The National Register.
London, England, 1819-09-13 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Thursday a Meeting of this Conn was held at the
Guildhall, iu conserpience of a Re-
irtoisition addressed to the Lord Mayor by several mem-
borallligf the Court, Mr the puroise of taking into
consideration the proceedings of the Mancitcsier Ma-
ristrates, and the leornanry Cavalry, on the memorable
occasion of the 16th of August. The deep interest
which the anticipated ditetission had excited was evin-
ced by the unusually great number of pewit's who
pressed for admission at a very early hour. The meet-
ing of the Court was fo:. Ig o'clock, but long bethre that
tour the avenues to the Council-room were completely
blocked up, mid when the doom opened t tit one•fourth
of those in attendance could find room below the bar.—
The reporters from the several Papers were, through
the cit tiny of some of the officers, and the polite aural-
tion of a few of the members of the Court, admitted
through a private door, and took their places in a part of
the hall, which, thomth extremely unpleasant for see-
ing or hearing with advantage, was, under circum-
stances, the best that could be afforded.
The Lord Mayor, Who came in his private carriage,
entered the Cumicil-rnout a little after IV, and w a
!hint time after, a nurntoer of Aldermen and Common-
ers, sufficient to form a Court wen. assembled.
Tile LORD MAYOR' (alter the proceeduip of the last
eriArt had been read, opened the inismesb of the day.—
kin sitd, " Geniktuen, I bate called this Court ton.
ther on the present °memo', in consequence of a Re-
quisition addressed to me by several members of the
Cinirt. At the some time, Gentlemen, I must sat-, thit
I have done so with onnsidorablereliactance, because I
think, that where crimes, or alleged entries, have been•
committed iii any part. of the country, Where they arc
likely to he ititettigaied by a proper tribunals before
whom full evidence will be given, it would be prema-
ture and unnecessary to attempt to discuss them else.
where. Iluwever, I have consented tirsaidllhe Court,
lice:lose 1 ant eltt nays ready to bow to the call of its
members, and I trust the Court wad consider it with
t,mperance and mode-ration."
The Requisition was then read by the proper officer,

awer which,
Mr. Alderman WAITHMAII rose, and proceeded to
address the Court. Ile premised with regretting that
She question about to be brought before the Court was
to originate with him; it• might have been safely
IA in other hands; hut as he had been desired by
.chess, as competent as-himself, he should ended% our to
'Agouti his duty. Previously, however, to proceeding
to the main question, he could
coe course that hit been pursued by the Lord Mayor,
End nn what had ;fallen Irons his Lordship as their
Chairman. Instead of preceding the townies,: of the
ti iy with comments of his own, his Lordship's duty was
:a state what was the business fur which the Court hail
been cons cued, and to abstain most carefully trout tak.
.tig part in the discussion. ‘,llear/4—During the t knee or.
lutit.rand-twenty years' political experience which he had
had in that Court, he had never before seen the Cleo
Magistrate presiding in. that Court, and whose duty was
I,.erely that of a. Chairman, address the Xleetiiitt, coin.
iiL imicating his decided opinion upon the subject about
to be debated, previous to the discussion of it.—(Nlitch
citecring.)—But he trusted that the Cots t would nut he
it:rued aside Irmo its duty by any improper efforts, that
it would maintain its own snailly.senuments, and that it
would Dot permit itaiUdgeintnt to be warped by any in-
fluence whatever. He could not avoid thus fur adverting
to what had fallen from the Chair; he would miss pro.
eeed to the question befuse the Court--a, question on
which there was a powerful. sympathy amongst all
ranks of the people.. Aw it was a question of great lin-
partatice, it was necessary to discuss it under such a
check as would prevent ill etnperance, which it world
be bast to avoid upon all occashans. It was slot to ad-
vocate any 'testicular muse he come leeward. It was
from Isis having joined- in the powerful sympathy that
prevailed, anti in which those who signed the Heqiiisi-
Sion agreed; wsympathy which sprung front a heeling
tleata wound had, been iiiflicted on the Constitution.—
it Loraine the duty of the People to make an appeal to the
justieeof the country,. and to petition that an eloptiry
should be made into thosr unequalled atrocities which
hid taken place in :Manchester. It appeared from the
accounts which had arrived, even to the Nlittisterial or-
gans, that the Meeting. had. been peaceably assembled
sold conducted, that those thus assembled were dispersed
ky the military, trampled upoos.and that meh, women,
and children, suffered from such promedings—pmeeed-
Inas that were without parallel in our htstory.—(liear
worieti, and children., unable to eserape front
those who attacked their hxL been destmyed. and were
they not innocent of any offence,. Was there any pre.
cedent for such a proceethogf he knew of. none, It
was not necessary to give any opirhou. on the. necessity
of calling hose meetings together, or enter into a &-
r-owing of the objects they had in clew. His sentiments
isti tins subject were well known. He hud deliterill
il—m on many public occasions, sad had. always held
that the cony gof them was not sounded in wisdom
or policy, and NNW es he had differed front the object
which was sought to be attained by them. but It was
cwt rwerawy to go iato this. It was evident that when,
the people were billeted, they had a tight to judge as to
the waits of redress--ithit if they 'nought themselves
astineved. they were aitinerised, unties the Constitu-
tion. of the comary, to Meet and discuss the nature of
-those ini.araiicec, and to des lee the licit weans of reuse-
dypis War 1)--;Chis privileLe was enjoyed, inn
owlet the li. h of iiLkis (which wily coutitiorti our lan-
varge to ~,cuss a•ievalfees). Wig thither 11U: twin lie
of toe (awl. It sea, um for any Nlagastrate, stanibua
however luau, to dictate so the people how and n here
they wrehr w liters. It weosullicietit tar hliU n, ac quialtul
himself wt Js the tact that me people possaot.etl the right,
and were 4;01 luxrsy to exerslbe if tie thought
it necessary ,to put down those individuals. if lie Coll•
aeited allow Auctmoga to be atteuded with great deo-

