Star. — London, England, 1822-03-01 00:00:00

%Ow,- Thomas ..isey sw im hlll ---- VtatrOidp Iliad 10104 lOW or ..-- armed with swords, and some persons outside alias and atoms. He -told the soldiers that were not to ttetainthere, es they only tempted people to a breach of the peace. He then went Aid being informed that the. crowds were again !ambling about the barracks, be returned, and -- forty or fifty of the soldiers near the gates, were thrown open, and the soldiers coming oat. Right Hon. Secretary was-furnished with a - ,the evidence, and might find all those facts `in it. He would net tie the Home by goins through all the evidence; he would only state-a few of the . principal facts. Mr. Sheriff Waithman found a warm contention between the soldiers and the people. He then rode up on the foot pavement, when a soldier came up and seised his horse by the bridle, and with great violence pushed himself and his hone off the pavement. The soldier afterwards presented,his car 'Line..-cot perhaps at Mr. Weidman, but certainly in the direction in which he then was. The &Wenn, as far as it went, clearly proved that during all this time Mr. Sheriff Weidman conducted himself inthe coolest manner possible. The whole of the evidence taken in soother place went to substantiate the facts which he had stated, with the eEception of some variation in the evidence of one Gentleman con nected with the Press: ke meant the evidenceof the , Gentleman connected with the Morning Port. But there was the evidenie of Mr. Mortimer, a Gentle man who filled an official situation, and who was known, he believed, to the Honourable and Learned Attensey-General. That Gentleman attended the, Sheriff all the day a nd saw erierything that occurred. Everything that was stated in the Petition presented to the House was on p out by the evidence of that Gentleman. All the S 'Ofileers who Were eis. mined confirmed those fCcts t They.were nig to be supposed under anT improper influence in giving ' their evidence, particularly at a tinte.when the She riff was out of office. Besides all that, they had the evidence of the Gentlemen connected with the Press who had been on duty that day, and who were ob- Carvers of all that occurrid. They were above any kind of bias or indoence whatever. He thought the evidence taken before the Corporation of London was strong . enongh to induce the House to establish an inquiry into the whole of the day's proceedings. But perhaps it would be answered, that Mr. Sheriff l Waithman had no business there—{Hear, Ace? ! and a langh).—Perhaps his Hon. Colleague, in seconding his motion, would observe that Mr. Waithman had no business to attend at the procession; but it was the duty of the Sheriff to attend where he appre hended there would be a breach of the - peace, and to prevent it. The. Sheriff was in attendance from seven o'clock in the morning until eleven o'clock at night. It could not be said that the Sheriff had no, business to attend at thefuneral. But if anything happened, he being absent. what would be said . ?— Before any step was taken by the Sheriff in conse quence of the assault on him, he wrote to Lord Bathurst, calling for an inquiry; but the answer he received was a direct insult to him. The Corpora tion of London have called on that House to insti tute an inquiry into the circumstances of the assault on their Sheriff, and he hoped they would not call in vain. If the Sheriff was to be assaulted with impu nity while in the esecution of his duties, who would be found to act in a similar case? This inquiry would also spew whether the military in this country were without controul, or whether they acted under command. He called for an inquiry . into the man ner in which the Sheriff was assaulted in theese cution of his duty, and the unarmed populace cur down by the soldiers. If such things were tolerated, there was an end to all civil government, and the country was subject to military rule. It was quite' time, therefore, to examine into those facts, and he then called for a Committee to inquire into the charges against the military or against the Govern meat; for they were to blame in not sending a note to the Sheriff, as they had sent to the Lord Mayor. The worthy Alderman then concluded by moving for the appointment of a Special Committee, to inquire into the facts of the Petition of the Corporation of London, presented to the House on the Bth of Fit bruary, complaining of an assault committed on their Sheriff by the soldiery at Knightsbridge barracks, on Sunday, the 26th of August la t. Sir WILLIAM CURTIS rose to second the mo- tion, but on a principle very different from that of Ms Honourable Colleague. He contended that the - Sheriff had no right to attend at the funeral. Then were two Sheri s, and one of them had no authority or power to act without the ether. Mr. Waith man well knew that he had no authority to attend.