Star. — London, England, 1821-05-16 00:00:00

fleeted disgrace and shame on the character of Eng lishmen ; and if passed over without a rigid inquiry, that House would sink so low that nothing hereafter could make it lower. Let them not turn a deaf ear to the simple, unexaggerated complaints of the un happy sufferers ; and let them remember, that up to that moment their wrongs were unredressed (cheers). This was the first time since England was England, that a Coroner had taken upon him to discharge a j ur y—( Hear, hear).—The Honourable Baronet then sated the history of the conduct of the C'oroner's dis missing the Jury upon the body of J. Lees, at Old barn, and the subsequent proceedings that were taken. upo n that act, insisting, that up to that moment jus tice had been obstructed, delayed, and denied to the people of Manchester. He again repeated, that it was not the case of individual suffering which he now ;pi-ease. upon the consideration of the House, but the 'mole ice done to the Laws and the Constitution. He tres,ed it the more, because Ministers not only put 4 rortt , grossly false statements with respect to this 'tea i•action, to delude the House and turn them from, inquiry, but made those statements the grounds for the enacting of six Bills, which constituted a greater ' infringement on the Constitution than was attempted since the Revolution; so great a change had been ef- Tected, indeed, that'it might be stiled the Revolution of 1819, as the former one was called the Revolution of 1688—(Hear, hear). —When he considered the va rious points of view in which this great question might be regarded, and when he considered that no one was made responsible for all the dreadful evils that took place, and that no inquiry was set on foot, he could not but deem it to be a piece of good for tune, though he did not then regard it as a misfor tune, the unavoidable delay in bringing forward the subject. The time had now arrived, when, laying aside conjecture and uncertainty, the House could proceed upon a just estimate of the lying impostures by which it had been so long deluded. Time, which brought all things to light, had now drawn aside the veil which hypocrisy and cheat threw around this transaction, and when it was presented to the eyes of an astonished country—the events of the 16th of August, in all their native deformity—he might say of it, " Nihil est scelestius, nihil perniciosus, nail quod here civitas magis plerare posset"--(Hear, head.— If the Noble Lord and his colleagues had not lost all regard for justice and for their own characters, they would consent to the inquiry which he now, on the part of the People of England, demanded. They had now an opportunity of making good that ardent desire which some of them professed to entertain for inquiry. It was impossible that this subject could remain in its present state. It was impossible that an Administration stained with blood—for such he must consider it to be until it was relieved fre.n the imputation—could remain without having their con duct investigated; or that that House, however in different it might be to the purses of the subjects, ought n3t to justify the imputation that they were indifferent to their persons, by resisting an inquiry. He therefore called on Ministers to afford an oppor tunity of inquiring into their conduct. He called on the Gentlemen who had deluded the House and the Country by their mistatements, to come forward— let them show the sources of their false and delusive statements—let them declare from what polluted lips, from what spies they received their news—" let them drag the monsters into day".--and let them no longer be secuied under the cover of all the letters of the alphabet. For himself he would only say, that he was satisfied that he was attempting the best in his power to do justice to the People, and to give Mi nisters an opportunity of doing justice to themselves. He relied, therefore, on the concurrence of the Noble Lord in the following motion—" That a Committee be appointed to inquire into the events of the 16th of August, 1819, at Manchester."—(The Honourable Baronet sat down amidst loud cheers). Mr. HOBHOUSE seconded the motion. persons to offer themselves to preserve the public peace. Several in consequence offered themselves; but Bamford, one of Mr. Hunt's companions, pub lished apaper, in consequence of which very few per sons resident near him offered themselves for the pur pose. In the interim, the training of men in arms continued—e. In arms !" from the Opposition)— He begged pardon, he should have said the drilling of men at night. Two persons, who had been sent to watch these proceedings, were very ill treated, and Hunt published a paper. declaring that the Meeting of the 16th was a mere adjournment of that of the 9th. The Honourable Member here, at considerable length, referred to numerous depositions made before the Magistrates. These were made in general brper sons resident in Manchester and its vicinity. Lord MILTON wished to know, whether these depositions were made before Magistrates regularly in a Court of Justice, so that opportunity had been afforded forthe cross-examination of the witnesses? Mr. B. WILBRAH ANI said, they certainly were not of the latter description—(Hear, hear, hear, from the Opposition). He had no wish to give them more weight than they deserved, and of that the House would judge. The Hon. Member proceeded to read the depositions. They stated, that on the day before the Meeting there were as many as 1000 men