248 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



no less require a firm determina- 

 tion among the moral and reflect- 

 ing members of the community, 

 of whatever rank and station they 

 may be, to lend the aid of their 

 influence and example, to coun- 

 teract the effect of those licen- 

 tious and inflammatory publica- 

 tions, which are poured forth 

 throughout the comitry, with a 

 profusion heretofore unexampled. 

 Your committee have hitherto 

 applied their observations to the 

 lately disturbed districts in the 

 country. In adverting to the 

 state of the metropolis, during 

 the same period, they have ob- 

 served, with concern, that a small 

 number of active and infatuated 

 individuals have been unremit- 

 tingly engaged, in arranging plans 

 of insurrection, in endeavouring 

 to foment disturbances that might 

 lead to it, and in procuring the 

 means of active operations, with 

 the ultimate view of subverting 

 all the existing establishments of 

 the country, and substituting 

 some form of revolutionary go- 

 vernment in their stead. Your 

 committee however, have the 

 satisfaction to find, that, notwith- 

 standing the desperation and 

 confidence of the leaders, the 

 proselytes that have been gained 

 to their cause are not numerous. 

 The sensible improvement in the 

 comforts and employment of the 

 labouring part of the community, 

 has tended to diminish at once 

 the motives of discontent, and 

 the means of seduction. The 

 mischief does not appear to have 

 extended into any other rank of 

 life, than that of the persons 

 referred to in the first report of 

 the Secret Committee of last 

 year, nor to have received coun- 



tenance from any individuals of 

 higher condition. 



Eager as these agitators are, 

 to avail themselves of any popular 

 assemblage, still more, of any 

 occasion that might happen to 

 arise of popular discontent, and 

 capable as they appear, from their 

 own declarations, to be of any act 

 of atrocity, your committee see 

 no reason to apprehend that the 

 vigilance of the police, and the 

 unrelaxed superintendence of go- 

 vernment, may not, under the 

 present circumstances of the 

 country, be sufficient to prevent 

 them from breaking out into any 

 serious disturbance of the public 

 peace. 



The attention of your com- 

 mittee has next been directed to 

 the documents, which have been 

 laid before them, relative to the 

 apprehension of the several per- 

 sons suspected of being engaged 

 in treasonable practices, who have 

 been detained under the authority 

 of the acts of the last session. 

 They have examined the charges 

 upon which the several detentions 

 have been founded, and find them, 

 in all instances, substantiated by 

 depositions on oath. Your com- 

 mittee have no hesitation in de- 

 claring, that the discretion thus 

 intrusted to his majesty's govern- 

 ment, appears to them to have 

 been temperately and judiciously 

 exercised, and that the govern- 

 ment would, in their opinion have 

 failed in its duty as guardian of 

 the peace, and tranquillity of the 

 realm, if it had not exercised, to 

 the extent which it has done, the 

 powers entrusted to it by the 

 legislature. Of the thirty-seven 

 persons, which is the whole 

 number of those who were finally 

 committed 



