down, will you follow me? (Yes, yes, was again voliferated. It shall go no further.) ken-baker's shops were rifled butcher's | you demand them? (Yes, yes.) If I jump shops-pork-shops, were pillaged, &c. &c. A number of the culprits were seized; and some have been put on their trials, and punished. On Monday, December 2, a great crowd assembled in Spafields, to receive the answer of the Prince Regent to the petition of the distressed manufacturers and mechanics of London and its vicinity, voted at a former meeting. As a prelude to the scene that followed, and with the spirit of the ruling 'demagogue, a person mounted a coal-waggon, in which were about twenty people, chiefly in the dress of sailors. Several flags were displayed; two tri-coloured ones, on one of which was inscribed- "Nature, Truth, and Justice! On the second tri-coloured flag no inscription. On a third white flag was inscribed, in red letters, the following: "The brave Soldiers are our Brothers; treat them kindly." Many had bludgeons, others pockets full of stones, and some, it is said, concealed daggers. The persons on the waggon then descended with the flags: the constables immediately laid hold of the flags. Some persons attempted resistance, and two were therefore taken up forthwith and sent to prison. The constables succeeded in getting one of the flags. Mr. Hunt then came forward amid the most tumultuous applause, and addressing the crowd, by the usual title of "friends and fellow-countrymen," related to them, at a great length, his correspondence with Lord Sidmouth, the Secretary of State, by whom the late petition had been presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent. It was required, that His Royal Highness should bestow on the inhabitants of the metropolis 2 or 300,0007, out of the Civil List; but instead of this, what had been done? Some enemy to his country, some corrupt minister, had persuaded his Royal lighness to send 5,000, out of the Droits of Admiralty, which properly belonged to the sailors: those droits, the piratical seizing of which had caused so much bloodshed, and the loss of so many British lives An orator in the waggon then addressed Having gone on for some time in this inflamthe meeting in the following strain.- ammatory style, he proceeded to read his first sorry to tell you our supplication to the resolution, which was in substance, that a Prince has failed. He, the father of his corrupt press had strenuously laboured to people, answered-" My family have never convince the people that Napoleon Buonareceived petitions but from Oxford and parte was a military despot, but that the Cambridge, and the City of London." And preparations made for intimidating that is this man the father of the people?-No. meeting sufficiently proved that we our Has he listened to your petition?-Not selves lived under a military government. The day is come. (It is-it is, from the mob.) This resolution being put and carried, seve We must do more than words. We have ral more were adopted, to the effect of debeen oppressed for 800 years since the Nor-claring the general misery which prevailed, man conquest. If they would give ve a which was manifested in the lists of bankhod, a shovel, a spade, and a hoe, your rupts, the crowds that filled the gaols, the mother earth would supply you. (Aye, aye, dejection on every countenance, and all the she would. Loud applause.) Countrymen, symptoms of approaching despair. That if you will have your wrongs redressed, fol- to attempt the remedy of such enormous low me. (That we will. Shouts.)-Wat evils by the mere demonstrations of a cha Tyler would have succeeded had he not ritable disposition, was not only an ineffecbeen basely murdered by a Lord Mayor, tual remedy, but a gross insult on the un William of Walworth. Has the Parlia-derstandings of the people, whose attention ment done their duty? No. Has the Re- should be directed towards that standing gent done his duty? No, no. A man who army of 150,000 men, which had never be receives one million a year public money, fore been heard of in the history of the gives only 5,000l. to the poor. They have Constitution. Every thing was hopeless neglected the starving people, robbed them without reform; nothing could be attained of every thing, and given them a penny. Is until the House of Commous became the this to be endured? Four millious are in real representatives of the nation, instead of distress; our brothers in Ireland are in a being what they were at present-the inworse state, the climax of misery is com-struments of an all-grasping oligarchical plete, it can go no further. The Ministers faction. General reform was indispensable, have not granted our rights. Shall we a reform that would give every man of full take them? (Yes, yes, from the mob.) Willage the right of voting in the election of VOL. V. No. 28. Lit. Pan. N. S. Jan, 1. 