REWARD PROCLAMATION
300 POUNDS
REWARD
WHEREAS certain Wicked, Evil-disposed,
and Traitorous Persons, during the night of the 1st, or on the morning
of the 2nd of April instant, did feloniously, traitorously, and
daringly, in furtherance of a conspiracy to compass or imagine the Death
of Our Lord the King, or to levy war against Our Lord the King within
His Realm, or to commit other Treasons, Publish and affix on the walls
and public places in many parts of the City and Suburbs of Glasgow, and
other parts of the County of Lanark, a most wicked, revolutionary, and
treasonable address to the Inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland
dated at Glasgow, April 1, 1820, and bearing to be issued "by order
of the Committee of Organisation for forming a Provisional
Government" directly and openly, Proclaiming rebellion against Our
Lord the King and the laws and constitution of this realm, inciting and
stimulating the Subjects of Our Lord the King to take up arms for the
overthrow of the Government and Constitution as by Law established, and
to levy war against Our Lord the King, and further endeavouring to
Seduce the Soldiers of Our Lord the King to desert their duty and to
join in a threatened insurrection, and to intimidate and to overawe all
loyal and peaceable Subjects by threats of violence and devastation. The
LORD PROVOST and MAGISTRAThS of the City of Glasgow, SHERIFF of the
County of Lanark, and JUSTICES of the PEACE for the Lower Ward of
Lanarkshire, hereby offer a
REWARD OF £300
to any Person or Persons who shall within
Fourteen Days from this date, DISCOVER AND APPREHEND, or cause to be
DISCOVERED AND APPREHENDED, those guilty of this OVERT ACT of HIGH
TREASON, by printing, publishing, and. issuing the said Revolutionary
and Treasonable Address, under the said Treasonable designation of the
Committee of Organization for forming a Provisional Government.
Glasgow 4th April 1820
THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A STERNER
WARNING.
WE, THE LORD PROVOST and MAGISTRATES OF
THE CITY OF GLASGOW, SHERIFF of the COUNTY OF LANARK and JUSTICES of the
PEACE for the LOWER WARD of LANARKSHIRE, in the present state of the
City and the County, wish earnestly and solemnly to make this call on
the misguided people, who have been unwarily led into their present
state of insuburdination, to return to their duty before the adoption or
the final and decisive measures which that conduct will render
immediately necessary.
An Audacious Address has appeared, which
involved the authors in the guilt of HIGH TREASON. It calls upon the
people to take certain steps, in obedience to those who have issued it,
and to effect their object. viz. REBELLION against the King and the LAWS
of the LAND. That Address tries to seduce and withdraw from their work
the honest and the industrious, and to intimidate the loyal and well
disposed.
WE, THE LORD PROVOST, MAGISTRATES,
SHERIFF and JUSTICES, deeply regret this Rebellious Address should have
induced any of their fellow subjects to listen to the interested plans
of its authors.
We, therefore, do hereby announce to all
those who have been so far seduced or intimidated as to Strike Work,
that they are thereby assisting in the Rebellious Plans alluded to in
this Address:-that they are participators in the guilt and are exposing
themselves to the certain punishment of High Treason.
We further deem it right to inform the
misguided, that all those who, knowing the projects and designs of the
authors of the aforesaid Address, do conceal from the Civil Authorities
or the Country what they know respecting these Treasonable plans, are
guilty of a heinous crime in the eye of the law, and are liable to
severe punishment.
To the numbers or loyal, honest, and
peaceable Subjects, whom the audacious threats and menaces of the evil
disposed have led against their own inclination, to join in the present
strike of work, we do now give the assurance of perfect protection which
the Great Military strength in this City secures. The disloyal and the
seditious cannot carry their purposes or their threats of violence into
effect. Every man who thinks must know that if the Military Force is
exerted as circumstances may immediately and indispensably require, the
consequences must be ruinous and fatal to all who resist No wish
earnestly to separate the innocent from the guilty; but longer
continuances in the present State of insubordination makes all guilty
and we cannot and will not longer delay the measures necessary for the
punishment of the guilty.
We would particularly point out to all
Proprietors of Public Works, Manufactories etc. that it is their
indispensable duty by the allegiance which they owe their king to use
all their exertions and influences with their Workmen to prevent them
joining or continuing in the Strike of Work, and to prevent those
dependent upon them assisting the purposes of the disloyal of the
continuance of the present state of things.
To those who have lent and assisted
themselves in prompting that state of things-who have struck Work, and
have intimidated the peaceable and well disposed Workmen, and
endeavouring by the crowds on the Public streets to create Alarm and
Confusion, and to lead to Violence and Outrage, we speak a different
language. We command and enjoin all persons, without delay, to return to
their lawful occupations. The present Strike of Work is avowed to be for
Treasonable purposes and the Crowds parading the streets know well the
purposes-of such Assemblages. We are determined to enforce this order
which the Allegiance and Duty of every man requires him to obey. The
contempt and violation of these orders can only be considered, in
consequence, of the plans pointed out in the above mentioned Treasonable
Address, as a resolution to aid and assist in Rebellion. The whole
Military Power of the District will be employed in the most decisive
manner to prevent the Laws of the Land being insulted and violated by an
audacious display of numbers by the Disloyal. The consequences must be
on the heads of those who have seduced and misled the Inhabitants but
these consequences will be fatal to all who venture to oppose and resist
the overwhelming Power at our disposal.
Glasgow, April 4.1820.
GOD SAVE THE KING |