The National Register. — London, England, 1819-09-12 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL. Thursday a Meeting of this Coort was held at the coutieil-Cnamber ' Guildhall, in consequence of a Re quisition addressed to the Lord Mayor by several mem bers of the Court, for the purpose of taking into oonsideration the proceedings of the 2iianclicsicr M 4. gistrates, and the Iromaitry Cavalry, on the menturable uccasiou of the 16th of August. The deep interest which the anticipated diicussiou had excited was evin ced by the unusually great number of persons who pressed fur admission at a very early hour. 'rhc meet ing of the Olin was ror is o'clock, but long before that hour the avenues to the Council-room were completely blocked up, and when the doors opened not one-fourth of those in attendance could rind room below thebar.— The reporters from the several Papers were, through the civility of some of the officers, and the polite atten tion of a few of the members of the Court, admitted through a private door, and took their places in a part of the hall, which, though extremely unpleasant for see ing or hearing whin advantage, was, under circum stances, the best that could be afforded. The Lord Mayor, who came in his private carriage. entered the Council-room a little after 12, and in a short time after, a number of Aldermen and Common ers, sufficient to form a Court were assembled. The LORD MAYOR (after the proceedings of the last Coon had heen read, opened the busineu of the day.— He said, " Gentlemen, I have called this Court toge ther on the present occasion, in consequence of a Re quisition addressed to me b' several members of the Court. At the aline time Gentlemen, I must say, that I have done so with considerable reluctance, because 1 think, that where crimes, or alleged crimes, have been committed in any part of the country, where they are likely to be investigated by a proper tribunal, before whom full evidence will be given, it would be prema ture and unnecessary to attempt to discuss them else where. However, 1 have consented to call the Court, because 1 am allays ready to bow to the call of its members, and 1 trust the Court will consider it with temperance and moderation." The Requisition was then read by the proper officer, after which, Mr. Alderman ‘Vatrituax rose, and proceeded to address the Court. Ile premised with regretting that the question about to be brought before the Court was to originate with lino; it might have been safely left in other hands; but as he had been desired by others, as competent as himself, he should endeavour to perform his duty. Previously, however, to proceeding to the main question, he could not but animadvert on the course that h.id been pursued by the Lord Mayor, and on what had )(alien from his Lordship as their Chairman. Instead of preceding the business of the day with comments of his own, his Lordship's duty was to state what was the business for which the Court had been convened, and to abstain most carefully from tak ing part in the discussion. (Heart)—During the three or Poor-and-twenty years' political experience which he had • hail in that Court, he Ind never before seen the Chief :Magistrate presiding in that Court, and whose duty was merely that of a Chairman, address the Meeting, coin inunicati4 his decided opinion upon the subject about to be debated, previous to the discussion of it.—(Much cheering.)—But he trusted that the Cow t would not he turned aside front its duty by any improper efforts, that it would maintain its owl' manly seutimentr, and tnat it would not permit its judgement to lie warped by Joy in fluence whatever. He could not avoid thus far adverting to what had fallen from the Chair; he would now pro ceed to the question before the Court—a quesiien sill which there was a powerful sympathy amongst all ranks of the people. As it was a question of great im portance, it was necessary to discuss it wider such a check as would prevent airemperatice, winch it would he best to avoid upon all occasions. It wit not to ad vocate any particular cause he came forward. It was from his having joined in the powerful sympathy that prevailed, and in which those who signed the Requisi tion agreed ; a sympathy which sprung front a holing that a wound had beets inflicted on the Constitution.