The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-17 00:00:00

RIOTS IN THE MANUFACTI'IIING DISTRICTS.

[From the Pr(Van Chrookle of Saturday.
The Quarter Sessions for the Ilittvireila at Athounitier-
nes!, Blackburn, anti L, were opened at the Court-
house in Preston, on Thoratily hat, More T. B. Addison,
E-q. Chairman, anti other Nlagistrafes:—
The (rand Jury being sworn, the Mama@ reatedled to ad-
dress them. After some genera; observations. he remarked that
there was one casein the colentior, where the party wee accused of
an offence not very common ; the period' was charged with maim.
ing a domestic animal. The Learned Chairman explained the law
in this case to be. that where a person. either with the latent to
steal, or nut of malice az the owner. aromilled et disabled any va-
luable domestic animal, the individual so acting wasgymeahigh
misdemeanor, for which the Court might, in.lts ►lip, pun
rentence of tranvort tion or imprisonment. There wisi ember de-
vriptirn of offence the Jut y would most likely hoe to in.
,loirc MM. upon which he ( the Chaimpm) felt caned upon 10 say a
lba ientls. The c:ime to tthich he allotted had been the subject
of much painfol pu,die Ll:trio—lie meant the hreaking of power-
looms by !onions coniltinit. ions. The rl.l low was vv) severe upon
persons guilty of brc...kingt. taking swat', or destroyinginmirmeets,
or tools used by 71 :rkp,ople. 'Metre Inns were now embodied in a
rtatme passed in the 4'h rear of his present Majesty's reign. The
:11.t.rman here veil a long clause from the Act, and proceeded to
remark, that it :Mewed the tit termination of the Leg:slit:ore to pro-
tect tile property of di tse who might einha-k their capital in eats-
ldis:tments of this kind. The ('curt was all bur aid, in cases of
conviction, to inflict tic It:ght.st penolty short of death. namely,
transportation ; but they might. at their discretion, mitigate it to
Imprtsonotent thy tea oriainnl aistitie is was mode capital ; but
in this respect the 14.t2islature had eser, iced n merciffil dit,cretion
In softening the In ',shy. It are. a roatter of 17 600" t(ll.'ctiaa• that
great numbers of pers ins had collected, with force nut or erpowerekl
tat resistance, to ele.att in tit sae lawl.‘ss proceedings ; not from a spi-
rit of hostility or malice against tha oaners t.if these machines,
hot not of is mist:then notion that the machMes themselves
were an injary to tl r workmen. Pon folio...ions this notion was,
we hind the concurrent opinion of ;CI the al lc rearoners who had
turned their attcmion t t ; and the grcateit friends of
the working mechanics ha! it...trot:ll most these imprudent as
criminal courses. If there I,s:ess ine:t could have succeeded, the
nee,issary coosegoettee or their :lets v,011,1 hare been, not the dis-
t,: of the power l i t,t, 1,.:t return-A of its employment to other
districts, or to other coe:ttri ts, where the advataages could he
baler appreciated. Hu! to long as the Gorernmeot was strong
enough t.. resist these outing.-s. there could be no danger of this
result. The Jory most ob:erim, that the art of rialoodc assembling
for the purpose of engaging .1 then? practices, tend the persons so
coglgrd- wool I he ittlii!r nt riot and an outrageous misitmeannr.
In concluding ids reinatks,the Cimirinati ohsened that hr regreved
to find the calen•lar so hi I : ho feared that it was to be ascitheil to
the tlistreV4 every ones must regre,, had pres,tiled so
genertilr in this pa-: of the eottetry. It was not, however, Sithin
the province of this Court to devise iiirons for isit..ri,g this
things. It must rest wit' Government. 1011 thus, bole:intent per-
ama wham Providence hod blest with the tuenrs, to do what lit .c
could to remove the cid. lac could not doubt but the Gavern-
ment would immediately turn its attention to the stthi.tct ; and his
tamest wish. tome, and master was, that ssinetlaing could be
speedily undertaken to relieve. the !tuft erng roplc.

MANCIIYSTER, JULY 17•.
We regret to 'owe, that timing the pret‘ent week sour unt•etin

of a chtmeter hit tot likely to les,l to a breach of the pe tee.
Ince ben had in 04i4 ;,ow 1. 01 CV.rline:, between
seven and eight o'ci •cit. una'a-els of 1.p.7n people hoa, c merited we
have nut been able to le (rat roll fried in the vac:in:4o°mA near S•.
George's road, and remained a.s:mideel all nit an hour. during
which time some very intboommory redelres•cs were made to theme
by two men, one. re ei:d.crsand. a delegate from Leigh. and
t!,e other a resider( 1.. Toe for 131.1 told the 11:0-
ply they had born, ill it s•til.erb-gs long enough, and they must
new elossomething to p,,t an end to them. Ile urged them to meet
in greater nuntt eye ; that all who could ;hid arms should bring
them ; that the milers should arm themselves at the gatismirl...
shims : that tiler should then help themselve. ut the provision
shops and the ha.;' The triter speaker i.dvite.,e,' the people
to pretty nearly the same (Feet, and they separated nhYtl after
eight o chick, with an tenderst te ding that they were to meet
again the follow mg night. They consequently assembled in
greater nmuhrrs on rittr.day evening, about the smile hour, when
speerhes of a simil r charov et to those uttered on Wednesday,
were again address' 11 to but by dill rent pet sot,. One man
was particularly viole.d. Ile stroady exhorted the people to come
the next night armed. mart in tne CI owd here lifted rap a lorge
bludgeon, and asked if they were to Inn them.elves in that man.
err ? The speaker replied that %nuh'. do for those aim ennui not
get bet weapons ; but they must get m,..msion of the gun-
smiths' shops. and iii leirracka; they %venial then be master: of
everything. and coedit help theer,r.elves to what they wanted. 'rite
meeting broke UP about half-;tout eight. The greater part of the
rmple mined along Cropper•mreve into Oldham-road, where it
h eprienel el,,t col. h:virney, of the 21 Dragoon I; uartlw, aid
Eekellley. Were riding. attended by a single dragoon. .14
soon rs the umh ptrceiv..d tho.a officers, they pursued them
femora. New ers.s. I,noting, and, in one or two instances.
throwing stories at them, but, we Vlivre, without doh:4: thetis any
injury. . .

