The Sun. — London, England, 1842-08-20 00:00:00

44••• EXCHEQUER BILLS FRAUD. REPORT. TO TILL QUEEN ' S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. We, the Commissioners appointed by an Act passed in the fifth year of your Majesty reign, intituled " An Act for appointing Commissioners to inquira as to the Issue, Receipt, Circulation, and. Possession of certain forged Exchequer Bills," humbly report to your Ma jesty, in manner following, the evidence which. we have taken, and what we have found with respect to the several matters into which we are directed by the said Act of Parliament to inquire : In our discharge of the duty committed to us, we have never ceased to bear in mind the importance of _ . dispatch ; but we have aimed with still greater anxiety at the complete elucidation of the subject on which we were engaged. When, therefore, we have allowed our progress to be retarded by no delays that it was possible to avoid, and kept it free even from the in terruption that the pursuit of our ordinary duties would have occasioned, we have spared no pains in the exploration of facts, having examined altogether MO witnesses (of whom many gave their evidence at great length), and inspected the mercantile books, by which the parties interested were required to support their statements, and superintended, in several in stances, the preparation of tables calculated to illus strate the course of the transactions. Finding much time necessarily consumed in occu pations like these, we considered from time to time with great solicitude, how far it would be proper, with a view to the interests of particular claimants, to make certain of the cases before us the subject of a preliminary report, reserving the remainder for a sub sequent occasion ; but we came with regret to the conclusion that no arrangement of this kind could be usefully made. It appeared to us, in reference to the ultimate objects contemplated by the Legislature in appointing the commission, and the nature _of. the questions that might hereafter grow out of it, that it would be unsatisfactory to state the case of any claimant without at the same time adverting to such facts as tended to throw light on the merits of ante cedent parties ; and we found that there was no claimant whose case did not, in this point of view, in volve that of some other person or persons whose transactions required much time for consideration. While bent upon the full and effective performance of the whole duty we had to discharge, we endea voured, at the same time, to confine ourselves with precision to its proper limits. Upon the construction of the Act of Parliament we apprehend it to lie obvious that the question, whether the instruments referred to us were genuine or not ? fell in no case within our. province ; both because the bills were • described in the title of the Act of Parliament itself as " forged," and because, with respect to all bills which the claimant was prepared to prove ge= mine, he had a right capable of being vindicated in the ordinary course of justice, and had no need to resort to our Commission. We also concluded, without hesitation, that we were not called upon to • investigate " the manner of the issue" of the Ex= \ chequer bills mentioned in the Act of Parliament in any sense which would involve an inquiry into the nature of the official regulations of the Exchequer, or the manner in which those regulations had been ob served. That inquiry had been already prosecuted under a former Commission, to whose report no useful addition could have been made; and its result had been declared to be, that " it was in the absence of sufficient internal check, and the incompleteness of general supervision" (defects that had, for nearly a centuryy, escaped observation), that the late senior Plerk, Idr. Beaumont Smith, had found opportunity for his recent frauds. _ _ _ Considering then "the manner of the issue" of the bills as regarded the guilty parties themselves, and the subsequent "circulation, deposit, and possession" of them, and the case of every holder or owner," to be the only proper subject for our inquiry, we pro ceeded .first to the examination of some official per !ons, from whom it was at once entertained (the fact indeed being otherwise sufficiently notorious) that no other officer except Beaumont Smith had incurred any suspicion of being connected with the fraud, and from whom we also received such further explanations 'of a general kind as were necessary for our subse quent guidance. We then examined in succession the various parties whom we judged likely, from the notices in the schedule, to be connected with the bills, as present claimants, prior holders, or otherwise, en deavouring to pursue our coarse continually from the claimants upwards, until we reached the original sources of the fraud ; the result of which was that ..:when we came to examine the earlier parties, we were able to check their evidence by the aid of the informa tion previously obtained. At length arriving at that Point where it became necessary to add the last link to the chain, we judged it, after some deliberation, desirable to obtain the testimony of Ernest Rapallo, the person who had been apprehended as a party to the forgeries, and discharged from prison, only in consequence of his consent to give evidence against his confederate, Beaumont Smith. On th e service of our summons upon this person, at Calais, where we found him to be resident, he im . Inediately obeyed it (receiving only the assurance that as far as the law might permit, we would endeavour to secure to him the usual immunities of a witness), and on his attendance we obtained from him some par ticulars necessary to complete the general outline of the history of the fraud, with such account as he thought fit to give of the property acquired from it by the confederates, and received his consent to our exa mination of such remnants of that property as were still under his control in this country. The tendency of his ev;deace was in some respects unfavourable to certain of the parties examined before us, but in ge neral it did not bear against them more strongly than the statements received from themselves. Throughout this series of inquiry we were our• selves the only examiners : for though at the outset we made it known that all the parties interested were at liberty to avail themselves of professional assist ance, none of them thought fit to employ counsel, or With a single and unimportant exception) to be at tended by a solicitor; and it gives us pleasure to be able to add, that though the parties were thus brought into immediate contact with us, and had in many in stances to sustain examination of a most searching kind, upon points tending to affect their personal cha racter, they never failed to observe the most perfect Propriety of demeanour, and always rendered, with th e greatest readiness, the accounts which we directed them to prepare. It seems right further to remark, that, through she Whole course of the investigation, which has been de teribed, we were co. tinually engaged in the search after evidence, as well as in its reception. For, th oug h we were indebted to your Majesty's Govern ment for the valuable assistance of Mr. Bush (who had been engaged, under Mr. Maule, in the prosecu tion of Smith and Rapallo, and svgliested to us, from time to time, some important litres of inquiry), yet, in the main, we had to explorefor ourselves the sources of information,aud were frac/Imlay obliged to call a witness without being aware of the precise points to which he Was competent to speak. This consideration will not only serve to account in part for the manner in which our time has boo* occupied, but will also explain why our exactions could not always pursue an un broken arid methodical course. Under such circum btances,_ it naturally often happened that, after a wit bait had been once examined, we had occasion to summon him again, and sift him further with regard to statements that had been in the meantime made by offer witnesses, or statements made by himself, the Importance of which had not been at first fully ap- Parent. In conducting the examinations, the peculiar cha racter of the inquiry induced us also to swerve occa sionally from the strict law of evidence, as applicable to the trial of issues arising in the common law courts. Thus we received, without hesitation, the statements of parties as witnesses in their own behalf; and where a correspondence was offered in evidence, for the pur pose of explanation only, or with reference to points of subordinate importance, we deemed it proper to allow the party to put in copieS of his own letters as blade by himself, or his clerk, without producing, or Proving any endeavour to procure, the originals. We conceived that to enforce the ordinary rule in suchcases Wduld tend to no useful object; and, on the other hand, might materially retard the progress •of our in quiry. But any deviation from the strict course of Proof were permitted with great caution ; and, upon Points immediately connected with the main subject of inquiry, we observed a greater rigour than on those of a collateral kind. Thus, in putting the claimants to show that the 7 had given a value for the bills, we were not satisfied with their own state lue.nt on oath, supported by their books, or even by the admission of the