The Sun. — London, England, 1819-09-25 00:00:00

etr the tiecessiry tit wing erginnents %shice re- 1 s heeled -only epen themselves : for if they were rhus•determined to -pi event the Meeting in ques- Thou, %elle had they not publicly declared their in tentiou before it took place, as they had •done on a former occasion of a similar nature--; and when the people, little as they were, perhaps, bound to ;Wide by their eletermination in the matter, no tooner sate elre ;notification than they respected it, end abstained altogethsr front the intended meet ire. The Recuisitionists had shown every desire to he acting in the most legal teauncr. If the Magistrates had not themselves thoneht they were so :reline, why had they declared c hat they should not disperse any meeting which might essemblee? Sint the meeting wets a legal one, and the object was ;toot]. What were the words of the Requiti ? " To meet and determlne on the most legal means ot obtaining Parliamentary Reform." The more, then, this point sees examiner!, the more clearly it resulted that such was the ease. And set ely, this point estAlished, these desperadees might at that moment just as well, as reasonably, as j, i srl e , rush from behied their backs, resume their work of slaueloer, and butcher their wives and shell children before their faces. if it was compe tent for the Aiagistrary by force to I'sail the Man chester Meetiniz, employed in the set ions pursuit of n great legal object, they would be equally justified in driving these soldiers into die very churches, and in permitting their indiscriminate slaughter Of all sexes and ages, I teouee knee li ng before the offended Mejesty of (hell. Maker. And lie could assure his fellow-coentrynten, in the sole= con scioesness ot truth, that they were not more legally, not mote morally, not mote religiously employed, when adoring the Omnipotence of Heaven, than they were when engaged in the holy and benevolent task of endeavoering to same be coudition und to eulightee the suffsr ines of a great nation. Yet could not these Ma gistrves have at least spared this frightful effusion of lonnan blood ? Could they not, itt any case, have pre-occupied the ground with those very sol e ;tiers. It was to be asked, whether they had read she Riot A c t ?—whether the people hail heard it read %—(" No.") —Nov, he thought it tool been reed by them—(" No, no")—in a private room,— leateshter.)—Hal they not read the Riot Act, they might hove had, in some sort, a plea of ignorance left to excu l / 4 e the guilty accidents of the day ; but they stamped, they indelibly ascer tained the character of their intentions by read ing tire Riot Act. That act was, indeed, on cer tain occasions, directed by the law to be read ; the Manchester Magistrates affirmed they did read it ; yes, in a loud voice, and to themselves ; but not to the people. Did they, however, mean to assert, among their other judicial assumptions, that this was the proper way of reading it ? Borough reeve was in tire centre of this immense multitude, surrounded by about 500 constables; and yet lie had never had the humanity to breathe a single warning of the impending storm which was about to burst in thunder on their heads. He be lieved, however, the tragedy was all previously fitrenged, the measures taken, the campaign de cided on. Circumstances conspired to prove this : the field where this battle was to be fought—the field where those half-bred soldiers—(a laugh) — were to signal ze themselves—was cleared of every obstacle that could impede the full exercise of their valour. Nay, more; the Infirmary plasters already spread, to dress the wounds they bad previoues, -1 -teeteined to inflict ; and the sabre was whetted to the perfection - straw wander. In fine, the conduct of rite Manchester Magistrates was ell in an uniform course; for never did any men persevere with more laudable resolution in a system which they were deter mined should render them hated and despised by the country. Take, for instance, their con duct to Mr. Hunt, which bad been so exem pliry and so wise, that they had changed plsces with him ; the Magistrates had proved criminal ; the culprit had shown them how Ma gistrates shonid not act. These-Magistrates were " on the tone!," for fear their subtile wit should evaporate in