as sembled on Taddle Hill, and were regularly drilled like soldiers. Their leader told them to be punctual the next day, and to keep true to their colours, as they were to march to Manchester. That one of the witnesses being observed, was knocked down and in jured by the persons thus assembled. That one of the witnesses who was a Rent Collector for some cottages near Manchester, on calling as usual for the rent from the cottagers, was told by one of them that he would not pay a farthing until after the day of the Manchester Meeting, as that would be a day of general settlement. That another witness over heard a conversation between these men in which they observed that they would soon make some of the Gentlemen at Manchester, find new lodgings. In consequence of these depositions, the Honourable Member observed, the Magistrates made every ar rangement in their power to preserve the public peace. They assembled a body of about SOO Constables, in a house from which a communication might be held with the hustings; but the persons connected with the Meeting prevented this communication by re moving the hustings to a distance from the house.' The People, on the morning in question, passed in large bodies through the streets of Manchester, and as they passed the Exchange they groaned and hissed. , They did the same on passing the house of the man' who had witnessed the drilling, and who then lay severely ill from the injuries he had received. The mode of their march was military; they were six deep, and were locked arm in arm. At this time the Com mittee in aid of the Civil Power went before the Ma gistrates, and upon consideration it was thought ad visable to read the Riot Act. Accordingly the Riot Act was read by a Magistrate who had a particularly strong voice!—("" Name r frond the Opposition). It was Mr. Ethelstone—(Cheersfrom the Opposition). Mr. BENNETT said, he should be glad to be in formed if Mr. Ethelstone had ever sworn to this?— (Order, order !) Mr. WILBRAHAM said he had not, but he believed it to be true—(Hear, hear).—Much stress had been laid on the Meeting not being dispersed in an hour after the reading of the Riot Act; but it was dispersed because it was altogether an illegal Meet ing, assembled with banners, bearing inscriptions of " Liberty or Death," and " Let us die like Men, not be sold as Slaves." He then continued to read the affidavits of several witnesses, as to the finding of stones and sticks on St. Peter's-field, at Manchester, after the Meeting was dispersed, when the ground hid been cleared previous to the Meeting. He con tended that the Yeomanry, advancing in close files of six, it must be obvious that only the outside files could use their sabres. He also read the depositions of several other witnesses to shew that the Yeomanry did not advance rapidly, or cut any with their sabres, until resisted by the People! This evidence would have been given at York, but that the Judge nar rowed the proof to the nature of the Meeting merely. The Magistrates of Manchester were no parties to the prosecution at York ; nor was one of them put in the box except Mr. Hulton, whose testimony was perfectly satisfactory to the Jury—( Hear, hear). — Mr. Carlile was invited to the Meeting of the 16th ; and, as all knew Mr. Carlile's political and religious opinions, he would wish to know what man, who had a faith in the Christian Religion, could believe Mr. Carlile on his oath, or any who thought like him ? The Magistrates, anxious to prevent mischief, pub lished a Placard, recommending the towns-people to keep their children and servants at home. It had been said, the Magistrates ought to have arrested Mr. Hunt previous to the Meeting ; but he was a man of too keen an understanding to give them any opportunity of doing this. It was also argued, that the Magistrates should have prevented the people assembling; but how were they to do this? Were, - they to stop a body of sixty thousand persons, who had, as yet, done nothing illegal ? As soon as they committed themselves by their acts, the Magistrates interfered. It was said by some, the Meeting was a quiet one, and that the people assembled with the most peaceable intentions. Why, then, did they bring large sticks and stones? He denied that the Yeomanry came desermined to atsack the people : on the contrary, they came in quietly, headed ,by the Civil Power! With respect to the alleged loss of lives on this melancholy occasion, the return of the Coroner was, that no individual had died in Mr. B. WILBR AHAM said, he addressed the House under a very great disadvantage, after the eloquent speech they had just heard, and after the exertion of the well-kaown talents of the Hon. Baro net. He, however, rose in defence of the Magistrates of Manchester, and he would discharge the duty he bad undertaken to the best of his power. He felt exceedingly glad that the question had been fairly brought to issue, though he thought the Hon. Baro net had not treated it with perfect fairness himself. The transaction complained of occurred nearly two years ago. In the month of April, in the last year, the Hon. Baronet had given notice of a motion on the subject, which he had afterwards postponed; so that the Hon. Baronet was not consistent in postponing a subject which, in his own opinion, was of such gene ral and paramount importance. However, he had, he could assure the Hon. Baronet, not the slightest wish to say anything offensive ; and he therefore would oppose the motion by nothing but a plain statement of facts, in confirmation of which state ment he should refer to the most indubitable testi mony on oath. The House would remember the state of the country in the spring of the year 1819 . ; parti cularly in the northern manufacturing districts.