The National Register. — London, England, 1812-04-12 00:00:00

- 1 230 --...----•••••••'' i ng .4, the Great LianalerCial Iti.oin over the Ex,:nange, on the Wednesday following, 4 To prepare a dutiful and loyal Address to his Royal Highness the PIIINCE RroEo his RoYAL HIGHNESS'S person, and our ardent zeal for the support of his Government.' " This advertisement was signed by about 150 loyal subjects. Theconsequence was, that an opposition t , prung up in order to def eat the object of the meeting, by pro posing and carrying a counter address. The better to ensure success, the opposition caused hand-bills to be dis tributed, and placards to be posted throughout the town and the country for ten miles round. These being, in ge neral, of an inflammatory tendency, calculated to rouse the passions of the people, it is impossible to c onceive the great and sudden effect they produced en the pub lic mind ; nor was it ever dreamed of by even the indiscreet friends of the l'itiNce REGENT themselves, until they ob served on the day previous to the meeting, the people crowding to town in every direction from the country ; and then they were fully aware of the impudence of their conduct. Alar med at the threatening aspect. of af fairs, they held a consultation u nrongst themselves ; and i , after employing a' surveyor to inspect the building n which it was intended, the meeting should take place . , the Committee of the Manchester Exchange communicated officially to the public, that there was something so rotlea in the stale, or rather in the stair case of the building, that it wcmld he dangerous and unsafe to permit a crowd to assemble in any part of the building. 46 This notification was not attended ith the desired , effect. The people assembled in thousandi i iy ten o'clock in the morning ; and by el.,sven the rabb tad complete possession of the Commercial Rooms both above and be low stairs. They did not act as a deliberative bo.,:i ; for -without much consideration they commenced breaking the windows of the upper room, out LI which they threw the benches, chairs, tables, and, in short, demolished maps, Limps, and every moveable in the loom. It was proposed by some of the m'st desperate to set fire to the furniture, but they did not proceed to this ex tremity. By this time (twelve o'cleck.Wsome thousands of the mob had taken possession of.'f i t: Ann's-square. — One of the town demagogus mounted a temporary ros trum in the middle of the square,- and read aloud the Re solutions agreed to at the last Common Ball ; every one of which were unanimously re-passed amidst the le dent acclamations. Matters were thus proceeding, when suddenly arrived from the 1).1-ra , :'ks the rep,inleht of scotch Greys, and the Cur - obi:Third regiment of Militia. To Riot Act was immediate!y read, and tnie allowed itr the mob, to diiperl;e : and in titicen minutcs aiterwards nr , t ten persons could be i f...nr:d together in this quarter of the town. Never did se.idiers pe: - Jo;:m thcir dtny with more_propriety. They v.-,. -re ircque:Ay provoked to acts of violence, hut conducted thcm,.elve,,, notwithstanding, with great ntot,levAtic:n and lo:l;eartncc towards the rab ble. No lives were lost tl!.:;. I I:tve heard (..f, but several ve:e wounded by the s-dlre. rr:l - .1 twrive. o'clt)cl: in the day ail the shops and warehons , wcre shut up." ~ E.:6trr O'CLOCK AT 1•::01ri..----I '!t 1.C3111 that several of the rioters havr berm 1,,:::.i , :i in.';,::..y BAiiev p i s on.— The Conqal,les and tniJ..ll2: - are ivtradintr the s treets.— The mob , i:i srenili boll ie:i, el re stiil a;sernbled at distant parts of the town, an.; appear to be ref' actory ." 0 Nr.lr &CU/M.—The right is dark, and it is apprehend ed some mischief may cccur before morning : the inha. ANOTHER LETTER FROM MANCHESTER) DATED APRIL 9. The afternoon previous to the meeting, the BOROUCII REEVE and CONSTABLES received a notice from the Corn mittee of the Royal Exchange, stating, that an architect had examined the situation of the leading stairs to the dining-room, where the meeting was to be held, and from the excessive pressure there was likely to ensue, the t` ids w ould be - very unsafe : on these grounds sue, t h e w refused. Another large room was immediately sought for, but was iefnsed. The BOROICGIIREEVE and CONSTA BLES being reduced to this extremity, thought it best to apprise the town by a circulation of hand-bills, that on the above grounds such meeting , s could not be held." 44 In the morning, however, considerable numbers of the lower classes bent their course to the Royal Exchange, and by half-past nine, got possession of the room. lt must here be understood that the room to which I allude we e not that wherein the meeting had been appointed to be held, but where there is a distribution of the London and country Pap'=s s for the inspection of the subscribers. Immediately after they got possession of the room where the meeting bad been appointed to have been held, f con the windows of which they threw cut the cot ms, met commltted every excess of riot ; but their conduct in tlie Gentleman's Exchange was detestable :—They wantonly deosolished every chair, table, lamp, window, and about haf a dozen handsome chandeliers, set fire to a collection'of maps, and the retnnant Of broken chairs and tab valu.t les, a ble nd d es t r uctively ran their clubs through a very painting. While Cis revolt was carrying on, about 3000 a,l journed to St. Ann's-square, where they passed iroopi monslg the Resolutions which were presented at the Com mon Hall by Mr. WAITIIMAN. Immediately after, the Riot Act was read, when the Magistrate, the Boroughia - r eeve, Constables, &c. aide d by the Cumberland Milit and Scotch Greys, dispersed the Reformists. But their system of destruction followed their steps : they broke numerous lamps in the outskirts of the town. The Bo roughreeve and Constables issued a notice to the Public, to avoid loiteting in the s treets in the evening ;as es diery would he on patrole, and take those into c ustody who refused to obey the order. About five of these ami able ringleaders and window -breaking reformists were lodged in the' New Bailey, where they shortly will have to answer for their riotous proceedings. g , I am happy to say the town appears quiet th;s mere ing, and I must do the lower classes of it the justice to say, that most, if not all the destruction was committt by the misguided from the countr y around. It is ireper sible to describe the agitation the town was wthrown hint' but I hope, foe the honour of Manchester, e shall ve no more such public meetings." EXI'ItACT OE ANOTHER LETTER. 14 One of the sown demagogues mounte d a teenrcTarY rostrum in the middle of the sq uare, and read aloud tlie Resolutiens agreed to at the last Common Hall, every one of which were unanimously repassed amidst the ac clamations. Matters were thus preceeding when s udd enly arrived. from the barracks the. re g iment of Scotch Greys, and the Cumberland iegirisent of Militia. The Riot Act vat read, and time allowed the mob to disperseia minutes afterwards not ten persons could be found t gutter in this quarter of the town. Never did srliiori I THE NATIONAL REGISTER. APRIL 12 bitants are mostly iffraid of fire, and many will not go to bed. At present, thank God, all is well, and I hope will continue so." ri