suceessless schemes. The event was already k move ; and when would it cease to be deplored ? To select one case, there was that of Elizabeth Gaunt—a case altogether without pre cedent in our history, or in tire annals of any civilized society. This poor creature had been dreadfully mangled, the day of that meeting ; and she was, by the humanity and attentions of Me. hunt, conveyed into the carriage where be was : this circutustence was magnified into the crime of being found with Mr. Hunt seditiously engeged. She was treated as his accomplice, so to speak ; and in this wretched condition, tortured in mind and wounded its body, she was dragged to a prison, and coefieed twelve days there, her bodily pains; being thus aggravated by the horrors of unjust conbuctaent.— (Shame!)— They cried shame ; and if they. as Englishmen, forgettiug the claims of women, the calls of humanity, and the sacredness of private safety, had not thus de-' trounced so fearful an atrocity, he should have cried shame on them. The conduct of the Grand Jury of Lancaster was, in iris mind, utterly cousistent with all principles of English Juries. A bill ot indictment had been found by Mr. Hunt I against a moo named Owen for perjury ; this . was presented before another bill subsequently . given in against Hunt ; but they, thinking that if they lost their spotless evidence (Owen), they could not substantiate their own respectability, chose to entertain the latter bill before the for mer. The Jury refused to perform their duties ; the Coroner world not, or could not, execute his ; they hail refused iu some cases to take de positions; in others, ,to make them public when taken, althotigh the country seas so deeply inte rested in the knowledge of them, and had a right ro insist upon its communication. Subsequently it had been attempted to exclude s Jungers front the Coroner's Court : this too, was legally an open Court, and one that never could be closed on I.;nglishrneu.—(Here Mr. Edmonds instanced one or Iwo of the cases that might arise out of tine adoption of a contrary practice, and their direct trodeocy to subvert the intentions of the law.) lie had next to ;nivel t to a fact which was to be looked at with peculiar anxiety and con certeeseire meant the Prince Regent's letter of T:latilis to the Maeistrates of Menchester for the manner in which they had approved themselves tare guardians, friends, and protectors of the peo- , (toy ;lick i h t iy 'tic) reit of Au gust. They all well lincoe the influence o t ex ample ; nose, what was to be sail of each example as this 1. He knew that it might be said that by the custom of the Convitution the Prince Regent WAS not politically responsible to them for his conduct. It might be said, also, that he acted by the advice of his Ministers ; but Ice it be remembered that be had also the power ot dismissing them with his own hands. — This speaker then proceeded to declare, that, as the power of Ministers was in a great mea sure upheld from a revenue in part raised from duties upon spirits, porter, Scc: they should learn to give up the gratification of these indulgencies, the nobler pleasure of doing an action, where Self-denial might claim the gratitude of the friends of freedom and the applauses of their own con science. By following his advice, they would de prive the Ministers of a part of these resources. Atter several observations, this Gentleman with drew. Sir CHARLES WOLSELEY, Bart., then stepped for ward and delivered Himself to this effect :—Gen denten, I have received so many marks of your Ap probation since I have had the pleasure of being known to you, that they call forth my sincere thanks ; and in words which, were they many, have not the power of well comhinina, and which, being few, I trust and hope you will believe to he tree, I return those thanks. It was the wish of many of my friends who stand 'near toe, that I should have taken the Chair to-day ; but wished rather to be merely is spectator; and not be ing a tosvasntan, I declined it. We are metro exa mine this day, and to enter into a discussion ot, an act which has never been paralleled in the annals of this country ; and 1 am sorry to say, that up to this moment justice has 'nen denied. The Ma gistrates have been applauded, and the blood thirsty Yeomen have been