probably (if enough can be found) strip them of a great part of their Goods::—as their imprisonment already renders some of their numerous families dependent on the charity of their friends, for that support which the labour of the husbands was wont to procure."

A. D. Friends through their Meeting for Sufferings petition the 1 796. House of Commons, on the subject of their Sufferings, by suits on account of Tithes and other Ecclesiastical claims. A Bill intended for their relief is rejected by the Lords. Meeting for Sufferings. Second Month 5th 1796. This Meeting, apprehending that the time is nearly approaching, in which it may be proper to lay the state of our Sufferings respecting Tithes, and other Ecclesiastical demands, before the Legislature; desires the following Friends to prepare a memorial thereon, for the approbation of another meeting;-George Dillwyn, George Stacey, James Phillips, George Harrison, Joseph G. Bevan and John Lloyd, to meet at the close of this Meeting.'

"Second Month 26th, 1796. The Friends appointed brought in the draft of a Petition to the House of Commons, on the subject of our Sufferings respecting Tithes, and other Ecclesiastical demands; which was read, and is to be further considered at the next adjournment."

“Third Month 1st. Petition to the House of Commons.

"The Committee appointed, produced a fair transcript of the Petition to the House of Commons; which was again read, and signed in this Meeting by 38 Friends and is as follows.

"To the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled,

"The Petition of the Society of the people called Quakers, respectfully sheweth, "That your Petitioners think it right to represent to the House the suffering situation to which they are subjected, both in person and property, by the conscientious scruple that it is well known they entertain against the payment of Tithes, and other Ecclesiastical demands.

"The Property, the Domestic comfort, andthe Personal liberty of your Petitioners are liable to be affected and interrupted, by the prosecution of claims upon them for Tithes &c. more especially in either the Ecclesiastical or Exchequer Court: that, they trust, they shall not now be deemed importunate in referring their Case to the House; seeing that so long a time has elapsed since your Petitioners have made any application on the subject.

"Your Petitioners cannot ascribe to the Legislature a disposition to place them and their posterity in a state of suffering, on account of a religious scruple which they can neither evade, nor desert, without violating their integrity; yet such is the effect of the Law: as is painfully manifested in sundry instances, particularly in the deplorable Case of seven of their Brethren, now Prisoners in the Gaol at York; and without any present prospect of release, though convicted of no Crime, except it be a Crime scrupulously to adhere to what they conceive to be the plain Precepts of Christ, respecting the ministry of the Gospel: Your Petitioners therefore earnestly request, that the House will bestow a serious consideration on their Case, and grant such relief as may appear proper.

66

Signed in their Meeting for Sufferings, held in London the 1st day of the 3rd Month 1796.-Jno. Townsend, Wm. Allen, Jno. Eliot, Geo. Dillwyn, Robt. Howard, Wm. Storrs Fry, Rich. Chester, Geo. Stacey, Jas. Phillips, Jos. Savory, Thomas Sturge, Jno. Lloyd, Wm. Forster, Jno. Bevans, Geo. Harrison, Jno. Pim, jun. Josiah Messer, Fred. Smith, Sparkes Moline, Thomas Crowley, John Townsend, jun., Ben. Simkin, Thomas B. Smith, John Sanderson, Ben. Lucas, Simon Bailey, Joseph Taylor, Thomas Compton, Tho. Pace, Chas. Lloyd, Joseph Smith, Dan. Weedon, Jasper Capper, Tho. Willis, Jno. Row, John Allen, Wm. Darton, Jonathan Barber.'

"It is referred to the Parliamentary Committee to get the same presented to the House, and further the purpose thereof. James Phillips and John Lloyd are now added-to meet at the close of this Meeting."

"At a Special Meeting for Sufferings, held 23rd of 4th Month 1796: George Harrison from the Committee appointed to attend to Bills in Parliament, reports that our Petition to the House of Commons was presented by Serjeant Adair, on 5th day last who gave notice of his intention to make a motion thereon on Second day next. Richard Phillips is now added to the said Committee, who are desired to meet at the close of this Meeting."

:

"Sixth Month 4th. The Friends appointed to attend to Bills in Parliament brought in the following Report.