— But he would second the motion fora Committee of Inquiry, in order that the world might understand the character of the Common Council of Londop— (Hear hear).—That Learned Bedr,-(Lanettes)— meddled with those affairs with winch they had no right to meddle, and pretended to be what they were uut,--(lfear, hear! aid stuck laughistg).-4i the in vestigation which that Body held, persons were caned on to be examined, and such answers were drawn from them as were suitable to the views of the Com mon Council—(Hear, hear! and ntneh laughing), Ple would vote for the inquiry, because it would then bow much the Common Council had overrated their parts. He would not take up the time of the House, bat be would beg to be permitted to give-one sped -men of the evidence which was taken before the Common Council—(!Wear, hear).—He would give them a specimen of the witnesses examined, and of the evidence adduced before the learned Committee of the Common Council—(Mach laughing).—He would read the evidence of Mr. Thomas Oliff: it was to be found in page SS : Where do you ilve3—At Na 50, Anre-etreet. What are you 7-4 superintend the business for. Mr. limith, a com-chandivr• 'roll were at Knightsbridge at the time the affray happened with the soldiers and the populace?—No; I was not &bezel— kier C ). That do you know about itT—l get a note to attend Mrs.(ifeer, bror).—AU that 1 know Is, that I was in eons. pm with a !Bead of mine on the blander or Tuesday evening, aid be said that be had been into the shop of a person of the nesse of Cribb—(4l )—and heard a inea of the name et Pre periohn—(Onsimme )—or his man—Werz= tell Mr. (rabb that he beard a *prai of the Life sty—(lnernased laublier)—s IN —e Alderman Welshman twe prepared for him, and have get a ban ready fur Wear... Orted langhisr). Do yea Wow the met Where doss Properjelm alga laitgiSer.)—At Knightibridge; be is a bitdise.•<Chnli. grit( knobier). read dila eatract as a epedmaa of the eeidee • Zan, dim &OS tbefifspst fel, and be belisiblisconect, and•these "Waited to the p neighbeuthood dialed that thertaw. *Milling of thaate% thinwo. diatiejt Mat any ceentimj= heti Mr.' aithalen. -He was etthe • all that day, and sever left it from rbp to theffth. He saw groups of people about thieleatia, which bad been shut it tied. Thee was a limy through the_Barracks from the toad into the Palk *here the people were in the habit of passing. declared upon his honour that the gates were opeseed for the accommodation of the people. There was no disturbance until after ten o'clock. After that he thought the soldiers, eofarfrossbeing the aggres s**, shewed the greatest forbearance. These were not less than 282 windows. broken in the• Barracks, although it was stated that constables were stationed in front with orders to apprehend any who were found committing a breach of trel n e s ace.— Soon after six o'clock be beard cries of." Murder r and on goingoux he found the trumpeter knocked down—( Hai", heer)—by the people, who were as :milting the soldiers: The conduct of thesoldiers was most forbearing. At his orders they returtted within their barrack, which was a proof of their fbrbearance —(Neer, !Four)—and good order—(Flear, Iseer).-e-He shortly after sent for a Magistrate (Mr. Conant), who read the *lot Act, and dispersed the populace. He wished as much as any one for an inquiry; be cause then it would appear that the soldiers eon ducted themselves is the most forbearing and orderly manner:-(Hear, hear). Mr. HOOHOUSE replied to-the observations of the two last speakers. He did Got mean to deny any thing which was said by the Hon. Colonel ; he was ready to admit that some windows were broken in the Barracks; but this only went to prove that win dows were broken on both sides. lie trusted that in a question like this, in which the liberty of the sub : ject was concerned, inquiry would not be denied. It was the duty of