sons assembled at that meeting were surprised by the magistrates, assisted by a military force, and some were taken into custody. This arrest deranged the plans of the disaffected; and the greater part of the districts in that part of Yorkshire, in which a general rising had been proposed, remained quiet. But in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield, in the night of the 8th of June, a considerable body assembled, some with fire arms, and others with scythes fixed on poles, and proceeded to various outrages, plundering Houses for arms, and firing on the head-constable of Huddersfield, and upon a person of the Yeomanry cavalry, who went out of the town to learn their objects. Indictments were preferred both for the felonies and the burglaries at the assizes at York in the month of July. The facts of the outrages there committed appears to have been established by the finding of the bills by the grand jury; but sufficient evidence was not produced on the trial to bring the crimes home to any individuals.

From the evidence given at the trials at Derby, it appeared that the Derbyshire insurgents had expected a considerable reinforcement from this part of Yorkshire, believing that a general rising would take place at the time to be fixed for that purpose; and it appears likewise, that in Yorkshire, as well as in all the other districts where these designs were carrying on, great reliance has uniformly been placed upon the hope of powerful support and co-operation from London, however erroneous

such an expectation may have been, with respect to the extent to which it was supposed to have existed.

The committee have the satisfaction of delivering it as their decided opinion, that not only in the country in general, but in those districts where the designs of the disaffected were most actively and unremittingly pursued, the great body of the people have remained untainted, even during the periods of the greatest internal difficulty and distress.

The arrests and trials which have taken place, and the developement of the designs of the leaders of the disaffected, toge ther with the continued activity and vigilance of the magistrates and of the government, must have had the salutary effect of checking the progress of disaffection, where it existed: and the improved state of the country, and the increased employment now afforded to the labouring classes, have contributed render those who were most open to seduction, less disposed to embrace the desperate measures which the pressure of distress might have led them to hazard.

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Some of the persons engaged in these projects, particularly in London, are still active, and appear determined to persevere, though with decreasing numbers and resources. It appears, therefore, to the committee, that the continued vigilance of government, and of the magistrates in the several districts which have been most disturbed, will be necessary.

Having thus taken a view of the state of the country in the disturbed

disturbed districts, from the period described in the report made to the House towards the close of the last session of parliament, the committee have proceeded to examine such of the papers referred to them, as relate to the arrests of several persons under warrants issued by one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state, and the detention of several of the persons so arrested under the authority of two acts passed in the last session of parliament, to empower his majesty to secure and detain such persons as his majesty shall suspect are conspiring against his person and government.

With respect to those against whom bills of indictment were found by different grand juries, and those who have been brought to trial or have fled from justice, the committee conceive that it is unnecessary for them to make any particular statement. Warrants were issued by the secretary of state against ten persons, who have not been taken. Forty-four persons appear to have been arrested under warrants of the secretary of state, on suspicion of high treason who have not been brought to trial; of these, seven were discharged on examination, without any subsequent warrant of detention. Against thirty-seven, warrants of detention, on suspicion of high treason, were issued by the secretary of state; but one, who was finally committed, was soon after released; another was soon discharged on account of illness; and a third died in prison. The grounds upon which those warrants were issued, have been

severally examined by the committee; on that examination it has appeared to the committee, that all these arrests and detentions have been fully justified by the various circumstances under which they have taken place; and in no case does any warrant of detention appear to have been issued, except in consequence of information upon oath.

It appears to the committee, that all the persons who were so arrested and detained, and who were not prosecuted, have been at different times discharged, as the state of the country, and the circumstances attending the several trials which had taken place, were judged to permit.

The committee understand that, up to a certain period, expectations were entertained of being able to bring to trial a large proportion of the persons so arrested and detained; but that these expectations have from time to time been unavoidably relinquished.

On the whole, therefore, it has appeared to the committee, that the government, in the execution of the powers vested in it, by the two acts before-mentioned, has acted with due discretion and moderation; and as far as appears to the committee, the magistrates in the several disturbed districts have, by their activity and vigilance contributed materially to the preservation of the public peace.

REPORT of the Committee of Secrecy of the House of Commons, to whom the several Papers, which were presented (sealed up) to the House, by Lord Viscount Castlereagh, on

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the 3rd day of February, by command of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, were referred, and who were directed to examine the matters thereof, and report the same, as they should appear to them, to the House; have agreed upon the following Report:

The first object of your committee, in examining the papers which have been referred to their consideration, has been, to form a just estimate of the internal state of the country, from the period when the Second Report of the Secret Committee, in the last session of parliament, was presented, to the present time.

