"At a meeting of the Society for protecting Liberty and Property from Republicans and Levellers, held at Mr. T. "Hardman's, Crown and Cushion,

"It was unanimously resolved,

“That the thanks of this Society be tranfmitted to the "Reverend J. Griffith, M. A. one of his majesty's justices " of the peace, for his laudable exertions in bringing to "juftice those who in any wife offend against our most ex"cellent form of Government, and that the following letter "be printed in both the Manchefter papers, and figned by

"the chairman.

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"Truly fenfible of the many bleffings we enjoy under our prefent established form of Government, and likewife "being fully perfuaded of the advantages and utility, which "muft naturally enfue from the Magiftracy being properly fupported.

"As a Society which is founded on true Constitutional principles-Permit us, Sir, to testify our acknowledge"ment to you, for your very able, spirited, and laudable "exertions in bringing to light the hidden views of the in"veterate foes of this country, and by your indefatigable "exertions have almost entirely rooted them out.

"We think it our duty, thus publickly to declare our "fentiments, and acknowledge that through your activity " and justly admired spirit, the factious crew of evil defigning men, plotting to fubvert our much admired Go“vernment, and fubstitute Anarchy and Confufion, have "been entirely fruftrated, and their vile and wicked defigns brought to light.

"We

"We are ready on all occafions to ftep forward and "fupport the Magiftracy, and bring to juftice all those "who wickedly, and maliciously, offend againft our most "excellent form of Government."

During all these proceedings, although the Reverend Doctor Griffith, also a Magiftrate, the father of the Justice fo often mentioned, did not take a very public, he certainly did not take a very idle part. He has been heard to declare, that if they (meaning his party) could but get Buller (meaning Judge Buller) down, they fhould get fome of them (meaning myself and the other defendants) hanged.

The warrants issued against myself and fome of the other defendants, whofe Trial I have already published, being for high treason, it is reasonable to conclude, that the Reverend Magistrate, in the common course of his duty,* would tranfmit an account of the business to his Majefty's Secretary of State.

That he did fo is prefumable from Mr. Shelton the clerk of the Arraigns + being fent down to Manchefter to take depofitions. Mr. Secretary Dundas, at leaft, could not be

* Vide Burn's Juftice, Article Treason.

+ Mr. Shelton was, I am informed, at Mr. Nathaniel Milne's, one of the agents for the prosecution against myself and the other defendants, during his (Mr. Shelton's) stay in Manchester; and, I understand, Mr. Shelton blamed Mr. Griffith very much, and made a report of Dunn's evidence by no means favourable to the further prosecution of the proceedings against us. Mr. Griffith, indeed, has confeffed that "they could not convict Walker of high treason now, because they had loft the evidence of Booth, who was bailed, and "they had only one witness; but as they had begun, he thought they should go on." Mr. N. Milne once obferved, it was very extraordinary indeed, that, although he had a lift of several hundred Democrats, he could not procure another evidence.

ignorant of what was going forward, as appears by my letters to him, and the converfation he had with Mr. Wharton on the fubject of my application.*

In additional proof of this communication, the Reverend Mr. Griffith has declared, that he is indemnified by Government; and that at one time having only a verbal promise he was very uneafy, but that he had obtained a written indemnification that morning: i. e. the morning he made this declaration.

Immediately previous to the trial at Lancaster, of which I have given an account, there was a kind of apprehenfion amongst fome of the High Church Party, whether well or ill founded I know not, of Dunn's running away from compunction of conscience, or fome other reason. One of the zealous adherents of the Church and King club, just beford the trial, dispatched the following notice from Lancaster, which was stuck up at Mr. Brierley's, the Golden-cross Ta-` vern in Manchester, to cheer the drooping fpirits of the friends to the good old cause.

"Sir,

« I am truly happy to say that Dunn is this moment ar"rived, and is now in this house: let my clerk fhew this poftfcript at Mr. Harrop's shop for the fatisfaction of the "friends of the King and Constitution.”

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How the trial terminated, the public already know; but the reader will naturally enquire, by what means the profecutor Dunn, who was not worth one farthing, fhould be able to bear the expence of an unsuccessful profecution, of which the pecuniary burthen fell fo heavy on the defendants who were acquitted?

I do not know who paid Meffrs. Milne and Serjeant, the Manchester agents for the profecution, nor can I yet tell at whofe

Vide Appendix to the Trial, p. 107–115.

whose command, and at whose charge, Mr. Shelton first came down from London.

If individuals have taken all this trouble, borne this heavy expence, it is fingular they fhould remain unknown; and it is hard, for their fakes, that conjecture fhould be busy in pointing out the perfons, or fhould balance upon the motives of private hatred, party rancour, and public fpirit.

If the public have defrayed this expence, if the Officers of Government have it in their power to apply the purse of the nation to inftitute fuits againft individuals, whofe oppofition to public abufes may render them obnoxious, there is an end of the liberty of fpeech, the liberty of the prefs, and the liberty of the subject. There is no standing against the forms and fictions of the law, when put in motion by the purfe of the Treafury. Of what consequence is it, whether a man be imprisoned in a jail for life, because he cannot pay a thousand pounds as the expence of a law-fuit, or a thousand pounds as a fine? How many innocent and worthy men are there, whom the defence of the accufations against us * would have compleatly ruined! Gold may be bought

too

*The expence and trouble attending the profecutions in which I have been involved, form a part only of the injuries which I have sustained for venturing to be a friend to the rights of the people. The proofs I have of the infidious and fyftematic, though unfuspected, attacks upon my character and credit as a merchant, both at home and abroad, by those who expected, and perhaps wishede that I fhould be overwhelmed by the profecutions against me, are numerous. But were I to purfue the offenders by legal means, my whole life would be spent in litigation.

There are, indeed, fome individuals, whofe generous and decided conduct on the occafion of this trial has made an impreffion upon my mind, which will never be erafed; but the general treatment I have experienced has been fuch as I have stated. On other occafions, befides the present trial, the course of justice has been obftructed, on account of my real or fuppofed political principles.

too dear, and fo may juftice: I fhould be glad to obtain it, but I cannot afford it.

Such are the facts, which I have thought it right to submit to the confideration of the public. The reader will draw his own conclusions from this narrative. My own experience has perfectly convinced me,

ift, That of all the corporations (the privileged orders) of this kingdom, the CLERGY are the most fore upon the fubject of reformation. The political corporations, in general, feem to confefs, that they might poffibly bear fome flight excifion by the hand of a dexterous but delicate operator; but the Clergy, cling with the utmost pertinacity to the whole and every (even the minuteft) part of their fyftem: it is a " noli me tangere ;" it will bear no reform: they seem decidedly convinced, that it would die under the operation of amendment. I believe the borough of Old Sarum will be much fooner given up than the Athanafian Creed.

2dly, The ancient confervators of the peace were elected by the people. These have been fuperfeded by Juftices of the Peace nominated by the influence of the Crown. Next to the Clergy (very many of whom are also Justices) this set of men have been the most active against political difcuffion and reformation, and the most prominent and obfequious agents of

I do not quite understand upon what authority letters, fuch as the following, were unfolicitedly fent by the Under-Sheriff to fome of the Jurors fummoned upon our trial for a confpiracy:

"SIR,

"The Sheriff will excufe your attendance on the Jury at the next "Affizes.

"Your obedient fervant,

"JOHN PILKINGTON.”

« Preston, 24th March, 1794.”

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