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

per, there was a CoiliStitunelial modes)! atoning that oh-
yeett Why did not the Magistrates stand forward—why
did not the people of rank turd property in the couturt
sh p forth, and yolut out to abuse wdathlualstheir errors)
Wity did nut they make 11>enlseltea acquaiiited with the
nature of their complaints—why did they not point
out to tritise who complained the right and proper re.
niediet fur their evils, and the rational mode by which
those remedies were IV he secured?—(Mitch citeeinig )
11'the Nlanchester Meeting had been &Herein to w liar
lie had described u—it it were illegally come-mi.—it it
' mid been turbo/tut/oily conducted—it violence and dis-
order had brew exhibited at it—even in that case, he
contended, the conduct ill the Magistrates and soldiers
was improper and-uueuitstitutional—t,Cont rimed cheers)
lirebe was aweey ileVere Act on this subject—he meant
the Riot Act—which allixed•the penalty
.of death to in-
dividuals who Met twitter illegally, riotously, or tu-
multuously, and who, of due notice being totem, did
not comply with die pros isions of that Act, and disperse.
to their respective houses. Aftrr,a certain notice had
been guru, they were liable to thepetialty of death tI
if they -did uut separate. But no set iii men had it right
to interfere wills, much less to disperse, those iisdividu-
els, until the WIWI of the law had been strictly attended
to—(Hear,.bear, hear.) Tory ought to recollect a little,
tile circumstance-a tinder which the Riot Act was passed
to 171 a ; at shot owe, or immediately after, a rebellion
winch had raged in Use country was-put down. Thal
rebellion was not excited tor tite purpose of recovering
lust rights; hut was occasioned by alb endeavour to place
another Sovereign on tile throne, in the room of num
who had been recognised ray tile great body of the people.
Then, when there was a rettelltUis w the Colllttry—when
were wa a Pretender to tile LlllollC—the Riot Act was
passed, for the additional protection of itie existing Go,-
vernitscist. That Act had, however, been considered by
some of the best men In this cottony as a great stretch
of authority, as au undue assisaimion w potter. It
ceitainly gave power to Magistrates Willett it was UnSale
to lodge ah RICO hands—a 'sulker so liable to Ana', that•
howeter necessary it align& hate been when it•oreas
enacted, or however necessary at a subsequent period—
it was treated by mail of the best and wisest hien 111 the
country as a nowt dangerous instrument. lie ilopte/Ate
should not be cousidered as trespassing on the tune
of the Court, it he referred Olean tot-tile directions
laid down is. the Act. because theii:itidgeinents would be
more properly guided by an appeal 141 theACI uarh, than.
by any repieseimmon of his. Fur the tantalisation
of the Magistrate, tins Act was printed at large amongst
those statutes which weir tuteudsd fur the diem tom u 1 tae
Corporation. ‘5 he timothy Alderman Lieu ream
from the Rost sate, %Lich, 111 subsmoce, die urtd, that,
w here an illegal, a tallith, and tumultuous iissernhly , Cons 4,
Yr ta else or saute p. rams, Mel legelllei, use .stagistfati •
were to go mimosas. the note 11, al as near to liteni ea possible,
and pew icon statute, its Asa attitude tune, wail procliesiatiou
was made to them to ilope.se—a Mt out hit -they ds sot
comply witnia an huar, hal were to be taken Into custody,
sad subject to punishment lac a capital teroify.) tie then
proceeded to argue, tout it was c vidriit that hue intennuif of
this Act was nut to 1111eritipt a.rdntJuaio w the eserci-e of
any lemown Yr Cliablitatithint I iglit, but applied to inertlngs
tit a tsrilisial ihatliption, via. Meetings ulrgalq 4:witched, ail
%lieu called lupines', attialg riotuml) nod tumultuous's.—