the House to inquire into this circum stance. He defended the mode of examination by the Committee of the Common Council, as being the fairest that could be followed up ; for they did not stop short, but •eaamined both sides of the question. They had a right to expect mcge discipline from the soldiers than the people. If they we* called Picca dilly' butchers, and stoneswere thrown at them, thrf ought pot:to h ave: fired at the people. He contended, that the Sheriff, during his office, was the first man in the county, and superior to any Nobleman in it. So said Blackstone, and therefore Mr. Sheriff Waithman had a right to be there, to have followed the soldiers into the Barracks, and to have taken in the people as the posse amitosis, to have apprehended every sol dier whom he believed to be breaking the peace ; for •I he Sheriff was the only judge of what was a breach of the peace on that occasion. The worthy Alder man ought not to have cast a slur on the Common Council ; for it was formerly a very important body, and sixty or seventy of them sat in the Convention Parliament, when the Crown was transferred from King James to a worthier successor. It had often been said, and laughed at, that Ministers wished to make this a Military Government ; but he was quite satisfied that the intention , was so. He thought the Common Council and the country ought to know whether they were keeping Barracks for soldiers to cut the people's throats. Mind, he did no: say that was the fact • but it was proper that it should be known whet her that was the fact or not. Lord Bathurst seemed to think that the Sheriff was nobody, aid to forget that Blackstone was a greater man than himself, for he had given him an answer, amounting, to telling him that he had not spoken truth. AU he wished was an investigation. Mr. PEEL declared that he had no wish to cri minate Mr. Sheriff Waithman; nor could- he grant an inquiry, though the Honourable Officer (Coael Lygon) was anxious to clear the gallant amps which he commanded. Inquiry was made by Lord Bathurst, and depositions received on oath ; but those he would not touch on. The evidence on the other side was enough to satisfy him that no such outrages , AS had been alleged had taken place. One evidence had sworn before the Court of Common Council, that he was in the shop of a Mr. Properjohn in Knightsbridge, and there beard Mr. Properjohn: or Mr. Properjohn's man, say, that they beard a Corporal of the Life Guards d—n Alderman Width man—(4 lase hi .— Such was the evidence that had been sent forth into the world. He regretted that atmmeranith bad been the place selected for the bu ' rial of these men ; and, above all, that the road past the barracks should have been selected. Sheriff Waithman said, he understood that the people were exasperated by a girl being wounded by a brickbat being thrown from the barrack. This was not borne' out by the evidence, and before Mr. Sheriff Waith man had ventured to give this story to the world he ought to have inquired into the truth of it. It was true that a woman was 'truck by a brickbat, but though she was so wounded, she was an elderly wi dow, and this happened on her return from the fu neral. Sheriff Waithman had. said a man had pre saged a carbine at him; but, as he was told, it was knocked out of his hands. Had this been so, the breach of discipline, on the part of the soldiers, would have been most reprehensible; but he could find no such thing in the evidence. The very man who knocked the carbine out of the soldier's hand would not swear that the carbine was presented at him. It had been said, that Mr. Sheriff Waithman received an answer from an Officer, " That the Sheriff might be d---d ; he should net withdraw his men into the barracks." This was not borne out in evidence. The' soldiers were charged with rushing out of the bar- 1 ;inks armed with swords, carbines, and sticks; and { Snicking the people without distinction of age or SOX. If that had been so, how was it possible but that au indiscriminate massacre would have been the consequence? whereas there was bat one casualty is the Middlesat Hospital arising eat of that day. win ft hay tkotors the day in 4111461i011 sot a siagie . ;714#6* i, •1. lil,l -- ° PS t.,t 10, . ,blit he. was .aapa the t,., wit 0011 -) .MT inn jelanal• . • B A •) • I N • -.the Ileskt . ,11... .. inn eShis maw, istegn.eset fions.dinie of the. Hon. ditiderman and: madam, him. t ile controverted the .Hon. *rimer amticqi.of.thaiegal,sluties of a SheriB4 *hi es be present in4taatiiabipanes.beinig • Mk* that his colseeweve at livighteo or at a feast, or, pLivantiore, on a party of pleasure. .complained of the evidence of the Comillas being treated with the severity of technical lei& itmoy—whereas, it was only taken hi a manner which laiteatto show that there was no disposition to . pervert. 