The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-20 00:00:00

31.4NUFAC7 URING DISTRICTS.

MANCH zzzzz TITESDAY, JULY 18.
I am sorry to inform you that the calm which seemed
to pervade the vicinity of this town was rather of an illusory
description. The scattered groupes vrhich were
wi th observed
yesterday in our streets, apparently condoling each
other on the wretchedness of their prospects, seemed to
have concerted together some new measures.
Notwithstanding the excellent precautionary means
adopted by the magistracy within these few days back,
the feelings of the populace, both of Manchester and of
several of the adjacent towns, this day assumed a more
decided tone. About eleven o'clock, hustings were
terecented on the field of " Peterloo," and a mob of be-
twe twelve and fifteen thousand persons of every de-
scription, and of both sexes, many of whom were armed
with pikes and staves, not a few of which doubtless had
lain in their rust since the never-to-bc-forgotten " Battle
of Peterloo." The usual topics were attempted to be ilk-
cured by one or two 'speechifiers, but a party of the
Queen's Bays made its appearance, and the mob quietly
dispersed.
If he disaffected are chiefly composed of persons froin
Macclesfield and Chorley ; a Mr. Wood, of the latter
place, an extensive manufacturer and an encourager of the
power-loom, lies been marked out by the rioters, and on
Monday the whole of his extensive works were completely
destroyed. Our anticipations are gloomy in the extreme,
as many of the manufacturers who have kept bands at
work for three days in the week have come to a determine
lion of stopping altogether; the fund, too, for the relief
of the distressed, is fast coming to an end, and a cones-
nding reduction of" tickets" has taken place. &vend
families, we arc informed, have left Macclesfield and
Charley, and have come to Manchester, thinking them-
selves far safer in the latter place.

[From the lifruchtsfer llfcrcury of Tueaday.l
On Saturday a public notice was issued by the Magis-
trates, declaring meetings, such mi we have described, to be
illegal, and cantioning all persons to abstain from at tending
them. Whether it was owing to this proclamation, to the
abatement of curiosity, or to the circumstance that Saturday
evening is the time when such of the labouring classes as
happen to receive any wages are in the habit of laying them
oat, we cannot tell ; but certainly the attendance of the
meeting, which was held at the same place as on the pre-
ceding evening, was much smaller than on that ea:a-
sion ; there not being more than a thousand persoon on the
ground. Several violent speeches were made on the ocea-
sMn, and the people were exhorted to march to Middleton,
where they were informed that arms might be obtained.
About half-past nine o'clock an alarm was given that the
constables were approaching to disperse them, (which, in
fact, wrs true). The mob, therefore, It-ft the ground on
which the meeting was held, and went into tailcoat's-lane,
where they formed six abreast, and marched, several hun-
dreds in number, along Ancoat's-lane, Jersey-street, and
several other back streets, into Oldham-road, and along
Cropper-street, into St. George's-road, and proceeded by
Blackleg, towards Middleton. In the meantime prepara-
tions were making by the authorities to disperse the meet-
ing, and a messenger was sent to request the co-operation of
a party of the Qtteen.s Bays, about 30, who were posted at
the George Inn, St. George s-road. hey were desired to
join the special constables in Mosley-street. near the
Royal Hotel ; but after waiting for them a long time,
it was discovered that they had missed their way, and,
instead of passing along Shutlehill, went down Miller's-
lane, into Long Mitigate, where they wandered about
some time before they were set right. They then made
the beat of their way back towards the New Cross,
where they were met by Mr. Foster, the stipendiary ma-
gistrate, and proceeded with him to the place of meet-
iug. On their arrival they learned that the mob had left
the ground, but some time elapsed before it could be
asc rtained in what direction they hail proceeded. It was
at length discovered that they had gone towards Middleton,
and the military, with Mr. Foster, Mr.Wanklyn, and Mr.
Lavender, on horseback, set off at a very quick pace,
in pursuit, hoping to overtake them before they reached
Middleton. in this expectation, however, they were
disappointed. So much time had been lost before
the pursuit was commenced, that the rioters reached
Middleton before them, and were drawn up in the
Market-place when the military arrived. The ad-
s-need guard, consisting of three men, having got sight
of the rioters, two of them fell back to the main body,
to give information of what they hail seen, and the third re-
mained in advance. Whilst he was waiting the arrival of
the others, a brick was thrown at him, which struck him
on the helmet, and nearly knocked him from his horse.—
He
Immediately charged a man who stood near the place
from which the brick appeared to come, and hemmed him
up against the wall, while Mr. Lavender, who rode up at
the moment, sprung from his horse and secured him, toge-
ther with a large bludgeon which lay on the ground near
him, and which lie appeared to have thrown down.—
While this was going on, the main body of rimers, being
apprised of the arrival of the military, dispersed in all di-
rections,
some taking shelter in yards, pigsties, and similar
plates, but the greater part making the best of their way
across the fields, into the old road to Manchester. When
the main body of the military advanced, not finding the
rioters, and not knowing what had become of them, they
marched through Middleton, about a mile on the Rochdale
road, leaving Mr. Lavender with his prisoner, in consider-
ed? danger, if those of the mob who remained in the
neighbourhood had been aware of his situation. In a short
time, however, the military returned; and the whole party
marched back to Manchester, bringing with them the man
Viom Mr. Lavender had taken, and another who was ap-
prehended soon afterwards by the constable of Middleton.
During the night four other persons were taken into ens-
t Ely. AU the prisoners were brought up for examination
yesterday, at the New Bailey. Their names were Robert
Saggett, James Sampson, Peter Naylor, William Smith,
Jerry Naylor, and William Piston. They all admitted
haling gone with the rioters from Manchester to Middle-
ton, but all at the same time declared they were compelled
to go by threats. The two first were committed to the
Sessions, and the others, who were mere lads, were or-
dered to find sureties to keep the peace. We understand
the number of persons who arrived at Middleton was about
200 or 250. Many of them were armed with large
bludgeons, which they hail obtained from the fences on the
rant. When they arrived at Middleton, they announced
that any honest man who was disposed to join them would
he made welcome, but none seemed to avail themselves of
the invitation.
Last night there was no meeting in this town. There
was, we believe, a small assemblage of persons in the
;nothing, on Tandle Hills, near Middleton ; and some re-
ports were circulated last night of meetings at Stockport
and Ashton ; but we have not been able to trace them to
any authentic source, and we do not believe they have any
foundation.