— That state was such, that the Magistrates of the County of Chester had come to certain resolutions on the subject; and these were followed by others from the Grand Jury of Salford. Many popular Meetings had taken place, and these increased with impunity. They were attended by itinerant leaders, and they were composed of such large bodies of peo ple, that cool and temperate discussion was almost impossible. He should here state, that Mr. Hunt, who had, through the Secretary of State, addressed a Petition to the Prince Regent, applied to have it. re-delivered to him, stating, that he would seek other means of conveying the sentiments of the people to his Royal Highness.—(Cries if Hear, hear). — One of these Meetings voted thanks to Hunt, Wooler, Cobbett, and Cathie. A Meeting had been intended for the 9th of August, but a Gentleman at the Bar being consulted on the subject, declared that, in his Opium% the object of the Meeting was illegal. In CO nieqUenCe of this, a change was proposed of the day as well as th e o bj ect o f the Meeting, but the peo ple formed a procession, in which they carried Mr. Hunt in triumph. The Magistrates, under these cir-, c umstances, formed a Commit tee , o f w hi c h t h ey elected a Mr. Hutton Chairman, a Gentleman of for tune, no less distinguished for courage than for hu-- Th _ailisy—(Hear, hear, ,ftom the Opposition). The Weeting was fixed for the 16th, and the avowed ob ject of rt was to petition, but a design to revolt was , Pretty evident. The Magistrates, therefore, consequence of the wounds the soldiery inflicted ! The first return stated, that Jane Parker died by the pressure of the crowd. An infant was also thrown into convulsions by fright, whilst in its mother's arms in the crowd. An Inquisition was also held on Ash worth, a Special Constable, who died of pressure.— Another Special Constable died from the same cause. One man died of suffocation, owing to eating some mutton, which stuck in his throat! There was a man also, whose death had been occasioned by a nail striking into his foot at a considerable distance from the place—(A cry 9f " Name, name').—He trusted the House would give him credit, when he declared he believed the statements to be correct. He never would make any statement to the House of what he did not believe in substance to be correct—(Hear, hear),—and he hoped he had now satisfied every one who had kept their minds open on this important question. He that alluded to an Address, signed b 7 8,000, to the then Prince Regent, which Address ' saves in their own defence. All actions were to be approved the conduct of the Magistrates. To adopt judged of by the motives of those connected with a motion to call them to the Bar, would be to do them. He had no objections to have their action'. them an injury ; he trusted the House would not en- tried by the test of /tic voluattas et preepositunt distin tertain such a motion, as, by so doing, they would pa- genet malefictuw. The men at the bottom of these ralyze the effin is of all the Magistrates in the kingdom. measures had views of their own, perhaps, not con- Lord MILTON congratulated the House and the sistent with the preservation of good order. It was country on the publication of the names of the va- ,no part of their plan to appeal to the people's reason, rious sufferers at Manchester. It had been asked, bur to seize upon their passions. Had they hesitated, why none of those persons had been brought forward their scheme would ,be blown, for these were they as witnesses on the trial o( Mr. Hunt? But he would "Who giro the warm People no conaidering time. ask in his turn, why the prosecutors had not called ! For then rebellion mil* be deenect a crime !"—(Hear). witnesses to prove the assertion so repeatedly made' They might appeal to the laws for redress if they' in defence of the M ag i s t ra te s ? I t was impossible for would. The Hon. Baronet had said, that the memory them to do so: but the fact was, that many persons of this transaction would never be wiped away; that who had appeared as witnesses on Hunt's trial proved I might be true, if the doors of justice were shut against the sufferings inflicted the people. This was a the complaints of the injured—(Hear).--One Jury question which never could be set at rest except had thrown out their Bilts, but why not try another? through the intervention of Parliament—( hear, Was a single isolated appeal to the law thought enough hear). It was a question which involved in it the —or rather was it not thought too mach ?