"I (each party here to repeat his name), being in the presence of Almighty God and this assembly, do voluntarily declare that I will persevere in maintaining and supporting a brotherhood known by the name of the United Operative . . . . . . of the Grand National Consolidated Trades' Union of Great Britain and Ireland, and I do further promise that I will, to the utmost of my power, assist them, upon all just and lawful occasions, to obtain a just remuneration for our labour; nor will I, knowingly, ever fill the situation of, or finish the work of, any brother who has left his employer in obedience to the ordinances and regulations of the Consolidated Union aforesaid; and I call the Mighty Power who made me, to witness this, my most solemn obligation, by which I bind myself, that neither hopes nor fears, rewards nor punishments, nor even the law of life itself, shall ever induce me, directly or indirectly, to give information respecting anything contained in this lodge, and that I will neither write, nor cause to be written, anything appertaining thereto upon paper, or upon anything else whatsoever, but for the purposes of the aforesaid Union: and I do further promise to keep inviolable all its rules, signs, and secrets. Neither will I ever give consent to have any of its money divided, or appropriated to any other purpose than to the uses of this lodge, and for the end of the aforesaid Consolidated Union. And may God keep me steadfast in this my most solemn obligation." It was for taking unlawful oaths, probably of this kind, that six men had been convicted at Dorchester Assizes, a fact which so worked upon the Trades' Unions of London, that on April 21st they met in their might to the number of thirty thousand, in Copenhagen Fields, and proceeded in procession to Whitehall to present a monster petition (which it took twelve men to carry) in the convicts' favour, to the Home Secretary. Lord Melbourne refused to receive it, thus brought, but consented to see a deputation. This did not suit the agitators, and, as the only answer they could get was that Lord Melbourne had seen a copy of the petition; that he did not disapprove of its language; and that, if that petition should be presented on another day, and in a becoming manner, he would receive it and lay it before the King;--they retired, taking the petition with them, rejoining and reporting their interview to the main body of the procession, which had halted on Kennington Common. This broke up the meeting, and the crowd melted away, having behaved most peaceably. On the 24th the petition was presented to Lord Melbourne by a deputation from the Trades' Unions, and laid before the King in the usual way.