The Sun. — London, England, 1812-02-15 00:00:00

applied for. On the '23J of January, he received the depositions of witnesses, taken in that place, and the objeel was to lay them be:ore the Attorney-Gene ral. preearatore . to sending down a coneeission to try such persees as might he taken. He had dispatched Mr. Conan', an intelligent Megistrate,, to ascertain. the best way of proceednig, and procure ail the iu formati-tn he could. •The next step resolved upon was; to recommend to his Royal Highness, to issue a Proclamation, offeting a reward for the aepre heosioo and pro,ereition of sue as were concerned in those riots. .fie :allowed that it was a doubtful , step,: and such as never before was resortedto, but tie con ceived, was fully justified by the urgency 01 the - case. His : view al present was not. to answer charges brought against the Government, but to ex plain all the steps Viet had been .tried befoi - e be pro eeede.l to the extremity intended by his inoton.— The progress of those disrurbances.was most extraor chsty, no: withrtardieg the assistance that had been given. Thev,arese between the workmen and the manufaaurers ; the machines they destroyed were not the property of the 'persons in whose houses the, were, but, were hired out by she manufacturers, or by persons who made a sort of trade of hiring them. He believed ii might have been the case s that some of_ the owners t,l the house, in whi t ! ) they were kept were accomplices, which would ac • count for the circumstence of - so little information bins obtained, and so few apprehensions effected. The Wholo system WAS carried on with the greatest *.O recy and Management In , many instances the machinery was btoken without any noise, when the military were in sight, and in. one instance when. the - , were within a hundred yards of the Tremises. It happened at another time, that five or six persons • were pieced outside a village to prevent. all ingress stet egt e4s, while thirty of the party destroyed the frames in the pfice, and escaped without the know ledge of any person. Thor acts required legislative inierterence. One of the causes to which-tae heard them asciibed, was the great employment afforded it the period of tee speculations to South America, and the subsequent fallieg off, N;hictt, about two years ago , produced great distress, aided since by the interruption of trade, it had produced those. conse cu nces. Whatever ground of complaint the work men might have against their employers, it was impoisibk to couotenanae such a manner of redress, by which whole families wert-edriven to ruin, and which threatened io dr4vee the manuffeturers from the county of Nottingham. The may question was, whether it was not right to attempt a legislative ena&tnent ? By the 28th of the King, the breaking . of frames was made a simple felony punishable with transportation. His intention was to make it capi-, tal. , He was no friend to the increase of capital punishment, but property must bts protected, He did not rest iris proposition on the frequency of the offence, or the difficulty of the detection, but on the ttecessi'y of keeeing down the spirit. He quoted the opinioo of Sir Matthew Hales, to shew that when otieoces became enormous, and dangerous to the Srate, they should be punished with death : and stated, that frein six to ten' thousand pout's worth of property was destroyed by those riotous individuals. There was another measure which he should introduce, to enable the Lcrd Lieutenant of the county and five Justices to call a General or Spetaial Sessions, in tittles of Adisturbance, for the perpote of swearing in Constables and petty Coo tnahles, and chusing from persons of about twenty-. five years of age, a sufficient number to establish water and ward. He might be told that some of this was law already, but it was law which was fall en into ...isuse, anu stone of the pl °visions would be found to be new. When he stated that he .was sanguine in his expe4.latioris front it, lie went upon the representations of those . who were likely to forur a judgment. If it had the effeit of establishing watch and ward, the disturbances would be nut - an end to. The Right Honourable Gentleman then moved for leave to bring in a lid, for the more ex emplary punishment 'of .persons guilty of frame breaking. Colonel ETRE (Member for Nottinghamshire) se cooded the motion of the Right Hou. Gentleman, trssured