— It became the duty of the People to make an appeal to the justice of the caution, and to petition that an enquiry .110111iti be irit>tle into th,4e unequalled atrocities ‘v hicit taken place in Nianchestur. It appeared hum the accounts which had arrived, even to me Ministerial or- Bans, ttiat the Meeting had beets peaceably assembled and conducted, that I ho,e Mos assembled were dispersed by the military, trampled upon, and that men, women, and children, sotiered trout wen proceedings—proceed. rugs that were without parallel in lint hmory.—(tacar —Men, would:, and children, tenable to Vscape from those who attacked them had been destroyed, and were they not innocent of any %Vas were my pre• cedent for such a proceeding 1 he knew of none, It was tent necessary to give ans opin.on on the nece• - . of caking 11,,.e meeting; to.:ether, or enter into a tits cossion of the ol.ijocts they had in clew. llht sentiments on tins subject were vse;l knout'. lie tud deli% t red them on many 'mac nee t.ions, and kid •111\ 41y5 head that the convening of them %.as not lotinded in wisdom Of policy, and stntii:tinies he had (I , f3'.red front the object which was sought to he attained by thew. limit it W.lB 110( necessity lo go into dull. It (v.'s (Villtill tit.tt when the people were injined, they had a tight to judge as to the means of retlre.s--.111 it it they thought lliciinclVeS ..;grieved, they were authnris J, under the Constitu t of the country, to nte4.l toe nature 0. those Ktit.sroces, r.ta to deti,e the best means nj rem,. dyitig them.—(Hearl)—This pririlr c W•lN Opra tinder the B:II (which coutirii.vii our pri vilege to titsCtiSS 4; but tinder the common late of the laud. It %v.*, not toe any Nia.4fstrate, stantlot.: Iv - west:l . 111,41 i. t,t .I,c..tte to Ole pewitir now and w here too; were io oleo. It war burticie.ii tor iunt Io acti,Ll:to himself - with the fact that tne pe.ple posses , etl the ri.1,1.t, and were at full liberty to exercise it. BM, tf :be own/ ht it necessary !ts put down those indititiv-is, if he con. ecited those meetings to be attended with treat dim- .~. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ser, there was a constitutienal mode of ellecting that ob ject: Why did not the Al solutes stand furwaid—velty did not the people of rank and property in the country sir p forth, and point out to those nicht idualat heir errors? Wny did nut they make iltenieelves acquainted wall the itatuie of weir euniplattas—u . hy did they not point out to those who complained the right and proper re. medics for their evils, and the rational mode by which those remedies were to be securevl2—(Much citeeritig.) If the Manchester Alerting had been diderria to what he had described lt—if it were illegally convened—ll it had been tumultuously conducted—it violence and dis order had been exiituited at it—even in that case, tie con:ended, the conduct of the Magistrates and soldiers • was improper and unconstitutimial—((.ontinued cheers) There Was a very severe Act on this subject—he meant the Riot Act—which affixed the penalty or death to in dividuals who met teAether illegally, riotously, or in multuously, and who, out due notice being guru, did not comply with the provisions ut that Act, and disperse to their respective homes. Alter a certain notice had been ilk en, they were liable to the penalty of death ii if they did nut separate. But no set of men had a right to interfere with, much less to disperse, those individu- • als, until the Wrists of the law had been strictly attended to—(Hear, hear, hear.) They ought to recollect a little, the circumstances under which the Riot Act was paSseit 111 1715; at that sate, or immediately alter, a rebellion which had raged in the country was put clown. Taw rebellion was nut excited for the purpose of recovering lust rights, hut was occasioned by an endeavour to place another Sovereign on the thione, in the room of him Who had lees recognised by the great body of the people. Then, when there was a rebellion is the country—when there was a Pretender to the throne—die Riot Act was passed, for the additional protection of the existing Go