or baffling their dangerous designs. The
message stated that seditious practices had been carried on by societies
in London in correspondence with other societies, for the purpose of
assembling a convention to represent the people, in defiance of and
in opposition to parliament, and on principles subversive of our
constitution, and calculated to introduce anarchy similar to that in
France; that the papers of these societies had been seized, and would be
laid before parliament; and that his majesty recommended them carefully
to examine these papers, and to adopt such measures as might appear
necessary. These papers were produced on the next day, and Pitt moved
an address of thanks to the king, and proposed that the papers should
be referred to a committee of secrecy, consisting of twenty-one persons,
who should be chosen by ballot. This was agreed to, and on the 16th of
May Pitt produced the report of this committee of secrecy. This report
did not reveal anything very mysterious, for it merely contained the
report of the two London societies from the year 1731, most of which
had been already published, by the societies themselves, in the public
papers. Yet Pitt, on the strength of this report, demanded the immediate
suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, as necessary to the salvation of
the country. In this demand he was supported by Burke, who said that
it was the best means of preventing the vast and imminent dangers with
which we were menaced; and by Windham, who observed that if these evils
could not be averted by the laws in being, other laws, more stringent,
must be framed. The bill was carried, through all its stages, by
overwhelming majorities, and it also passed the lords, though not
without a strong-protest from the Duke of Bedford, and the Earls
Stanhope, Lauderdale, and Albemarle. An address was moved in the upper
house, on the 13th of June, by Lord Grenville, to assure the king of
their lordships' loyalty and determination to punish the participators
in the conspiracy which had been laid before them, and to invest his
majesty, if needful, with additional power for the suppression of
attempts against government. This was warmly opposed by Lord Lauderdale;
but the address was carried, and sent to the commons for their
approval. Fox--after endeavouring to show that there was no ground for
apprehension; that though seditious language might have been uttered,
it would be imprudent to notice it;--moved to omit that pa