4t /1111• any particular purpose, while it plainly ems 41111b$ daa *air*, of inquiry. With regard •te SherlfWAklbentlitiving attended akele Pironer's . 11 41 111 st• lit Penman) could pot conceive what that had to do with the outrages at Knightsbridge; for it did not appear that any provocation which -might have existed was in any way connected with bite; it was not until the owing: came from the Mier in the barracks that any appearance of hosti .lity Altai directed against him, even from the sol dicey, end the whole of the evidence went to spew, that he *is hailed by the people as a friend, and that his inioence operated most powerfully In restraining them Xiom outrami and violence. Mr. Sheriff Waith man, whose exertions on that occasion, it was ad mitted, had the effect of conciliating and checking the progrem of violence and bloodshed ; his gallant Friend (Sir Robert Wilson), who was now sitting near him, /oho also, by his exertions on a farmer day had put a stop to the effusion of blood ; Sir Robert Baker, who, with a feeling the most proper and becoming in him as a Magistrate, bad also interfered in the pre vention of riot and slaughter, by changing the route of the Queen's funeral procession : these formed the list of the proscribed, for their interference between the people and an enraged and furious soldiery.— Look, on the other band, at the case of the outrage at Manchester ; not a single person concerned in the barbarous illegalities ofthat transaction had yet been brought to account ; no inquiry had been made into the circumstances ; thanks were given, without a mo ment of hesitation or reflection, to the military, as if they bad achieved a triumph over a foreign enemy, instead of imbruing their hands in the blood of their countrymen; and the Magistrates who caused that unhappy slaughter were made the objects of favour and rewatd—(Cheers). .Mr. PEEL wished to correct a mistake of the Learned Gentleman, as to an observation of his. He had admitted that the evidence which he quoted was strong in favour of the motives of Mr. Sheriff Waith man, and proved that his conduct on that occasion was conciliatory. ' Mr. DENMAN said, he had understood the Right Hon. Gentleman to have founded on the evidence, which he admitted to have the effect he had now stated, his opinion that the presence of the Sheriff was improper. Mr. PEEL said, he had founded on part of that evidence his arguments, but not his opinion—(Hear, Isear,frome the Ministerial beaches). Mr. BANKES, jun. could . not but think that the conduct of Mr. Sheriff Waithman was highly im proper in appearing at Knightsbridge, who had ap peared for six days as prosecutor of the Life Guards, in the Court of his own deputy, the Coroner. Sheriff Waithman himself admitted that be appeared at the Inquest as a public prosecutor. The Sheriff had no business at Knightsbridge, since, eleven days before, be was present at the Queen's uneral, but took no steps to keep the peace,. or to remove the obstacles which were thrown in the way of the course pointed out for it. He hoped that, in all such Coroner's In quests in future, no proceedings should be published until the verdict should be returned. He should oppose the motion. Mr. H. G. BENNETT contended that Mr. Sheriff Waithman did no more than his duty in attending at the funeral of Honey and Francis, for the ?reser . ration of the public peace. Let the act be judged by its consequences. Did he not preserve the peace? —lle would appeal in support of the affirmative of that proposition to all the evidence that had yet been heard on the subject, as well that which had been given before the Committee of the Common Council, as that which was in the hands of the Home Office. The irritated state of the minds of the People, and the temper of the soldiery at that time., rendered it certain that if any collision took place between them, great mischief would ensue. Under such circum stances it was the duty of Government, since it could not prevent the funeral procession from passing near the barracks, at least to have controuled the conduct of the- troops, and to have prevented them from being present alit; or, if no other means could effect that purpose, to have marched them out of town—(Heer , hear, /iota the Treasury beaches, and cheering fives tis;• Opposition).