Q. You are a partner with Mr. Walker's brother-in-law, and being present at their assemblies, you did not know what they assembled for?

A. I assembled there to meet the Constitutional Society, and their objects were the same I should suppose.

Mr. George Wakefield.

Re-examined by Mr. Serjeant Cockell.

2. Although you was not a member of the Reformation Society, but of the Constitutional Society, did you ever when the Reformation Society was there, hear or see any person exercising themselves in arms?

A. Never.

George Clark (sworn).

Examined by Mr. Chambre.

Q. You are a member of the society called the Reformation Society at Manchester?

A. Yes.

Q. When did you become a member of that society? A. About Easter 1792.

Q. When was the society instituted?

A. Either in Easter week, or about a week before, and I was a member about the second or third meeting.

2. How often did you meet?

A. I was a very constant attendant.

2. At what periods did

you meet?

A. We had weekly meetings.

Q. Did you continue a pretty constant attending mem

ber during the whole time of the existence of that society ?

A. I did.

Q. Where did you meet when you first became à member?

A. At the Old Boar's-head.

2. Did you remove from that place?

A. Yes, to John Stacey's.

Q. What was the occasion of your removing to John Stacey's.

A. In consequence of an advertisement published by the publicans, we removed to John Stacey's.

Q. Do you know about what time it was you went to John Stacey's?

A. I cannot tell.

A. Did you continue at John Stacey's?

A. Not long.

2. Where

Q. Where did you go next?

A. To the house of William Gorse in Newton-street. Q. Is that a private or a public house?

A. A private house.

2. You know Mr. Walker, Mr. Collier, and Mr. Paul? A. I do.

Q. Do you know whether they at any time received any invitation to attend the meeting of your society?

A. I cannot say I do.

Q. When did you first see them present at your society? A. I never saw them before the 10th of December at Gorse's.

2. What did you understand them to be?

A. Members of the Constitutional Society; I believe Mr. Cheetham was there but I am not confident, the other three were there at that time.

Q. Do you know what was the subject of the deliberation of that particular meeting?

A. The particular subject of that meeting was, there was a public meeting called at the Bull's-head the day following, to address his Majesty upon his second proclamation; à motion was made whether we should attend that meeting at the Bull's-head or not; it was unanimously negatived.

Q. Did Mr. Walker take any part or assign any reason? A. Mr. Walker and Mr. Paul spoke against attending that meeting, and assigned their reasons.

Mr. Law. Does any of our evidence let in this? we have given no evidence, but of meetings in Mr. Walker's house; they are giving evidence of meetings at another place, probably for other purposes.

Mr. Erskine. I should have thought this too plain for argument. If my friend insists upon his objection, we must be heard upon it; the offence imputed to Mr. Walker is, that a few days after the 11th of December, the witness, Dunn, found him haranguing the Reformation Society in the seditious manner stated by the witness, speaking of the King in the manner he has deposed to, and men exercising with arms in his presence. Is it not evidence, to shew that this very Reformation Society was instituted for other purposes than those imputed to it, and that there was no man who had been so counselled or received any such in. \structions?

Mr. Justice Heath. I think it is not evidence what they did three days before, because a man may express his loyalty in one meeting, and if he has bad intentions he may go and act traitorously in another; I do not say that these defendants did, I only say this to shew that it is not evidence.

Mr.

Mr. Erskine. Though we cannot prove what Mr. Walker said at this meeting, for the reason your Lordship has been pleased to assign, yet may we not be permitted to prove that this Reformation Society, within the knowledge of the witness, three days before that time, had no such objects?

Mr. Justice Heath. I do not care what object they had in meeting, people may meet very innocently, and proceed to criminal acts afterwards.

Mr. Chambre. Was that meeting of the 10th of December the last meeting you had in the house of Gorse?

A. Yes.

2 What were the general purposes of the institution of that society?

Mr. Law. A question couched in words so general, I conceive cannot be put to a witness, they may examine as to facts, as to what was done and said, what measures were adopted by the people there-the purposes and objects are matters of the heart.

Mr. Justice Heath. I think they may shew what is the declared purpose when people meet together.

Mr. Erskine. We are going to every meeting where Dunn was, to shew that no such purposes as he states either were the avowed or the expressed objects.

Mr. Justice Heath. Take it up when Dunn came.

