GENERAL HISTORY. 



[79 



ent (Jirectious, and lights shown 

 on the heights throughout the 

 country, sufficient!)' proved the 

 extent of the confedei'acy, and the 

 concert with which it was orga- 

 nized. In some populous vilhiges 

 of Derbyshire, a more open in- 

 surrection took place on the 9th of 

 June. A delegate from this part 

 of the country had attended a pre- 

 vious meeting at Nottingham, and 

 aa active emissary from tlience 

 had joined them in the course of 

 the niglit. The insurrection be- 

 gan, according to the general 

 plan proposed, with attaciis upon 

 houses, for the purpose of pro- 

 curing arms ; in one of which, a 

 £er\ ant was wantonly shot ; about 

 200 insurgents were soon assem- 

 bled, mostly armed either with 

 pikes or witli tire-arms, and began 

 tlieir marcli towards Nottingham, 

 in expectation of increasing tlieir 

 numbers as they went, and of 

 finding tiiat jdace in full insuncc- 

 tion, and prepared to support 

 them. They weie however inter- 

 cepted by detachments of cavalry 

 (under the orders of active and in- 

 telligent magistrates) , which came 

 up with tliem in diiferent direc- 

 tions, and totally dispersed tlicm. 

 Between .!»() aiu' 60 were taken 

 and lodged in the diHercnt gaols ; 

 many fire-uruis and pikes were 

 taken at tlie siimc time, and a 

 quantity of aunnmiition was found 

 upon the persons of the prisoners. 

 Your conunittce have tluis 

 stated tiic prominent j)oints of the 

 infonniiiiou, wiiicii has been laid 

 before them, jiarticularly as afiect- 

 ing llic manulacturing districts in 

 t!ie Nortliein and Midland coun- 

 ties, and which has been substan- 

 tiated, in almost every particular, 

 by depositions on oath, taken be- 



fore magistrates. The character 

 of the danger remains the same as 

 was described in the former re- 

 port. It arises from the indefa- 

 tigable exertions of persons in the 

 lower ranks of life, oi' but little 

 above them, of some popular ta- 

 lents, inflaming and .aggravating 

 the actual distress of a nmnerous 

 manufacturing population, by ex- 

 citing hopes of an immediate re- 

 medy to all their sufferings from a 

 reform in parliament, and pre- 

 paring them (in despair of attain- 

 ing that object) to attempt by 

 force the total subversion of the 

 established constitution of govern- 

 ment. 



Vour committee stated, in their 

 former report, that the mode of 

 organization, jjractised with such 

 mischievous success in the popu- 

 lous districts, had been in very 

 many instances conducted under 

 the cover of associations, called 

 Ilamjwlen Clubs, formed for the 

 ostensible pinpose of procuring a 

 reform in parliament ; and they 

 now tind that in many instances, 

 wliere the open meetings uf those 

 societies have been discontinued, 

 several of the members of them 

 have assembled more piixately, 

 and been the piintipal leaders in 

 the piqjected combinations. 



In their foiiner report they did 

 not think it necessary to ;ul\eit to 

 that atrocious s} stem of combina- 

 tion, outrage, and hired assassi- 

 nation, wliicii ii;is jne\ ailed in 

 some of tlie midlimd counties, 

 imder the name of Luddisnj ; both 

 because the trials of persons, chaig- 

 ed with those crimes, were then 

 known to be depending; and be- 

 cause the system itself did not then 

 distinctly appear to your connnit- 

 tec to have any innnediate apjjli- 



cation 