approved of for killing their fellow men. What 'are we to think of this ? FOr my own pat t, I w ill not, I dare not, Gentlemen, give vent to my feelinp or toy thoughts on this Oc casion. I have been on the spot ; I have visited the sufferers ; I have attended the Assizes, at Lancas ter, and have witnessed such Scenes as mike my hest sink within me. Certain it is, that the allegiance of the people, and their confidence in the laws, have received such a shock as will never be forgotten. What are we to think when we see a Grand Jury of the County, containing men of the first respectability in it, combining to support the evil of which we complain ? What, I say, are we to think when the Magistrates are thanked by the Prince for their share in the most disgraceful events that ever stained the annals of the country ? Por his part, he intended to erect a monument that might hand down to posterity the record of this fatal outrage as a warning to future nations. In order that its intention may be understood, it is to be inscribed, Gentlemen, " Sacred to the Memory of those who fell at Manchester." I have chosen for it a spot, one of the most beautiful in the County of Stafford ; it is in toy own park, and one of those beautiful hills which overlook the high road to Manchester. It is washed by the beautiful and meandering Trent ; but not all the purity of its waters, not all the limpid waves that it rolls along, shall ever efface that " damned spot" for which it shall blush for eve)! (Here the Hon. Baronet exhibited an elevation of the intended monument.)---To show you that I am in earnest, Gentlemen, look at this sketch ; it contains the Dames of all the parties concerned in this lint rid deed : and it would fulfill his inten tions of handing down its memory to ages yet ") come. The Ri g h t H olt btpAeo and retired. Mr. r_eiraos‘os then put the following Resolu -1 tions separately 1. Thai the right of meeting for puhlic discussion belongs to all men by the law of nature. V 4.. That this right is guaranteed to Englishmen by the laws. 3. That as to the Meeting held at Manchester on the 16th of August last, the most minute and impartial investigation has failed to show that it was illegal, or that the Magistrates were furnished with any pretence fur interrupting its pro ceedings. 4. That, admitting, however, the illegality of such assem bly, no palliation can he conceived fur the attack made by the Manchester Yeomanry, by order of the Magistrates —a brutal attack, made s‘iord in hand, on men women and children. 5. That while we remember that we share in the fame of our fellow-countrymen, we cannot forget that we also share in the disgrace indicted on the English Nation by this das ta►dly and ferocious outrage. • 6. That by Wily of clearing ourselves as much AS possible (coin such disgrace, we are hound to bring the Nlauchester Murderers and their Instigators to condign punishment. 7. That we solemnly pledge ourselves never to shrink hum any privation or exertion consequent thereon. A. That a subscription he immediately entered into to de fray the expences of legal investigation, and fur the relief of the solicrers. 9. '1 -at our feelings toWards the Ministers who have ad vised the Prince Regent to honour with his thanks the Assas sins of his People, aro those of utter abhorrence. 10. That the conduct of Henry Hunt, Esq., as connected with the events of the I Gt h of August, is entitled to the admi ration of our fellow-countrynien. 11. That one melancholy result of these fatal proceedings has been the loss (o❑ the part of the subjects) of all confi dence in the laws of the realm, and the shaking of their alle giance ; and that the thanks of the Prince Regent to those who have. committed an open infraction of the laws have identified bin► with those who were guilty ot 12. That all these circumstances prove the necessity of it borough reform in the representation of the people, as the only security against military despotism. 1;3. That a Committee he appointed, with power to add to their numbers, for the purpsse of Cairying the foregoing Re solutions into effect. 14. That the thanlss of this Meeting are eminently due to the public-spirited and disinterested conduct of Sir Charles Wolseky, Bart., and for his important services in the cause of Parliamentary Reform. 