party to whom the payment was alleged to have been made, but called upon them to confirm it by such other proof as the case conveniently Permitted ; for example, where the payment was Inade through the medium of 'a bank , by the ev i d ence of the bankers clerk who entered the transaction in his Looks. Hiving now given the explanations which ap• Peered to be material with respect to our course of Prpo ee 6ng, we shall, in the next place, submit to your 4 a.jesiy a . general account of its results, so far a s regards the ° p i.,'2acipal circumstances connected with the fraud in question. That fraud related exchi..4-ve..,17 to the specie s of chequer bills called supply which, .as is well 4 o own, have been latterly issued from 4schequer twice . sneces _ in every year, under the authority of , Stye Acts of Parliament. The periods are March anu °be, and each bill is either paid off or exchanged (at' the option of the holder) at the Office of the Pay asters of the Exchequer, at the expiration of about t,Car from its date, the precise Period• for bringing b n_c.re in w ith a view to su c h payment or exchange first publicly advertised. ft follows of course from i this, that there are two exchanges of Exchequer b, n every year, the first in March and the second " June • • of T hese instrum en t s ha v e a blank left for the name e payee, and, except where the blank is filled up (which is rarely the case), they pass by mere very; like a bank note, the title* of a person.who gives valuable consideration for them,: without notice or suspicion of fraud, is complete, although they should have been fraudulently obtained by the party from whom he receives theni... The bills.. of each successive issue are numbered in regular prOgression, and in no instance are there two in the same issue which bear the same number. They are also signed with the ',name of the Comptroller General of the .Exchequer (though th‘ft signature might, by the established custom which prevailed at the time of the fraud in question, be subsCribed either by himself or by the Deputy COmptroller-General) ; and as the principal check against forgery, it is the practice ip r. issuing these instruments always to cut them from a counterfoil by comparison with' which their genuineness may at any time be ascertained. . The bills which are the subject of our inquiry under the Act of Parliament (being 377 in number, of which 365 are in the schedule to the Act itself and 12 have been referred to us since the Act passed) all purport to-be bills of the description above stated, and all emanated through E: ,Rapallo from Beaumont Smith. .The former' is . a foreigner, but was long resident in this country, 'and during that period, viz., from the' spring of 1836 to the middle of 1.841, was in the habit of receiving from, Smith (then senior clerk in the Issuing Office of thei. Exchequer) instruments purporting to be Exchequer bills, for the purpose of raising money upon them. The bills now the sub • ject of inquiry are of. the number of those so received, and, being among the later issues, were still in circu lation at the time of the discovery of the fraud ; the remainder having (as it would seem) been all de stroyed (after they had served their purpose) by the Parties who issued them. The bills so received from Smith were all (as con fessed by him after his apprehension) forged ; and upon his indictment for the forgery of some of them, he pleaded guilty to the charge, was convicted, and has since undergone the ,punishment of transporta tion. With ,respect to the particular bills now the subject of inquiry (though, as 'already observed, we have no direct concern with the point of forgery), it may be proper to add, that all those enumerated in the schedule to the Act of Parliament, as detained at ' the Exchequer, and alio' those which have been ferred to us since the Act passed, have been eom.-i, pared with the counterfoils, and found not to coin cide with them ; that the Comptroller-General has also inspected the whole of the former class, and . the late Deputy Comptroller a large number, and that both these officers have, on their examination before us, declared the signature not to be theirs. The bills now the subject of inquiry all purport to be of the issues of March and June, 1841, and are made out, in every case, for the sum of 1,0001., They are, as to the paper, stamp, and every other particu lar, genuine, with the exception only of the signature, and that is, in every instance, an imitation, more or less successful, of the signature of the late Deputy- Comptroller-General. We may stop, therefore, to re mark here, that it was almost impossible that any of those instruments should have awakened (so far as their external appearance was concerned) the suspicion of those to whom they were offered. We are directed by the Act of Parliament to report "whether the holders employed any and what means of inquiry into the genuineness of such documents :" and in obedience to this, we may here take occasion to state, that though, when suspicion arose from collateral circum stances, the documents were in several instances- car ried up to the Exchequer. for examination about the time of the discovery of the fraud, . yet in other cases (no suspicion heir)? excited) the holders em ployed no means of inquiry into genuineness beyond that cursory inspection which was usual on receiving an Exchequer bill. On the other hand, however, no inspection, though of the closest kind, would, in our opinion, have had any tendency to excite doubt as to the genuineness of the document. Each of the bills in question is also a duplicate, -agreeing in number, as well as other particulars ; with some other bill; which last has, in many instances, been compared with the counterfoil, and in every such instance has been found to coincide. All the other bills received from Smith were also (as there is ground to believe) duplicates • and the reason for so manag ing the forgery. is evident, for an instrument bearing a wrong number was likely to encounter immediate detection, while, on the other hand, the danger of the alternative plan arose only in the event of duplicates happening to come into possesion of the same party. There were, however, other precautions to which it was equally necessary for the contrivers of the fraud to attend. In raising money on'these instruments it was essential to abstain from sale ; because, when thus brought into general circulation, there would not only be a great risk of their falling into the hands of persons' who had duplicates, but there was a certainty of their being carried at the regular periods of exchange to the office of the pay masters, where the duplicates also would _of course make their appearance, and lead infallibly to detection. The plan adopted, therefore, was to raise the money in every case by the deposit of the bill upon loan, and before the next period of exchange came round to redeem it by payment of the money, or to sub stitute for it another forged bill of more recent date. This method, it is true, made it necessary to 'repay in every case (sooner or later) the amount of the money procured, as well as to pay the interest due upon the loan ; but the advantage in the meantime derived was , the present use of large sums of money, which the confederates endeavoured to employ with advantage in extensive speculations in the stock market, actuated, probably, by the hope of realising (after the repayment of every loan) large fortunes in the result. In carrying this scheme into effect, the mode of operation was as follows :—At the commencement of the transactions, and for some years afterwards, Ra pallo delivered over the bills received from B.' Smith to 'Angelo Solari, another foreigner, resident in this country,'between whom and .Rapallo there had ex isted long previously some connexions ; and Solari performed the service of raising money upon the bills. This he effected in part' through connections formed by the assistance of Messrs. 'William and James Morgan, stockbrokers. They introduced him (at a time when• their own acquaintance with him, accord ing to their evidence, was • but slight and recent) to the banking houses of Messrs. Ransom and Com pany, and Jones, Loyd and Company; and from the former he obtained large sums of money from time to time on the deposit of bills purporting to be Exchequer bills,-but which, in fact, had been received from Smith. He obtained, besides, similar loans from Messrs. Price and Co., bankers, but the precise medium of his introduction to them does not appear. He formed, also about the same period, a connection with Messrs. 'William and James Morgan them selves, in the course of which he obtained, through their agency as brokers, very numerous, frequent, and large advances, the dates and amounts of which, and the average rates of 'interest charged by the len ders (exclusive of any commission to Messrs. 