The National Register.
London, England, 1812-02-16 00:00:00

FE8.16.

NOTTINGHAM RIOTS.
Mr. RID en moved for leave to bring in a Bill for the more effecrually
suppressing the riots in Nottingham, and the adjacent villages. He
deprecated, in strong terms, the late scandalous proceedings, so preju-
dicial to the character and so injurious to the interests of the country,
b. which Nottingham and its neighbourhood-had been distinguiabed.
lie had, however, some consolation in the conviction, that the Lopes
which he had formerly expressed upon the subject were in a great
measure realized. The disturbances had been subsiding gradually, and
were at length totally checked. He, however, did not imagine that
there was no possibility of a repetition of the eine inities so flagrantly
ractiaed, and in order to prevent, as effectually as possible their recur-
rence,he thought it his duty to apply to the judgment of the House.
The House Wei!' not ignorant of the extent of the mischief tea anetted
by those . gangs of frame breakers, who acted with such cunning and
determination, that they were seldom unsuccessful in any of their
attempts to destroy the machinery of the manutacturers. The first
intelligence Government bad of those practices arrived on the 14th of
November, at which time tie damage was so rapidiy dune, and the
mannar in which it was executed so violent, that It was thought neces-
sary to send a detachment of the military, to the assistance of the in-
jaredinhabitants. The disturbances received a considerable check by
this means, but it was not of long duration, and in a few days they
burst forth with redoubled fury. There seemed to have been a syste-
matic organized plan laid down by the frame breakers, by which they
had intervals of rest and of tumult. The manner in which they per-1
formed the dude, assigned to each other was singular enough : a large
pug amounting to about fifty men. In the night twenty of this party
wen placed at stated distances from the village that was to be the
scene of action, while the remaining thirty entered .the village and
emenenced their operations amongst the frames, which they destroyed
wlth amazing rapidity; they then departed without committing any
further mischief. If any thing should occur which had the appearance
of alarm inethe neighbourhood, the word was passed from post to post,
and the rioters dispersed with the utmeat facility and expedition. It
was sue of the duties of the twenty on the watch to prevent any body
from leaving the village. The Right Hon. Gentlentan stated, that the
frames were not the property of those who worktd at them, but of the
manufacturers; and that the only cause to be assigned for those out-
rages was a disagreement between a number of time workmen and their
employers, upon the merits of which he would net trouble the House.
Thtir existed a law which made the offence of frame breaking felony,
punishable
.by transportation for fourteen years.. His object• was to
make it capital. .The serious losses which had been sustained, the out-
rageous mariner in which the property of others was destroyed by those
tumultuous gangs, rendered it indispensably necessary to take effectual
measures of security. He concluded, by moving for leave to bring in
two Bills, one for making the offence of frame breaking capital; the
other for the better preservation of the peace in the county of Notting.
ham &c.
Air. Avax seconded the motion.
Mr. JOHN SMITH expressed it as his decided opinion, that the cause
of the present disorders was to be found in a decaying trade; but
thought that the interference of that House was absolutely necessary.
Mr. Wye sie said, that he heartily agreed with the Hon. Gentle-
man who had just sat down, in thinking tle- interference of the House
necessary; but before the County of Nor tingliam was separated from
the rest of the kingdom, he thought an inquiry should be instituted as
to the grounds of so extraordinary a measure.
Mr. SitERIDAN considered the motion before the House to be of
much more importance tl.an many seemed to think. Any proposition
for an extension of the Penal Code, or to place a particular district of
the country without the jurisdiction of the King's law, would not be
readily acceded to by him; and lie cauld never deem. it right in the
House of Commons to entertain such propositions for a moment,
without a solemn inquiry by a Committee; that bad ever been the
practice of the House on such occasions.
Mr. MARTIN had heard nothing of such.proceedings as had been
quoted to verify what had been said in general reiaAtcting the recent
disturbances in Nottingham, and consequently to ju itify the adoption
of such measures as were now proposed. He was dime of the Magi-
strates of what was called the County of the Tcwri of Nottingham, and
so efficacious had been the measures that were adopted to suppress the
riotous proceedings, that not one frame had been broken within the
List month.—(Near/)=the Hon. Gentleman then described the si-
tuation of those who complained, and the way in Which they were
employed. The value of the frames were from five to one hundred
Pounds each ; and the men were-often so situated, that they might se-
cretly break the frames, without the possibility of ban detected.
But ns new penal law was necessary to put an end to these evils. He
was sure, that if ordinary vigilance was had recourse to, future out-
rages mnight be prevented.
Mr. Will 1 BREAD was of opiulon, that the subject should be referred
to a Committee.
Mr Lai KECK and the CHANCELLOR cf the EXCHEQUER spoke In
favour of the Bills.
A division then took piece, when there appeared—For time Bills, 49;
against them, 11; majority, ea.
The Bills were then brought in and read a first time, and ordered to
De read a aeceed tiine.—Adjutuneal.