Ise this Act there vises 'mama sou made cat t lie w W tap y.
ever neceinaly It Might b.., 111 souse Cases, a heir tile 11%es of
the Ulagistrates were sit datager, to hoar wetting.. to line mi-
litary power, thcie was nut, tbraugliout the Act the slightest
Janice of biome. Lt was tote cnrl mthurn), and goal Moot,
that mint att. Ile neat mous:Adverted ma the charge wad:
by the )ftifilatify totally at ine very nutmeat tom the Infs.
Miss were on rutimaled, mid the prista.a slandlog its them had
attriendertd, WM w thell was extolled by the Cieslotes tit the
Munster, us a gnat atmleVeineut; and it wits tattiftinity
Observed, that toe people were daintiest, because these one
no Alderman Wallsitil4a present to Ilispise the people with
contempt for tile Magna hwy. (fte..r, hear I) flee *unity
Alderman then Amami to toe namtinsts at biulthbriti, w hien
was suilefeu to twassouir and to separate w.t.nuut Molestation.
—lf that were legal (.ad it bad been declared so by lie
first law assimilative in trlr email)), 10.4 it Web asbeitibled at
Alarichestsr, Ise contemn st, was emaaily so. Was their fit)
the only use ahem toe people were suffered to meet to
express astir grievances, sod acre tut 'tropic or alasiclitster
tektite to be refused tow ps mire, to wisps they bud tau
11111:0111bled right, iu cummou won the 'eta en um Majesty's
sistOrcie I.osS of them Could ...somber lit Cunitertiatenti
winch prevailed, and tar impostame that was attached to
Slut effeallislance ill a bliv,it ma" ring Sailed in a alai to St
George's Fields; Abe) tenths an smut ,alit r the its sato engulf)
Set afloat by thus great city warts a lilt w..• lust at tile Mae
hi r /ranch, Bartlett was ctitiuubted tileuser. I fide. d
tot all uccasioussit am. well MIMI pi Opely • nudism-red that the li
Loitotitutioli Calm, be as ',monist. w ammei, oar usagi ine ups
lareaaluss tar injury as a blllll4ie oy the laws of
outliners, however CSIIISIOVISiIIe I slnlt eSteal. he wished
that the itt•opie a mad Meet moder ine aeheral a agi.rat.-) of
the Country—wiser manta rtes Wet tan taiatral Is AlSealogiiit)
had littpoillant alo I.wie d..litlet mimeo hag pearl'. 44 1.00
doll, for immure. could meet Ira t 000000 um, hail trotter tom
01011 Curpuraten, ter capers., hien tip 00000 MILT
some ugiiter at the NIALMOII his ear rood MR, ass's rcluml lit
11; oil it Laraaaas 11.010— UM was II 100 l lint shut ramp
I lac peOpie,wisti.htld not Ille old at tine* mere consitlei ea
tarsi superior., w tin lit Mg turintilutaa and lush its meeting In
public, utter tar, had to vat.. aplaied to toe mastic toes to-
cosiVelle assruu.l.rs hl the 11141..1 manlier, and had, alltiost as
atom as they so arplitd,lllel Nita wrin6ag bbl abrupt 10.11,111
(Alm It-cheering W %ureter the people had met, they elm-
ditelt d themselves pe..Crolil., tinsts„,b la general a Runup the
atteudence anti mamma of mow et ha lotuses ly attended
timer inecliao.—(tasalaiied Chitsuy, ) delicate Nile
Irillile pet Nita 111 YllmNlng lilt people la judge for Ihentativrs,
total ail w subject Lei %shwa laity ought to he peculiar')
:Vile W jung , namely, , tat made la aril II it new tat %mild
:direct I tieus,llle) w. le null tientiAlit lo) their Libel bingisissites
naveto sefar or illsteeillbl; to Consider sods a isohjeci,
it eveu cultist. Is at lit git r tarn La lows la shelf I/1.11 Irpre-
selliallArS. it even tau au, tit-cation dial arise* r
slut Nauss) ought I.fe Hsi %Milli) of such
to la:.: l On chum eat hut twist %um salon tiff.
latioyle 011 their oats nom ors fur Ihe cziavamont •thcir
srwv.iifces ? Oa tat iiiishistrates, wla, oal J son, as lar)
011,M, legally 10 Cointehe the people tithrtilri, add tor toe
Caleetilniellt, who appeared to encuarage tome inagisirai.s
to Maw dating/Les sa toe way of die peoplc it hue earn'.

