11th February 1813: John Beckett of the Home Office instructs General Acland to distribute anti-Luddite propaganda in the West Riding

Private

Whitehall
11.—Febry. 1813.

My Dear Sir

We have just published an Account of the late Trials at York—which it is desirable to circulate in the West Riding more particularly in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield from whence some of the worst of the Cases came

With this View the Printer has been ordered to dispatched through the General Post Office – a considerable No of Copies of this Publication to General Maitland at York – I apprehend however that the General may be detained in Scotland longer than He expected – and it is possible that the Pamphlets in question may remain at York till His Return instead of being distributed immediately as Lord Sidmouth wishes they should be

To prevent the possible Delay in the Circulation of them I am induced to trouble you with this Letter to request you would take such steps as may appear to you most adviseable for accomplishing the Object in View – I did intimate to Genl Maitland a short time ago – that Copies of the above md Publication would be sent to Him as soon as they could be finished – and it is not improbable that he may have left some Orders at York with yourself as to the Circulation of them if they should arrive at York in His absence

I have [etc]
J.Beckett

[To] M.G. Ackland
&c &c &c

---

This letter can be found at H 40/2/4.