The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-16 00:00:00

ALARMING STATE OF THE MANUFAC-

TURING DISTRICTS.

In the Express of yesterday, we communicated the
fact of an outbreak at Ashton under Lyne. We now give
farther particulars. So far as can be ascertained it appears
that a number of the contediratts assembled in the evening
at their usual meeting-house, the Charlestown Chapel, and
for once having evaded the surveillance of the police were
enabled to arm themselves with pistols, pikes, swords, and
other mean ies, and march out into the streets, thus armed,
at a little before twelve o'clock, without encountering any
immediate opposition. Persons who saw them stir' e that
there w, re some thirty or forty piki I catried by them which
gleamed in the moonlight, and that several carried drawn
swords, and others guns and pistols. Scon aft. r leaving the
meeting-house they encountered two policemen, one of whom
was shot through the heart with a put d ; and they pursued
the other into an adjoining street, but he baffled them by
running into a cottage, the door of which he locked inside,
taking care to extinguish the light as soon as possible. What
the object of their march ww, beyond the assassination of the
police, dots not very clearly appear ; hut it would seem that
fora short time they entertained the insane project of hold-
ing the town against the wintery, for on messengers being
sent to the barracks they encountered this armed force and
wire turned back—some, indee 1, being fired at. It is stated
that ithe rioters were encountered by these messengers in
considerable force, drawn up in lines scrims the road to the
barracks, but on the military being summoned (as 'they
were shortly afl.rwards through the instrumentality of
messengers sent in other directions) it was found that she
rioters had moved, and it has since come to the knowledge
of the authorities Mat they hail gone ((tweed to HYDE, a
town several miles distant. On their way they comaitted
acts of wanton cruelty, equal to that which had signalised
their Sew outbreak, but fortunately not atteadesi with such
fatal results. A min named Bradshaw, who works for the
Messrs. Fowler, potters, was pierced through the thiah with
a spear. Another man, named George Showeross, was shot
through the calf of one leg with slugs, and they fired a bul-
-1 let through the window of Mr. Aspland, surgeon, Dakin-
field, about two o'clock, whilst that gentleman was standing
at it, but so wide of him as not to have placed him in much
peril. On their way through 'ukinfield the miscreants
called at the seat of Mr. Charles It intiley, M.P., and dis-
lodged one of the small cautions placed in front of it, cam-
ine it off, but ultimately abandoning it, probably on recount
of its %eclat. On arriving at Hyde, it appears they entered
several factories and drew the plugs from the boilers, but
dispersed without comm'tting other mischief. The name of
the policeman shot is James Bright, and his dead body was
picked up in Bentinck street, Ashton, by Mr. Gray, a
publican.
Ye..terday morning, within a few hours after the occur-
rence, the magistrates of Ashton had assembl d at the Town
Hon, and measures were taken at their suggestion by the
police to apprehend suspected persons, and upwards of 20
had been taken into custody when our correspondent's ed.
Press left, some of whom were to undergo an examination
ast evening. One of these men, named William Penny, had
only some gun caps in his possession; William Eden, an.
other, had a pike handle. Several had pike heads ; but
some of them had no weapons whatever found upon them.
Wm. Henley, of Newton-moor, weaver, had in his posses ion
a loaded pistol, some powder, snip. shot-bag, a slitter's pick
newly sharpernsl, and a Chariot Manual. A quantity of
ball cartridges were found in a garden belonging to Mr.
Beans of Dukintield, which it is supposed the confederates
had left there to avoid the risk of being detected with them
in their possession. A sword newly sharpened, and a pike
head were found in the yard of the Talbot Ink early in the
morning. About noon yesterday, also, a number of pikes
were found in a field near Dultiotield.

All the confedt rate clubs in blancaterren on the lame
evening remained in deliberation till a late hour; but as the
police were on the alert, and the military patrolling the
streets at various points, they separated quietly without in-
terference.