SEPT. 15.

mou ut their grievanves•—(t.rirsot • Hear%) 1., the rem,-
lutinne which he had prepareu for lids en'easlon, lie hai
takettr he tinht anatomy. care Its avoid every thing ex trallelluS
t.• the ;wee be quebriun, ev. ry Mug %shah could in the
slightest degree. tem.' to create a violent or ibbassituatory
lenliilg i.• the bream ut' any huurbt mho, whatever might be
the Loboo m losopartsruhir palatial uptown... (ileofj titer')
If gr.. Valle. i Jul es ~.l an••• 14 the people, nod if tor peuplo
to their tootle ut *crime, ft•till'aii, 11/11•Loi/k tbe•puper
be soloinittea to tue aria*. anti • aidaur ••1. :or) holiest Mae.
whether it would out be much ballet to t.wara, wailers
by the operation ut tone, mid Int start veal tonal tUoeslo ttttt y
conduct.—haven if Ike opinion of aura, let of bos set) aas
that WWI of those griev.AnCl'S were lalagloieiry, and that ft:,
such as were seal the people •had mistaken tile rented
uevcribele•b it a u••ld better heroine ta•ba• in p„„„ t„
Laid tis people %Isom they thought were delu,eil, to utter
their opiuiuusAs niilaur.v and romideraie 641),r/wither. thaa
to rbabperate the.. pubaints and outiage their G 4.1111,7.7, b,
°heeling limn with h,uth ity, and dispel:gni:, by violence.
hat-Call I:lgen:base Slit etlet t tot hrtiagion about the work ~1
pra.x., it 'liner could eller( good. Toe worthy. Aldei loan
haring lead thewtisnY readutious which hr prop bed t••
co .elude with ttttt mpg, oho:reed, that he lath touitted to
allude to the period w lien the Riot Act had bean read ;:t
31anchm-trr. Ile thought that of very little comparative
intim' ranee at I his via lit ; for the intelnig, so far us it had
guile, oppeatied by every ac•ouot to have been coliducted
peace lily, Si) !bet torte appeared nu justiliration it all for
readisig,that Act. It, however, tile hint At ta as lead at all,
It niUst have been read lry tile Alagisletie at or near his own
• dour; su that it man Mantling by could not hear a hat the
Magistrate nag reams% ['rum his paper. but even if it had
hero read us it ough , so as to have made the inert in„; sensible
of a hut a as-coming on,,taill, hr cuoten•leti, there could be
110 justafiration fin what ills mriertmen Iy adopted tooardsll
!rarely* toultitude.—(leaid and coot ao-d ciwerlng fol-
lowed the•conclusion of the Flom dleintacei rperch.)—lle
than loosed tile folloss log Itysolultoits
Rt:soLeED,