—(llear). Law and Constitution of the Country ; it could not He concluded by contending that the present motion be settled by any of the lower tribunals ; it was one I was, in. the first place made too late, and, secondly, which Parliament was bound to take up ; and if they that it should not have been made at all, until it was did not, a precedent would be established by which ' shewn to demonstration, that the ordinary tribunals the Civil might be superseded by the Military Power of the country were inadequate to the discussion 9f of the country. The Judge at the trial of Hurt de- this subject—(Hear). dared, what was perfectly true, that the Court was Mr. DENMAN was sorry to rise at the present riot trying the Magistrates of Manchester, nor in- moment, when the cry of" Adjourn" was so grateful vestigating the conduct of the military, but that they to all parties in the House ; but he had felt the effects were to try whether 1-lunt and others had been of an adjournment too sorely on a late occasion— guilty of a conspiracy, The question, therefore, be- (Hear)—to suffer this great question to be disposed tween the Manchester Magistrates and Yeomanry and of in that way. Notwithstanding the able speeches the country had never yet been tried. There might which were already made on the other side of the be an exaggeration as to the number of the suf- House, be was amazed that his Majesty's Minis ferers ; but he contended that if a single person had ters remained silent, sitting under heavy, dreadful, that day died of a sabre wound, that was sufficient unanswered, and unrefuted charges—(Hear, hear). — to call for the interference of the House--(Hear).— The Hon. Member for Dover had indeed stated the He was inclined to think, that so much blame as case of the Magistrates—he had said, that for some was supposed did not attach to the Magistrates; for of their acts, perhaps, there might be an apology the probability was, that when the military rushed If the case had been put upon this footing from the upon the crowd, they were not aware that they would beginning, he (Mr. Denman) would not be amongst have cut down the people. He was induced to be- those to bear too hard upon those Gentlemen. But what was the fact— w h a t was th e gr o un d upon whi c h lieve this, because the Riot Act had not been read. It was not certain that Judge Bayley, before the con- the case had been put? It was not now a question elusion of the trial, anticipated the acquittal of all of how far indulgence ought to be shewn to the Ma the defendants, and some of them were acquitted, gistrates; but the question was upon the share of That very acquittal gave reason to assume that the praise to which they were entitled—(Hear,hear).-11 Meeting was a legal one, for those acquitted persons was said, not that the Magistrates deserved consider a had taken a part in it ; and if it was contrary to law, tion at the hands of the House, but that acting in the why should they not have been convicted for their zealous and meritorious discharge of their duty, they unlawful act? If no inquiry was made into the pro- had been obliged to have recourse to strong measures, ceedings in question, let the House see what a dread- and that if in the consequence some accidents did ful example would be held out to the Magistrates in take place, the mishaps were not attributable to them, other parts of the kingdom, particularly after the for the People had fallen by the sword of Justice— thanks which our Government bad given to the Ma- ( Hear, hear).—All Magistrates were then to go gistrates and Yeomanry of Manchester. Whether down to the country edified by this doctrine, en the Meeting at Manchester was legal or illegal, he couraged by this countenance—(Hear, hear),—an4 contended that the dispersion of it was a most illegal with the sword in their hand, sheath it in the blood act, and loudly called for the interference of Parlia. of their fellow-citizens, if by chance a Meeting of ment. He contended, however, from the depositions doubtful politics occurred near them, or if they of the Gentlemen who gave evidence at Hunt's trial, had a force at hand to second their Constitutionally that the Meeting was peaceable. This appeared from merciful intentions—(Laud cries of Hear, hear).-- the very witnesses who were called against him. Be_ Had the case of the Magistrates stood alone, it would sides, dozens and scores of persons had stated, that have been one for the consideration and indulgence the men came to that Meeting with their wives and of the House, but not for its praise. Their situation daughters; and he would ask those who asserted was unfortunate in being reduced to the necessity of that they came in military array, whether they slaughtering their fellow-subjects, and whilst one ever heard of an army whose object was to over- would deplore the consequences, he could not with turn a Government, bringing persons of that descrip- hold the justification arising from a necessity of doing tion into battle? If they had anything like hos- their duty. But that such an act should be lauded— tility in contemplation, would they have brought (Hear, hear)—that it should be held out as an exam their wives and children along with them ?—(Near.) ple for the country Gentlemen of England, was as The idea was absurd and monstrous. But it had little creditable to those who used their encomiums with that v i e w, as it was to t h e genera l j ust i ce o f been said that the people of Manchester were greatly alarmed. If some - witnesses had said so, others as- this country—(Hear, hear). An Honourable Mem serted the contrary ; and the best proof that no alarm ber had produced the evidence of pe rs on s w ho were existed, was the fact that the Exchange was as full not examined at the trial at York, speaking to the that day as on any former day. Judge Bayley told disorderly and illegal character of the Meeting; but the Jury, at Hunt's trial, that there was nothing in he set no regard upon this evidence, for the ve r y the evidence before them to shew that the employ- reason that the Hon. Member seemed to rely upon meat of military, in aid of the civil power, was justi- it—namely, that it had not been received and sifted fiable. If the warrant of the Magistrates could not in Court. And when the Hon. Member libelled the be executed without the aid of soldiers, why was not Learned Judge who presided on that occasion, by in- Nadin and others called to prove it ?