"Britons, yet the value of them is comparatively "small without a dependency on their permanency, "and there can be no security for the continuance "of any rights but in equal laws.

"2d, That equal laws can never be expected but

by a full and fair representation of the people; to[ "obtain which, in the way pointed out by the con"stitution"—you will see what that is in the third resolution" has been and is the sole object of this "Society for this we are ready to hazard every thing, and never but with our lives will we relinquish an object which involves the happiness, or " even the political existence of ourselves and poste-[ rity...

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"3d, That it is the decided opinion of this So2 ciety, that, to secure ourselves from the future}

illegal and scandalous prosecutions, to prevent a "repetition of wicked and unjust sentences, and to "recall those wise and wholesome laws which have "been wrested from us, and of which scarcely at "vestige remains"-Gentlemen, you will permit me to call your attention to what the objects were which I were to be accomplished-" there ought to be im d "mediately"-what?" a Convention of the people

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by delegates deputed for that purpose from the "different societies of the friends of freedom." And what are the purposes which this convention, which they themselves represent as a convention of the people, are to execute? Why they, the delegates, forming a convention of the people, are to recall those

wise, wholesome laws, which they say have been wrested from them. Before I have done, I shall prove distinctly that this is the meaning of the passage, and the meaning of the passage will be to be collected from the whole of the evidence undoubtedly, not from this particular part of it.

The Constitutional Society, there being present at that time six of the persons mentioned in this Indictment, without any deliberation whatever, upon a proposition so material as this is--and therefore it must be left to you, upon the whole of the evidence, whether it is fairly to be inferred or not, that this, like a great many other papers of the London Corresponding Society, really came from the Constitutional Society they immediately ordered that their secretary shall acquaint the London Corresponding Society, that they had received their communication, that they heartily concur with them in the objects they have in view, and that for that view, and for the purpose of a more speedy and effectual co-operation, they invite them to send to this Society, next Friday evening, a delegation of some of their mem bers.

Without now going into the particulars of whať followed upon this, give me leave to state, that some members of the Society, included in this Indictment, were named to compose that delegation; that there was named at the same time a Committee of Correspondence of six members of this Society; that afterwards the London Corresponding Society

formed another committee; that the two committees met; that the two committees meeting, came to a determination that this project of calling a convention of the people should be carried into effect; and then, that a joint committee of co-operation of both societies was formed by resolutions of both.

Having stated what happened upon the 27th of March 1794, and connecting it, as I shall do presently, with the very singular facts, which you will find also happened in that year, you will give me leave, in order to show what the true construction of this act is, as well as to state the grounds upon which the Indictment, even without this act, charges? a conspiracy to depose the King-you will give me leave to state the transactions of these societies from the month of March 1792.

Gentlemen, in or about the month of March 1792, whether before that time the London Corresponding Society had existed or not, seems to me to be dubious, and therefore I will make no assertion of that one way or other; but supposing it to have existed, it will be made extremely clear that this Society existed at that time without a constitution, as they call it, and was indebted to a gentleman of the name of Tooke for the constitution under which the Society was modified, and was indebted, I think, to agentleman of the name of Vaughan, for his assistance in the composition of the code of its laws.

The first correspondence that I find between the Constitutional Society, and the London Correspond

ing Society, which I have to state to you, is in the communication of the principles of the Corresponding Society, sent with a letter signed by the Prisoner at the bar, which letter is in the following words: "I am ordered by the Committee to send to the "Society for Constitutional Information in London: "a copy of our motives for associating, and the re"solutions we have come to: we meau, to persevere "in the cause we have embarked in, that is, to have "(if possible) an equal representation of the people "of this nation in Parliament."

r. I observe here for a moment that you will not be surprised, when I get to the conclusion of this business, that this cautious language was used in the outset it will be for you to judge whether a studied caution is fairly imputable to the language. It proceeds thus: "We should be exceedingly happy to "enter into a correspondence with that Society, if. "it is not too much presumption in us to expect "such an honour; but, as our cause is one, we hope that they will deign to take some notice of us, who are now entering upon a matter of such "vast importance.".

This is extremely condescending language on the part of Mr. Hardy to the Constitutional Society: it accompanies the resolutions of that Society, which resolutions purported to be signed "Thomas Hardy, "Secretary." It happened, by an accident not very: easy to be accounted for at present, and, notwithstanding which, I shall prove distinctly to you that

the resolutions are the act of Mr. Hardy that this signature" Thomas Hardy, Secretary"—is a signature, as I am instructed, in the hand-writing of Mr. Horne Tooke; that is, Mr. Hardy in the London Corresponding Society, sends the resolutions of the London Corresponding Society (apologizing extremely for the liberty he takes in presuming to send them) to the Constitutional Society, the signature to those. resolutions bearing the name of Thomas Hardy in the hand-writing of Mr. Tooke: whether those resolutions were finally settled by that gentleman or not, I do not know; but you will find that there. exists a paper which contains, I think, distinct evi› dence upon the face of it, that those resolutions have been settled, with a good deal of deliberation, by the same gentleman whose hand-writing occurs in the. signature which I have been stating.

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Gentlemen, before these resolutions were sent, and before I state the matter of them to you, you. will allow me to mention, that there had been, a correspondence between, other societies, and the Society for Constitutional Information, of such a nature, as,. in order to make this case intelligible, will require some observations from me, and some attention from: you; it is the correspondence of other societies, but which correspondence I shall connect in such a manner with the London Corresponding Society, as in fact to make the acts of the other societies the acts of that Society.