The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 96: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

74 THE COURT OF LONDON in the presence of certain of his Majesty’s civil authorities © engaged in examining into all these and other sundry and divers charges; and whereas it was established by evidence that the said Timothy Meagles and James Melmoth were notoriously disaffected, seditious, wickedly disposed, and riotous persons, not having the fear of God before their eyes, but instigated by the devil; and whereas the political guarantees commonly known as the habeas corpus act were at this time suspended in order that powers might be in- vested in the hands of his Majesty’s government to repress sedition and maintain peace and order within these realms; therefore the undersigned, his Majesty’s attorney-general and his Majesty’s chief magistrate of the police, did thereby recommend that the aforesaid Timothy Meagles and James Melmoth should be summarily dealt with as disorderly char- acters and evil-disposed persons, etc. This precious document, having been duly drawn up and signed, was attested by the under-secretary and forthwith despatched to the Foreign Office where the Cabinet Council was sitting, in order that it might receive the signature of the secretary of state. Extreme promptitude characterized the whole proceedings; and when the document was re- turned in the space of ten minutes with the name of the home minister attached to it, the under-secretary at once directed that Meagles and Melmoth should be deported from the country without delay. Vainly did the prisoners remonstrate against this tyranni- eal conduct, vainly did they demand to be heard in explana- tion of the transaction which had led to their arrest, and with equal fruitlessness did they request to be regularly committed for trial. Stern and inexorable negatives were the only response they could elicit; for the suspension of the habeas corpus act gave the government illimitable powers, and those powers were not likely to be used either leniently or humanely by the Ministers of that accursed tyrant, George III. | It was scarcely dusk in the evening of this memorable day when Tim Meagles and James Melmoth were thrust, hand- cuffed and carefully guarded, into a post-chaise which re- ceived them at the door of the Home Office. The only indulgence they could obtain was a promise that on their arrival at Woolwich, which was the immediate place of their Conniclooe re) S CO)