as he was by most of the judicial persons in toe county of Nottingham, that it was floe only mea sure weich could be really serviceable. However severe in enactment, if effeaual, it would be hu mane in consequence. For the very parties who .were engaged in the' work of . destruction, while they were injuring the property of others, were still more seriously injuring themselves, as they an nihilated the means of feture occupation. Not withstanding every possible effeCt, tie outrages had existed for mmy months. The Magistrates of the county had exerted themselves to the; utmost; and Inc must do toe Government the justice to say That they had most readily come forward net second their ttforts. They had acceded to every request of the Magistracy ; they-had ordered various and consider able bodies of the military - to match to their aid ; ' they bad lent them the assistance of several active and skilful Police Orlicers---but such was the exist ing state of the case, that unless the offenders were deieeted in the very a6t, it was UtXt to impossible to apprehend them. _ _ _ Mt : . J. Smrris conceived the d:racabautes if not olpo.ed, would be most dangerous. rte did not agree with the Right Hon. Gentleman that they arose in consequence of the men being- unemployed. One of the great etuses for comphint was toe mode itt which the misguided men were paid, and be cause they did not receive.wages :adequate, as they buprposed, to their support. The mode of payment by the masters, was, in some cases, by linen-dra ray goo is, shoes, iron, and, provisions of various stirs, which they estimated in value at much less than the twenty shillings to which they might be emiiled. Other causes were to be found, as the manuerot measuring out the work, and there were cases in which individual inanuladurers oppressed the workmen. If these combinations were not put an end to, considerable dangers might arise. With respect to the penalty of death, he thought the dif ficulties of conviction would be increased, if the Le gislature were to impose so capital a punishment for offences of the kind no , v alluded to. The Hon.. G,-unleman expressed his thanks to the Right Hon. Gentleman for the teal, ability, and solicitude which he had shewn to preserve the peace of the town and county of Nottingham. The Magistrates of the town had exerted themselves with a degree of vigour and energy which refieded on them great credit ; and tic inhabitants had also contributed their assi , aance to quell the spirit of riot which had SO 01111130 y tnsl if steel ;ti-if in the town, contain ing about forty thousand persons; which town, he was flee to confess, wasin 0 state oft he rkepest dis tress. Indeed never saw in any town so lunch of distress an miJery. With such a p. , pidation, the exertions 01 the-Ma..jsracy had kept the public peace, and it - was unparalleled that they had so done. • The 'breaking of flames :was not done by large mobs, hut' - by t.enty or thirty, so,octim,s thrett or tirtr, WllO went at th- dead of eight to commit these kittlawful acts, and theieby,ese ip:td the utmost rigilat;ce. The interposition of the Legisla ture hecAme highly necessary. Mr. C -. ..•W,Y a NS thought ingoiry ought to precede the itnerteren,e of the Legisl we, and was there fore disposed to Meter a t'ontmiuee, he!ore the motion for leave to biing in t!.e 13JI was agreed to. Inquiry uoul.l stew the misguided men that the eye. of the Legislature was not remote t front them ; and if they hai grievances to complain of, those grievances would be redressed. Before he could consent to make new enakciment4 of a penal na ttne, .._be must tie satisfied the present Statutes were instifficient to the purposes for which they were framed. Mr. FRANKLAND adverted to the records of Eli zabeth, in reference to the statute upon the subjed,' and panegyrisrd the , ahi'ines of &icon and Raleigh, Members of the Legislature, which passed the sta tute,, under circumstances not di.similar with- the present state of the county. He wished it to be re 7 colleCted, that the House was called upon not to make laws for the presivation of the property of individuals merely-, but for the general security of the State. The necessity of Legislative. interference was manifest ; because, with all the assidui).y and vigilance of the Magiitracy, they had not been able to put scl f itwn the disturbers of the peace entirely: Mr. ECK was against'deiay. The depredations comp'ained of were - doue by armed persons, That circumstance would, in hs opinion, tot dly _ super sede the necessity of inquiry. Besides; it had spread through some of the midland counties. Mr. SHERIDAN was'relliciant to originate bills which went to extend the Penal Cude without pre vious inquiry. It must be recollected that he weeches of Gentlemen would go f:r nothing ; but it a Cooimittee was appointed, and _they made a report recommending the extension, then the House would have sufficient .autliority on which to act.