At OLDHAM, on the previous day, the magistrates had in.
telligt nce that the confederate club: these intended to or-
ganise and march. so as to be at Manchester, eight miles dis-
tant, at midnigh•, where a combined movement was to place
the city in their hands. Their principal club-r,om was
closely watched, and about one o'clock on Tuesday morning
upwards of 40 armed men left it, but proceeded out of town,
and were not molested ty the police.
Our correspondent at BIKMINGHAM writes that up to last
evening all was tranquil iu that tow d and throughout the
dis'rict, but circumstances had disclosed themselves to the
police which left little doubt of the fa, t that arising to soma
eat, at had been carried os amongst the Irish and other die-
'Meted chartists who have recently held meetings in the
town. During the whole of Monday night, Mr. Stephens,
the chief superintendent of police and a number of his sub-
ordinates were on the alert, but nothing transpired. The
civil and military force which has for some time been in
readiness to act upon almost instant notice, is sufficient to
suppress a much greater outbreak than could be got up,
although it does not seem probable that any will be attempted.

ARREST OF CHARTISTS.— A decisive blow wee
struck last night (Tumidity) at charism. in Manchester, by
the at met of several chartist leaden. Between ten and eleven
o'clock, a large force of armed pqlice and military visited the
clubs, and arrested nine of the leaders before any alarm could
be given. A meeting of all the clubs was expected to have
taken place at 12 o'clock lent night, and the magistrates de-
termined to prevent it. Not the slightest resistance wu
offered, and the services of the military were not requirec.
Amongst the prisoners are Leach, the printer, Whitaker, and
Donovan, a ho appeared much chap-fa'oen at their capture.
A meeting of the Oldham chartists took place last night, but
they dispersed quietly about half-past ten.
SOUTHAMPTON I)OCKS.—The half-yearly meeting
of this company was held at the offices in Southampton
yesterday, Colonel Barlow in the chair. The secretary read
the minutes of the last meeting, and the following report ;
" Notwithstanding the g•neral depression of trade and
commercial enterprise, the business of the company is
still progressive. The earnings for the half-year to
the 30th of June, 1848, have been 9,3311. 10s. 7d ,
those to the 30th of June, 1847, were 7,6261. 11.. Ild.;
being an increase of 1,7241. Bs. Bd. in the earnings of the
half-year to the 30th of June, 1848, as compared with the
earnings of the corresponding half-year of 1847. The
accounts exhibit a balance, after the payment of expenses,
of 3,1801. 13-. 11d. ; and the directors are consequently
enabled to recommend a divid, ad, clear of income-
tax, of 11. per cent. for the half-year (ten shillings
' per share being at the rate of 21. per cent. per
aneum. The directors have the satisfaction to report
that they Irene concluded an arrangement with Mr. Jeseph
White, of East C.lwes, for the establishment, on the com-
pany'. land, contigwsus to the dry docks, of a yard for
building ships of the largest clam; and that the necessary
wurkshopt and offices have been already erected. This ,
arrangement will ensure at all times every possible facility
1
for the repair of ships in the company's dry docks. The
directors have been much disappointed by the rejection' by
the committee of the House of Lords, of a bill which had
',Assert the House of Commons, for the construction .4 seven
miles of railway between Harrow and Brentferd, which
would have connected Southampton with the North-
Western, the Great Northern, and all the narrow-gauge
railways in the kingdom, and would have afforded to the
docks an unbroken narrow gauge communicatiou with the'
whole of the manufacturing districts. This connecting link
is on every account so important to the intercede of the
country at hive, as well as to those ot the port and the docks
of Southampton, that the directors feel satisfied that its
construction must be ranctiened in the next session of
parliament; and, as the works can then be executed in
less than a year, that they may stilt rely at no very distant
period upon the means, without change of carriage or break
of gunge, of distributing imports to all parts of the 001111.
I try, and of bringing down from the north to the ship's aide
in the docks return cargoes, which are alone wanting to
insure a vast increase of trade, and to render Southampton'
one of the first ports in the kingdom. In the meantime,
the best must be made of the accommodation which is about
to be afforded by thenpening of the Great Western line from
Reading to Basingstoke.—The Chairmen drew attention
to the satisfactory iterease in the income of the company
and the (it crease in the working expenses. Al
present the great object was to have a direct communication
with the north of England, and to get ships tor the East and
West Indies, America, and all parts of the world. No port
in England wes so well adapted for the purpose as the port
of Southampton. It was then proposed by the chairman
that a dividend of 2i per cent. be declared, which was se-
rouded ai.d carried unanimously. In reply to a question
from one of the shareholders, the chairmen mid that their
dry docks would take in the longest steamer ever built
without difficulty, er even the Great Britain; and he was
quite sure that they were sufficiently capable for a 120-gun
ship. Votes of thanks were then passed to the auditors, the
chairman, and directors, and the meeting broke up.