vernment. That Act had, however, nett' considered by sonic of the best men in this country as a gloat stretch of authority, as sit undue assumption 01 power. It certainly gave power to Magistrates which it was unsafe to lodge in such hands—a power so liable to abuse, that however necessary it might have been when it was enacted, or however necessary at a subsequent period— it was treated by many of the best and wisest men iu the country as a t dangerous instrument. Ile hoped he should not be considered as trespassing oil the time of the Court, it he referred them to the directions laid down in the Act, because then judgements would be more properly guided by AO appeal to the Act itself, 01411 by any repiesentation of his. Por the inlormatioil of the Magistrates this Act was printed at large time statutes whirls were inteuchd fur the dire' lion of the Corporation. [the worthy Alderman bleu read extra( to from the Itiut :set, which, iu subs:mice, dee.sirtd, that, where wit illegal, riotous, and tumultuous assembly, cumistmg of tacit e ur wore pi rams, met tegeihess, the Magisuutes were to gu Antonio the riute.s,ur Clear to theta u passable, cud proclaim silence, iu au. audible tone, until piuelatuat iuu was osade to them to impeise—with wits, it if they did hut comply within an hour, they were to takeu iota custody, and subject to pusiishment fur a capital felony.) Ile then proceeded to espies, that it was evident that the lutetium' tu this Act was nut to tuteriupt iu the exereSse of soy tomtit ur ctrluulouuu.a tigut, but applied to meetin g s col a certain d.scupt.uu, sit. Merriogs ulrgall l (townie., or when railed t..g. tar r, actiug riotously and this Act tise.r aassionicutiou made ot else y. How ever accessary it mi g ut b., 11111011le C.OOll, 'bete bile lists of the ta.4o.ll*.ites welt la dapper, to have wealth.* to the power, title as, litit,Stillalghtiltt the Act the slightest twice of Lamm Il aim the COO ..tagurat . , and lota alooe, tliat aulta ut t. lir ark( icUillkidTerted tab the charge Wad, by the ..... miry cavalry. at ale very moment that the isuti- Wags Writ alai routidtti, and the perms,' standing in Neal bilfiel.derta, and 1.1 nub was extolled by the car. tines ut tae Monster, as a grist achieveuteut; mud it wily tairittilo) Uuterted, lout lite people arty dispeised, because throe was u 4 Alderman %%Malaita.' preseol to notate hie people will COlitewitt fur the (lie,r, hear I) The worthy Alderaitiu thou adverted to the tueetoo t s at :Smithfield, wawa tv.,s lade, eo to asscial.le littd veparote about inulevtal ..... . —lf that arise le g al oat it had lava Mutated su by the that law authorities iu the c AMU)), that a 41cti 4-veuil,led al AtaisClosar, he evil/elided, was equally so. 11 as their C it) the only true a here the people were mitered to metst to express their grlevaders, sad were the people ut Matichester alum to be refused this pnvdrge, to a hah they had au u'asoubted right, hi co ..... lon wits the Iris of his hlajesty's sunjocts of theta could returmber the Cuilvteritat sew; h prevailed, mid the importance. that was attached to the circouistant.: of a stogie tint' being killed in a trot in St tieUrgv's Fields; they could all mu/ember laeserious enquiry set atloat by 'Magri:at city ahem a Zile was hat at the Wile Sir krauts's Burdett was comudited to tue lUw er. bidettl tutu all oCI:11.111.011. it was %tell slid Loupe. ly ...twittered that the oustitutaust could be so seriously tcouloteo %hit/ugh Mt op. prertiuti or injury or u single individual, us by the loss of 'untie's, however Considershlc their extent. Its. Wished that She people could meet wider the general iangisrin y of tue couldr;,— suer authorities best calculated logwedigisity io,d importune ' to then d.liberattlim.'file people of Lou dun, for instance, could meet to Culuwnn Ilall under their us ti Cutporaton, to express their upi ttttt k Cite. 1 tut, .tn some laughter at the alitisioll to retinal to a L mom° I, but Was it alit lOU 11.111 . 11 40 g. Ole rOple, lIU kid Out tile aid of liaise alto acre c Whales ea Uu•ti .uproar, it it ing twasautms tool lava ill serf Slug lit public, alter tile) had hi Sala applied to the ma g i.' ate. Ili cuuiseiie allaelllallt.s in the WWII UsialUry, and laud, iiittlital as awl' as they so a pplied,nict alto mann% but abrupt retinal 1 cheeltug).