Last night, a winch larger number of pifrwroe, amounting pros
bably altogether to between four and fie* thousand parsons, as.
setableel. alinut eight o'clock, not in St. lieorge's.road, but on a
vacant piece of ground opposite Me. James Kennedy's factory.
After ante time anent in making a ring, an Irishman dressed in a
short frock. we believe the s tom individual who spoke os the pre-
ceding evening, was appointed Chu raven, and addressed the people
for about half an hour. the first place lie called upon the dele-
gates, who had gone to Blackburn on the preceding day, to step
furs and into the ring, and state the result of theit mission. No de-
legates. however, made chair appearance; and, after a short pause.
he -tilled tor the man who, he said. had arcompanied him to
Ashton-orate r.leyne; but its he also was not forthcoming, the
Chit:rotate proceeded to address the meeting. with a good deal of
vehemence, telling them that the weaveta of Asinine wcrc brave
fellows, who were determined to have their rights, and weld" nut
run away like the weave-s of )Manchester. whom hr a:iglu:Aix:id as
cowards. Atter a lung harangue he tald the people that he ex- ,
peeled they would have come with something like this (holeliwe up !
a stick) in their hands ; but they haul disappointed him, and there.
tore he would ranched,' his speech. Another person then stepped
forwant, and said he was unfortunately under sureties to keep the
peace. or lie would hare addressed them as boldly as any man ; but
it he were to say any thing, it might coat hint a great deal of money.
lie would. however, observe, that they, no 'build, thought them-
gel% es (-formed. and men valor were oppressed had always a right
to stand up for themselves. The incessant efforts of so large a body
of people to hear what passed caused the ring to be broken in, and
the people then separided. It apperrcel very evident to its that the
balk of the people assembled felt very little sympathy with the vio-
1-me: n.anifaetted by the speakers.
f•svE or Tact nr.—There is little this week for us to remark
water this lieael. We fear the number of p arsons out of work, or
very partially employed, is still on the increase; and in some sorts
in I ebony there has been a fur liar reducflon of wages. But withal.
though we do not see yet ant .air- l.rent, we trust that the demand
fur pieces of goods and yarn cannot be said to hare been getting
worse since our last report.
We understand the churchwardens and sidemen are desirous of
finding employment for a number ot able.hodied men who have ap-
plied to them far relief; and that they will be glad to receive mtg.
gestiona and applications front those who may have work which
they want to have performed. Such a time as the present is very
favourable for t fleeting, on reasonable terms, any public improve-
ments, fur wheels means can be found.
Lrr.ns, SATI*RDAV, .irLY 15.

The moat interesting of all subjects at present in the weather.
So dry a spring and summer, as far as it has advanced, were per-
haps never known in the memory of man. The average fall of
ran in the West Riding of Yorkshire, during the first six months
of the year. is 10 inches ; but this year it appears, from the meteo-
rological report made at the hall of the heeds Philosophical
eie:e, that we have had little 11107 e than five inches from January
to Jane, both ieclunive. The draught has not been a lased visita-
tion, it has extended over England and Scn'land with different de-
grees of intensity. During the list week, rain fell partially all
or-r the kingdom ; in some (Rorie's the showers were ropinus, and
Wednesday and Thersday. in the present week, we have had some
tine diffunive showers, which we hope most sincerely have been
very general. This rain has much improved the after-grass and
done incalculable go ed to the corn, though more moisture is still
wanted. The hay hatvest, which is now drawing to a close,
has been extremely deficient, not exceeding generally half
a crop. and in many places falling far short of that quan-
tity. Not a blade of grass should ire last ; the road sides, and
every little patch where cattle are not grazing, 'should be mowed
and the hay gathered. Wheat is in general lookir.g very premis-
lag ; this is • crop which requires but little moisture, and as it is
the principal resource upon which the people have to rely for their
food, we have much reason to be thankful that it Is likely to yield
• fair average produce. Oats and the other spring corn are
very deficient, and we snppo.e \liniment' will speedily exercise the
discretion given to then, of opening 'he ports for the admissim
of grain of this description. Potatoes are much in want of rain ;
they ate in getteral small, though the quantity is better than usual,
and if rain should come, the autumn crops are still in a state to
become productive. The temperature of the weather has mode-
rated greatly within the ling ten days, and the process of absorption
is so much diminished, that the fields, refreshed as they have been
by the rain, are beginning once more to assume the verdant hue of
healthful vegetation.
The difficulty of finding labour for the poor will create a great
drain upon the parochial rates during the approaching winter. The
Society for aff nling relief to the unemployed poor in Leeds has
been under the necessity dooming to the resolution, not to relieve
more titan once, any poor family resident here whose settlement is
within 30 miles of this place, that has not made application to its
parish for relief.
While we bear frequently of the Impositions and exactions of the
poor, it is only fair to state that in many cases where relief has been
voted to ditermsed families in Leeds, at the time they were out of
emeloyment, they have, on obtaining work, declined to receive
the money, stating that they could ndw do without it, and that it
had better be given to others who were more in want of it than
themselves.