The National Register.
London, England, 1816-07-07 00:00:00

ruL COLLIEIVi.

In the neighbourhood of !Vision-moor, where there are many
collieries, and a her of iron-watt ks,the workmen, consisting
of some thousands, hose been thrown out of employ. They have
solicited in vain for work in Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and
the r-ighbourhotl. Thus ei.comstanced, they have octed
with pittlence and moderation; anti, not wishing to imitate
the enlpaine conduct of others, they have hitherto retrained
from edmmitting ontrvezes of any description. With a view,
however, of drawing particular attention to their ease, they
have resorted to the novel experiment of presenting a petition
to the Millet! Regent in person, to be accompanied, as it is
stated, by a present of three waggon-loads of coals. About
fifty men are yoked to each waggon to drag them to town. One
(tithe waggons proceeds by the route of Worcester; another
by Coventry and Birmingham ; the route of the third we have
not heard. The men proverd at the rate of about twelve miles a
Jay, and receive voluntary gifts of money, &e. on the road as
they pass along, declining of themselves to ask alms; their
motto, as placarded on the carts, being—" Rather work ►hat
beg." Two of these extraordinary teams passed through Bir-
mingham on Thursday se'unight, and excited on their approach
cousiderable alarm ; but it proved without cause, as the men
demeaned themselves with the utmost propriety, and were
mach commiserated. As they proceeded through Birming-
ham they called at the puLlic office, where the Magistrates
were sitting, and Ahmed them their petition, which was signed
by a magistrate at Dudley : they continued their rotate towards
(Ward, exhibiting nothing in their conduct to excite any ap-
prehension of riot or tumult. In consequence of the number
of baud• omit of employ in Wiltshire and Somersetshire, several
meetings have been held of the principal people in the cloth
trade, to vonaltler what is best to be done. Not being able,
after mature deliberation, to find a remedy tier the evil, they
have deemed it expedient to lay before Government filo situa-
tion of affairs. _ _ _

Extract of a letter from Maidenhead, 0 o'clock, Jn1)• 5
--• •

" Yesterday morning ('Thursday), [limit., from how-
street, accompanied by two officers, anis et! at the Son iun
here ; and after vomrilting with Sir W. Hearn., and otlit r
Jla-
gistiates of this place...wore in several extra constables; and,
as a matter of preraiii.tim ordered n party of military to be
under arms. This dime, they sent forward the ollietis from
Itow-street to meet the waggon that was approaching front

He alley; it was met On Maidenhead thicket, about two
miles from hence; mid the crowd 'attending it, on being in-
formed dna they would nut be permitted to proceed, instantly
stopped, and conducted thearsi Ives w ith the greatest propriety.
The vvagginiov Melt was 2 tans, Ii cwt. and 121 b., was drawn by
II men; and a leader or overseer rode on hot sebaek, and di-
rected the whole. As soon as it was understood by the Magi..
twigs that the party wished to act in the way most agreeable
to the grand aid horities, a negotiation was entered into ; and
the coals were permitted to be brought in here by four of ths
party and their leader, and were deposited with W. Pytie,
Faq, who will distritnite thenl lIIMIng the poor of Maidenhead.
The coals wer., drhwn to this place Ly horses sent out on
purpose ; the men refused to sell the coals, but gave them up,
as requested, to Mr. Pyne, and received a very handsome pre-
sent instead. Mr. Weide, Sir Wm. Hearn, Mr. Tyne, tee.
WMIt out and negotiated. The poor cethOA 4 were perfectly sa-
tisfied; but reffised to go, until the magistrates signed a paper
that they bad conducted themselves properly. At Herdev, the
day before yesterday, they behaved so well, that the May:4
permitted them to go wherever they pleased in the town, and
they had upwards of 401. given to them at that place. They
left Bilston, with three waggons in company, and parted at
Oaforil. One waggon was to he at Beaconsfield last night, and
the other ut St. Albans, whets they would, it is supposed, be
met in the mule way as those were met with here. They were
twmity minutes in drawing the waggon up
Such is the account which a correspondent gives of the
transaction at Maidenhead : in addition to which, we copy
the tialowing information from another paper:—
" It was stated in our yesterday's paper. that one body of
the colliers, with the waggon of coals front Staffordshire, had
reached Nettlebed„ near Henley. Report had 'emanated two
other bodies, each w ith a wa.„, 44 : one of them proceeded by
the road that leads to London through St. Minn's. They
reached that place on Tuesday evening. The home depart-
nu had sent down magistrates to each of the three roads by
which the colliers might approach the capital. Sir N. Conant
was dispatched to the St. Alban.% road. The men were found
reposing cm and about their waggon. The magistrate stated to
them the impropriety of the step they had taken either of their
own accord or by the advice of others; that this was not the mode
to obtain relief; that it rather traded to prevent the accomplish-
ment of their object, because it might lead to a breach of the
peace. The Colliers listened, it is said, with much itaerest and
attention to the remonstrances of the magistrate. It had not
struekthem in the light in which he had placed it. They confes-
sed that they had been ill advised, and evinced a readiness to
return immediately to their homes. In consequence of this de-
claration, the magistrate purchased the coals of them, which
acre left to be distributed to the poor, and gave each man as
much money as would carry him back to his bionic. The ma-
gi-trate who hail becn sent on the Uxbridge road has not been
able to huh auy party on that road ; and therefore it is believ-
ed that the only ones were the party that came by St. Alban s,
and the party that came by the Oatord-road."
EXECUTION OF THE RIOTERS AT ELY.