"At a Committee of the Meeting for Sufferings on Parliamentary business, the 17th of 5th Month 1796: present Wilson Birkbeck, Jos. Smith, Geo. Dillwyn, Geo. Stacey, Jno. Bevans, Rich. Phillips, Rich. Chester, James Phillips, Tho. Sturge, Ben. Simkins, Simon Bailey, Robt. Howard, Jno. Lloyd, and Joseph G. Bevan-Wilson Birkbeck reports that the Bill for the relief of Friends, as to the imprisonment of their persons for non-compliance with Tithes and other demands of a like nature, which had been passed by the House of Commons, has been lost in the House of Peers."

A. D.

The Institution for Friends' children at Ackworth is provided 1797. with a Library of useful books, at the expense of the Society.

This grant from the Yearly Meeting being followed by successive purchases under the direction of the Committees, and by a few donations from Individual Friends, the Collection at Ackworth has now arrived at a respectable magnitude. It contains about one thousand volumes, together with a few Philosophical Instruments, (not often used;) and furnishes the Teachers and the elder pupils with suitable reading, on subjects not treated in the ordinary publications of our Society.

"YEARLY MEETING, 1797. Charles Parker on behalf of the General Meeting for Ackworth School, having requested a Selection of books from those belonging to the Society for the Library of the said School-this Meeting agrees thereto, and desires the Meeting for Sufferings to furnish the said school, with such books as the said Meeting may think proper, either at the present, or any future time." A Rebellion in Ireland.

1798.

This sanguinary contest, in which there was much cruelty shewn on both sides, was decided in the course of the summer in favour of the Government. It involved Friends in that country in very critical circumstances: but they experi enced, in a remarkable degree, the protection of the Almighty, in their peaceable and humane endeavours to soften the atrocities and alleviate the miseries of the war. It is not to be forgotten that, on perceiving the storm to gather in the minds of the people, the members of our Society, at the instance of their Meetings for discipline, destroyed such fire-arms (or fowling-pieces convertible to that use) as they had in their keeping; thus anticipating the search of the hostile parties for arms, and escaping the midnight outrages attendant on such proceedings. I shall devote an article, in another place, to the notice of a work of Dr. Hancock's on the subject. Ed.

CHARLES ELCOCK, PRINTER, PONTEFRACT.

ART. I.-A Chronological Summary of events and circumstances connected with the origin and progress of the doctrine and practices of the Quakers.

A. D.

(Continued from p. 336.)

Henry Wormall, William Hartley, John Stansfield, John 1797. Wormall, Joseph Brown, and James Walton, imprisoned at York in 1795 on an Exchequer-suit for a demand of Small-tithes, are disharged in the Tenth Month of this Year, in consequence of the issuing of Warrants of distress for the demand and costs, upon their goods; which are taken to the value of about £500. "Meeting for Sufferings. Eleventh Month 3rd, 1797. Joseph Gurney Bevan reports that the Friends [who were] under confinement, were liberated at the adjourned Quarter Sessions at York, the 16th of last month."

Sequel of the Case: From the Books as before.

"After the commitment of the prisoners, it was thought advisable to make their case known, at least to such persons as were likely to be instrumental to their relief. An account of it was accordingly drawn up, varying little from the foregoing statement: and Copies were conveyed to several of the great Law-officers, and other persons in power; and it was afterwards printed, and given generally to the members of both Houses of Parliament. In the Sessions of Parliament following the commitment of the prisoners, and in the succeeding one, attempts were made by Serjeant Adair, to procure a Law to skreen Friends from imprisonment in similar cases; including a clause for the conditional liberation of the present prisoners. His first attempt received the sanc