'W. and J. Morgan), are set forth in the account, pp. 315 to 321. The nature of those dealings (which are explained at large in the evidence of Mr. W. Morgan, Mr E. Morgan, and Mr. Cook (pp. 339 to 355) may be compendiously stated as follows :—Solari brought them from time to time instruments purporting to be Exchequer bills (but, in fact, received from Smith); and on the deposit of these in their own names, as the apparent borrowers (according to the usual custom of stockbrokers employed to procure loans), they ob tained large sums of money, out of which, as from time to time directed by Solari, they purchased for him foreign bonds or shares, or paid losses incurred by him in the stock market.' They also from time' to time, paid over to him large sums of money, and paid off the principal and interest which became due on the loans ; and received from him, on the other hand, large sums of money, and , sold foreign bonds for him, and credited the same in his account. For these Services they charged the usual commission or brokerage, so far as the stock transactions were concerned, and were en titled by agreement, as Mr. W. Morgan asse rts, to have al.() received a commission on the loans ; but this latter commission was, in point of fact, never charged or paid, owing, as he alleges, to a laxit y ' in the mode of carrying on * the account. the dealings lasted until the death of Solari, which took plane in October, 1840, after which Rapallo himself (who had previously done business. with Messrs. W. and J. Morgan for some time as Solari's deputy during his illness) was introduced to them by his widow and executrix . as her friend, whom ,she wished to continue the transactions carried on by her husband ; and between Rapallo, as her agent, and Messrs. W. and J. Morgan, the same course of deal ing was from that time accordingly purSued that has been already described in relation to Solari, and it terminated only on the public discovery of the fraud, which took fhi - Ce, as hereafter more particularly stated, in October 1841. During the whole of these transactions with Solari and Rapallo, Messrs. W. and J. Morgan profess theniselves to have had no know ledge whatever (beyond the slight introduction of Solari above noticed) of the mode of life, property, or connections, of either of these parties, and to have received no specific account from them of the person or persons for whom they were acting ; though it is stated by Mr. W. Morgan that he was told at the outset by Solari that "he had friend who was a large capitalist, and who would lend him' me as."- They also admit that they were never em ployed anther' by Solari or Rapallo to buy or to sell an Exchequer bill and allege that they themselves it.ved the whole of the 'bills on which the loans belong .t to_ the rich friend of whom hu of whose name they were apoken, . statement, of course, never informed. This latter were Solar. also believed the confidence reposed implies that they . in Solari by his rich friend to have been transferred, upon his death, to his Wiclow ; fgr g. TRY profess to have considered Rapallo as having alwip WO in the' capacity of her agent only, . iobhtaaidnL,l„to Messrs. IV. and J. Morgan, howevor, were not the only parties with whom Solari and Rapallo d carried on (.71 , , 7: THE SUN, LONDON, SATIMDAY IVI - OnNINGr, AUGUST 20, 1842. this kind of connexion. They had a similar account with Mr. Wm. Mariner, who held at the time the situation of . secretary to the National Brazilian 'Mining Company.; and ~ who had done business at a former period on the Stirk Exchange. Mr. Mariner having some acqaaintance, as he states, with Solari (though without - knowledge- of his pursuits; except that he had speculations in the funds), applied to as he alleges, for part of his brokerage busi ness, and was accordingly employed by him, from April, 1838, 'to obtain loans on the deposit of Ex chequer bills ; ,and Mr. Mariner accordingly entered into arrangements on the subject with Mr. F. T. De Berckem, a stockbroker and member of the Stock Exchange; by whose intervention (as agent nominally for Mr. Mariner, but with knowledge that the latter was employed by Solari and Rapallo) all the loans were procured, Mr. Mariner and Mr. De Berckein dividing the remuneration (which was at the regular and customary rate of half per cent. per annum) between them. Through this channel, in addition to that' of Messrs. W. and J. Morgan, Solari, and (after him).Rapallo,. succeeded in depositing from time to time, with different parties, large masses of the bills received from Smith ;- and conducted at the same time through the same medium, extensive speculations by way of purchase and otherwise, in the stock and share market. The nature of these dealings will be fully collected from the accounts, pp. 456 to 358, and 417. to 425, and Mayo's evidence, pp. '325 to 329 ; but they are so similar to those which haVe been already described in the case of Messrs. 'William and James Morgan, that to dwell upon them longer in this-place would only lead to wearisome repetition. The most material points of difference seem to be, that Messrs. Mariner and De Berckem charged'commission on the Exchequer . bill loans, as well as on the stock trans actions ; and that though they profess to have known nothing of Solari, except as above stated, nor of Rapallo, except as the agent of Solari, they represent the former as giving a somewhat more specific account of his position than he is stated to haVe done to Messrs. W. and J. Morgan, and to have asserted that he was " connected with parties in Madrid and Paris, who were carrying on a large speculation in Spanish and other stoeksf Messrs. Mariner and De Bercke m admit, hoWever, that they _were never employed in any instance, by Solari or Rapallo, to sell .an Exche quer bill, and that they never received any informa tionas to the manner in which the bills deposited were procured. These transaction.; of the confederates with Messrs W. and J. Morgan On the one hand, and Ma riner and De Berckem on the other, would appear to have constituted the principal means by which . they carried the fraud into effect. We find that the ad vances procured by Messrs. W. and J. Morgan, amounted in the aggregate, from first to last, to about 420,0001., and those .of Messrs. Mariner and De Berckem to about 465,0001., and that there were bills in the hands of those parties or their depositaries at one and the same period of time (namely, at the dis covery of the fraud) to the amount of 330,000/. ; of which bills'to the amount of 161,0001.. had come from Rapallo to , the. hands of W. and J. Morgan, and. bills to the amount of 169,0001. to those "of Messrs.: Mariner and De Berckem. 'lt is also. important. to remark that among the transactions to Which the 161,0001. relates,. there is one which involVed de posits to a very large amount simultaneously; for it appears on the . evidence of Mr. W. 'Morgan, that on the 13th of October, 1841, Rapallo being then :in debted to him in the amount of 70,0001. and upwards, applied to him for• fiiither advances, to the extent: of 60,0001. more ' • which Mr. Morgan COnsentedlo I pro- cure, and, in fact, procured accordingly. • 'There is,' however, no .proof that Messrs. W._ and J... Morgan and Messrs. Mariner, and De Berckem, though both so largely concerned with bills proceeding from the same source, had, as regards those bills, any know ledge of, or connection with, each other. • (To be continued.) . . WATSON'S GENERAL TELEGRAPH OFFICE, 83, ' CORNHILL, LOND-)N, AUG. 19, 1842.—Passed through the Downs this morning her Majesty's yacht Royal George; from Portsmouth, bound to Woolwich. Wind at the Downs S.W., very light. THE CORE VITRIOL THROWERS.—This morning Timothy Herlei's-. Daniel Sullivan, John Drew, and. Daniel Lonergan, the four men sentenced to transporta tion fur life at the lite assizes for throwing vitriol at Mr. Wilson, were removed from the .city jail, on board the Eagle steamer, lying at Merchant's quay, for conveyance to the convict depot, Dublin. They were escorted by a strong detachment of the 10th Hussars, and a numerous police force, the entire under the direction of Captain • White, Justice of the Peace. The crowd assembled was immense, but there was not the least disposition to riot, . and when the vessel left the quay at eleven, the multi- • tude quietly dispersed.—Cork Reporter of Tuesday. KENMORE.—The news of the expected Royal visit to Taymouth Castle, which transpired on Saturday last, has caused a great sensation. It brought back the Noble Marquis from the hills, just when commencing the season. The preparations for the occasion are chiefly confined to out-door exhibltions, for which purpose some hundreds of the tenantry and fitllowers are to be equipped in the clan:tartan, and disciplined so as to re present the following of an ancient chief. Their services, ; however, will be chiefly required f o r the gr and stag I hunt, which it is understood will take place at the Black Mount, and will be shared in by Prince Albert. Her Majesty, it is' understood, will spend most of the two 1- days appropriated to the visit, in enjoying the unequalled walks and scenery around the Castle ; including a boat ing excursion on Loch Tay. The battery, on the hill facing the Castle, is undergoing revision, and will wel come her Gracious Majesty and Consort with a volley, which will startle the deer on the Black Mount. This is a long prothised visit, it is said, on the part of her Ma jesty, the description given by her Royal Uncle, King Leopold, of the gratification he received at Taymouth many years ago, having increased the desire to witness its unequalled scenery. The Royal party will arrive on Tuesday afternoon by the Bishopric-road ; and leave by the Crieft and Taybridge-road for Drummond Castle, on the Thursday fullowing.