A Political Episode. 173 



mob. The house of Thomas Walker, Esq., in South 

 Parade, St. Mary's, was also attacked, and in self-defence 

 Mr. Walker was compelled to fire on the mob. The 

 attacked were attached to the cause of reform.' 



1794. 'Thomas Walker, Esq., Mr. Collier, and others 

 were tried at Lancaster on a charge of having conspired to 

 overthrow the constitution and assist the French in the 

 threatened attack upon this island. They were acquitted 

 March 3, and returned triumphantly to Manchester.' 



* Dunn, the principal witness against Mr. Walker, was 

 tried for perjury, and sentenced to the pillory and two 

 years' imprisonment.' 



The Constitutional Society had its opponents, and Mr. 

 Francis Phillips is mentioned as a bitter enemy of reform. 

 Later, i.e. in 1808, he had the satisfaction of supporting his 

 chief in his last struggles, Mr. Perceval the Prime Minister 

 having fallen into his arms when shot in the lobby of the 

 House of Commons. 



As Dr. Bottomley remarks, these political feelings were 

 carried into our Society, and we find that on October 7, 

 1791, Mr. S. Jackson moved, 'that the Society do write to 

 Dr. Priestley, being an honorary member, expressing their 

 concern at the losses he has sustained by the late disgrace- 

 ful riots at Birmingham.' On October 21 this was post- 

 poned, and on November 4 a letter of resignation was 

 received from Mr. Thomas Cooper, also from Mr. Watt, 

 junior, Mr. Thomas Walker, and Mr. Samuel Jackson. 

 Mr. Walker was previously very popular on account of his 

 influence in having the fustian tax, which had been imposed 

 by Pitt, repealed. (See p. 122, also under Thomas Cooper, 

 p. 189.) 