13. That the thanks of this Meeting are also due and tie given to Major Cerlyer4 , ht. in. That they be ako given t• Mr. Edmonds, for his able and impartial conduct in the Chair this day. Each of these %vas carried unanimously. Mr. EDMONDS having ►witted the Chair, and the vo►e of thanks to him having been most cor dially pas ,, ed, he stepped forward and returned thanks: At retiring he again recommended the strictest order, entreating the assembly to remem ber, that every symptom of an opposite nature was giving an adt:antag►, to► their enemies. Mr. Itussau,, Mr. Lawis, and Mr. LTKENS, snccessively addressed Om people. Mr. LEwts having moved it, a vote of thanks was carried to Mr, ll'outer.—The Meeting then dispersed. It is not generally known that the residence of the notorious Jonathan Wild, whose infernous life was written by Fitmnxinro, is still standing nearly opposite 'the Sessions House, in the Old Bailey, and is at this tiate new fronting. Old) TRIAL OF MRS. RIDDING FOR CHILD-STEALING. Yetterday, at ten o'clock, Mrs. Mary Ridding, the wife nt Captain Ridding of the 59th Foot, was put to the Bar, charged with ste„ling►, on the 28th of August last, the male child, aged 14 months, of John an d Grace &brier. The prisoner was dressed, as on the occasion of her being arraigned, in the most fashionable manner. She wore an elegant yellow silk loose. pelisse, her hair was tastefully dressed, and she had a long white veil, which covered her face. She appeared greatly affected, and was attended by her mother in the (lock, who occasionally sup plied her with scents. Mr. ARABIN stated the case to the Jury for the p rosecution. The COMMON SEE:RANT presided. Samuel Schrier, a little boy of nine years of age, was first called, and examined as to his know ledge of an oath, and the nature of good and evil. He said he lived with his father and mother, in Benscroft-place, Mile-end. On Saturday, the 28th of August last, he went out with his little brother into a field near the house ; he there met with a lady (the prisoner), who asked him it that was Benscroft-place ? he said, Yes ; she then asked hint . if there was a cake•shop near be said, Yes ; and she 'then took his little bro ther Benjamin out of his arms, and gave him three-pence to go and buy some. When he re turned she was gone with the child. The lady had a bundle in het hand. Cross•examined—His father was a constable, and went out to work. He ;tad six other bro thers and sisters, His mother scolded hint very much, and tilt eatened to beat hint for suffering a stranger to take his brother ; be saw the lody again a week afterwards at -Lambeth-street Of fice. [Here the little boy was carried in the arms of one of the officers, and having for some time looked at the prisoner, who held her head down weepiug, and in great agitation, he distinctly swore that she was the person who had taken his brother.] Sarah Holdgate, of 4, Gold's-place, Shadwell, said she kept a chandler's shop. On the 28th August, the prisoner came to her shop with a child to buy some fruit. She particularly marked the child, and knew it since to be the . infant of Mrs. Schrier. She was much agitated, and said she had lost her way. She said also she was much fatigued and wanted a coach, not eating what she paid fur it. She said she wanted to go to Old street. Witness remarked the difference of dress between the lady and the child, A hat, however, which the child wore, appeared quite new, and was too small for its head. Witness communicat ed her suspicions to others,, and a man M conse quence went after the lady to watch her. Cross-examined.—She never saw the lady be fore the time mentioned, but she was positive as to her person. Anne Knight, of New-square, in the Alintaries, said that the prisoner lodged in her house. On Saturday the 28th of August she took an early din ner, %sent out, and said she would not return till night. She was in the habit of carrying out a bundle, but told witness not to he surprised, as it was only a hat which she intended to give to a child. On Saturday evening, about seven of the clay men tioned, she returned to the house to take away her things and discharge the ludgings. The pri soner had no family whatever with her at the lodgings. litater Gilder said she was chamber-maid at the Cross Keys, Gracecburch-street ; knows the prisoner at the bar ; remembers her coming there on the 28th August, with a male child, late in the evening ; she left the inn on the Monday fol lowing ; she said she had taken the child from nurse, but it appeared to fret and pine vety much. • Cross-examined.