a seller of seditious pamphlets
in the Little Turnstile, Holborn, and at that of Shelmerdine, a small
tradesman of Southwark; the arms in the last case were bought from
Williams, of the Tower, with a sum of L10 contributed by "a desperate
tailor of China Walk, Lambeth."[319] Did patriotism or private spite or
greed of money incite these reports? Drawings of pikes and spear-heads
also diversified the report of the Secret Committee of the Lords
appointed to investigate seditious proceedings, and probably convinced
lovers of realism that plots actually existed.

More alarming in reality were the preparations for a General Convention
of the People. The authorities knew that plans were actually on foot for
sending delegates to form such a body. On 27th March 1794 the London
Corresponding Society consulted the sister club on this question; and in
due course delegates from the two Societies passed resolutions in favour
of the scheme. Hardy thereupon sent a printed letter round to similar
bodies, probably early in the month of April 1794. It ran thus:

Notwithstanding the unparalleled audacity of a corrupt and
overbearing faction which at present tramples on the rights and
liberties of our people, our meetings cannot, in England, be
interrupted without the previous adoption of a Convention
Bill[320]--a measure it is our duty to anticipate.... Let us
then form another British Convention. We have a central
situation in our view, which we believe would be most convenient
for the whole island, but which we forbear to mention ... till
we have the answers of the Societies with which we are in
correspondence. Let us have your answer, then, by the 20th at
farthest, earlier if possible, whether you approve of the
measure and how many delegates you can send, with the number
also, if possible, of your Societies.

PS. We have appointed a Secret Committee on this. Will you do
the same?[321]

In order to further the scheme, the London Corresponding Society held a
meeting on 14th April at Chalk Farm, when an ardent appeal was read from
Hardy to resist the encroachments on liberty recently made by "apostate
reformers"--a fling at Pitt. "Are they alone," he asked, "to judge of
the fit time for Reform?" The meeting then thanked Earl Stanhope for his
manly and successful opposition to the attempt to bring Hanoverian and
Hessian troops into England; it also condemned the late rapid a