The National Register.
London, England, 1821-04-30 00:00:00

136

RIOTS AT GL.I.S(.OIV 4. LDINI3URGII.

His Majesty's birth day was celebrated at Edinburgh
by a grand military field day.—" The troops afterwards
marched to their several private parades to be dismissed ;
and the Royal Edinburgh Volunteers proceeded down
the High Street, and along the North Bridge to the Lord
Provost's house in Abercromby Place, and there depo-
sited their colours, and were afterwards dismissed. We
regret to add, that on their way to Prince's Street, the
flue martial appearance of the volunteer corps did not
rescue it from the derision of the mob, which consisted
principally of idle boys, who pelted them with dirt. A
porter's basket, commonly called a kreel, was frequently
Rung in the midst of the baud, whose tulle was obstruct-
ed by it several times. Ass party of volunteers, who
belong to Leith, were returning to their homes, in com-
pany with the Leith riflemen, after being dismissed,
they were again outrageously assailed, whet' a regular
encounter took place, and several of the mob were
seized. On the way to the George Street Police Office,
to deposit their prisoners, the soldiers were pursued and
pelted, which exasperated them to such a degree that a
tile of the military faced about and charged upon the
snob, which stood their ground, and in coming in con-
tact with them, the volunteers unfixed bayonets and
cudgelled them with the butt ends of their muskets.—
Many were much hurt in the scuffle; several of the vo-
lunteers were most seriously lacerated on the face raid
bands by blows from stones and staves, and a rifleman
in particular, was exceedingly bruised and disfigured.—
Only about eg of the military maintained the conflict to
the fast; and these, on having succeeded in conducting
their prisoners within the gates of the Police Office,
proclaimed their victory in several cheers of defiance.—
In the whole, eight or nine of the mob who made the
attack are now in custody at the Police Office."
GLASGOW, APRIL 24.—Yesterday the King's birth-
day was celebrated with the customary demonstrations
of loyalty. The military awl volunteers, in the presence
of an i 11111 l ense crowd snaneeered and fired in the Green ;
and in the evening his Majesty's health was drank at
the Cross, amid great applause, by the magistrates. The
juvenile loyalists amused themselves during the day by
letting off pistols, squibs, and crackers. The populace
came into play as the evening advanced. A flaming tar-
barrel was paraded through the principal streets, and
then used to light up a bonfire in front of the prison.—
Baillie Clelland's pailings are the materials usually seized
for expressing loyalty.—Five months ago the mob con-
signed them toconflagration for the escape of the Queen
—and last night a similar use was made of them in ho-
nour of Ins Majesty. The bonfire had not lasted long,
before the police-officers came forward and endeavoured
to prevent furrher depredations: but they were fiercely
assailed by the mob and obliged to retire.
A small party of dragoons then came to the spot. The
officer commanding them, in the most humane manner,
tried to persuade the populace to desist, but they answered
his mild dela) ttttt ent by hisses and a volley of sticks, the
officer still contented himself with keeping off the crowd
f the fire. By and by the anagissrates appeared with
a company of infantry. The crowd, persisting in their
attack, were ultimately driven back; but they renewed
the conflict with sticks and stones, and severely wounded
some of the soidiers. The patient forbearance of the
dragoons deserves the greatest praise; every man of this
small party was cut and bruised : a serjeant and private
were unhorsed. The Lord Provost and the head jailer
were cut oo the head. Several gentlemen near them
were also wounded, more or less. One of the 41st was
knocked out of the ranks. After some delay, the dra-
goons having been reinforced, advanced ; and the crowd
made off in all directions. During one of the evolutions
of the dragoons several I dred ti.en, women, and
children, were tumbled over each other. The confusion
and cries of terror, as well as the loud lanteinations
for the loss of bats and shoes, were striking..—They who
endeavoured to get away by the wooden bridge soon
blocked up the passage, and the first arch, 25 feet in
width broke down with the pressure. It was a terrific
crash ; the cries which arose from the suflerers were most
piercing, and were re-echoed by others little less fearful
train the spectators. A mingled !MISS of men, women,
and boys, were precipitated into the bed of the river—
the water was not at the deepest more than ten inches,
but much injury was sustained from the fall and pressure.
The police officers assisted the bystanders its catryiug out
the wounded, but the soldiers were by this tone too
much irritated to offer any aid. The unfortunate persons
were conducted to die town hospital, the gaol, and the
infirmary.
Five of the sufferers were carried into the jail, four
of' them had broken legs, and one had a broken arm.
In the Royal Infirmary there are seven men and boys
with fractured arms and legs. in the town hospital
there are eleven men, girls, and boys ; among the inju-
ries are a fractured thigh Wile, a compound itaeitire of
the leg, a dislocated shoulder joint, a girl with a fractured
jaw-bone, and the remainder are bruises. A number
were taken to the South Bank. A surgeon its Hutch-
eson-town has three cases of fracture, and 21 of severe
cuts or bruises. A number more were Man who went
home. We lament to say that these accidents are not
the worst. Oise tinforti.oate 111.111 of the name Of Gco.
Andrew, a sroensaker in the Gmhals, was helped (arum
the bed of the river) into ail adjacent house, and set
down its a bed ; when he had got a sh ink of water, lie
fell back and instantly expired. He has lett a wile and
four children to lament his death. There are rumours
of more deaths; but they have not been ausheinicated
by our inquiries.

EXTRACT 7ROM A PRTTATE LETTER.

" GLASGOW, APRIL 24.—Yesterday tile military
here, and our sharpshOKn,•rs, met in the Green as usual
to fire a royal salute its honour in ins Majesty's birth-day.
The crowd was IMIGPIISe a number of idle boys and
uten began to throw stoms 41 our sharpshooters on their
return. Little notice was taken of this, ants as the streets
in the evening were very quiet, nu danger was looked
for. The mob wade a lire opposite the 6401, which loc.

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