The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-09 00:00:00

DISTURBANCES IN THE METROPOLIS.

Some hundreds again congregated in Trafalgar-
square yesterday. They were composed chiefly of the coster-
monger class, and boys from 16 to 18 yearn of age. No police
being out, that there might be nu unnecessary exhibition of the
force which was in reserve in Scotland-yard and the vicinity,the
mob first amused themselves by the access given to the Nel-
son Monument, from no boarding being now round it, to
play all sorts of tricks on the steps ; but this only led to the
throwing of stones into the square, and the police were again
called to act, under the direction of Superintendent May, and
the square was cleared, but not before a boy had been taken
to the station. house, and another to the Charing-cross
Hospital, having been run over by a hone in his endeavours
to escape the police. As the idlers had probably profited by
the experience of yesterday, they gradually went away, and
by 12 o'clock the smite of Monday's uproar and riot was in
nearly its usual Mate, and all appearance of disorder had
passed away. But in the afternoon several idle persons of
the betty r class attracted the most active and mischievous
into the square aira'n, by congregating on the terrace and
around it, patiently awaiting a riot, which they appeared to
have great curiosity to see. The pranks of the morning
were renewed. and a few more idlers taken into custody.
While this was going on a hand of juveniles and pick-
pockets showed themselves in Fleet-street; some of whom,
turning late Fetter-lane broke a few windows. The rest
proceeded along Cheapsida and caused the shopkeepers to
close up their windows, which however they opened again
when the mob had passed. The more mischievous of this
scum of London were attracted to Stepney-green, a meetine
having been advertised to take place there, under pretence
of denouncing the income tax. There they found a couple
of vans with a few persons in them mid to be
orators. One of them, the Mr. Reynolds who figured
in Trafalgar square on Monday, in default of Mr. Cochrane,
made is rambling disjointed harangue, not about the profes-
sed object art the meeting, but respecting republics, chartism,
universal suffrage, liberty, equality, &c. This, however,
was soon found to be tiresome, and the audience, about
nine o'clock, and to the number of two or three hundred,
announced their determination of proceeding en moose
through Whitechapel. Aldgate, and the principal streets of
the City to destroy windows, and supplied themselves with
stoma for the purpose. This mob was shortly joined by a
large concourse of idlers and others from motives of curio•
city only, to the extent, as they pm/erased as far as White-
chapel, of several thousand person.. As they pared through
Whitechapel the work of destruction commenced. Stones
were sent flying in all directions, but in so systematic a
manner that no individual hand could be recognised
from whom the stone was thrown. The windows of the
chemists and deuegi.t-, bakers, and all those who had not,
on the advance of the rioters, taken the precaution to close
their shops, were speedily destroyed. The police on duty
and many gentlemen sad well disposed persons preceded
the rabble, and by their timely information of their destruc-
tive conduct enabled the shopkeepers to close their shops,
and thereby saved a large amount of property. The disap-
pointment of the mob was evident from the savage yell they
uttered when they approach. d and found no opportunity of
carrying on their work of destruction. The windows of
the upper floors of house. were destroyed, as also the lamps,
but on their arrival at Muses and San's their joy was evinced;
the large squares of glass in the upper part of this
building were destroyed, the lower part being closed,
Oa they went through Leadenhall-street, Bishopsgate-
street. and Threadneedle-street to the Bank, committing
similar destruction. On their arrival at the Bank an
attempt at a dernin.stration was mat'.e, the crowd collecting
in front of the Royal Exchange, shouting and yelling ; but
here it was evident that their leaders understood theirpoeition
and the precautions that had been taken by the City autho-
rities to double at every point the police force. as also that
the military guard at the Bask bad been doubled. Cries in a
low voice were heard, " No, boys, no, not here ; do not
atop. On ! on ! " and away they went, without breaking
a single lamp in front of the Bonk: the windows of
the Royal Exchange suffered but little. At the Mansion-
house the rabble stopped, and repeated their yelling shout, and
stones were thrown. The police here captured several with-
out much opposition ; and at Bow Church, Police-constable
Burgess, 28 of the detective force, captured two of the ring-
leaders, who were inciting the me's, and succeeded in con-
veying them to the Bow-lane station. By this time various
sections of the mob had dispersed themselves and pursued
their course to the West end by different routes, as is evi-
dent, from the windows on both aides of St. Paul's, the large
show windows of Messrs. Allan and Co., having been de-
stroyed, as also those of many persons in Newgate-street,
Ludgate-street, Ludgate-hill, Holborn, the Strand, and
other places. In the latter places the work of destruction was
carried on by small isolated bands of young ruffians ; but
fortunately, from the active pr, cautions that were taken by
doubly strengthening the police force, a great number of the ,
most act.ve were secured and conveyed to the several
station-houses, with scarcely in any instance any determined
opposition. The most effectual stop to the career of the
mob took place near the ad Bailey, when a large body of
the City Police attacked them with so much determination
that they fled in all directions. The most active determina-
tion meats to put a stop to the lawless procce lingo that are
now being carried on, the whole of the police force having
been kept thrmahout in constant readiness to act. The
mob generally were composed of the veriest scum of pick-
pockets, thieves, and costermoagers.