ELY. FRIDAY noosi.—At
dinary (the Rev. Mr. Griffith) performed his last religious otfi
ees In the gaol with the prisoners under sentence of death; and
about half an hour after, the great bell of St. Mary's tolled the
signal; when John Dennis, George Crow, William Wands the
elder, Thomas South the youn2er, and Isaac Harley, were
brought out, with white caps on their heads, tied with black
ribbands, and ascended a cart with elevated seats on each side,
covered with black cloth, to be conveyed to the usual place of
execution. Several of the Magistrates attended in person, ac-
companied by not less than three hundred of the must respect-
able inhabitantts of the Isle MI horseback, with white wands.
All the peace officers, with additional ones sworn in special on
the occasion, headed by Mr. Edward, and three other Chief
Constables, with their staffs of office covered with black crape,
forming a large hotly, preceded, and followed the melancholy
procession; ftaich was cooducted without mi:itary aid.
The procession reached the place of execution about eleven
o'clock, where a platform was erected, with a drop, which they
ascended. The spectacle was awful, and impressive on the
surrounding multitude. W hen they reached the platform, they
knelt down severally, and prayed fervently for a considerable
time ; the Ordinary then went np to them, and assisted them in
their last devotions ; after this, John Dennis addressed the
spectators, and declared, that they all confessed the crimes for
which they were about to suffer; he then, with a loud noise,
said, he hoped all who heard him would take example by
their fate, atilt
particularly a-aborted them to shun drunkenness,
whoredom. and sabbath-breaking, which hail bronght them all
to that untimely cud." Th.: whole then played again fur saute

171

time; when, on a signal given, the drop fell, and they were
launched into eternity almost without a struggle.
After hanging the usual time, the bodies were put in coffin,
ar•d given to th"ir respective friends fur interment in St. Ma.
ry's church-yard the next day.
Harley, before he left the gaol, discovered a wound in his
side, which he had received in the affair at Littlepoort ; and la-
mented that hit having three waistcoats on, prevented his death
on that day. He said be died the death he expected. South
confessed that his case could not have been pardoned ; Crow
denied any intention of murdering Mr. Martin ; but was checked
by Dennis, who said,—" Yes, yes—he would have been mur-
dered, had he been found"—meaning by this that he saw the
temper of the mob, which he declared he endeavoured to
tc-
strain ; and he added, that he gave Mr. Martin war ll ill g to ket p
out of the way. Ileamis acknowledged his general guilt; but
denied the wordsimputeol to him by 'Linsley ; and at the gadowa
he called out, " I forgive Mr. Tansley that he swore falsely
I against me."—The drop fell as he was pronouncing these woreL
Dennis and he were the moat awakened; South was the most
violent in his gesticulations, but all were resigned.
The following is an authentic copy of their voluntary con-
, fession

" We, your poor unfortunate suffering fellow creatures, beg leave to
present the public with this our last tlyiag acknowledgment of the jus-
tice of that sentence, which has sonde toed us to die for the violent
outrages we have committed, and hope it will be a warning to all, who
may ate. or hear of us, to avoid the like course. We acknowledge and.
confess our sins in general, and we most sincerely beg of God to pardon
our sins ; fervently hoping, and trusting that Cod Almighty will, for
the sake of the all-atoning merits of the Redeemer, receive our precious
and immortal souls into his favour, thought we have delayed their in.
terests to"this late hour; most earnestly entreating that the Almighty
may grant us all our sufferings in this world, and none in the next.
We most sim-ercly warn you all to avoid those sins which have been
the cause of bringing us here.
" By all mans avoid irreligion and vice of every kind, particularly
thatuf swearing. drunkenness, Sabbath breaking, and that of a ii 140114.:
fill neglect of the means of grace. the only means through the merit of
hrist, of our souls' salvation. We sincerely recommend to you. that
you attend Cie pull,: worship of God, particularly on the Loris day,
and most sincerely pray that all our friends and relations will not pot
With:it. repents:we toe death !.it lest that Gal whom they have neg-
leeted to serve while in health and strength, should say unto them at
last. as he 110:6 to every neglecter of salvation--: Because I have called,
and ye refasisl; I have stretched out my hands, and no man regarded;
• but ye have set at nought all my co:nisei, and would none of my re-
' proof. I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your feat
cometh.'

•• JOHN DENNIS.
•• AV. 'WANDS.

THOMAS SOUTH. '~
The marks of -7 GEORGE CHOW.
( •' ISAAC HARLEY."
In the pre.enccuf BL to. Gaoler.

A trot cntiy,
11. 11. ntaILEY.
lIE%RY LAW,
Acting Magistrates for the Ile of El;.
June ten. ItslL.

From the LONDON G.METTE, Titeasj, July C.

(This Gsrett., announces that the Prince of Cobourg has been ap.
pointod a Privy (7ounsellor; that G.m. Sir G.• Drummond and Adnti-
rd I. PCllew have been invested with the ensigns of Knights Com-
numders of the Bath ; and that the honour of Knighthood has beta,
conferred on Colonel Sir T. Arbuthnot and Lient.-Colonel Sir
Dundas.]
Crosen•Olrre, 2.
New I\irmurn to aitooe in i'ARLIADIEWT.
City of Rocliciter—lamcs Barnett. Esq. in the room of Sir Thomas
Madden Tnompami. Bart. who has accepted the office of Treasurer and
Receiver of Greenwich Bonital.