1

Mr. Erskine. If he had stated the particular day on which he was at any meeting, we should not have troubled your Lordship with any other evidence.

Mr. Justice Heath. You fixed it by the day after the attack upon Mr. Walker's house.

Mr. Chambre. The 10th of December you say was the last meeting you had at Gorse's house; where did you remove to when you left Gorse's house?

A. To Mr. Walker's warehouse.

Q. How did that happen, and what was the occasion of that removal?

A. Some person expressed a wish in the Reformation Society

Mr. Law. That I object to you removed the society? Mr. Chambre. Was Mr. Walker applied to?

A. Some person said —

Mr. Law. Go to the first meeting at Mr. Walker's.

Q. When did you first meet at Mr. Walker's?

A. On the 11th of December.

Q. And from that time, as long as the society existed,

you continued to attend the meetings?

A. I continued attending the meetings till the 25th of March, with very great strictness.

Mr. Erskine. That comprehends the whole time that Dunn speaks to.

I

Q. After

1

Q. After the 25th of March did you attend?

A. I attended a few times after that, but cannot tell how

many.

2. But with great regularity till the 25th of March? A. Yes.

Q. How long did you use to attend at a time, as near as you can recollect?

A. It was the general rule to meet at seven, and the business of the meeting to begin at half past ; I was scarcely ever out of the meetings at the time the business began.

Q. And did you stay till the conclusion, or near the

conclusion?

A. I never, to my knowledge, went away before the conclusion of the meeting.

Q. What were the avowed purposes of this meeting? A. To obtain a reform in parliament.

Q. Now during all this period of your attendance there, did you ever hear Mr. Walker or any of the defendants in this indictment, propose any other than peaceable means of reform?

A. No, I never did.

Q. Did you ever hear them make use of any expressions that had in your judgment any tendency to excite any body to acts of rebellion?

A. No, I did not.

Q. Was any mention made of an expected invasion of the French, and of any attempts to assist them in that invasion?

A. No, there was not.

Q. Did you ever hear any thing like it proposed at any

time?

4. No, I never did.

Q. Had that been the subject of your deliberations, or had such expressions been used by Mr. Walker, or any of the persons there-do you think you must not have heard them, and must not have remembered them?

A. I am certain any thing of that sort could not have happened without my observation, I attended so strictly. Q. Upon the 11th of December the riot happened, I believe?

A. It did.

2. Was you in Mr. Walker's house at that time?

A. I was.

Q. What happened on the night of the 11th?

A. About half past six o'clock I went from my house into the town; when I got into the market-place, I saw several people throwing stones at the windows and doors

of

of Messrs. Falkner and Birch's* shop in the Market-place; I went as soon as I saw what was going on there, to Mr. Walker's, and I was there till the rioters approached his house; when they first approached it, I was up stairs in the warehouse; I very well recollect there came somebody up and told Mr. Walker the rioters were before his house, and I well recollect he went down, but he was not long before he came up again, and said, they had only broke a few panes of the windows and were gone off again.

Q. Did any mischief happen that night, the 11th?

A. They attacked the house four different times; I was up in the warehouse while it was attacked three times, before I went down; but the fourth time I was in the house when it was attacked; it was attacked with very great violence.

Q. On that night were there any arms in the house that were used for resisting this mob?

A. I saw no arms in the house, only a couple of blunderbusses, and I think I recollect something of a pistol, that was all I saw.

2. Do you know whether any attempt was made on that night to obtain assistance from the civil power, from the magistrates; were you present at any requisition of that sort ? A. I was not..

Q. After the riot, to the 25th of March, did you attend the meetings at Mr. Walker's?

A. Yes.

2. Did you see at any times any arms used at Mr. Walker's house for any other purpose than to protect the house? A. No, I never did.

Q. When did you see any arms there used for that purpose?

A. I never saw any arms but upon the 11th of December. Q. Was there at any time, to your knowledge, any men exercised or instructed in the use of arms?

A. No, there never were.

Q. Could such a thing possibly have existed at any of the meetings, without your knowledge?

A. No, it was impossible it should exist without my knowledge??

Q. Do you know what the arms were that Mr. Walker had in his house?

4. I never saw any fire arms, except these blunderbusses, and some swivels.

Q. I

* Messrs. Falkner and Birch were stationers in Manchester, and the sole proprietors and publishers of the Manchester Herald.