— He conceived there was great blame - somewhere in permitting the di'siurbancel to arrive at such height. Mr. H. MARTIN, as a magistrate of the county of Leicester, declared, that every exertion. had been used to put down the disturbances within the county, where riot a single frame 'had been broken. He hoped some infornia,ion would be laid on the table to justify the extension of capital pu nishments. Mr. BABtNoToN was perfealy convinced, what ever was their .object, that the system of breaking the law was prevalent, and wai extiqiding through some of the other counties. He was disposed to vote for the appointment of a Committee to ii quire into the fads, the report of which might soon be made. It might be necessary_ to pass an Ad of the nature now proposed, but then he thought it should only be a temporary one, to meet evils vthich, only were of a temporary nature. had no ob jection to the second Bill, even without the torn of . _ . The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQURR imagined there could be no objeetion to the Bill as proposed by Los Right Hon. Friend, for a watch and ward, with an it , struBiou to the C;mmittee to extend the provisions of it to such parts as to ,them should appear most proper and ❑ecessary. No Gentleman had suggested any doubt of the existence of the evil complained of, thereThre, when it was proposed to have a Committee to inquire, he thought it was a proposition which was not necessary to be enter tained. No praaical good could be derived from the appointment of a Committee. He agreed with the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Babington) that the Bill ' should be of a temporary nature, and that the House was not called upon to legi,late for posterity. With respect to the illdstrious names mentioned by .his Honourable Ftiend (Mr. Frankland), he much doubted whether, when those great men legislated, there was that general notoriety of fads which sub sequent times afforded. The objeas of the present measure would be to• correct the evils and to pro duce that state of tranquility •so much desired. With resped to what had been stated by an Hon. Gentleman as to the mode of payment to the work men in goods, he •thought serious inconvenience would accrue if the Legislature was to interfere. Where there was distress apparent, it would be the most unjust way to prescribe by law to the mann faaurer the mode of payment, which would have the etrea of inducing them not to engage on any terms. Mr. WHITBREAD contended, that it would be unjust to entertain the Bills without a previors in quiry. He could not Con,ent to multiply the. penal statutes; and the question was,. whether the laws already in force were not sufficient to prevent the crime ? It waS not a very light matter to enact the penalty of death, and if a Committee wf4.4 proposed, he should readily concur in that motion. There was blame originally attaching to the department which should have taken cognizance of the riots. He was the first to call the attention of Parliament to the subject. He was happy now to add his tes timony of applause to the conduet of the Bight aniourable Secretary, who had done his duty in a most exemplary manner. It was also a jutice due to the Magistrates to say, they had done their duty in the same manner. They had cured the evil in the town.; but• out of town there were not the same facilities for vigilance, and there might be the necessity for a watch and ward in the Coun ty. He ag:eed with those who thought the laws referred to of Elizabeth, were a reproach to the Statute Book. HERBERT, before he could consent to add to the number of capital punishments, must, be con vinced that the existing laws were insufficient. Of this there was as yet no proof, as there bad been no trial on the subject. An Hon. Member had stated, in the course of the evening, that these