—Perthshire Courier. PLAGUES OF POPULARITY.—A popular man iS a butt for all the world to shoot at. He is uni versally applied to in all manner of distresses, by those who do know him and those who do .not. There is not a " widow with seven small children," a respectable. tradesman "overwhelmed by a concentration of untoward events," a clergyman whose " expenses have exceeded his income," or an elderly Maiden escaped in her chemise from the " late calamitous fire," who does not make him acquainted with their respective misfortunes, and look to him for relief. The Duke of Wellington, we dare be sworn, has received more letters fro:n the widows of the officers slain at Waterloo, than ever fell in all his cam paigns ; there is nut a successful actor on the stage who could not furnish his quota of correspondence with self dubbed Thespians, dated from half the gaols in England. But if your. popularity be literary, there is positively no end of the persecution. Every day brings its epic or its drama, its novel in three volumes, or its voyages in two, with a modest request to wade through the ill written MS.. criticise; amend with a preface, and recommend to li publisher, or to friends for subscription. CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLB IN THE MANUFACTUR ING DISTRICTS.—The mobs of the cotton manufactur- ing districts are a much better' behaved class than all other sorts of mobs. They are also, perhaps, better dva3 with by the authorities, and the two conditions to-. gether render them less terrible in their proceedings than is usual with rioters. As a proof of this, I may refer you to ivliat believe to be the fact, that notwith standing- the vast extent of the turn-out, and the great numbers that have engaged in it, far exceeding in this respect anything I have ever seen in my experience, which has not been trifling, of such movements, the ac tual injury done to property in this toWif and the vici nity, up to the present time, will not exceed 500/. Else where a few hours of commotion destroys thousands. We now been at it nine or ten days, and the de struction is confined almost to broken windows. I think there is so general an organisation for security of the higher and middle classes, that nothing very bad will happen. I hope and believe that the Magis trateS are influenced by such a: spirit of forbearance to wards the people, that they will not be urged to any necessaty severity to suppress the excitement. Steadi ness, activity, ,and patience, I think, will restore tran quillity in a few days, without recourse to violent means. The movement, however, is characterised by features that should produce serious reflections on the social state of the great-masses of the community. It clear that the labouring classes, -of every trade, are now united Under a system of organiSation, which enables them to act for a common object with more promptness, and to a greater extent, than has ever been thought practicable. The power this gives them is sure to increase—there is no preventing the increase ; it is certain, in the end, to acquire a magnitude that will affect the existing institu tions of society. Whether the influence will be for rod or for evil, will depend on the intelligence and virtue with which it may be directed. Attention to the cha racter of the masses has been too much neglected. This outbreak, I trust, .will show the Government the danger of delaying their education.—Letter. in the Chronicle. CatEFF.--The intelligence of the Royal visit to Drummond Castle, has caused a great sensation in this district, as, independent of the feelings of loyalty which will be 'gratified by a passing glimpse of our young Queen, the preparations for the suitable reception of the Royal party are likely to benefit in various ways this locality. In the first place, the Noble Lord and Lady Willoughby. have ordered two hundred of the finest boking young men on their estates, to be equipped in the • clan tartan, at their expense, with full accoutrements. on C na s h y i i e og f o t a a t i oh n fo ' rs thehftogl I v o ot s f y i :g oo. ; c G a l a l i d os. a al s tv i E t . s ti hn s ib a su i d irsg i lh h l e r ea e lsy These are intended to exhibit a s p ec i men ' o f a Hi g hl a nd i onto t not no tbeh to be e *Si the first, if not only, opportunity . .for her Majesty seeing a body of the Gael in their native dress, among their native mountains. There are reports that while here there wil be n grand deer hunt in the forest on the south of Lochl Earn, at which Prince Albert, if not her Majesty in person, will be present. Singular, if Ben . Voirlich should in reality 'echo with the horn of a Royal pa r ty, suc h as 'Scott o nl y imagined in his celebrated scene in the "Lady of the Lake I"—P erthshire Courier., B R USSELS, AUG. 17,--The average price of wheat last week was 22f. 14c., and that of rye 12f. 13c.—The King came from O'stend to Lacken the day before yes tesday.—Prinee and Princess Ernest of Saxe Coburg, who have been for some time in England, are expected at Ostend this evening.—The Belgian Government has Fegeiyo4 the new g qg lish tariff. The Pioniteur publishes a list of the articles in the tariff, the duties of which are I considerably reduced, and the exportation of which from 1 Belgium may, therefore become more inorhuit, THE DISTURBANCES IN THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS. MANCHESTER, THUR S DAY EVENING, -SEVEN o'CLocx.—Leach, the Chartist agitator, has been I arrested at his residence in Oak-street. • On a copy of the, seditious placard being laid before the borough Magistrates, an information was yesterday laid against the printer, who was apprehended. From the state ment of various persons made before the Magistrates, a warrant was issued for the apprehension of Leach, who calls himself the " President o 1 the Executive . Council of the National Charter Association," and who. keeps a small book-shop. At eleven o'clock, Superintendent Beswick, accompanied by other able officers, proceeded to his residence, where they found and apprehended him. Mr. Beswick said he had a warrant against him, which he would read if he wished. Leach said he did. Upon which Mr. Bes wick read it, but he made no observations. On being searched the only thing found in his pocket was a paper on which was written with pencil, " Please show the benefit,: that will be derived from the Charter when we get it.—W. White." He was then removed in safe custody to the Tovvn-hall. A warrant was also issued by the county Magistrates • against a man of the name of John Gear, who is said •to be receiving 355. per week for acting as Secretary to the Dyers' Union in this towii. The warrant Was placed in the hands of Inspectors. Lipaett and May •bury, who, accompanied by a detachment of police, proceeded to his residence in Sackville-street, Port land-street. On obtaining an entry they found that the man had escaped, but they took into custody an old man who was on the premises, and ' seized a number of papers, which they conveyed to the Town hall along with their prisoner. Dr. 11PDouall, for has, it is understood, left the t o w n ; as also Feargus whose apprehension also a W arran t h as b e en issued, O'Connor, who came in a cab this morning, accom-' panied by the Rev. Mr. Scholefield, to the station of the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, and booked his way through to London. Another address from the delegates has been circu lated round the town, of which the following is a copy : " TO TIIB PEOPLE OF MANCHESTER AND THE SUE ROUNDING DISTRIC TS . Citizens, — Your re r tryst yll have reposed in 1 delegates are again at theirpo "Fellowsts: FaithfulCi t i z eiis us we are determined to stand firm and un it e d till we carry into full effeet the resolution agreed t o yes t er d a y." " The following resolution was carried unanimously: " Resolved that we recommend the trades of Man chester and the surrounding districts immediately to form Committees in their respective localities, to carry out the resolution we came to yesterday, with in structions to issue bills and give us credit until such time as they resume work again. ,In the meantime. We most earnestly call upon you to send i n your con tributions to the Executive Committees unanimously elected by the Delegates this morning assembled. Time is precious, decision and energy are most es sentially necessary at the present moment; for the future we shall be governed by events. A short time, we are convinced, will prove that this movement is national. Rally round the standard you have raised-- stand firm—do your duty—and we will do - ours." (Signed by the Chairman and Secretary.) After the separation of the meeting of Delegates, in Tib-street, yesterday, another meeting was held at a room in Brown-street, usually occupied as a lec ture room by the Chartists. At this meeting the fol lowing singular resolution was adopted : " That we recommend to the trades of Manchester and its surrounding districts immediately to appoint Committees to act in unison with the resolutions passed yesterday, whose principal duty shall be to issue bills, payable within a certain time, to be given to provision dealers, and others, who may be disposed to give us credit till we resume our labours. In the meantime we most earnestly call upon you at once to send in your contributions to the Executive Com mittee." At this