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houses or wine-vaults) where such as are willing to sacrifice their sensual enjoyment for the benefit of their suffering country, may enrol their names, which enrolments should be preserved and transmitted to posterity as so many proofs of the independent spirit which animated their forefathers in times when traitors and military despots threatened destruction to the liberties of Europe. Spirits, tobacco, porter, and tea, produce an immense revenue; three of these may be given up without inconvenience, and as to the fourth, tea, it is an article for which a substitute may easily be procured as wholesome and which custom would soon render as palatable as the produce of China. We likewise imagine that public Meetings for entering into these resolutions would be attended with a beneficial effect, as much as it would prove to ministers that the people were ready to make any sacrifices to hurl them from their ill-used authority. We have at present under cousideration whether the people would be justifiable in barring their doors against the taxgatherers, and resisting any attempt made to distrain their goods and valuables, vi et armis, which in a future number we will lay before our readers. The ministry are using every possible means to exasperate you to violence, that they may have an excuse to suspend for ever the charter upon which your liberties are founded! An armed force is ordered to march through the centre of the meeting at Southwark, which it is obvious could be done for no other purpose; We entreat of you, however, not to commit any violence that could favor their views, for as you are not sufficiently organized, defeat and slavery would be the result. We have already pledged ourselves to point out the moment when such a step will be sanctioned by prudence as well as justice; but in the interim think it necessary to attempt all peaceable methods of recovering our rights and liberties. There is an evident want of co-operation amongst the Reformers, or meetings would be appointed to assemble on the same day throughout the Kingdom! Recent occurrences also prove that they should assemble" armed at all points" for defence or to punish an attempted aggression. Such meetings may awaken the prince to a sense of his danger, and his duty, and convince him that the people will not be murdered with impunity, nor suffer themselves any longer to be plundered, to support him and the myrmidons attendant on his pleasure (who have waded through the blood of their fellow creatures to gain his royal approbation) rioting in the lap of luxury and profusion. Whether our countrymen will take the foregoing hints we know not, but nevertheless conscious of integrity we shall continue to do our duty at every hazard.

INHUMAN AND BRUTAL CONDUCT OF THE
LANCASHIRE AUTHORITIES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CAP OF LIBERTY.
SIR,

I write this under the greatest agitation of mind, in consequence of another most gross violation of all those feelings which are held sacred among men. Would you believe, base and unprincipled as you know the supporters of the present system to be, that this very day at Rochdale, a man has been arrested, (an inhabitant of Crompton) on the charge of a rascally fellow at Rochdale, who I verily believe does not know him, who states that he had seen him in military training, on Tandall hills? Would you believe that the wife of this suffering individual is now (oh! horrid!) Iying dead in the house? That he was gone to Rochdale on business connected with her funeral! that he accidentally fell in with two persons from Royton, gone to Rochdale after a man of the name of Grindrod, who was seized last night by the military, charged with being active in the recent training, &c. that these persons requested and prevailed on him to offer himself as bail along with them for Grindrod; that on his so doing, a ruffianly looking wretch preferred the accusation against him before alluded to, and mark, this man thus labouring under the greatest domestic misfortune, with a family of several small children, which he has hitherto maintained in decency by hard labour; a man against whom nothing of an unlawful nature can, I am sure, be substantiated; a man whose whole time is strictly devoted to his domestic duties, was thus afflictingly situated when taken into custody by command of the magistrates!! Good God! as Sir Francis Burdett says, "is this England," no it is not England-England gives freedom to the slave, while this country now imposes the most galling slavery on the free man; let us no longer greet it as England, but give it its proper designation, "the land of Slaves and Despots;" or if not satisfied with that appellation, let us endeavour to make it what it once was, and what it ought to be, the Land of Freedom.

It may not be improper to remark, that a young man from Royton, was also arrested along with the man from Crompton, at Rochdale, who, I believe is completely innocent of the charge preferred against him, and who had gone to Rochdale on his own business. How long are these practices to be tolerated? I hope not long. Your's &c. WILLIAM FITTON,

Royton, September 23, 1819.