riots which have extended themselves to Leicestershire,- ,liad been suppressed by the a6tivity of the Magistrates. He wished the House to know why the M3gis- trates of Nottingbamvhire had failcd in doing iLat• wIII. h thy. Nngi.trate. of Leicestershire had so,),tic cesstufly accoinphshed. It was therefore his inten tion, unless snrne other Hon. Member would un dertake the t, , sk. to trove tor the appointinent ót a Cotntnittee to incest gate this subj•-ct. ,2L : The }loose then divided, tioi the motion - - - - 49 Agditist it . . I I Majority - - - 38 • Mr. Sec. RYDER 'hen moved for leak io bring► in a Bill, more effetivally to preserve the peace ot the county of Vottingiham, and of the Town and County of the Town ot Nottingham. Mr. W. WYNNR wished more pirticularly to know why the County of N tti glrito leid been se lecied nom the rest of the kinglom, for the exchli; • sive opt-twin!) th..l,proposd measure 7 : If the BIN had been to provide for thebcter wat:b and \vat d of the whole isimid, it would have met wi , h , his hearty concuir-nce. . Colonel EYRE repeated the statement Which he made in'an earlier pa. t of the_ evening, and adde,f,! th . ai if 'the lion. Gentleman had had pctsonal ob servation of the state of Nottingham and its neigh b.mrhooil, he woulit have telt the necessity of the inteledmetsure,—Leave granted. Mr. HERnECT, impressed with the necessity of putting the House in possession of all the circum stances•ot this important suhjeil, then - moved that a Committee he appointed to incpnre into the late riots in the County of Nottingham, and the neigh bouring counties, and what further legal provisions, it any, were necessary on the subje6l ; and also into. the steps that had been taken for the discovery of the Uffenders. I\ - 11. Secretary RYDER argued agliost the appoint ment ot, the Committee, as whuily unnecessary. He was persuaded that the House wou;d think that the general nowt - fel), of the riots, was &sufficient ground tin Parliament proced.we, and he depre cated any.dekty in providing a reniedy for the exist ing evil. A division ensued. ' For the Committee - - is .. • Against it - - - il i p Majority . —25 Mr. Secretafy ltynen immediately brought in the first of his Bilis, viz. for more exemplary punish ment of persons found guilty of destroying stocking flames, &c. On the motion that it be read a first time, Mr. W,HITBREAD rose, not to. oppose the motion, but, in consequence of what had taken: place that evening, to give notice, that before the conclusion, of the S , -ssion he would move, as a Standing Order of. the House, thatisome formal proceeding should always precede any ptopositionfor.the enactment of capital punishment. The Bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second a time on Monday, and to be printed. •Mr. Secretary RYDER then: brought in his Bill (or more effetlually preserving the peace of the county of ,No,ttinghatn, &c. Read a first ante, and, after a short conversation betw•en Mr. W. WYNNE and Mr. RYDER, ordered io ba read a second time on Monday, and to be p in ted. The House of Commons Offices Bill went through a Committee, the Report of which wa► brought ~ 'p and ordered to bc taken into further Coo - siderition on Monday. Mr. H. MARTIN postponed the notice ikhich he had gii'en of a motion for leave to bring" in a Bill to regulate th►e Office of. Registrar of the High Court of Admiralty, from Monday to Monday fortnight.-- Adjourned. The Secrery of the American Navy (Mr. 'Ha milton) has been officially called upon, for a return of all vessels of -war of the United States which were in actual service; and of all those raid - up in ordinary, with the time necessary to equip them. The vessels in actual service were as follow Frigte President, 44 guns; ditto Essex, 32; shit; John Adams. 2o; brig Argus, r6-- S tation, kthode Island, under the command or - Commodore Rodgers. . Frigate United states, 44 guns ; 'ditto Congress, 36 ; Wail) 16 ; brig Nautilus, 14--station, Hampton-ro:Ads, under the cutninand of Commodore Decatur. • -Frigate Constitution , 44 guns ; ship Hama, 16, Foreign service. . Bug Syren, u 6 guns; Viper, to--Station, New Orleans, commander, Capt. Shaw. Brig Vixen, i 4 guns ; Enterprize, t4--Station, South Ca rolina, conintancier. Capt. Campbell. Brig, Oruelila, 16 guns, Lieut. Woolsey. These constitute the whole of the American Navy. The Chesapeake, Constellation, New York, Ad ams, and Boston frigates, are stated to be out of re- • pair, and oat it will require six months to refit them, and the attendant expence about 440,000 dollars. A Spanish poiacca was carried into Barrataria Bay, near the Missippi, in November last, by two French privateers, shortly after which, two American gun boats arrived in the Bay, burnt the privateers and took possession of the prize. DEST RIJ CTIV PI FIRES IN. MA NCII EETER.