2 B those who were to decide on the lives and strate, said, “ My friend, you are mistaken ; properties of their fellow-countrymen. Per- this is not the place for arms." The ruffian haps the mode of electing by ballot would instantly drew forth a pistol, and lodged be a great improvement in this plan of ge- the contents of it in the hip or groin of neral reform. These were the only means Mr. Platt. Three other fellows, who were of restoring the country to domestic peace | by this time entering the shop, suspecting and foreign independence, to tranquillity at by the report that their leader was shot, home and respectability abroad. (Applause,) | turned round and fled in haste. The shopMr. Haydon seconded the resolutions; door was instantly closed upon the assassin, and Mr. Waddington seconded the motion whom Mr. Beckwith's shopman with great for presenting the petition, founded on the spirit seized, and hurried into the back resolutions, to the House of Commons. The shop, where he was given in charge to a last-mentioned orator stated, that he had constable, who permitted the prisoner to that morning transmitted to his Majesty's go up stairs. The latter instantly sprang government a "grand and extensive plan to the window, threw up the sash, waved for a general relief to the manufacturing in- his handkerchief, and addressing the mob, terest, and through that to every class of assured them that they hod nothing to fear, the community throughout the united king- as there were but few persons in the house, dom." He then went over his outline of a and, he might easily be rescued. Here plan for establishing a company to be en- upon the mob attacked the house, and, betitled "The Royal Commercial Company sides committing various ravages, carried of the United Kingdom," for the purpose of off the prisoner, and plundered the shop opening a market for our surplus manufac- of guns, pistols, &c. Thus armed, they tures, to be directed by a board acting pursued their course into the city, with the gratis, and consisting of 10 or 12 of the view, it was apprehended, of attacking the mnost ostensible sinecurists. Bank. The question on the petition was carried with acclamations. Mr. Hunt would take upon himself to say, that if it were the pleasure of the meeting to depute Lord Cochrane to carry the petition, that his Lordship would be soon enough out of prison to obey the summons, because he had no doubt that there were many more than penuies enough subscribed to pay his fine.-(Cheering.)-He therefore moved that the Right Hon. Lord Cochrane be requested to present the petition to the House of Commons, upon its first assembling, After considerable clamour, it was finally voted by an immense majority, that the name of Sir F. Burdett should be associated with that of Lord Cochrane in their resolu tion. As the mob proceeded along Cheapside, they loaded and discharged their pieces into the houses, as if to intimidate the spectators. Here they were met by the Lord Mayor, Alderman Sir James Shaw, and a strong party of the police the greatest part of the rioters had passed under his Lordship's orders. As soon as through the north side, directions were given to close all the gates leading out of the exchange, by which means three men with arms, having on them the name of Beckwith, were taken into custody. The remainder of the insurgents became exof their comrades and their banners: and ceedingly furious on learning the capture not being able to force the Exchange gates, they raised each other upon their shoulders, and fired over the top of the gates at the Lord Mayor and his party, Mr. Hunt had two motions more to sub- whilst others fired under the gates. A mit-first, that they do adjourn to the se- fresh force, however, arriving to his Lordcond Monday after the meeting of Parlia- | ship's aid, the ruffians departed, taking the ment; and secondly, that Sir F. Burdett direction of the Minories, where they enand Lord Cochrane be respectfully re- tered the shops of Mr. Brander and Mr. quested to attend on that occasion.-Car-Ray, gunsmiths. From the former they ried with great applause. took a quantity of arms, and from the At the Spafields Meeting, the coal-wag-latter they seized not only guns and pistols, gon orator concluded in these words: but, it is said, also plate to a considerable There are 5,000 men in this place able amount. They also took from the preand willing to follow me into the city, mises of Mr. Ray two small brass fieldwhere we can teach them to relieve us." pieces, on wheels, one of which was afterA body instantly detached itself. Ou wards seized and lodged in the Mansionreaching Skinner - street, Snowhill, one house. They entirely destroyed all the of the body advancing before the rest, en- windows and window-frames in the house tered the shop of Mr. Beckwith, the gun- of both these tradesmen. All the prisonE amith, calling out "Arms, arms!" A gen- in and round the metropolis were put into tleman who happened to be in the shop, a state of defence, and had military stanamed Platt, affably attempting to remontioned within for protection. The city was well furnished with soldiers, both horse and foot: the horse paraded all parts of the metropolis during the evening and the night, and preserved order every where. -The Bank and East India-House were provided with sufficient force to repel any attack, and the City Militia kept watch in the Royal Exchange.