ms believed to be collected for unlawful purposes,
and also to apprehend and detain persons so carrying arms. All these
bills met with stern opposition, except that for the prevention of
secret military training. A clause in the act concerning blasphemous and
seditious libels, which decreed the punishment of transportation on
a second conviction was withdrawn in the commons, but the penalty of
banishment, hitherto unknown in England, was enacted in its stead. The
seditious meeting bill was also subjected to a modification, by
which all meetings held in a room or building were exempted from its
operations. Several alterations, moreover, were admitted into that which
subjected small publications to the newspaper stamp duty.

MOTION FOR INQUIRY INTO THE STATE OF THE NATION.

After passing the celebrated "six acts," the Marquess of Lansdowne moved
for a select committee to inquire into the state of the nation, and
especially in those districts where distress and radicalism prevailed.
His lordship said that the principle called radicalism existed in
exactly the same proportion as that of distress in the respective
districts; and that he had a right to infer this from the agricultural
part of the country being yet untainted, and from the spirit of the
principle having reached its height in the manufacturing districts both
of England and Scotland. The distress, he thought, arose from the long
war, which gave us the carrying trade of the world, and which created
a fixed capital, which still existed, and filled the markets, while
no vent could be found for their produce. It was also increased,
he thought, by the poor laws, the paper currency, and the spirit of
speculation. Two propositions were enforced by his lordship on the house
for the alleviation of the distress: namely, to rescind the duties on
articles which had decreased in various districts, as tea &c.; and the
establishment of favourable commercial treaties, which government had
not yet succeeded in accomplishing. The Marquess Wellesley deprecated
all such inquiries, as did other noble lords, and the motion was
negatived by a large majority.

{GEORGE III. 1818--1820}

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

Although the time appeared very unfavourable for a discussion on
reform, yet Lord John Russell called the attention of the commons to
the unrepresented towns, many of which had risen into great commercial
wealth and importance, while certain boroughs which sent repr