—On Sunday morning last, about five o'clock, a fire broke out in the workshop of Messrs. Mason and Faulk ner, brush-manufacturers, - Cateaton-street, but. which, by a timely discovery and prompt assistance, Was got under before any considerable damage was sostained.—On the same day; Soon after one .o'clock hi the afteti.6oo, another dreadful tire broke out in the upper story of the warehouse of Haigh, Mar shall, and, Tids•.vell, the.corner of High-street and Church-street. Although assistance was immediate, destruction pressed in on every side. From one Story to another the 'devouring element descended, till the whole was consumed, in spite of the inces sant streams from the many engines which were broUght to the spot ; and on Monday morning last, about half-past two o'clock, a part of the vast mass of goods, lying in Marsden-square, was diseovqed to be on fire, which had smotheringly horned, un discovered, from the preceding day. The alarm bells were immediately rung, and the . persons ap pointed to watch the valuable stock 01 mannibalured property, set themselves to extinguish the threat ening flames, which, after upwards of an hour's conflict, were happily got under. Though the da mage tllen done would, at any other time, have been deemed considerable, yet coupled .with the primary fire, it was little thought of. The property in the streets was - guarded by soldiers till Monday, when it was begun to be 'removed to different ware houses, and the tremendous ruin now stands a fear ful monument of the sudden desitudion and disper sion of an immense property. LONDON: Printed by 1 HONIAS WOOD, of No. 35, Maiden-lane, Covent-garden; and- Published by WII LIMO A ion GE It SCRIPPS, South M, Qt the SUN ()MICE, No, 112, Strapd, where Ailvertisetnonts, Orders forthe Paper, Letters tor the Editor, (post-paid, CAMBRIDGE, FEB. 14.—The Master and rel. • 10w3 of M.tdalen College have presented the .Ite'v. Philip S. Dodd, M. „A. Senior Fellow of that So ciety, Cletplain to his Royal Highness the 'Prince &c, to the Re(iory of Aldriegtou, Sessex, v ieceed by the decease of the Rev. Thomas Paley, A.—The Rev. John Vander Meulen, L.L. B. Vicar of Messing, in the county of Essex, and Mi. noi Cl/mil of St. Patti's Cathedral, .was on Tuesday last (()hated, by the Dean and Chapter of that Church, to the Vicarage. of Belchamp St. Paul,- \ it) ,the same c , linty, a di:pen‘.ation having previ oudy passed the Gre it Seal tor that purpose. RICHMOND THEATRE, (AMERICA).—The Coma miftee appointed to investigate ti:c cAtLiie of this • chei'df , l cal oniTy occasioned by the destruo;on of this Theatre by fire, and the loss of:more 000. ' tenth of the aud,eoce, have Mad, their report, froni, witch it appears, that on the fatal night the NOW= mime of " The Bleeding Nun ; Or, Agnes and Ray. mood," came on for releeSentaiion after the Play was over. In the first Att, amongst other scenes, was the scene of the Cottage of 13 iptist, tht.-: Rob , . • ber, which was illuminated by a c'.andeiier app. , ten tly hanging from the ceiling. Wh it the;ctirt..in fell•on tlie• first act, and t , efore it rose On Ibe ,second, this chandelier.was lifted from its position among the scenery above; it was fixed with two wicks to h, one only of them had been lighted, yet when it was lifted above, this fatal lamp was• not extinguished. —.l The man who inadverienily raised ii being ordered• to lower it,. made the attempt : the cords. being en- tangled above, it failed. He th , n jerked' rind jostled it, in consequence of which irswet loaf from its per peoidicular position, and was thus brought into con tail with the lower part of one of the front scenes.— The scene took fire; the flame rose, and tapering above it to a point, must have reac4,o the root, which was elevated six or seven feet above the top of the scene.