—(Hear, hear.) sinuating that it was because he was anxious to save But not one of them was called, and therefore the the time of the country, by excluding this evidence, evident conclusion was, that the military were not he (Mr. Denman) felt himself called upon to defend required. In order to shew the violence used by the that learned person from so unjust an imputation—. military, the Noble Lord quoted the evidence given (Hear, hear). It was known to every one that Mr. by the Rev. Mr. Stanley, who said that he saw naked I Justice Bayley sat ten days on the trial at York, and swords raised up and let down while they were rush- there were few who knew that Learned Judge who ing to the hustings. If it was the wish of the House would have the boldness to say that he would not to preserve the Constitution, it was their duty to in- have sat, not only ten days, but ten times that terfere, otherwise the idea would go forth that there time, if his labour or his patience would thereby was no protection for the lower classes of the people; tend more to the elucidation of truth—(Hear, hear). and if that idea became general, if the people thought It was said, that it was improper to go so much into that the House of Commons would give them no re- the conduct of the assembly at the trial ; but what dress, the bonds of society would be loosened in a were the facts? A number of persons were charged most lamentable degree. with making a riot at a Public Meeting. If no riot Mr. WILMOT commenced his opposition to the took place, and if the assembly was orderly and motion by defending the character of Mr. Hutton peaceable, of course they were guiltless, and it was from the imputations of the Honourable Baronet ; therefore a natural and obvious question to inquire and he declared that a more honourable Gentleman into the character of that Public Meeting. In fact, did not exist. He combated the assertion of the Ho- this was the only question at issue on the trial; and nourable Baronet, that the Government had ulterior the finding of the Jury on this question disposed of objects in view, by what had been done at Manche, the whole matter. The conduct of the Magistrates ter. The idea was monstrous ; and no other Mem- and Yeomen did not come to be questioned so much, her of the House, he believed, would impute such but it was their duty, as they were the complainants, motives to the Government. , About the time of the to adduce evidence, and shew that the Meeting was Manchester Meeting, several other Meetings had been illegal—(Hear, hear).—The general answer to every held, in which the people were told by seditious argument on the former debates on this subject was, leaders, that they could have no relief for their suf- that this was not the proper place for discussing_ ferings bat by the overthrow of the Government— for it was then in a process of legal inquiry. B tu (No, xo). He could prove that such language had this inquiry had been finished, a trial had now taken been used; and there were in the Meetings all the place, and was it yet shewn that the Meeting was il symptoms of incipient treason. On the day of the legal? The evidence on that trial did not prove the Manchester Meeting, it would have been impossible Meeting to be illegal; and it was surely preferable for the Magistrates to preserve the peace of the town to the unknown and unexamined evidence which was it they had not done what they did; and when it was offered by the Honourable Member to-night. He known that a large body assembled in military array, therefore charged Government with wilfully holding it was impossible to have acted without the military. back from an investigation into this notorious out- It had been said that the Meeting was peaceable. They rage upon justice and law. Ile charged that the might have been so for a time ; but it was the peace Magistrates had acted under instructions; and in proof of a thunder storm, which might in a very short of that, he adduced the fact of their departing, in this time have burst over the whole town of Manchester. instance, from the ordinary modes of dispersing Pub- Nothing was more unfair than the assertion, that the lie Meetings, which were as effectual as this, and Military had felt a disposition to cut down women infinitely more humane—(Hear, hear, hear).—Ma.. - and children: if such persons did suffer, the suffering gistrates would never have dared to depart from the was unavoidable in so vast a multitude. It was un- beaten road, if they had not the sanction of higher fortunate that blood had been shed ; but were the authority—(Hear). And if these facts did not fur l Magistrates responsible for it? They were doing nish pregnant proofs of the sanction to which he al j•their duty, and it was to be regretted that the inter- luded, was he not warranted in inferring, from the ruptions they met with obliged them to go an ex- hasty and unfeeling thanks given by Ministers to the tended length in the exercise of that duty—( Hear, Magistrates, that what these latter had done was with hear).—lf the charge was properly placed, it ought the sanction and connivance of the former ?—(Hear) to be laid at the door of those who, for wicked pur- At that time Ministers knew no more than that blood poses, compelled the Governmeut to take Ivopg Inca- been shed—(Hear) —and that the ktng's subjects