meeting the representative of the plasterers stated that the painters and joiners had resumed work, and that as the plasterers had good wages, and had no quarrel with their employers, they had r esolved to return to their work on Monday morning, They. were of opinion that the Charter never could be ob tained unless . the people returned to their employ ment. A long conversation ensued as to the means of defraying the necessary expenditure connected with meetings of the delegates, and also as to the means of providing subsistence for those who refused to return to their work. Several speakers wished, on the part of their constituents, to go in, as they had no honest means of supporting themselves and their families until the Charter was obtained, but others expressed their determination at all hazards to remain out of work until the, Charter was obtained. Some . dele, -gates were represented as - misrepresenting to their constituents the proceedings of the' delegates, and others were stigmatized as the instruments of the Anti-Corn-law League. A delegate, who represented . the sawyers of Manchester, increased the despondency of the meeting by reading a resolution of his consti tuents to the meeting, that as the carpenters and joiners had returned to work they thought it.useless to remain out any longer. The greater part of the meeting appeared discouraged at the apathy of their constituents, whose - contributions . were both few end small. Another delegate taunted the company that all their mov ements were c h arac t er ised by cowardice, inconsi s t ency, and great want of prin ciple ; that they- wer e th ere f ore forsaken an d unsup ported by the co ns tit uenc i es who had electe d th em ; that they were now v i r t ua ll y d efunct; an d t h a t h av i ng no resources to rely u p on , and having d one no thi ng but wasted their time in words and unprofitable debates, without accomplishing any thing useful, or affording even probabl e grounds for suppos i ng th a t even ultimately th e y wou ld adopt prudent, practica ble, or even sane m easures , what reason ha d t h ey f or expecting either the sy mpat h y or support o f th e working classes ? The g r ea t est discordance an d wan t of unanimity were appar en t i n the meet i ng , which though no time and place adjourned until to-day, were specified. To-day a few dye-work;, machine - m aker s ' and millwrights' shops, a n d s ome other minor establish ments have recommenced work. Only two co tt on factories have resumed work, nor is there at present any prospect of any other, the hands generally de manding either an advance of wages or sonie other concession from their employers. In Salford nearly all the dye works and print works are in full opera tion, nor has any attempt been made to stop them. There is now every probability of the speedy disso lution of this outbreak. The authorities continue sitting at the Town-hall, and the same active intercourse takes place with all the civil and military stations as last week, notwith standing the prospects of danger are far remote. The Borough Magistrates sit in the Boroughreeve's room, the county Magistrates in the gas hoard-room, and General Sir William Warre and hi s staff at the York Hotel. The committee of employers meet daily at the Chamber of Commerce. l on de t la he y Al o a f nehe s t er an d Bir m i ng h am a railway train at the Railway, this morning, Which did not arr i ve at i ts usual hour, occasioned very g reat appre h ens i on, and Ch T el h tb e rd ae l d t e io n n ta , a , considerable crowd assembled at the terminus to ascertain the cause of its detention. It should have arrived at half-past five, butcamein at twenty minutes past seven, when all fears we re remove d, it h av i ng been ascertained that an accident had happened to the engine-boiler at the former place, which rendered it, necessary to detach the engine, and await the arrival of another from Stockport. , A great excitement here now prevails at the non arrival of the London journals at their usual hour of half-past three, so great is the anxiety now i n the town on any matter connected with other parts. of the country in reference to the present disturbances here. A, large mob this forenoon from Ashton ma de an attempt to turn out the hands of the Bank-bridge print-works, about three miles from Manchester. The warrants not Y e et outb been appreh en d e d , th e leading appr e h en d e d , an d hands gallantly defended the premises fight took place, in which the mob were def e ated, in consequence of the additional aid of military, which n was speedily dispatched from this town: and a fearful twlv D e r e . Mot‘Dhe°ruawilarrilas n n Chartist and delegate agitators. A seizure was made of som M e ‘ O D f o lh u v al i l e 's h inst him, as one of the agitators of these disturbances. L each and Turner remain in close custody in th e cells at the papersill tell at strongly l onVly gin a lodgings in B on d- s t re et, g a Town-hall. Six prisoners of the names of Cash, Read, Davis, Bates, Platt, and M'Corma, we re examined to day at the ew Bailey, on a charge of 1 larceny, by breaking into several shops in the neigilbourhood of Doansgate, and stealing a quantity of bread, and .re will be tried at ni nication with the Home Secretary, as manded till Saturday week for their final Thecommittal. object of this is to await the result o f a comu to wheth e r the yesterday we noticed the a ,aPecial c omm i ss i on . numerousneat xt L a nc aster rp i soner sn assizes,o w in or b c y u s to d y the n In our second edition of aay seizure of the type, with which an inflammatory pla card had been printed. The contents of the placard are as follows " The Executive Committee of the National Charter Association to the People. i, Brother Chartists,—The great political truths which have been agitated during the last half cen t ur y have at length aroused the degraded and <insulted white slaves of England to a sense .of their duty to country. Tens , implements of taskmasters tremble at t o h f er ho s u el san ves d , s th ha ei v r e children, and down h d their country. labour. Your this, the great Your energy, crisis commonra i d o f expectingopuprey e yecause. 7osef masses. masters an must usrulers, watchtno longer be the Intelligence has been convinced that all wealth, has beamed upon the mind of the bond sman , comfort, and pro duce, everything valuable, .useful, and elegant, have and he sprung from the palm . of his hand ;' he feels that his cottage is empty, his back thinly clad, his children breadless, himself hopeless, his mind harassed, and his • hody punished, that undue riches, gorgeous plenty, f and luxury, might be heaped in the palaces of the In taskmasters, . arid flooded into the gran a ri es o f th e. 1 oppressor. Nature's. God, and reason have con-. 1 dernned this inequality, and in the thunder of a peo , 4 pIZS . VOIC it must perish for . 6:er. He knows that. 1 labour, the real property of society, . the sole origin !of accumulated property, the first cause of all national wealth, and the only supporter, defender, and contributor to the' greatness of our country, is not. po;sessed of the same legal protection as is given to those lifeless effects, the houses, shipS and machinery which labo u r h ave alone created. He knows that if labour has no protection wages cannot be upheld, nor . in the slightest degree regulated, until every workman of twenty-one years of age, and of sane mind, is on the same political level as the employer. He knows that the Charter would remove, by universal will in uni versal suffrage, the heavy load of taxes which now crush the existence of the labourer and cripple the efforts of commerce ; that it would give cheap govern ment as well as cheap food, high wages as well as low taxes, bring happiness to the hearthstone, plenty to the table, protection te' the old, education to the young, permanent prosperity to the country, long-continued protective political pOwer to labour, and peace— blessed peace—to exhausted humanity and approving nations. Therefore it is that we have solemnly sworn, and one and all declared, that the golden opportunity now Within our grasp shall not pass away fruitless; that the chance of centuries, afforded to us by a wise and all-seeing God, shall not he lost, but that we do now universally resolve never to resume labour until labour's grievances are destroyed, and protection secured for ourselves, our suffering wives, and helpless children by the enactment of the Peopl e ' s Ch ar t er . " Englishmen ! The blood of your brothers reddens the streets of Preston and Blackburn, and the mur derers thirst for more. Be firm, be courageous, be men ! Peace, law, and order, have prevailed on our side; ' let these be. revered until your b r eth ren i n Scotand, Wales, and Ireland are informed of your resolution, and when a universal holiday prevails— which will be the case in eight days—then of what use will bayonets be against public opinion. What tyrant can then live'ahove the terrible tide of thought and energy which is now flowing fast- under the guidance of man's intellect, which is now destined by a Creator to elevate his people above the reach of want, the rancour of despotism, and the' penalties of bondage. The trades—a noble, patriotic band—have takim the lead in declaring for the Charter, and draw ing their gold from the keeping