-The Inus of the Court had their gates closed, and the shops In all the principal streets of the city were shut up. Hunt, the prime cause of all these dis turbances, rode from Spafields to his tavern in Bouverie-strest, with an air of insolent triumph. He rode on horseback, in the midst of an immense mob, and occasionally stopped to enjoy the applause which his misguided victims showered upon him. We understand there were also riots in other parts of the town, westward; but as these ended in plunder and pillage, and no blood was shed, they did not make equal impression on the public mind, with the excesses of that body which took its way into the city, but certainly were connected with a general and extensive system. The reader has seen that a Mr. Watson was placed on the committe, and with his son was a conspicuous figure, and zealous in haranguing the mob. It is understood that the younger Watson was the person who affected to lead the mob, by jumping out of the coal waggon, aud calling on the zealous to follow him. They are by profession surgeons, and their instruments of that profession, were found on the person who shot Mr. Platt, in Mr. Beckwith's shop, aud after his rescue, others with his initials upon them. There could be then but one opinion as to the criminal who fired the pistol And it became at length so sufficiently clear to induce the City of London to offer £100 for taking the younger Watson; and Government offered £500 merely for his capture. A part of the Police of the Roads about the Metropolis, being informed of a gang of robbers, that infested the north road, were vigilantly on the look out, when they descried at Highgate, three men, one of whom they secured, the others got off. The person taken, proved to be the elder Watson, and it is supposed that oue of the others was his son. On Watson, thus captured, were found a pistol, the fellow to that fired at Mr. Beckwith's, in Skinner Street, and it was proved on enquiry, that the younger Watson had purchased two pair of such pistols a few days previously. They were compared, and the seller related the fact. Mr. Platt it is hoped will recover. 2.B 2 PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. CHAP. VIII House of Commons, May 24. Woollen Trade. Mr. F. Lewis stated, that it was his wool, the consideration of which had been and France afforded no market for English | altogether 10,114,000l. from which there wool; and Russia, Sweden, and Denmark was a deduction to be made of the proceeds were nearly in the same situation. Our from the sales of old stores, which amounted trade with America was owing to the long to 680, cool. leaving the charge at 9,434,000l. credit we gave, and would continue as Deducting about 184,000l. for the ordnance long as that system continued. The wool- service in France, the expence of the ordlen manufacturers at one time wished. tonance department would be 1,696,1851. have put down the calico trade, and, hadThe total original vote was 1,880,000l. they succeeded, would have lost as many cus. The miscellaneous services, he should astomers as were connected with that trade. some at 2,500,000l. In providing for the The Honourable Gentleman concluded byd. bt due to the East India Company, there moving a resolutionwould be required 945,4911. · No objection appeared to this, since the greater part of the debt. had been incurred by the Company in assisting in the valuable and important captures of the Dutch East India. colonies. The total claim of the Company, including probable advances, was 2,300,000l, but several advances from the Pay-office formed a set-off against the whole claims: he believed that, in January, Government owed the East India Company about 1,500,000l.. A provision had been made for a portion of this debt out of the vote of credit of the last year, to the amount of 500,000l, which had reduced the debt. to the Company to 945,4911. One consi "That the exportation of wool from Great Britain and Ireland should be permitted, under such regulations as might protect the home manufacturer." Mr. Brooke commented on some of the statements of the Honourable Gentleman who moved the resolution. From 1781 to 1785 the price of wool had been 62d. per pound; from 1785 to 1795 it had been lold.; from 1795 to 1805 it had been 154d.; and from 1805 to 1815 it had been 18d. There never was a time in which the growers of wool came forward with less pretensions than at the present period. Lord Milton thought that it would be wise to adopt the principle of the resolu-derable charge consisted of a repayment on tion, subject to the modifications proposed. Lord Castlereagh thought the House was not in a condition to go to a final decision on the subject; he therefore sub mitted to the Honourable Gentleman the propriety of postponing the consideration of it till next Session, and should move that it be postponed. The question was at length put on the original motion, and negatived without a division. Monday, May 27. the loyalty loan to the amount of 247,68ol. Another item of charge about to be incurred was for a new silver coinage. The calculation, for the present year, was the sum of 500,000l. It would, however, be some time before the new currency could be placed in a state of forwardness. The next item of separate charge on this country was a sum of 1,500,000l. due on Exchequer Bills, held by the Bank as securities for a loan advanced in the year 1800. In addition to this, there was a sum of 2,260,000!. in arrear for the discharge of interest on Exchequer Bills, which taken together, and including debentures, amounted to 5,284,7651. The total amount for the joint charge for Great Britain and Ireland, for the service of the current year, would then appear to be 30, 124,951. From this was to be deducted the Irish proportion, or a sum of 3,145,6561. leaving a net sum to be provided by Great Britain of 27,279,2951 To meet this charge he had in the first place to take credit for the ordinary taxes, and for the surplus of the consolidated fund, which, from its produce last year, he conceived himself justified in assuming to be éounts of extraordinary grants, to about 3,000,000l. applicable to the service of the 1,500,000l. would be speedily prepared. present. The accounts which