

 April an intermission appears in- 

 deed to have taken place gene- 

 rally, at least of the more open 

 proceedings. Public meetings in 

 large bodies could no longer be 

 convened, cKcept under the regu- 

 lations of the recent act of par- 

 liament. Numerous meetings of 

 societies have been less frequently 

 held in jmblic-houses. In some 

 districts clubs have been dissoh ed j 

 in others their meetings have been 

 suspended, or have been held in 

 private houses, or in places remote 

 from observation. The neces- 

 sity of greater caution has been 

 felt and inculcated ; communica- 

 tions by writing have been dis- 

 countenanced ; the concealment 

 of the names of leading persons 

 has been recommended ; and it 

 has been thought better that a few 

 persons only should be intrusted 

 with their plans, and should give 

 notice to the different delegates 

 to have their partizans in readi- 

 ness to act Avhen recjuired and as 

 directed. These delegates ap- 

 ])ointed from various places have 

 met in small numbers, and thus 

 kept up a general but verbal cor- 

 respondence among the di^iaflTccted. 



Towards the end of April, and 

 during the month of May, this 

 correspondence appears to have 

 been carried on with increased 

 activity. As early as the fifth of 

 that month a meeting is stated to 

 ha\ e been held in one of the prin- 

 cipal towns of the west riding of 

 Yorkshire, and to have been at- 

 tended 



