"The Ministerial Writers have reduced all they have to blame in "the Secession of Opposition to the following simple and consistent "proposition: The Opposition have done great mischief by resist"ing the plan, origin, and conduct, of the present War, and by "thwarting the Ministry in their schemes of finance.-Ergo "They ought to return, and do more mischief." Morning Chronicle, November 22.

The proposition is no such thing. It is asserted (if the Writer pleases) that the Opposition have laboured to do mischief. It is contended also, that they owe a duty to their Constituents and to their Country, which makes their systematic absence from Parliament highly culpable, Do these propositions in any way contradict each other? Yes, says this able Paragraphist, for Opposition could return only to do more mischief. Perhaps so; but are we bound to have known this before it was avowed? had hopes that they might not only return, but return with an intention of doing good. This the Writer before us seems to think would be very simple. We do not think so, though we may perhaps agree with him that it would not be very consistent.

We

Ir is rather singular that Lord MOIRA, who is an Irish Peer, should think it fitting or useful to state in the English House of Lords, what he chuses to call acts of oppression which the People of Ireland have suffered under the Irish Government. He supposes, probably, that however incorrect or exaggerated any of his representations may be, it is not likely in that place that any person can be sufficiently informed of the real circumstances, to expose such statements, or, if totally groundless, to contradict them. Had he thought proper to state the same in the Irish Parliament, he would have asserted them before men informed as to the particular facts

6

to which he might have alluded, and who had the means of redressing any real grievances, if he could prove any

to exist.

"With regard to what happened at the Meetings upon the Militia "Law (in Scotland) you must be aware of it. I allude to the "Proceedings at Tranent. I am well assured that the accounts " which appeared in the Newspapers concerning that affair, were "very mitigated and below the mark. But they contain enough *to excite your horror."-Mr. Fox's Speech at the Shakspeare Tavern, Tuesday, October 10, 1797, as reported in the Morning Chronicle of the following day.

NARRATIVE OF THE RIOT AT TRANENT.

A Correspondent in Scotland has favoured us with the following Copy of the Narrative of the Affair at Tranent, as transmitted by the MAGISTRATES there assembled, to the LORD LIEUTENANT of the County.

LETTER TO THE MARQUIS OF TWEEDALE FROM THE DEPUTY LIEUTENANTS.

"MY LORD,

"THE unfortunate circumstances which attended the District Meeting held on the 29th of August at Tranent, for carrying into execution the Act of Parliament regarding the Militia, having given rise to a variety of false. statements and injurious reflections; we think it our duty to submit to your Lordship as concise an account as possible of what passed on that occasion.

"Previous to the day of meeting, we had learnt by general reports, and by particular information, that efforts were using to stir up the People of the District forcibly

to

.

to oppose the execution of the Militia Act. We had hoped to be able to carry on this business by employing some respectable persons to act as Constables, and had applied to a considerable number to attend accordingly. The day preceding the Meeting, the reports grew more alarming, and intelligence was received from a variety of channels, that messages were passing from Parish to Parish, and Colliery to Colliery, summoning the People to appear at Tranent, and threatening destruction and burning to those who might fail to attend. On the evening of Monday the 28th of August, intelligence which could be relied on was brought down to St. Germains, stating that two or three hundred persons from the neighbouring Parishes were come to Tranent, and were going up and down the streets with a drum, and with kettles as drums, stirring up the people to riot; that they had threatened the life of the Schoolmaster, + and proposed to go down to St. Germains. On this Mr. ANDERSON and Mr. CADDEL thought it adviseable to send a Letter to the Commanding Officer at Haddington, requesting him to send such a force as he could spare to St. Germains. In the course of the night they learnt that the mob had actually et out towards St. Germains, but instead of going there, went to the Villages of Meadow-hill, Seton, Cockenzie, and Prestonpans, beating a drum, and calling out "No Militia," and requiring all who wished to oppose it to appear at Tranent next morning. Between three and four in the morning of Tuesday the 29th of August, Captain FINLAY arrived at St. Germains with about twenty-two

Mr. ANDERSON'S Seat.

+ Schoolmaster is an interior Magistrate, whose business it was to prepare the Lists.

of

of the Cinque-Ports Regiments, and brought an order to Mr. ANDERSON from your Lordship to collect his Troop of Yeomanry Cavalry, as you understood there was to be a great crowd assembled at Tranent: this was accordingly done, and twenty-two of them were collected in the morning.

"The other Deputy Lieutenants arrived at St. Germains early in the morning, and the Schoolmaster of Tranent also appeared, and reported that a number of the Rioters had attacked his house, and taken the Lists and the Parish Registers; but he pointed out where a Copy of his List could be obtained, declaring however that he could not himself attend, as his life was threatened and in danger.

"On consulting together, we were of opinion that the force which we had prepared might be insufficient to deter the populace from attempting to disturb and break up the Meeting. Two of our number, therefore, addressed a Letter to Sir JAMES STEWART, the Commanding Officer at Musselburgh, requesting that a detachment of one or two Troops of Cavalry might be sent to meet us at Tranent at twelve o'clock. Colonel WEMYSS, who had the occasional Command, in consequence sent two Troops of the Pembrokeshire Cavalry, which arrived at Tranent soon after we had assembled.

"About eleven o'clock we proceeded from St. Germains to Tranent, escorted by the Cinque-Ports Cavalry, and the Yeomanry as before mentioned. After entering the town, and as we approached to the junction with the Post-road, we found ourselves surrounded by crowds of people, chiefly women, who were extremely clamourous, and threatened the Deputy Lieutenants in general, mentioning some of us by name; and amongst other expres

sions of a like nature, it was said that we should not leave the town alive, and that they would have our hearts' blood before an hour was over. About the same time a drum was beat by some of the populace. On alighting at the door of the house appointed for our Meeting, Mr. GRAY and Mr. CADDEL, two of our Members, who happened to be last, were pushed about and otherwise insulted.

"We then stationed some persons as Constables to preserve Peace at the door of the house appointed for the Meeting, and the Commanding Offier, at our request, posted the Military at a considerable distance at the end of the Village, with directions to advance to protect us, in case the populace attempted to disturb the Meeting by breaking into the house.

' Having taken these precautions, we commenced our business, and having settled as a mode of procedure, to receive the Appeals of Parishes separately, and having fixed on Salton for the first, intimation thereof was given to the people by Major WIGHT, one of our number, from the window. That Gentleman, whilst doing this, was requested by the crowd in the street to come down among them, and state what he had to inform them of. He accordingly went down, and gave the necessary information; but the common cry of the people was, that they would have "No Militia." A man said to him, that the people had a proposition to make to the Gentlemen, and on being desired to mention it, he said, that if the Gentlemen, meaning the Deputy Lieutenants, would consent that there should be no Militia, that then there would be an agreement. The Major answered, that no proposition of the kind would be listened to; when the man replied, that there must be no Militia that none had ever been in

Scotland;