convention of the people, and with having provided arms for the purpose of resisting the king's authority. Thomas Hardy, the secretary of the Lon don Corresponding Society, was first brought to trial (24 St. Tr. 199). Lord Chief Justice Eyre presided. Sir John Scott, the attorney general, prosecuted, and Erskine
hy secret committees of Parliament, to es tablish the existence and character of the alleged conspiracy, and to prove the pris oners connection with it. This evidence showed beyond doubt that there had been great excitement, intemperate language, popular organization and extensive corres pondence in furtherance of reforms which
THOMAS HARDY.
defended. Scott opened for the crown in a speech of nine hours' duration, and it be came necessary to adopt the innovation of ad journing from day to day. This was the first trial for high treason in England which had not been closed at a single sitting. The crown brought forward a great mass of testi mony, which had been industriously collected
were in many instances visionary. Many things had undoubtedly been said and done by individual members of these societies which probably amounted to sedition, but nothing approaching treason. Their chief offense in the eyes of the government con sisted in their efforts to assemble a general convention of the people avowedly for the
