Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq, vol 1 | Page 3

with the events of 1816 and 1817, which
is very imperfectly known to any of the reformers, and which I feel it a
duty to detail to them all before I proceed any further.
In the latter end of the year 1815 and the beginning of the year 1816,
the evil effects of the war began to be severely felt amongst all classes
throughout the country; and, in the North of England, it was
particularly felt by those employed in the manufactories. Great
disturbances prevailed, and the Luddites, as they were called,
committed repeated depredations, by destroying the machinery of their
employers. This ultimately led to the employment of spies and
informers, by the agents of the government; by which means, many of
the unhappy men were convicted and executed. Major Cartwright and
Mr. Cobbett, in the most laudable and praiseworthy manner,
endeavoured, by their writings, and the Major, I believe, by going
amongst them personally, to draw the attention of the starving
manufacturers to the real cause of their distress, and recommended
them to petition for reform instead of destroying the machinery. This
had the desired effect, and petitions drawn up by the Major, praying for
reform in the Commons House of Parliament, and demanding suffrage
for those who paid taxes, poured in from all quarters. In the beginning
of November some persons in London advertised and called a public
meeting of the distressed inhabitants of the metropolis, to be held in
Spafields, on the 15th; this originated with Dr. Watson and some of
those who called themselves Spenceans. As I have learned since, they
sent invitations to Sir Francis Burdett, Major Cartwright, myself, and
Lord Cochrane, and even to Mr. Waithman, and several other political
characters, earnestly requesting them to attend the meeting, to advise
with and to assist their distressed fellow creatures, as to the best means
of obtaining relief. In the mean time, the parties calling the meeting had

drawn up and prepared a memorial to the Prince Regent, which was, if
passed, to have been carried immediately to Carlton House, by the
whole of the meeting, and presented in person to the Regent. When the
day arrived, of all the persons invited as political characters to the
meeting, I was the only one who attended, and, having prevailed upon
those who called the meeting to abandon their famous memorial, and to
relinquish the plan of going in a body to Carlton House, I proposed the
resolutions and the petition to his Royal Highness the Prince; which the
next day I caused to be presented to him by Lord Sidmouth: on the
following day his Royal Highness was pleased so far to comply with
the request of the petitioners as to send Four Thousand Pounds as a
subscription to the Spitalfields Soup Committee. The resolutions
proposed by me, and unanimously passed by the most numerous
meeting ever held in this country, avowed the principle of
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE; and the petition to the Regent claimed his
pecuniary assistance, as an immediate and temporary relief; but
declared that the petitioners had no hope or expectation of permanent
prosperity and happiness, till a reform of Parliament was effected,
which would give to every man a vote in the representation. This was,
therefore, the first time that universal suffrage was petitioned for at a
public meeting; and I had the honour, and I shall ever feel a pride in the
reflection, of being the first man who publicly proposed at a meeting of
the reformers this measure, and of having caused to be presented the
first petition to the throne, praying the Prince to assist the people in
recovering their right of universal suffrage, in the election of members
of the House of Commons. You must all recollect the infamous manner
in which I was attacked and assailed by the whole of the daily London
Press at that time, with the single exception of the Statesman. However,
the reformers of the north, south, east, and west, became instantly alive
to the appeal that was made to them in the resolutions passed at Spa
Fields; public meetings were held, and petitions to the House of
Commons were signed, all praying for _universal suffrage_; and, by the
time of the meeting of Parliament, the delegates from petitioning
bodies came up to town, in consequence of a circular letter signed by
Sir Francis Burdett, to consult, and to settle upon the extent of suffrage
and other matters to be recommended, for the adoption of all the
petitioning bodies of reformers throughout the country. This was most

unnecessary, for they had, one and all, already adopted the principle,
and followed the example, set them by the inhabitants of the metropolis
at Spa Fields. When the delegates were arrived from _Scotland,
Yorkshire, Lancashire,_ and most of the