A Letter to the Rev. Henry Phillpotts . in Answer to His Letter on the Freeholders of the County of Durham on the Proceedings of the Late County Meeting. by a Freeholder of the County: Volume 19

A Letter To The Rev. Henry Phillpotts. In Answer To His Letter On The Freeholders Of The County Of Durham On The Proceedings Of The Late County Meeting. By A Freeholder Of The County. This 1819 Durham pamphlet is a political defense of constitutional rights, responding to Henry Phillpotts’s criticisms and supporting John George Lambton’s independence. The author argues that the freeholders must be allowed to discuss public affairs, petition the Crown, and demand inquiry into the conduct of magistrates who dispersed a peaceful Manchester meeting with military force. He scrutinizes the legality of warrants used to arrest meeting participants, questions the justification for using the Riot Act, and denounces the clerical interference that prompted the controversy. The text stresses the right to open discussion, to hold authorities to account, and to seek parliamentary redress; it cites legal authorities and argues for prudent constitutional action to protect liberty and reconcile reform with order.