Lord  Palmerston  brought  in  his  Conspiracy  Bill,  and  the
House  of  Commons  passed  the  first  reading.  The  next  day,
Mr.  W.  H.  Ashurst,  Mr.  James  Stansfeld,  Mr.  P.  A.  Taylor,
Sir  John  Bennett,  and  Mr.  Shaen,  subscribed  £i  each ;  Colonel
A.  B.  Richards,  George  Leverson,  Alderman  Healey  of  Roch«
dale,  Mr.  John  Mackintosh,  and  Mr.  Connell  subscribed  lesser
amounts ;  and  I  see,  on  the  list  made  at  the  time,  the  name  of
C.  Bradlaugh  for  5s.,  of  which  he  had  very  few  in  those  days.
On  Saturday  afternoon  it  was  resolved  to  call  a  meeting  for
Monday  night,  in  the  Freemason's  Hall,  though  the  intimation
of  it,  owing  to  shortness  of  time,  could  only  be  given  by  word
of  mouth  to  political  societies.  On  Monday,  a  meeting  was
held  in  the  Secular  Room  at  my  house,  147,  Fleet  Street  Mr.
W.  H.  Ashurst,  Mr.  W.  Shaen,  Mr.  J.  SUnsfeld,  Colonel
Richards  (a  Conservative,  and  then  editor  of  the  Morning
Advertiser)^  Mr.  John  Mackintosh,  Mr.  J.  B.  Langley,  Mr.
George  Leverson,  Mr.  Connell,  and  others  were  present.  I
was  asked  to  take  the  chair,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  of
those  present,  with  power  to  add  to  their  number.  Funds
were  to  be  collected,  and  I  was  elected  treasurer.  A  demon-
stration was  projected,  if  it  could  be  brought  about,  to  be  held
in  Hyde  Park  on  Sunday.