of tyrants. Follow their example. Lend no whip to rulers wherewith to scourge you. Intelligence has reached us of the wide spreading of the strike, and now within fifty miles of Man chester every engine is at rest, and all is still, save the miller's useful wheels and the friendly sickle in the fields. " Countrymen and Brothers ! Centuries may roll on, as they have fleeted past, before such universal action may again be displayed. We have made the cast for liberty, and we must stand-like" men the hasard of the die. Let none despond. Let all he cool and watchful, and like the bridemaids in the parable, keep your lamps burning, and let your con tinued resolution be like a beacon to guide those who are now hastening, far and wide, to follow your memorable example. " Brethren, we rely upon your firmness : cowardice, treachery, or womanly fear would cast our caus e b ac k for half a century. Let no man, woman, or child break down the solemn pledge ; and if they do, may the curse of the poor and the starving pursue them— .they deserve slavery who would madly court it. " Our machinery is all arranged, and your cause will in three days be impelled onward by all the in tellect we can summon to its aid ; therefore, whilst you are peaceful, b e fi rm , w hil st you are orderly make all be so likewise, and whilst you look to the law, re member that you had no voice in making it, and are therefore the slaves to the will, the law, and the price of your masters. All officers of the Association are called upon to ail and assist in the peaceful extension of the move ment, and to forward all moneys for the use of the delegates, who may be expressed over the country. Strengthen our hands at this moment, and support our leaders. Rally round our sacred cause, and leave the decision to the God of justice and of battle." THE FIRST TURN-OUT AT MANCHESTER. The following letter has been addressed to one of the local papers by Messrs. Bayley, of Staleybridge, whose hands, it will be recollected, first commenced the present disturbances : "Sir,—As a 'very erroneous impression seems to prevail in connexion with the present turn-out, that we alone had proposed a reduction to our workpeople below what was paid by other manufacturers, we beg to state that it is utterly unfounded. "The real facts are, that the reduction, about which so much has been said, was confined solely to the weavers in our employ ; and, in their case, finding that we were paying, and had been paying for some time past, higher prices than were paid by many ma nufacturers in the neighbourhood for similar descrip tions of cloth, we gave notice, some weeks back, of an alteration in our wages. At the expiration of that notice, we proposed to our weavers a reduction of Id. per piece, which was only.one-half the reduction which had been made by others, and amounted, to Gd. per week upon their wages. This they . refus6d, alleging that, though they were aware that in many instances we were paying more than our neighbours, still, as the markets were improved, they would not allow it in our case. This we thought unreasonable, and they left our employment. " We at the same time beg to contradict the - many idle tales and remarks which are stated to have been made by us to our workpeople, which we understand are in circulation ; and can only treat them as too absurd for any particular notice. " In connexion also with the above, we wish to state, that for the last six months our weavers have had full employment; and, in order to show the real condition of our workpeople, whom some of the newspapers have represented to be reduced to starva tion, we beg to subjoin a statement of the wages paid at our mills for a period of five weeks previous to the turn-out :—To 914 men, women, and children in our employment, five weeks' wages, from June 18th to July 23d, 1842, 2,6201. or lls. 51d. each per week. To 426 weavers (principally girls), for the same five weeks, 1,150/., or 10s. 911 each per week. " Your insertion of these facts will much oblige, "Yours most respectfully, " WM. BAYLEY AND BROTHERS. " Staleybridge, Aug. 15, 1842." BURY, Thursday Afternoon. -• The whole of the mills and printworks are at a stand this day. A large mob yesterday, from the neighbourhood of Heywood, turned out all hands at the various works, the Magistrates not having given the protection they promised. It was stated by the workmen 'that the period of resuming work would therefore, under present circumstances, depend upon the time work was resumed in the neighbourhood. ROCHDALE, Thursday Afternoon. This morning all the mills are again turned out by a large mob ; in consequence the whole of the works are at a stand. No outrage against property has, however, been committed in the course of to-day. We understand the turn-outs in Ashton, Staler bridge, Oldham, and Rochdale, have come to the de termination that.they will no longer go for the Charter. WIGAN, Thursday Noon. The town is at present peaceable, but the factories are still at a stand. This morning delegates from the workpeople had interviews with the masters, for the purpose of attempting to accommodate - matters, but the demands of the turn-outs were considered so exorbitant, that the masters refused to accede to them, and consequently work was not resumed. Large mobs - are parading the streets, but an active police force, under the command of Mr, Thomas Latham, are in readiness to prevent any outrage. In the fore noon a large meeting .was held in Chapel-lane, which caused some alarm. The fire-bell at the Town-hall was rung, the military, police, and special constables assembled, and proceeded to the spot, but finding the mob had dispersed, they paraded the streets of the town, receiving most hearty hooting from the Irish weavers resident in the Scholes. At half-past three o'clock all was quiet. • BOLTON, Thursday, Half-past Three, p.m. All is peaceable in this town but with few excep tions, the factories and other large works are still closed. A general holiday is kept. Large mobs are parading the streets, but it is feared, when starvation presents itself, outrage will begin. At Hawley a ren counter took place between the mob and the hands em ployed in the print works there, but the arrival of a troop of soldiers put a stop to the matter. A large mob also assembled at Ladyshaw collieries, and at tempted to turn out the hands, but Captain Fletcher galloped up with a troop of the Queen's Own Lanca shire Yeomanry, 'Tut the mob to the rout, and cap tured no less than eighty prisoners, who have been committed for trial at the next Quarter Sessions. HINDLEY, Thursday. The following particulars have just been furnished me by a highly respectable manufacturer. The rioters first made their appearance on Monday from Wigan, in an irregular straggling manner, consisting of about 200 or 300 of the lowest class of people, chiefly Irish, and the greater part being handloom weavers from Scholes. On their way they stopped several coal works, and also Mr. Gidlow's cotton-mill at Ince, whose manager they compelled to go with them to, Hindley. 1 hey first attacked the mill of John Bond, Esq.,- who, in order to prevent any damage, ordered the engine to be stopped, the rioters compelling the majority of the hands to join them. Here also they took the manager with them, hut he, after walking a short distance, contrived to escape. Before ten o'clock the whole of the mills and other works in the village had ceased labour, the greater part of the rioters proceeding towards Leigh, whence they returned in company with others in the course of the day. At tea o'clock another and a much larger party came from PKilton, 'where they emptied the boilers. This was done by. pe'rsons who well understood the work, And who were evidently engineers - . • Th'e next proceeded to•the shopkeepers, levying contributiOns in the shape of loaves of bread, butter, milk, &c., and went towards Wigan. A third party, from Leigh, ..caoke ip a few,.min.utes.. afterwards, who, - finding all the work done, and threatenjpgjhe masters who _ re sumed work, went on their route to Wigan, appa rently to rejoin the main body. They were princi pally armed with hammers, bars of iron, and wooden clubs of immense sixe, and whenever they found re sistance in the shape of locked gates or doors, speedily removed the obstruction. During the whole of the day tributary streams arrived from all the neigh bouring villages, who proceeded to join the main body. In the, afternoon a detachment of the 72d Highlanders arrived from Wigan, and about a hun dred special constables were , sworn in. Preparations were made to commence work on the following day, but the workpeople, from fear, or some other motive, declined to work at present. The town now remains • quiet. CHORLEY, Thursday Afternoon. The town is at present quiet, but large crowds are parading about, having no work in consequence of the factories and collieries being at a stand. • • BLACKBURN, Thursday Noon. All the factories, print and other works, are at a stand, but no riot has taken place to-day up to this hour. LIVERPOOL Thursday, August 'lB ANOTHER CHARTIST Some apprehensions were created yesterday in con sequence of numbers of strangers having come into town from the manufacturing districts. They walked, in straggling groups of between twenty and thirty strong, down London-road, for the purpose, as is supposed, of