DISTURBANCE AT MANCHESTER.

:By Electric Telegraph.;

Some disturbances yesterday occurred at Man-
chester, and would seem to have some connexion
with a revival of the anti-poor-law agitation. Last
evening a mob of several hundred men and
women assembled in front of the workhouse in
Tib-street, and after much yelling, demanded that
all the inmates should be discharged ; or, as they
termed it, liberated. Of course this demand was not
complied with; and a strong bxly of police being
immediately on the spot, persuasive means were re-
sorted to for the removal of the crowds, and eventually
by physical demonstration the rioters were compelled
to retire and dipper se. Mennwh ile the mayor and magis-
trates assembled at the Town-hall, where, at 10 P.M.,
they were deliberating on the best means for prevent-
ing or repelling further outrage. This morning
(Thursday) there is to be a meeting of the unemployed
to arrange a procession through the town.
The disturbances in front of the Tib-street work-
house commenced as early as three o'clock in the
afternoon, and it was not until after seven that the
people were driven from the neighbourhood. The
entire police force are to assemble at their office at
nine o'clock this morning, and will be prepared to act
with promptitude in the repression of outrage. The
Oldham operatives arc said to be on the move.

LONDON COMMISSION 01, SEWERS.—The commie-
sioners assembled numerously on Tuesday, Deputy Peacock
in the chair.—Mr. Haywood, the surveyor to the commis-
'loners, presented his report.—Mr. Lawrence, in moving
that the surveyor's rep,rt be agreed to, said he had remarked
with surprise the spirit of injustice and partiality which
operated up m journals usually termed liberal, and abound-
ing with maxims about fair play. In those journals there
appeared long minute accounts of the proceedings of the
Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers, however destitute
of interest they might be, while the barking system was ex-
tended to the City commission, although it wis well known
that the doors of the latter were open to the whole of the
press. Nothing could, he had no doubt, be more convenient
than for a set of gentlemen to meet at No. 21 Committee-room,
in the House of Commons, and decide upon the subject of
the cholera, which they found, after looking about for some
time, was to rise out of the wet clayey soil in the neighbour-
hood of the metropolis. The sanitary commission could not
be got up without some new view of the nature and progress
of the disease; and, accordingly, people were exceedingly
anxious to dig ditches all round London, to let out the
cholera. Having raised tEc phantom upon the sanitary com-
mission, it became necessary to apply to the Sewers Commis-
sion to lay it, and accordingly a board was constituted, com-
pounded of lawyers, geologists, and doctors, and without one
man acquainted with sewers. By that board, in which there
was not a single engineer or man of practical experience, it
was declared that there was not a good sewer in the City of
London ; and although, within the last twenty years, twenty-
five miles of sewerage—the most complete and durable that
could be imagined—hal been constructed, the labours of those
who had carried the great plan into execution were slandered
and reviled by indinduals not possessing the slightest in-
formation upon the subject. It would, however, be soon
acknowledged that the City Commissioners of Sewers had
been indefatigable in their endeavours to serve their fellow-
chinas, and had used smart other neap' thine at moot
999194 by the lbw:Tolima Coilaisbners, sad 91