—The prisoner treated the child ‘vith great tenderness. _ John Scisrier is the father of the infant child Benjamin, stolen un the 28th of August. Lie went Irons home on that morning, and returned about four o'clock, when he learned the loss of his child ; witness immediately commenced inqui ries, and pursued the prisoner in all directions, and at length traced her to Birmingham ; here ha found Martin, the officer, who had got there be tore hint, and he went with him to a bookseller's, where he saw the prisoner and his child. Mar tin seized it, and held it up, when he instantly recognized it to be his. A female who was pre sent inquired how he knew it was Isis child ? Ile replied he knew it by its features, but moreover it had a mole on the arm and a scar on one of its legs. Ile was answered that he might hare learn ed this description since he came there. He de nied this, and instantly produced a bill, printed in London, Oiing an accurate description of both child and prisoner. The latter, after some hesi tation, raised her hands, and made a sort of ex clamation, by way of confession. Grace Schrier, the mustier of the infant, proved that its name was Benjamin, that it was lost ou the 26th of August, and that it was the same child her hnshand found at Birmingham, and which she now held in her arms. Joseph Martin, the officer, pursued the prisoner to i3irn►inghatn, and found the prisoner lodging at a bookseller's shop there. lie found her and accosted her with a child in her arms. Witness asked it she was the wife of Capt. Ridding? She replied, " Yrs ;" and he then said, " My name is Martin, the officer. and I must take you into custody for stealing that child." The prisoner, upon this. became dreadfully agitated; but having recovered herself a little,she said," 00 ben,if that is the case, I can only say that I had the child given tne, and it is mine." Witness replied, " That cannot be, for you never had a child." A female, who ap peared to be i►er sister, at this also became agi tated, and entreated her to explain the mystery. The prisoner then said, " If I n►ust tell poll, I knew that Captain Ridding, my husband, lids long wished me to have a child, and having been taking a walk iu the fields, I met a little bo,y, who ran up to me, asked me for money to boy cakes, and pot the child in my attics. Not teturniog, wandered about making inquiries, butt tint Suc ceeding, I determined upon adopting the infant tl'itt►ess said the child was dressed in very handsome clothes; and havinz asked for tile old ones it bail on %ben stolen, they 'pvt;e diately produced. This was the case for the prosecution. The prisoner being called on for her defend', said that she was walking in the fields as before described, and the little boy having given her the child, and not returning, she missed her way is making inquiries, but without success. She then resolved upon adopting it, and had treated it with great tenderness. Mr. AtionEws called one witness to her cha• racter. Sarah Appleby, an elderly respectable looking female, who had been beside her in the Dock, deposed, that she had known her from her in' fancy. Site was just 20 years of age, and bad been married about four years. She had na children of her own, but was exceedingly fond of the children of others. She had spent the earlier part of her life in the East Indies, and had alwaY o borne a most exemplary character. The COMMON SERJEANT then summed tip the evidence to the Jury, who returned a verdict of' Guilty, hut strongly recommended the prisoner-co mercy. 'rite Colrmoti San/SANT promised to transmit this recommendation. Ile added, however, that this was a serious charge, but uot one of such it nature as would justify the Court in inflicting th!P severer punishment of . transportation. It quite clear that the unfortunate lady at the bari did not take this child with the intention of plan. dering it, or doing it any injury ; but on the con. teary, to place it in a better situation ()Nile than' that in which its parents could have disposed of; it. Still, however, as it was caprice alone that t made her adopt it, the same caprice might on to, future occasion induce her to consign it back td . " its otiginal station ; the crime, therefore, waC one of a serious dye, for the Jury, as parents, had. to consider the shock which the loss of a child its this manner was calculated to create in the familt from which it was clandestinely carried off. The Fouamma.