tion of the Commons, but was rejected by the Peers: the second was rendered abortive by the Commons themselves. Between the times of these two attempts, one of the prisoners, viz. John Wilkinson, died in his confinement: and soon after John and Henry Wormall, the only survivors of those who had appeared in 1781 at the Quarter Sessions at Skipton, published a further declaration, that nothing had occurred at that time respecting a Modus, that could bar the Jurisdiction of the Bench; which Declaration was also verified by Henry Wickham, the only surviving Magistrate [of those] present at Skipton; and these Testimonies were added with considerable effect (as it is thought) to the next printed Edition of the Prisoners Case. Early in the Summer of 1797, after their imprisonment had lasted more than two years, the prisoners procured a written copy of their Case, with the declarations of the Wormalls and the Magistrate, and accompanied by a Petition for his interposition, to be put into the hands of the KING. Soon after this, the Prosecutor was informed by the Chancellor of the Diocese of York of this application to the King, and of the avowed intention of persons high in office to interest Parliament in favour of the Prisoners; in case the Prosecutor did not pursue such means as should procure their immediate release: which latter measure was strongly recommended to him. This address seems to have had no other effect on George Markham, than to induce him to endeavour to vindicate himself from the ill-fame which he perceived himself to have acquired; and this he did in a Pamphlet containing some gross (we would, if possible, hope inadvertent) misrepresentations of facts; and among other things a copy of the Chancellor's Letter: with some aspersions on the Society of Friends and those who had espoused their cause. [Replied to by Lindley Murray in the Prisoners' Defence.] "About this time, a Bill for the relief of Insolvent Debtors was pending in Parliament. In this a Clause was inserted, empowering the Justices of the West-Riding of Yorkshire to cause the Prisoners to be brought before them in Quarter Sessions; to levy upon their personal effects, and in default of those on their real property, the sums legally due to the Prosecutor for Tithe and Costs and on such appearance of the Prisoners, to liberate them from their confinement. The Bill, with this Clause, passed into an Act: and the Prisoners appearing at an adjourned Quarter Sessions, held the 16th of the 10th Month in the Castle at York, were accordingly discharged. Several Justices of the West-Riding, being then met to put into execution the Clause in the Insolvent Act, enquired into the state of the sufferers' effects; and desired the Deputy Clerk of the Peace to fill up Warrants, to empower their Prosecutor to distrain upon their several properties, for the exact amount of the sums respectively decreed to be due to him; with an equal proportion of the Costs granted by the said Decree.-This however was not immediately done: the Clerk of the Peace alleging, that it would require some time to digest the business with precision. It was therefore concluded, that two of the Magistrates should sign the Warrants on a future day.

"From this time to the middle of the 12th month, the Sufferers were in daily expectation of the Distraint; and about that time Thomas

Tindall, an Attorney in Skipton, Agent for George Markham, sent his Son and several Bailiffs to take possession of their effects, by virtue of a Warrant signed Bacon Frank, and B. Brooksbank; wherein was observed a considerable addition to the amount of the Debts and Costs, as awarded by the Court of Exchequer. The Sufferers, however, could not then discover the real cause; as the principal Bailiff told them he was positively forbid to suffer a copy of the Warrant to be taken by the parties, upon any account: and the Attorney also refused it, upon an application specially made to him, by some other persons. It being however discovered, by some of the Defendants to whom it was shewn, that there was an Erasure of several lines in the body of it, which had been inserted in order to grant power to the Prosecutor to apply the surplus, which he might seize from any of the Sufferers, to the deficiences of others; and the Bailiff confessing that this Erasure had been made by the Justices before they signed the Instrument, to the great displeasure of the Plaintiff, it was suspected that some collusion had taken place between him, or his Agents, and the Clerk of the Peace. This induced Friends to inform the Magistrates of the variation of the sums, &c. when they declared that they knew nothing of such additions, and immediately applied to their said Clerk for an explanation. The like application was also made to him by William Tuke, to whom he replied in the following terms.

"Wakefield, Dec. 24th 1797. On my arrival at home yesterday I found your Letter, as also one from Mr. Brooksbank upon the same subject; I have sent him a Copy of the Warrant, and below is a Statement of the money levied upon the Quakers.

Costs against do., as also J. Wilkinson who died
in Gaol, a General Detainer being lodged 183
against the whole

Subsequent Taxed Costs.

Clerk of the Peace,

2 0

"Your obedt. Servant, John Fogambe.' "After this the Magistrates met, at Ferrybridge, upon the occasion, and directed the Clerk of the Peace to attend them; but as he did not appear, they ordered him to require a suspension of the Sales of Friends' Goods, which had then commenced; he accordingly sent a messenger to Skipton for that purpose: yet the Attorney suffered another day's sale after his arrival, and the remainder were sold some time after; as the Justices did not seem inclined to withdraw their Warrant, after it had been issued; though they had been so palpably deceived in the event. The several houses of Henry Wormall, William Hartley, Joseph Brown, James Walton and John Wormall, were nearly stript of every thing; and John Wormall died the day after the sale of his property. The following, therefore, is an account of the Distraints, except on Henry King; who was not a member of the Society, and who made his own terms with the Prosecutor:-See the Table.