1. That, untie; the free principle* of the Oritish Constitunen,
it is the unuoubted right:an Englishmen to assemble together for
the purpose tit deliberating upon public grievanetw, as well as on
the legal and constitutional ineansor obtaining redress.
2. feat, tut the tacit:nit tit this rigt.t, a Meeting was held at
Manc:iester on the trim tit August last, and. witimusentering tufa
the piracy or prudence et consening such assembly, it appears tO
Us, prong the IL110f111:1116/11 has transpired, mat the said
31ee,ing was assembled; that its proceedings were con-
ducted in an orderly and peace:tide mariner ; and that the people
composing it were taerctOre acting under the sanctioti at die lawn,
anti entitled to ule.piotection tit t..e Magistrates.
3. That we hate, neveitheiess, lea tied wit.. grief and astonish.
menu, that %hat tile Jleethig was so assembled, and wool no.
act ul nut or tumult had taken place. the ,slagistrutel issued their
warran ► IUI the apprehension ofcertam peranois then present, for
the execution of widen, although no reu.tan.e was matte on the
part of the ',fork. or thtsc againat wmui the Uitaitlit3 were
name. they isediately resorted to the .aal •uf the Alll,tary;
when. witiwut any previous warning of own intention. tile Man.
cheater YlVlll7finfy Cavalry. suddenly rushing tor ward, opened a
passage through the IllUilltUlit, ltuwualy a. t2CLIng, by force of
arab., peaceabie and unutlentung CIUTVIIO, whereby great number;
tat own, *omens and Cllll4llllO, and even peace (dicers, were in-
illetifilhillately and wantonly lode over. Mid many inhumanly
sillacti and billed.

4. That we ctrl ourselves called upon to express our tirongest
indignation at these unprovoked and intemperate proceedings,
white we cannot but view as highly ilisgraxtut to tne character
of lingliainatii, and a daring vitilanuo ot tat liritult oonsutution.
5. Trott trout we known and uCCIATINI auacament ot uu Royal
Highness the ennui: iteljelll to the communion Iwo the laws, we
Jeer the most tiendetl couviction, that his Royal ilttimcus never
could have Leto ILIOUCOU to tapreas hit appovat of the euiatuct
of the abettors acrd perpetrator. tit those atrocities, had not his
Royal curindence been abwied by interested ad,repreatiited state-
ments ot these ilieoal and fatal tranbactioni.
6. 'llan at a hone alien the gicat body of his Majesty's sub-
jects arc buffering under tile itvere.% privations, howevu el tuneuus
way be their ideas as to we means of retlrtsa, a Lino and conti-
liaung attention to their complaint it equally called for by policy
and justice; and that deprtting. them ot the weans ut expressing
then grievances. by cruelty and despotism, can only tend to
niertrebe the preatut thiamin:ma, destroy public confidence in the
pure and equal atlininibt.tion ut justice. elute ditadection, and
laid to BC4b tit open violence or secret revenge.
7. an order to avert these calairinies—to maintain the
authwity ut the law—and to protect the lives and liberties of the
subject—an humble and uutdul Address be presented by this
Court to his Itutal highness the Prince Regent, praying his
Ittqal Iliglincas will be graciously pleased to institute en ninne•
diate and efltetual inquiry into time outrages that have been corn-
' witted, and to cause the guilty perpetratotn thereof to be brought
to signal and condign punishment.
.11 tie resolutions vi vie seconded by Mr. lithermilie, and
weue supported by Messrs. Buiiiste•ti, Patten, Southgate,
Crooke, Taylor, &c. err.
Aldermen- Sir W. Cnrlis,• Stholey, and Rothwell,
Mesa's. Brown, Jacky,* Btauub• &c. uppubeil the rebolu-
liana. •
- •

Mr. Alderman Warll.man made a most animated reply,
when a division took place, and there oppemerl—Eur the
resulietions-- Aldermen, ; Commune. A, h 9-7 I. A gadi.t
I hem —Aldr. ; Currinaurre r 39-IJ. 01 i I ID
favour of the semlimons,26.

• Each having, or having had. Govemincut Contractt.!

MANCHESTER.

THE FOLLOWING LETTER

From a respectable gentleman in Manchester, to his
friend in London, giving an account of what he saw
of the proteedings of the 16th ult., is valuable both
as continuing the accounts already published, and
stating some particulars which we do not recollect
to have before heard.