The insurrection, which broke out in the night between the 9th and 10th of June, on the borders of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, shortly before the close of the sitting of that committee, was, the last open attempt to carry into effect the revolution, which had so long been the object of an extended conspiracy. The arrest of some of the principal promoters of these treasonable designs, in different parts of the country, had deranged the plans, and distracted the councils, of the disaffected; occasioned delays and hesitation in the appointment of the day for a simultaneous effort; and finally, left none, but the most infatuated, to hazard the experiment of rebellion.

The suppression of this insurrection (following the dispersion of the partial rising which had taken place the night before in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield), the apprehension and committal of the leaders for trial

in the regular course of law, under the charge of high treason, and the detention of several others of the most active delegates and agitators, under the authority of the act of the last session, frustrated all further attempts at open violence. But the spirit of disaffection does not appear to have been subdued; disappointment was frequently expressed by the disaffected, at the failure of an enterprise, from the success of which a relief from all distress and grievances had been confidently predicted; and the projected revolution was considered as not less certain, for being somewhat longer delayed.

In the course of the succeeding month, bills of indictment for high treason were found against forty-six persons, at the assizes at Derby; which must have tended still farther to check the progress of sedition, by apprising the wavering of the danger to which they were exposed, and over-awing the remainder of the more determined leaders. On the trials which took place in October, twenty-three were either convicted by the verdict of the jury, or pleaded guilty; against twelve, who were mostly young men, and related to some of the prisoners already convicted, the law officers of the Crown declined offering any evidence. The remaining eleven had succeeded in absconding, and have not yet been apprehended. The result of these trials, and the examples which followed, seem to have had the effect which might be expected, of striking a terror into the most violent of those engaged

in the general conspiracy; whilst the lenity shown to the deluded, was gratefully felt by the individuals themselves, and restored quiet and subordination to the district, which had been the principal scene of disturbance.

In the course of the autumn, a gradual reduction in the price of provisions, and still more an increased demand for labour, in consequence of a progressive improvement in the state of agriculture, as well as of trade and manufacture in some of their most important branches, afforded the means of subsistence and employment to numbers of those, who had been taught to ascribe all the privations to which they were unfortunately subjected, to defects in the existing constitution.

Your committee see fresh cause to be convinced of the truth of the opinion expressed by the first secret committee, which sat in the last year, of the general good disposition and loyalty of the great body of the people; and they advert with pleasure to the confirmation afforded by the late trials at Derby, of the testimony borne in the report of the last committee, to the exemplary conduct of the mass of the population, in the country through which the insurrection passed. They have no doubt, that the numbers of those who were either pledged, or prepared to engage in actual insurrection, has generally been much exaggerated by the leaders of the disaffected, from the obvious policy, both of giving importance to themselves, and of encouraging their followers. It is however, impossible to cal

culate the extent to which any insurrection, not successfully opposed in its outset, might have grown in its progress through a population, in a state of reduced employment, of distress, and of agitation. In such a state of things, opportunity would, no doubt, have been afforded to active and plausible demagogues, for seducing into acts of violence and outrage, persons altogether unaware of the nature and consequences of the measures to which they were called upon to lend their assistance; that these consequences would have involved the destruction of the lives and property of the loyal and wellaffected, in the event of any decided, though temporary, success of the insurgents, is sufficiently evident, from the designs which have in some instances been proved.

It was therefore the duty of the magistracy, and of the government, not only to prepare the means of effectual resistance to open force; but, where they had the opportunity, to defeat the danger in its origin, by apprehending the leaders and instigators of conspiracy. Your committee indulge the hope, that the hour of delusion among those who have been misled into disaffection, may be passing away; and that some, even of the deluders themselves, may have seen, and repented of their error. But your committee would deceive the House, if they were not to state it as their opinion, that it will still require all the vigilance of government, and of the magistracy, to maintain the tranquillity, which has been restored. It will

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no less require a firm determination among the moral and reflecting members of the community, of whatever rank and station they may be, to lend the aid of their influence and example, to counteract the effect of those licentious and inflammatory publications, which are poured forth throughout the country, 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 observed, 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 government in their stead. Your committee however, have the satisfaction to find, that, notwithstanding 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 government, 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 committee has next been directed to the documents, which have been laid before them, relative to the apprehension of the several persons 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 committee have no hesitation in declaring, that the discretion thus intrusted to his majesty's government, appears to them to have been temperately and judiciously exercised, and that the government 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