—He was quite sure that in other and better times that would have been done; but, in these' days, Government appeared either to know nothing of public opinion, or when they found it opposed to' their own views, to aim at nothing bet defying 'it, and carrying every point in opposition toit by force —(Near, hear).—Looking through the whole of Mr. Sheriff Waithman's letter, he contended that it was clearly borne out in every tittle by the evidence. That of a Gentleman who attended on the occasion as a Reporter for one of the News distinctly proved the fact ofasoldier having y loaded' •si carbine and levelled it in the direction of the She riff; and the same added, as his • • , that if the man could have fired at Mr. Bheriaithman with , out hitting some of his comrades he would have dons so. lie begged to remindtheHouse that dap eTWelkce of a.Reporter, as transactions of which be was an eye-witness in the diieharge of his duty, was most important ; because be attended for the special par pose .of observation on what was passing, to make such olmervatioa was the business of Me Callin&Lit . wait he might say, 'his Mock is trade; end, at his OD AA A AA Oication. 'hewed hinweltto he po x . remarkable dhinness and presence of mind. this evidence was sot given on oath ; Inn band, wither was that House now sit. iisey-wilvtibeee-ent, 4 ti ssul d ui i nqu i ry , a nd *wont& on which t 1 47 m od Lama evidente, as, if given in Justice in su ppo rt of a capital charge, i t . brimmed .sismemft dilly& hOtikt rid of.. aillid k oireiserffeese to remember that it had 4sca r ts.lear,thitliewl filey,or, Mdern:en, and Commo n yet of, the 'city of :London, petitioning for in r t.. kiwi the la* of ibilgi•rif complaining ti ncio?soott woe upon.die Itgal anthkititic s of test vselieta ,in his penOn ; It had the evtd r i t i Ai before a Committee of persons propet ~...,‘ to investigate the fact, of a violation Hof ...ir civic rights, and the of that Com m i tte e den :it was necessary to !Tr Pon the House for a qprqush inquiry into the whole of the transactionao IOW& it referred; and peter had a gate been sent by &Grand Jury ton Petty Jury for decision, on evi dence more strong and clear, on a prism .feeie view, than that whielfformed the ground of the prese nt call for inquiry. No man could go farther than he would in the credit which he .would cheerfully give to the soldiers for the good temper and forbear ance which they in general displayed,and which had for so many years maintained the best terms between them and the People. But when he "saw attempts sys tematically made to set the military power above the authorities recognised by the Constitution, his utmcst exertions should ever be applied to the counter,ctica of such efforts ; and on the present occasion he would accordingly do all that be could do towards their de. feat, by supportins the minion for an inquiry. Mr. LAMB said, he was aware that any Gentle. Man who ventured to affirm in his place in • tha House that there were persons in the country who were desirous of promoting disturbances, and inciting the people to break the peace, exposed himself to re. hake as a libeller of the people of England. W:.: what possible motive, he would ask, could have led to the determination of conveying the bodies of these two unfortunate persons, with the pomp and tumult of a public procession, to Hammersmith for inter ment ? By "'shoal was the expense of such a pi oceedi ing defrayed; fur without expense it could not have been conducted ? And what could have been the in ducement to embark in such a project, unless it was to invite an attack-from the soldiery, who were sup. posed; in the temper of the time, to be too ready to engage in such an affair, or to risk the chance of a 1 movement ote the part of the irritated populace against the military, in order that persons of such 4 description as ~he had alluded to might take ad. vantage of the disorder consequent upon such ea occurrence to promote those ends which the ) ima. gined likely to be best advanced by anarchy and con tusion ?