Thus far all had gone smoothly; but in a few minutes the storm broke forth.  The terrible words, Bill of Attainder, were pronounced; and all the fiercest passions of both the great factions were instantly roused.  The Tories had been taken by surprise, and many of them had left the house.  Those who remained were loud in declaring that they never would consent to such a violation of the first principles of justice.  The spirit of the Whigs was not less ardent, and their ranks were unbroken.  The motion for leave to bring in a bill attainting Sir John Fenwick was carried very late at night by one hundred and seventy-nine votes to sixty-one; but it was plain that the struggle would be long and hard.756

In truth party spirit had seldom been more strongly excited.  On both sides there was doubtless much honest zeal; and on both sides an observant eye might have detected fear, hatred, and cupidity disguised under specious pretences of justice and public good.  The baleful heat of faction rapidly warmed into life poisonous creeping things which had long been lying torpid, discarded spies and convicted false witnesses, the leavings of the scourge, the branding iron and the shears.  Even Fuller hoped that he might again find dupes to listen to him.  The world had forgotten him since his pillorying.  He now had the effrontery to write to the Speaker, begging to be heard at the bar and promising much important information about Fenwick and others.  On the ninth of November the Speaker informed the House that he had received this communication; but the House very properly refused even to suffer the letter of so notorious a villain to be read.

On the same day the Bill of Attainder, having been prepared by the Attorney and Solicitor General, was brought in and read a first time.  The House was full and the debate sharp.  John Manley, member for Bossiney, one of those stanch Tories who, in the preceding session, had long refused to sign the Association, accused the majority, in no measured terms, of fawning on the Court and betraying the liberties of the people.  His words were taken down; and, though he tried to explain them away, he was sent to the Tower.  Seymour spoke strongly against the bill, and quoted the speech which Caesar made in the Roman Senate against the motion that the accomplices of Catiline should be put to death in an irregular manner.  A Whig orator keenly remarked that the worthy Baron had forgotten that Caesar was grievously suspected of having been himself concerned in Catiline’s plot.757 In this stage a hundred and ninety-six members voted for the bill, a hundred and four against it.  A copy was sent to Fenwick, in order that he might be prepared to defend himself.  He begged to be heard by counsel; his request was granted; and the thirteenth was fixed for the hearing.