ADJOURNED INQUEST AT OLDHAM,

At a time when magistrates are breaking through every law which it is their duty to enforce, and openly instigating a set of ferocious barbarians to the crime of murder. At such a time it is grateful to the heart possessed of honour, patriotism, and humanity, to view the reverse in the conduct of Mr. Farrand in his public capacity as Coroner. We were led to entertain very different ideas of this gentleman's probity, from the impudent and ignorant assertions of his clerk, Mr. Batty, which we are happy to say have not the smallest foundation. On Mr. Farrand's entering the court, and as soon as the Jury were sworn in, he declared that he would not in this instance depart from the ordinary rules which he had observed upon similar occasions previously; that the court was open to every body, and that any gentleman that chose might take notes of the proceedings. There is something manly in this line of conduct, and widely different from the inquisitorial imbecility of Messrs. Milne and Batty. These latter gentlemen judging by themselves, imagined that honesty and office under the present system were incompatible, and in nine instances out of ten we believe that they are right. Mr. Farrand however is a noble exception, although perhaps his integrity would not appear so very forcibly, but for the despicable Hottentots in authority, by whom he is surrounded. We will not conclude this subject until the arrival of the result of the Inquest, but in the mean time would recommend a meeting to be called by the theological or deistical Reformers, to pass a vote of thanks to the Reverend Mr. Ethelstone, for so materially conducing towards bringing the established Church of England into contempt by his virulent, his biassed, his abusive, his any thing but religious conduct as one of the Magistrates of Manchester. What is to be thought of a clergyman who in the magisterial capacity, uses such language as the following to a person who was brought before him (we believe for wearing a white hat) "I have no doubt but that you are a down right reforming rascal, and will yet come to be hanged with many more of your class the rope is placed about your necks already, you set of vagabonds."-and such like gentlemanly expressions. A few more specimens of such conduct as that of Mr. Ethelstone will do more towards subverting the religion of Christ than all that deistical writers could do in six months.

The Inquest at Oldham is still unfinished, and when it was adjourned on Saturday, Mr. Harmer declared that he bad fifty witnesses more to examine, consequently it may

not terminate before this day. From what is before us of the evidence, we should be inclined to imagine that the verdict of the Jury will be wilful murder, but whether the murderers can be identified must depend upon the witnesses to be examined, for nothing has as yet transpired which can lead us to a knowledge of the inhuman miscreants. Much depends upon the result of this inquest, and therefore we view its proceedings with peculiar anxiety. Indeed the only hope of redress to the sufferers, nay-the only hope of confounding the lying fabrications and assertions of the Courier and the advisers of the Prince Regent, will depend in a great measure upon the verdict of this (we hope) impartial Jury. If a verdict of wilful murder be registered against some of the Yeomanry of Manchester, how must the Prince blush for the unmerited insults he has lavished upon the Court of Common Council of the City of London. He will have but one method of repairing his error, and that is by instantly discharging those advisers from their official situations, who have withheld from his knowledge. the perilous tenure upon which he held the sovereign authority. In the next place he must seek to conciliate the good-will of his subjects by curtailing the enormous expences of the Civil List, by causing a more effectual and speedier distribution of justice in every court of law throughout the kingdom, and in short by shewing a steady resolu tion to be more careful of the public money, and more cautious of applying to their pockets for unreasonable sums for still more unreasonable purposes. It is to be hoped that he may be awakened to a sense of his danger ere it be too late for repentance or reformation.

REFORMERS READING ROOM.

TO THE EDItor of the CAP OF LIBERTY, 、
Sir,

I wish through the medium of your highly valuable and widely circulated Patriotic Publication, to express my decided approbation of "the Manchester Reformers' (intended) News Room, the thing, if well conducted, will certainly be productive of much benefit to the Good Cause,

Permit me, Mr. Editor, to propose a " Country Reformers' News Room and Eating House," at which might be taken in a few weekly papers, such as the Manchester Observer, the Leeds Mercury, the Liverpool Mercury, the British Gazette, the Irishman, the Scotsman, or such others as may

be more approved. To the information contained in the weekly papers, might be added the whole of that which is published in the various political Tracts, and perhaps the country people might be indulged with a sight of the London Papers, when they have been two days upon the Tables of the "Manchester Reformers' News Room." A moderate sized House, in a proper situation, furnished in a homely way with chairs, tables, gridiron, pans, &c. for the weavers and others from the country, or town either, to cook their herring, black pudding, bacon collop, &c. would be quite sufficient. During the winter seasou very good fires should be kept.-The Proprietor might call it "The Cap of Liberty" "Country Reformer's News Room and Cooking House," "Liberty Hall," or give it any other appellation they may like better. In my opinion two pence a time calling, paid by each person, would be sufficient to maintain the above, for which, besides the benefit of seeing and hearing the news, enjoying a warm fire, and liberty for to cook for themselves, the Reformers might have a pint of ginger beer or treacle beer.

They might wait an hour or two for work, &c. without being put to much expense; and by such accommodation they would ensure their health, improve their minds, enrich their pockets, reduce the Revenue, and have the pleasure of meeting friends of Reform from all part of the country, by which means they would gain much local information, and strengthen each other in the principles, which will and must ultimately save the British Empire from the galling chains of slavery-the despots are now employed in fitting them on -the sound of their hammers is already heard in clenching the rivets-John Bull must rouse and shake himself or the next generation will be slaves.

The above is only a memento for some of your abler correspondents to enlarge upon, if the idea strikes them as worthy of notice.

I am, Mr. Editor,

Your's respectfully,

Pendleton, September 22, 1819.

J. BRITTON.

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