he was now The estimates of the commissariat, &c. submitting to the House were made up to were about 480,000l. from which 150,000!. the very latest period, and they consisted for the army in France, were to be deduct-in addition to the sums already mentioned, ed. Taking the charges of the barracks, storekeeper, &c. at the sum of 2,133,000l. the total expence of the military service was 10,564,000l. For the navy there was voted Committee of Ways and Means, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, after stating the new arrangements which had been made with the Bank, proceeded to the more general statements of the supplies granted for the present year, and of those which would be still required. The first head was that of the army: 9,665,000l. was the amount for military service already sancfioned by the votes of Parliament, from which was to be deducted 1,294,000l, for the troops in France, leaving 8.431,000l, including the expence for Ireland The ac of the war customs made permanent amounting to 4,998,000l. and the excise duties continued for five years, and taken at the sum of 3,500,000l. The amount of was a sum of two millions and a half, and of Exchequer Bills granted on a former Land and Malt. Surplus Consolidated Fund Bank Advance on Bills.... ................. .£3,000,000 3,000,000 3,500,000 6,000,000 200,000 5,663,755 3,000,000 301,316 Surplus Grants, 1815.................... charge on account of the interest of the national debt was 39,172,000l. and the whole amount of new debt would fall short of three millions. When he stated the probable | produce of the excise duties at three mil-operate only to replace a similar amount Îions and a half, he was aware that some uncertainty necessarily belonged to this estimate in consequence of the allowances 'to be made on the cessation of the present malt duty but the arrears due from the maltsters would, he apprehended, be sufficient to make good this deficiency. The amount of these duties for the last year was 5,688,000l. The item on the ways and means to which he had next to direct the attention of the House was, the advance from the Bank of 6,000,000l. made before Easter. To this was to be added the lottery, estimated as usual at 200,000l. The next item was one of a peculiarly satisfactory nature, inasmuch as it consisted of the surplus remaining upon the grants of the year 1815. The Committee would be aware, that he had early in the Session estimated this excess upon the expenditure of last year at about 5,000,000l.; but it was gratifying to find, that it amounted to no less a sum than 5,663,7551. According to an account recently made out of the outstanding claims of the military, barrack, and commissariat departments, these arrears constituted a debt of 4,602,000l., although against this there were to be set the balances in the military chests abroad, amounting in December last to 1,865,000k, and leaving a net sum of 2,737,000l. To these arrears ought to be added 1,720,000l. due on account of subsidies. There was likewise an excess on the navy debt of about a million. The entire amount of all these separate charges was 5,284,7651. The item which next followed in the ways. and means was the new advance of three millions from the Bank. He proposed also to apply a portion of the unclaimed dividends to the service of the public, to the, extent of 301,000l. He should deem it bis duty to recommend, that the Bank should retain a fixed sum, above which every excess should be available to the country, provided that ten years had elapsed without any call for them, and that they should still remain subject to the claims of their rightful owners. It was his intention to propose, that after the expiration of the limited period be had mentioned, all stock "of this description should be assigned to the custody of the Commissioners for the reduction of the national-debt. The next item was a sum of 140,000l. being a bafance or unapplied money remaining in the Exchequer. The residue of the smply which would then remain to be provided The deficit in the revenue of eight millious and a half, occasioned by the cessation of the malt-duty and the property-tax, was supplied by the excess in the grants of last year, which had so greatly exceeded his expectations, and by the advance of 3,000,000l. from the Bank. He was desirous of intimating the strong hopes which he entertained of a speedy improvement in the circulating medium of the country. The only new pressure upon the money market would be the issue of 2,500,000l. in exchequer bills; and this, as he had previously observed, would not be so much new stock, but an exchange merely of similar securities. With regard to Ireland, he would so far anticipate his Right Hon. Friend, as to observe, that it was proposed to raise 1,700,000l. ou treasury bills in this country, and to add to the Irish debt a sum of 1,200,000l. By a comparison of the increased produce of the sinking fund, with the charge of new debts thus coutracted, there would appear, upon the joint account of the two countries, a reduction of debt to the amount of nearly three millions, a circumstance which he believed to be without example in the first year after The interest of the conclusion of a war. the new debt would amount to 420,000l. ; and this charge he estimated would be defrayed by the produce of the soap-tax, which he took at 200,000l.; the duties ou butter and cheese, which might fincluate between 50,000l. and 100,000l.; and by the advantages derivable from the new |