—The cause of the fire is thus explain ed. The great number of lives lost on the occa-! sion, was owing to the bad coostruelion of the The atre. There was but one entrance to the Boxes and Pit, and that so narrow that two pers , ina could scarcely pass at the same time—the way then lying through a gloomy passage to a natrow winding stair case, which terminated in as narrow a lobby, There were in the Pit and Boxes 548 dollar tickets and 80 childreu—exclusive.of fifty per,ons who were •• the galleries., Of these, 598 had, to pass through one common avenue, and although _ail the spetia tors in" the Pit may have escaped, except a Sew Who . may have jumped into the Boxes, yet the crowd in the lower and upper Bokes had no other resource , then to press - through the above narrow angular stair. case, or to leap from the windows. The Grand Jury has thrown out five Bills of In. dietment, brought by the Society for the Suppres. von of Vice against Butchers, for selling meat an the Sunday morning. It appeared that the vo or people, who • were thus provided with a Sund;.ty dinner, worked till near midnight on the Saturday-,• and that they were served before ten o'clock in (11 0 forenoon ; also that the meat Itft uuso!d on the Saturday would not, in many cases, keep sweet till. Monday, CORN-EXCHANGE, FEB. 1 4.—To-day the Market continues nearly es our last, very few arrivals of Vlieat, arid not much on hand : in this tra..;e 134 prices are fully supported ; the sarticway be noted in the trade for Barley and Malt ; l'ease - arid 13 - estO of each sort remain at little fluctuation ; we ha' same few fresh arrivals of Oats, but not many 0 3 hand, and hardly sales sufficient elected to warrar 4 but little variation trorn last quoted prices ; and Flour at last currency. Wheat - -68 s a 925 rros Fine ditto - - xt6s a ties Rye - - szs a 58s Barley - 40 a 555 Malt - -•- 78s a 86s White Peas, boilers 765 a 82s Grey ditto' - - 5 8 s a 6 4 5 Bea us - 54 5 a 6os Tick Beans (new) 5,s a 565 Ditto (fine old) - 4 5 ?, k : ()atS - - 3os a 34 , Poland ditto - a4 r Potatoeflitto 41s a Rape Seed - 01 ' Fine Flour gos a 9 14 Seconds - - giss a 9'-'6 13IRTHS. On the i ith inst. in Surrey (Kent-ro a d), th e LadY o f George Redhead, Esq. of a Daughter., On Tuesday last, at Blithfield, iu Staffordshire, the RiS- - ht Hon. Lady Harriet Bagot, ot a Son, of On Thursday, at his house in P o r t l an d-pl ace , t h e LadY Valentine Conolly, Esq. of a Daughter. MARRIED. . . On the 13th inst. at St. George's, Hanover-square, Macdonald, Esq. to Ludy C. Edgecumbe, sec o nd daught er sot Earl Mount Edgecuinbe. On Thursday, Richard James Mansurgh St. George, 1 of Headfort Castle, in the County of Galway, to Miss Sy" phia Shawe,.second daughter of William Cunlitre Siaawe , Esq. of Southgate-House. On Saturday last, at Richmond, Surrey, Mr. Jonathan Johnston, of Lancaster-court, Strand, t o M is s A nn m ot-rtilf of Richmond. At the Quakers' Meeting-l-lort.w, 'Enniscorthy,' ionirhal Pim, otpublin City, to Eliza, seconddaughter of Wilbur Gough, Esq. alight Sheriffof the County of Wexford. PI4D • Lately, at Charleston, Nlassachusets. Commodore - muel Nicholson, Senior-officer of the Navy of the Un it ' States, aged 69 years, • On the Ist inst. at Ely-place, Dublin. Margaret, dovi of the late R. Tunnatline, 1.. sq. of I.llanotester, and yourg e % daughter of the late Peter Orm l - eied, Esq. or Ormerod, "`' cashire. . On Sttnday INst. at Quay. fir.rufie;_KinfO,H L tes, her 7otii year, Mrs. 1l eis, widow of It'itti in Ilbcrt, kA . formerly of Bowiingsleigh, in tivf same Lounty. Ott Thursday, in l'owis.placc, Harriet, the youngest arilj of S. W. Warren, Esq. I°o The same. day, at his house in• street, Mr) Varty, hrewer, aged 65. , Yesterday, as his house in Upper Wimpole-street, r dri• Tash, wife ol William "lash, k.sq. ut bruoinfield-Hou 4 '" Southgate. - COAL MARI:ET, Fxs. 14. Ships at Market. Ships soht. l'rice 2 Newcastle . . . 1 . 495. 3d. to --s- 0 ": I StOllC Lod . . o . — , S. ott. to --S. Q` - '' 1 ettlill . . . . 1 . -s. c.d. to --s. o'J• PRICE u STOCKS YESTE, RDAY. Bank Stock, India Bonds t7s. ids. Pr• Navy c pzr Cent 93 i s 92 I E ;Kelley trills, 3d. pc. darf 4 per Cent. 78 i ga. 55. pr.- ;id. per daft per Cent. Reci. 62ii* Lis. 6s. pr. 3 per Cent. Cons. 62j 02 Imperial 3 ver cent. 60 t liaak L. Aran. 16 5.46th5,} Vitro Ann. 9-16ths India Stock, Cons. tOr 27th PO. 62 y I HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO.IIOg. ROW. Morning, 36 min. after 4. 1 Evening, 57 Mtn. after 4; of ton. street. C rqsver or- squ a rc, ), must be addressed.