stirring up the disaffected in this borough, and thus extending the scene of those riotous pro ceedings which have prevailed in the neighbouring districts. Others asserted that they were flying from the manufacturing districts, where - danger existed, and betaking themselves for refuge to this peaceable locality. The soldiers in barracks were placed under arms, and' at the different police stations the men, to the number of several hundreds, were fully equipped for duty. Shortly-After seven o'clock the lower end of White chapel became densely thronged with the lower classes. The meeting was held in -the Nelson As sembly-rooms, heretofore known as the Hall of Science, or Socialist-hall, Lord Nelson-street. The place was crowded. in all parts, almost to suffocation, when the Chairman, a M r . M'Knight, commenced the proceedings. The speakers consisted of a Mr.. Robinson, a Mr. Lloyd, a Mr. M'Nulty, and some others ; and the principal topics consisted of an exposition of Chartist principles ; a denial that the Chartists had originated the present move ment in the manufacturing districts; abuse of the Anti;Corn-law League, the Whigs, the Tories, and the Established Church ; and an expression of sym pathy with the malcontents in the manufacturing districts. The principal portion of the speakers, par ticularly Robinson, conjured the Chartists to act a quiet and orderly part, and not, for the purpose of working out the objects of the League, to brave the muskets of an armed soldiery. During the greater part of the time the meeting was being held, Mr. Whitty, accompanied by some of the ;superintendents of police,, was in the room. for the purpose of watching the proceedings, and, if necessary suppressing the slightest appearance of tumult. In Lord Nelson-street and the streets in the immediate vicinity, about 300 of the constabulary were drawn up and under arms ; but we are happy to say that everything passed off quietly, and that the services of the force were not called into requisition. Groups of the working classes were, however, - col lected in various parts of the neighbourhood, by whom the present disturbances were warmly discussed. The Chartist meeting separated at a quarter to 11 o'clock. ' THE MINING DISTRICTS IN THE MID- LAND COUNTIES. BURSLEM,. Thursday Morning. An inquest was held yesterday on the body of one of the rioters who was shot on Tuesday morning in the affray with the military. The inquiry excited a great deal of interest, and the the whole of the circum stances connected with the hostile Appearance and violent proceedings of the mob were fully inquired into, and the result clearly established the necessity of the course which was adopted, however much the melancholy consequences of the affair are to be re gretted.' After a patient investigation of nearly seven hours, the Jury returned a verdict of " Justifiable homicide." The deceased was one of the principal leaders of the rioters; and belonged to Leek. The whole of the towns throughout the Potteries are now completely garrisoned, although all business is suspended, and the mob have broken into small parties and betaken themselves to the surrounding villages, where they have in some instances com mitted acts of violence and plundered the inhabitants. At Ilantbrd an attempt was made to set fire to the cottage of W. Harding, Es q ., th e C oroner, b ut no serious injury was done to his premises. These cases of outrage occurred yesterday before the troops ar rived, but the Magistrates have adopted effectual re medies for putting a end to any further violence of this description. A meeting of the inhabitants was held yesterday at .Crown Bank, Hanley, for the purpose of adopting measures for preserving the peace of the district, at which the chief bailiff presided. At Shelton a detach ment of military has arrived, and a large body of spe cial constables has been sworn in. Throughout the towns visited by the mob in their tour of violence and plunder, an active search has been made for the parties concerned in the destruction of property. Se veral women have, amongst others, been taken into custody, for assisting in the work of demolition, and for stripping the shops of the pawnbrokers. Some of these tradesmen have been great sufferers, owing to the entire absence of protection from the military or civil force. One man has lost property to the amount of nearly 2,0001. A letter received from Stone, and dated last night, states that apprehensions were entertained of an at tack on Trentham Park, the seat of the Duke of Su therland, and that a party of military had been des patched for its protection. A number of colliers, be longing to a mob from Cheadle, arrived in Stone yes terday afternoon, many of them in a state of intoxi cation, having, it was reported, attacked the Royal Oak Inn. The Magistrates were entirely engaged during the day taking measures to preserve the peace, but all business was suspended. Everything which has transpired since last night tends to confirm the opinion that the disturbances in the Potteries might be considered at an end. (FROM OUR PRIVATE CORRESPONDENT.) HANLEY, THURSDAY, AUG. 18.—We are quiet to. day ; there is scarce a collier to be seen in the town. Some shops have opened for the first time this week. The presence of the soldiers and special constables has inspired many drooping minds with confidence. The mob I spoke of yesterday was part of a very large meeting, held between Macclesfield and Congleton. They have not come here, and we know nothins of their destination, but there are various reports. The report of the destruction of Clough Hall was incor rect. A female servant in the employ of Mr. Geo. Booth, Well-street, Hanley, was caught in the act of setting fire to her master's house. She was taken into custody. The fire was extinguished, but not until it had done considerable mischief. The 34th Regiment are in the town. I stated it was the 33d ; it was a mistake. This most lamentable destruc tion of property by the present outbreak is merely an effect; bad government is the cause. Ministers may put down for a time the • present seeds of revolution, but if they do not legislate f or the people,' instead* of themselves, the seeds thus buried will rise and bring forth an abundant harvest, at no very distant period, and at a time when they least expect it. Oh, that they would be wise, and consider - the end ! BIRMINGHAM, Thursday , Twelve o'Clock r. m . All is perfectly quiet, though some excitement na= turally prevails among a race of very excitable people, surrounded, as they are, by so much "of a s tir r i ng na ture in the neighbourhood. The engines have been called out to extinguish a fire which was reported to have broken out at the Roman Catholic Cathedral, in Bath-street. It is true that a little smoke, or vapour, was observed to issue from the wooden steeple, but there was nothing to occasion such a preposterous fuss as was made respect ing it. I have just returned from visiting the scene. There were several thousands present, and many of them were of the roughest character. If a fire could be said to have existed it was entirely caused by the action of the sun upon the wooden steeple. The last news from the Potteries is highly satis factory. Thursday Evening. The turn-out continues in South Staffordshire, and both men and masters appear determined not to give way. A boat of coals was swamped in the neigh bourhood of Oldbury on Tuesday night, and all pos sible means are adopted to prevent the proceeding of the various manufactories of the neighbourhood. To-day a meeting of the Chartist and turn-out colliers was held at Great-bridge, about two miles from Dudley. A Chartist from Wolverhampton, named Linney, assured the colliers that the prisoners in the various gaols of the kingdom were much better fed and treated than the working people. He dilated at considerable length upon prison happiness, and ad vised the men rather to suffer imprisonment than to return to their employ at the old prices. Linney was succeeded by another Chartist, named Pearson, who said :if the - men remained firm, they could, in six Months, from the want of coals, reduce Birmingham and the neighbourhood to a state of insolvency. Only let them continue firm in their resolution, and they could and would force the whole of the kingdom to their terms. He had received intelligence from Der byshire and Warwickshire, and in both those counties the working population were prepared to rise to a man. The meeting was a very dull and listless affair. several of the coal proprietor:3 residing at Dudley and West Ifromwich, feel convinced that the ()Teat majority of the colliers would return to work at the reduced prices, were it not for fear of personal violence from the discontented. • In Biymingham the Chartists hold a nightly meeting, and at its close the parties assembled walk in proses• sion through some of the principal thoroughfares of the town. It is not probable, however, that there will be any outbreak. THREATENED ATTACK UPON THE MAN SION OF SIR. ROBERT PEEL AT DRAY TON MANOR. BIRMINGHAM, Thursday, 12 p.m. This evening the streets of Birmingham at a late hour were in a state of considerable commotion in consequence of about 100 of the police force being seen proceeding in the direction of Daddeston-row and the London, Derby, and Grand Junction Railway stations. They were headed