—We are aware of that, Mr Lord ; but it is evident she meant to take proper care of the child. It appears she also treated it with the utmost kindness. We are unanimout therefore, in hoping that the Coort will he to tender as possible in awarding the punishment. The COMMON SERIKANT.—The Court, gentle' men, will take care and attend to your 1-i:cow mendation. The humane recommendation of the .Tory evidently in unison with the feelings of the crowd' ed auditory in the Court. The unfortunate lady herself seemed much re' lieved from her embarrassment on finding the ill" terest which the Jury had expressed in her be half ; she made a grateful obeisance to the Cowl as she left the bar, from which she was assisted by Mrs. Appleby, the nurse, who sat near her its the dock during her trial. MELANC/MLY ACGIDENT.-All Inquest was yesterday at the Adam and Eve Tavern, Chelsevf before T. STIRLING, Esq. on the body of Est l4 Cranbreoke, a child two years and a half old, daughter of Mr. Cranbrooktt, a respectable broker) of Duke -street, Chelsea, who had her : brains dashed out by the wheel of a one-horse dray-carrf, bdonging to Mr. Butcher, wine-merchant, 01 Leicester• square. It appeared in evidence, 'dial on Wednesday night last, between six and sere ) o'clock, as the cart was corning over Battersea' bridge, loaded with empty bottles, with two we men and one man, beside Win. Field, the driver' servant to Mr. Butcher, the horse took fright ID' mediately upon coming through the gate on t" Battersea side, and by some means or other ye known gallopped over the bridge at a furious rate/ and before he could be stoppeo, on turning cl ic corner near the second house in Duke-sticeti occupied by the father of the deceased, it knocki ed down and went over the child's head, al' killed her on the spot. Mr. Cranbrooke, on taking the child up, perceived her brains trickling slu''' t ' her back. It was evident, upon investigatio l 'i that no blame could be imputed to the driver," that the accident was occasioned by some of M r ' Cranbrooke's furniture being placed off the pay c4 went, and round which the child was 'playitik Verdict—" Accidental Death." COAL NLARKET, SErs. 24. Ships at Marlict. Ships ,uld. Price. 1 _ f i 9 Newcmitio .. .174 l3s I'd to 4os. 0 " 5 il. 6 Sulidrilaiid. ... • L .353. LA. to 4-2 s. --.. COURSE OF EXCHANGE, FitIDAY, Szrr. 44. Amster dam Ditto, at Sight Rotterdam Antwerp l2 4Ex.M o "'' Hanitiurzl. 3ci 6 20 76 * Altona ,7 C s ' Paris, Day's si‘lit Ditto, llourileaos, ditto Fraukfort uu the Main Nlatlrid Cadiz 3 313 Seville : 6 i; E lE's rf f r e t .e t it g (4i4raltar Barcelona Leghorn (4e110:1 44 --Venice, Ital. Lit. 27 40 51alta 4") -Naples 1174. per 01:t Lisbon - Oporto Ric i i inciro Co, per Cent. .Igiu orthe Bank ou Holland. ... .2 per Cent. BULLION'. Purtit?, , al Gold, in ('oin 0 0 pct F.rcigu (;61d, in Bars New Dollar; 0 5 0 Silver in Bars, Standard • . 0 5 '2 „ , MAIZIIIEI). On the 2311 in't., at Lanil:th-ehm eh, George Stran, r' 4 " . l of C'harn•et y-lane, to Sarah, third daughter of Charles rivciioe' vt Canribci well. -,, DIEI). ?cilia On Wednesday, the nth inst., at Havre tie Grace, - Jo•eph Pole Carew. tra* On the milt inst.. at his house, I)ilitliii, near tionthantr 0 , Captain Join, Brook Samsun, late of the Hun. East Lio. Compan Fridayy's service. „sePitii.• On se'rinight, in the P9th year of his age, Qa n , i 4 :fitnfiers, Esq. the prinwpai partner in tile Exeter i' 46 4 This Gentleman, it it • - faill, Was the first person that g' hlished ,t haul:tag-house out of Gunilott. ___...05 We ll LONDON: Printed by,l. B. CARSTAiRS, of N 0.49, , A. , : ~ V‘• a , Ottoond-mreet, Queco-tqUdte; aild IIII;Ji1511C(1 0 7 !:I'^ , (:I',II'PS, uf No. 7, South Mo;too- , trect, at TH„r. de v oe:cf., Nfi. 112, strand ; wheit: Adk,tisewtnti, v i Letters, &c. (pthl-I , xil l must In zr.141:614414. .-~• / It.