--N lwrever the people had 11111,11111 l'oo - theisseiyeb geheral a about tae attend:tote and my p. 41 of too* alio ha ly 'heir toretings.—(t-taiiiimed cheeriak) —hu delicate a. ie I.ollle persom of allotting toe people iu Judge for throw Ives, that to a lathier( 1110.0. %IMO they ought to be pecultarl, alde to judg. , namely, Wit made in ahi hat new lax a °Mil ail. et them, tat) were not thought tio) taro' t 11;0 Muugistiat. s souse Ur illscrelsoi; It. et/loader such is vithjeet, or es ea cotopth it to give Wilt U. hails to their 0011 leer esru 'martial Out an) ttttt dot ari , e 110.1. 10.1•Ular meeuugs, tal al/1,111 UJellt toe tit wen ioi,eli:et to fall t Out *llion e.Se but thine *ha taloa the Kttple 1.0 their uwu retitle. ft, fur the expises. of their grit Sailers f 01.1 the itiggialrates, aau Viotti/ out, as they ought, ligally to convene the people together, and toi the Cove, meat, who appeared to encourage those niagi.trates to throw clithtultiel it/ the way of the Futile in the exprcs- SEPT. Ift. NOW of their grievautes.—(4_ ries or •I I ear%) I lie reso lutions which he bad prepared for Lis uct•asion, lie had takeu the usual studious l'Ofo! 10 avoid every moug extraneous to the prec.se tonvtiuti, ev. ry &bang 110th could in the slightest dew re. ILI Ile CI, Isle a V wield 'or iiiilionmittory fnuupp iu tar toenail sit stay Maoist man. whatever might he the bias or bus particular political up iiiiii us. (Hear, hear :) If gr. 11dUCt did exist among the people, and the iu their mode of seekiug redirw,nuwoux the primer means, he submitted to the tense übduur of tiny homes( Inuit, whether it *amid out be Imam better to allay t hose ea ievanCee by the operation of time, and tax inlet VCA.IIIIIO of CloleilOslosy Iliad Ihr C°4 ::: : 41 1 17y 0 1 71 e h R US i e t ut " : " w o r t r . e l I i sa a d ru)i, kbatalLiettlYialb'f-ua; such At nett semi prap.e had mistaken the reined . neverthele/s it ao.ild better h. come (maw iu p „„,. r in Ito Plod tit people whom they thought were delived, to alter their opinions by nuu.urw and ettasiderate forbiarance, than to rxtoperate their piahouits and wattage their feelings, by tenet iig them wit h hostility, Mid diSpelsOlg them by viol/. I4C e. That eau uever have Site of about the w ork of peace, It Dever could client good. 'rite worthy Aide, man having lead the Dates iit malutious which he propised to co.ietutle with mowing, obierved, that he had omitted to allude to the period wbeu the Riot Ant had been read ut Manchester. lie thought that of very little comparative importance at this imam tat; for the meeting, so far us it had gusie, appealed by every account to bate been conducted peace hay, sit that their appeared co justification at all fur reading moat Act. it, however, the Riot At t old lead at all, it aunt have been lead by the Magistrate at or near his own Maur so that it atilt standing by could nut hear ohm the Magistrate was reaumg from his paper. But even If it bad been read its it ough , so as to have aide the merlin', ;erosible of a hat suns coming on, still, he I:mortified, there could be no iiiii for what was suliscipien•ly adopted towards is &traceless mulaitude.—(Laud and cuntam-d cheering fol lowed the conclusiiin tit the lion. Pleasbees speech.)—He then moved the following Resulutious iiLSOLVED. I. That, under the free principles of the British Constitunion, it is the undoubted right or Enguallinen to assemble together for the purpose of deliberating upon public grit:bap-7es, as well as un toe leel and constitutional weans urootaninig mums. 2. flat, for the exercise in this rigl.t, a Meeting was held at Manchester on the flab of August lAA, and, without eructing into the policy ur prudence of cohieuidg 411C11 assembly, it appears to us, from the lUlUnn4llolll %Ilk% tuts tratispirctl, mat the said Meeting was legally lialellIbl•A; that its proceedings were con ducted in an orderly sod peaceable manner ; anti that the people composing it were therefore acting under the sant:tier, at the laws, and emitted to the protection ut the .Magistrates. 