An agreement has been signed by a number of the most
respectable spinners and power-loom manufacturers of
Hyde Stayley Bridge, anti Oukinfield, engaging to work
th.eir factories only four days a week, for the ensuing two
months, provided the other masters in the neighbourhood
will concur in the measure. The motives for this step are
to prevent the further accumulation of stock in the yarn
and cloth market, anti which is a very laudable and im-
por:ant object, to obviate the necessity of making any fur-
ther reduction in the wages of the work people. The
earnings of the persons engaged in spinning-mills and in
power-loom factories, have hitherto, when the parties
ware fully employed, been much better than those of hand-
loom weavers ; and it is exceedingly desirable that they
should be k. pt so; but there seems at present no other way
of ding this than by abridging the time of labour. We
trust the body of tnanufacturers in the above neighbourhood
will act in this matter with unanimity and good faith, and
that 30 one, for the sake of a little temporary advantage to
himself, will think of adopting a course which may tend
to the permanent injury and degradation of thousands of
his felow-creatures.—ifuncliester MesTury.

two persons.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman at New York to
his friend at Birmingham, dated 23d June, 1826:—" Al-
though commerce is not very flourishing, we are, in many
respects, much better off than you are in England. Labour-
ing hands of any description need not be at a loss to obtain
work. Many vessels arrive weekly with emigrants, chiefly
from Ireland, and those who are disposed to work, are en-
gaged, I understand, before they can put their feet on
terra firma. The present price of the beat canal flower per
barrel of 2001b8. is 41 dollars, and this, though it does not
remunerate the farmer very well, shows at the same time
that we are not in want of provisions. An Irish labourer
who carries mortar gets one dollar and a quarter per day
wages ; and a mason 2 to 21 dollars, and not to be had, in
consequence of the numerous buildings contracted for.."
A letter troth Mirepoix says—" Towards the end of June
this part of the country was completely laid waste by the
fall of a great quantity of hail and rain. The vineyards
A few days ago a beautiful bird of the osprey species are inundated, the meadows covered with mud, and the
was slot from the garden at Gateshead Park House, the arable land deprived of its manure, which has been washed
mansion of Isaac Cookson, Esq. jun. From wing to wing down upon the lower grounds. The loss for the present
it matured five feet eight inches. year and the next is immense."

THE BRITISH PRESS.