—(fiear, heir). Notwithstanding the riser. 'ration of the Hon. ember for Westminster, he 1 would affirm that the persons engaged in the riotous proceedings at Knightsbridge, were not ,hose who could, in the correct acceptation of the term, be pro. 1 perly called the people of England-4 Hear, hear). He happened to see the vast concourse of persons who attended that funeral; and he was sure, front his ownobservations, that the great body of the pelple assembled on that occasion mere most quietly and . peaceably disposed, and, in their respective situa tions in life, highly respectable in character: but be i saw that they were also attended in their progress by 11 a great mob of persons of that description, who, from 11 warmth of temper, or other worse motives, were al- 1 ways ready to take advantage of every pretext that offered for creating riot and disturbance, and by no inconsiderable number of those who are found to seek an advantage in the confusion that ensues from every violent movement of a mob in this metropolis---tilear, hear).--And he must say, that unless breaches of the I' peace in the metropolis, occasioned for the most part by the conduct of such miscreants, were firmly re sisted out of doors, and scouted in that House—(Hear, I hear)—if they were to be called acts of the people, and protected by that feeling of constitutional respect which he trusted would ever be entertained in that House towards the people of England, properly so . called, it would be Impossible to prevent outrage, , riot, and bloodshed, either from the violence of the people, or the resistance of the military—(Cheers). -Mr. HOBHOUSE explained, that he had not, as ' the Hon. Member supposed, applied the term of 4 , the people of England" to those who committed any of the acts of violence at Knightsbridge; but he hal said, that the people of England were insulted iu the person of the Sheriff—(Hear, liar). Mr. BUTTERWORTH thought that it was no: until they were obliged to protect their own lives, that the soldiers on this occasion interfered ; and that Mr. Sheriff Waithman, as Sheriff of the county, had acted in a manner highly criminal in not interposing his authority at Cumberland-gate on, the day of the Queen's funeral. He did not, however. think it ne cessary to be there, though be had judged it proper to go with the other funeral procession to Hammer. smith. On the occasion of the Queen's funeral,. Mr. f Waithman's brother Sheriff wrote to him, to ask him whether it was his intention to attend on the day ap pointed ? Mr. Waithman returned no definitive an . swer to Mr. Sheriff Williams, until a period so imme diately preceding the funeral, that he knew his letter . could not reach the Sheriff in time. It was to thiii ef fect :--4 4 Although I shall nut have the means of at. tending her Majesty's funeral in my c o r po r ate cape: city, I mean to attend as Sheriff of the county, and to , be at Hyde Park-corner at half-past seven o'clock in , 'the morning." As Mr. Waithman must have known and anticipated, this letter reached Mr. Williams too late. and he did not go. The Hon. Gentleman con cluded by a solemn appeal to the House to reject the proposition submitted to it. Mr. HUME had a very few word* to say, and those he 'Would hot have offered but on account of the most extraordinary statement which bad been made by.thialon.Member. for Dover (Mr. Butter- Worth). - The Hon. Gentleman protested against the inquiry, and yet commenced his speech by a in general attack upoq almost everybody concerned . in this transaction, the spirit (perhaps the House would be told) of Christian charity—(lifeer, hear}.—But his appealing is the solemn manner that be had just dim, was an insult to religion.(f/ter, hear, fres Me Ornsilion).-.-The sacred cloak of Religivis was 4 de diaMstlie Memo _ _, prosiat : ,.. 4 .,_ ) , •,.._....„.." • t .74t.4:: sot a . 41. ~ .ro f .kt ea dkik , mit they dame got aogostAlstett e r rio : • ' t• ft /4r' tam 1 " ... fre' 4o l l .... Zr - ~ :, /Us •. • ' . ''' of rignitrial ted ahe about * th i amine* I-( 46 , • • virr. "-fc7r the '. ' - - . Pb.‘ trent ye, Colonel -LYGON Polio inn, Mt et !dadfound all : ka nome .befo wr ed them, ba tmt iay bet c ruppoinsa :M ve .... l=l, l i On ditsr • e th 6- :; thetbe $0, 7 14°‘ :, - - 1' . ' ' ioilivell 4 ' . 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