3. That we have, nevertheless, leiuneu wit grid and astonish ment, that while the Meeting was so assembled, sad when no act of nut or tumult had taken place, the Alagistristes tamed their warren 4 tut the apprehension of cirtain persons then present, fur the execution of winch, although no resutaihe was made on the part of the peoi le, Of those against wilioni the waitrons were MUM, they iiinnetlietely resorted to the aid of lie Military; when, without any previous warning of their intention, vie Man. chester Yeouiaury Cavalry, suildvilly rushing lOf ward. opened a passage through the mulutude. hinder:ly attacking, u, 10fel of anus, peaceable and witilliasding milers., What et+) b ran numbers of men, icumen, and cluttiren, and even pesos vase. rs, were in discriminately and wantonly row ova, sinskluany inhumanly sabred anti killed. 4. Tiled we Wel ourselves called upon to expreits our strongest indignation at %nese unprovoked and intemperate pIA/Ceedilliti. whiul we cannot but vie* as highly ul,gsllCC+lll .0 we character of EntlibillllCll.lllllll it dicing violation tile ire alt cunsutuuon. 5. — hat trout the Mown anti ueelaret. atiac. scut ossn. Royal nighties. the Prince Regent to the rwaututiun ono the laws, we heel the must deeided eouviction. that his Royal 111,11ii.es never could have been induce.. to express hi. approval at ie. etill(1114A of the abettors and perpetrators or thew atrocities, had nut his Royal confidence been abused by interemil unaxpresented state ments of these illegal and fatal tramactions. 6. That at a tune when the great hotly of his Makjesty's sub.. jects are suffering under the severest privations, hooeye r erroneous may be their ideas as to tile means of rialres., a kind and coney. hating attention to their complaint is equally called for by policy and justice; and that depriving them at We means of expressing their gran races, by =city taut despotism, can only tend to increase the present diwonterws, dearoy public confidence in the puns and equal administation of justice. elute duadfectiun, and lead to acts of open violence or wend revenge. 7. That, in order to avert these calamities—to maintain the authority uf the law—and w protect the lives anti liberties of the subject —an humble and dutiful Address b..: presented by this Court to his lima' Highness the Prince R.4 4 etit, praying his Royal Highness will be graciously pleased to institute an iiiinie• diate and effectual inquiry into the outrages that have been cow. mitted,and to cause tile guilty perpetrawrs thereof to be brought to signal and condign pwlialiment. the tr..uluuuu. acts by Nlr. Hurcom be, and were sopported by Messrs. buinstead, Patten, Southgate, Crooke, Taylor, &e. Allll.l lierls Sir W. etirtis,• Seholev, and Itothwell, Messrs. Ritmo, Jacks,* Dixon,• a c. oppused the resolu- Mr. Alderman Waimman male a moat animated reply, when a Ilisnana took place, and there uppemed—Fur the re.olidluns— Aldermen. 2; 69 —7 I. Against their—Atilt siren, 0 ; 11111 l Alajority iu Coeur of dm IPAOIUI 1011 A, 26. • Each having, or having had, Sovernment Contracts! MANCHESTER. THE FOLLOWING LETTER From a respectabiegenileinun in Manche ter, to his friend in London, giving an account of' what he saw of the proceedings of the loth ult., is valuable both as confirming the accounts already published, and stating some particulars which we do not recollect to have before heard. SEPTEMBER E. I wag upon the around at the Mretine. , o l • l Blood on the rai•edklaund in the rear of the hustings, tallest I cunl4l hear all the speak,, , and see ton what vies going un. 1 16'•se Io Wise in •re many cf the parties f he :iy arriie ; they come in regular usd r, with 1141111r1P, att• as sun hair sera ns •ci tiled, and When she whole of the Parceled pails.s lions the 11111 l y wet• collie In, iii, ITspeTi Ise Winds weir collected inixellier and played :lA% r Ihr huui,•' which was erei%eil rimy Jrouuu•ts..uuu of ir.p..et. lionsaiida 1141, were instals' h 4.11, I 41 44444 mlus-thei there was e single it a ins wish's' hearing, " was also played, and with the sa.iie &rt. 'l lu •sr was lhu tiliticsat pall at the r,aw,l,When Hunt', pally rattle, the whole 411'4 was crammed. The numbers could hot lie leas Ilia,' 100.001. It was really a fraud eYd ituvosiug beset:mit. Doting the whole of