by Mr. Superintendent. Atkins, on horseback. We made it ol:r duty imme diately to follow, and on going down Coles-hill, vie ascertained that accounts had arrived of a contem plated attack upon the residence of Sir Robert Peel near Tamworth. , On entering the .barracks (around the gateS of which a considerable concourse of people were as sembled), it was stated that the colliers, inthe course of thiS -morning, had visited BeaudeSert, the seat of the Marquis of Anglesea, and Ingestrie, the seat of the Earl of Talbot, and, it was stated, were pro ceeding from thence to Drayton Manor, the seat of Sir Robert Peel. A troop or detachment of the 3d Dragoon Guards were immediately ordered out, and at the moment I am writing they have just left • Bir mingham for Fazele'F, the nearest town to the resi dence of the Right lion. Baronet. Sir Robert Peel was at Drayton Manor in the early part of the week, but we have not ascertained whether or not he is there at present. We cannot believe there will be any numerous assemblage of the rioters, but it would appear, from theitatements of persons who left Tamworth this evening, that the authorities, in apprehension of danger, had been engaged during the whole day in swearing in special constables. • . The Tamworth troop of Yeomanry are now at Lichfield and it is stated that a detachment of the Birmingham police are going to Tamworth in various descriptions of vehicles:to-night. A meeting of Chartists in Birmingham this even ing (to which the police Were directing their special attention), although numerously attended, passed off quietly. LEICESTER. The stocking-makers in this district have all struck, in consequence, as it is alleged, of the masters exact ing full frame-rent for half a week's work. Thousands of artisans (principally glove hands and frame-work knitters) are now parading the streets so liciting alms, which many individuals contribute from a feeling of fear. They appear to belong to the Chartists, as they sing die Chartist " hymn ;" a flag is carried at the head of the body, with the motto " Away with oppression, and justice instead." Two meetings have been held in the market-Once, and per sons have addressed the people upon the present de pressed state of trade, and calling upon the various trades to unite for the purpose of obtaining a rise in wages. The bOrough Magistrates are now (9 o'clock p.m.) sitting 'at the Town-hall, ready to take any proceedings that may be called for. The police, under the superintendence of Mr. Charters, are ordered to be in readiness at any moment they may be called upon, and not to leave the station upon any account. Great excitement prevails in the t own , an d fears scent to be entertained that some serious results will follow this demonstration. At the time of closing our report no breach of the peace has been committed. Work is plentiful in the town, but intimidation is carried on to such an extent, that the masters of the several factories dare not give out work. DERBYSHIRE. The glove hands and a large number of men engaged in the hosiery manufactures; have refused to work, a notice to reduce their wages having been given, it is said, by the large houses at Belper, who state that an abatement is making by other manu facturers. NOTTINGHAM, Thursday, 4 o'clock. It having been announced that a large meeting would be held in our market-place at 1 o'clock to-day, to consider the propriety of ceasing from work, a great demonstration was expected by the Chartists. The affair, however, has proved a complete failure. We are perfectly quiet, with the exception of the little discussions which the present state of affairs excite. There is no appearance of the least int en ti on t o com mit a - breach of the peace, and business is going on regularly as usual._ The Chairman of the Mansfield meeting was bound over to keep the peace for six months. LEEDS, Thursday. One o'Clock. After the attack on Messrs. March and Maclea's works, which I informed you of in my letter last even ing, the people quietly dispersed. Thirty-eight persons were apprehended yesterday afternoon in the town and neighbourhood, on various charges of forcibly entering mills and workshops, throwing stones, and otherwise breaking the peace. They are now undergoing examination before the Magistrates at the Court-house, in which there is a strong body of military and special constables, as well as in the street adjoining. Beyond the attempt to turn out the work-people of Messrs. March and Maclea no serious disturbance has taken place in this town. The mills are at work as usual, and there is little fear of their being stopped. The town of Leeds, then, is perfectly quiet, and the mills are at work as heretofore. Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the principal fac tory masters was held in the Court-house at Brad ford, to consider the propriety of commencing work this morning at six: o'clock. T wo of the Magistrates were present, one of whom expressed his disa.pprobs tbm of Ae manner in which several of the mill-ownere had closed their mills, namely, without offering the least resistance ; had which been done, there would, in a great .many instances, have been no necessity to have closed at all. After some desultory conversation, it was determined unanimously by the masters ha Bradford town to commence this morning. Some or the mill• owners in the Bradford Moor district re fused to do so, unless protected by the military, fear ing a renewal of violence from the mob. The rabble who stopped the manufactory of Messrs. Varlev, at Stanningley, yesterday, was chiefly com posed`of lads and women, and might have been easily routed by 50 able men, each having ti good stick. Yet 300 or 400 persons must unwillingly be turned out or employinent by such a pitiful handful of blackguar4 as I have mentioned._ The accounts received here this morning fix= Huddersfield, Halifax, and their neighbourhood, are more favourable. Several mills have commenced work ing again, the hands being protected by the military. Last evening one of the insurgents, named Booth, from Northowram, near Halifax, died in the Infir mary, from a gunshot wound. The examination of the prisoners is going on, and will last all day. Lord Wharncliffe (Lord President of the Council),.. has just arrived here, and is engaged in perusing thee depositions so far as they have been taken. The military and police have just gone to Hunsh moor, to disperse a meeting. Two collieries in • this neighbourhood have 1 hen stopped this morning. Thursday Evening, Seven o'Cl- At k . At eleven o'clock to-day the parties (38 in n . , l b e o who were taken up for entering the mill of . iv essr ; . Maclea and March yesterday ,afterno•er., were brought before the Mayor, Griffith- Wrig"nt, Esq., and E. Grace, Esq. The. evidence ;.n support of the respective charges occupied the whole of the day, and up •to the present time no commit- ment has taken place, although, no doubt the whole 38 will be sent to the assizes, nriw going on at York. All has been quiet here and in the neighbourhood to. day, up to two o'clock, when news was brought to the Magistrates sitting at the Court-house, that a number of persons were attacking the colliery works. of J. C. Brandling, Esq., Middleton, distant two. miles from this pla ce , w h ence a strong body of police: were promptly despatched. Eight desperados hay just been brought from thence by a party of militai y. About five o'clock news was brought from Cleckh ea . ton—a village extensively engaged in the blanket ma nufacture, six miles off—that a mob of persons. was attacking the mills. Aid was promptly sent. • We shall not now have any disturbance in - L ee d s and, from the ample force at the disposal of gistracv, there can be no doubt that assic,t anee car , be Fivers to any of the districts in the neifshhourhood which may unfortunately require it. HUDDERSFIELD, Wednesday M orn i ng. Nothing serious has transpired since my last. M on . day night passed away without any recurrence of the lawless proceedings which characterised the former part o f it. Th e measures o f t h e Magistrates 5m t o have had the desired effect of showing the mob the inutility of continuing a course of violence, which caw . only end in their own discomfiture, and which wilt add greatly to their privations. Yesterday (market-day) passed off renewal of the outrages which marked I:hiehp°-11.,-%;111ir night; and business, such as it was, was • r ' with in the ordinary way. The Magistrate re _ 5 " o . e ee d amined ed the prisoners taken during the riot, and +,:ne result as follows :—Four were sent to York d e six were bou n d t o k eep the peace for t Casi w for trial, o month s , two remanded, one discharged, and a woman sent to the House o f Correction for two Months, for h av i ng thrown stones at th e So l diers. This morning (Wednesday) all, is quiet. The most noisy of th© snob seem to liaye left the town .. In d the Bradley mills have been get at work. ----- Last week a sturgeon, measuring 8 feet 6 inches it t length, upwa r d s o f 3 f eet in girth, and weighing 23714, was caught in the Lune, about a mile below rancuter. .......0 VS, Ball d on, giant 66• and Bir• tern, item tares, stern hton, with• 201 ants., anibb ) the sub' Ipted 'The I al? anti ,ayor ,unto Which uild• three .can' ever, mat end' be ex• 11 be P er e 11. 4 for rise reat tern and Five and I J 11 s$