The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-16 00:00:00

DREADFUL ATTEMPT TO FIRE

BIRMINGHAM.

MONDAY, ELEVEN O'CLOCK, P.M.

Little were we prepared for the diabolical events of
this night. At eight o'clock it was found necessary to
call out the police in order to disperse the crowds who
were beginning to assemble in the Bull-ring, in the course
of which several persons were wounded. Nothing of
importance occurred till about nine o'clock, when a
cry arose of " Put out the gas !" Great confusion en-
vied, and at length the mob succeeded in setting fire to
two houses, both of which were reduced to ashes. The
rioters held undisturbed possession of the Bull-ringii7u;
ten o'clock, when the Dragoons, under Col. Chatterton,
arrived, followed by a detachment of the Rifles, and
commenced clearing the streets, which they accomplish-
ed, apprehending several of the rioters. The engines
were then brought to bear, and are now playing upon
the flames.

HALF-PAST ELEVEN, P.M.

At this moment the shop of the Messrs. Bourne,
grocers, Bull-ring, corner of Moor-street, and Mr.
Leggett's, wholesale and retail feather and bed tick
warehouse, are in flames—in fact, are completely gutted.
The fire is raging at the back of Messrs. Bourne's ware-
house, up Moor-street, and it is impossible to say bow
far it will extend. The distress and feeling of the in-
habitants in and about the Bull-ring is beyond descrip-
tion.

We have received the following this morning :
TUESDAY MORNING, SEVEN O'CLOCK.

I have again this morning visited the scene of havoc
and.desolation. Although the numbers engaged in the
fiendish work were comparatively small (not exceed-
ing three hundred persons), yet they acted so simu'.
taneously and so apparently under excellent genera'.
ship, that they met with no opposition in their demo-
lition and plunder. They first, at Half past Eight
o'clock attacked the public office, in the front of which
there is not left a single pane of glass. They next
proceeded to Mr. Bourne's, the extensive wholesale
tea-dealer's ; within a quarter of an hour they effected an
entrance into it, took down the shutters, which the
smashed into pieces, and used as arms. Find-
ing that wood did not do their work sufficiently
expeditious, they forced the iron railings which
surrounded the Nelson Monument, and with
those iron bars they carried all before them, battering
down doors, shutters, casements, &c. For a short
period they ceased, as if tired from the more laborious
work, and commenced breaking all the large lamps and
windows in the Bull-ring and High-street. All this
time they had the battle-ground to themselves. About
nine they forced Mr. Leggett's (amost amiable man and
a Reformer) house, carrying the upholstery into the
street, which they shortly set in flames, carrying-back a
portion of the latter into Messrs. Bourne's and Leggett's
houses,which were shortly in flames. The order was giver,
all the gas-lights were extinguished, and then they at-
tacked, pillaged, and gutted the houses right and left.
About this time the police bravely advanced and faced
the infuriated rabble, who fled in all directions. Shortly
after the Dragoons advanced at full gallop. One
unfortunate man fell a victim to their fury, and
I believe was killed on the spot. The Rifles
followed in two bodies, each about 150 strong. Several
rioters were arrested in the very act of destruction.
The following houses in High-street are complete
wrecks :—Mr. Martyn, jeweller, Mr. Banks, chemist,
Mr. Gooden, Nelson Hotel, Mr. Bunton, porkman, Mr.
Arnold, bacon shop, Mr. Pontrey, grocer, Mr. Savage,
eheesemonger, Mr. W. Dakin, tea-dealer, Mr. Baden
grocer, Mr. A. Dakin, grocer, Mr. Horton, silversmith,
Mr. Parke's snuff shop ; several other houses are greatly
injured. At ten o'clock the roof of Mr. Leggett's
house fell in with a fearful; crash. Mr. Bourne's ex-
tensive premises, occupying large fronts in High-street
and Moore-street, have the walls alone standing. The
loss of property is incalculable. It is supposed that
not more than two lives have been lost. The crowds at
this moment in the streets are immense ; the Police and
Rifles are the only force on duty. About twenty
rioters are in the Public Office.

EIGHT O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
The troops are out again parading the streets.

. DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTERDAM, JULY .12.
Money. Bilte.
neund Debt. Sl4 per Cent
Ditto, ditto 5 per cent
Amon syndic, 4% per cent..... ............
Ditto, ditto, 3% per cent B2 8'244
Commercial Company, 404 per cent lBO% 18014
Ditto (1832 and 1443) 5 per cent.
Ditto 1837, S per cent.
Loan 1837, 5 per cent. M.% 100
Exchange on London, One month l2 o.i
Two mon tha
BELGIAN I,U NDS—Baussims, JULY 12.
Actual Deist, 21% per Cent.
Rothschild's Loan, 5 per Cent PA%
Loan of Thirty Millions, 4 per Cent.
3 per Cent. 7o;i
Loan of City, 1832, 4 per Cent 91%
Society of Qmmerce, 45 per Cent llB
Bank of Belgium, 5 per Cent 74%
National Society . WO
—Brussels Papers, July 13.
AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, JrtY 4.
Five per Cents. Metalliques
.
Four per Cents.
Three per Cents.
Bank Shares 1489 .
—4ltgemehteZeitung. July 9
• HAMBURG BORSEN HALLE, JULY 6.
Bills. Money.
Austrian 5 per Cents.
Bank Snares
An to-Russian Loan 107% 1074
Russian r, per Cent. Ist series, Certificate
Inscription, Ist Series
Russian 5 per Cent. Hop. and to. 3d and 4th
Se I.s DS 97%
Ditto in Certificates
Dutch .ctual Debt, 2% pe Cent. 5l
Ditto 5 per Ceti* P I
Polish Bond,
New : icket
Anglo. I ianish Loan, 3 per Cent 71% 71%
Norwegian Loan, 1,31, 4 per Cent......
EXCHANGES 00. LONDON.
HAMBURG, JULY 11.-13. 6.—Two months, 13. 4.
PETBRSBURGH JULY 2,4.-11%.
STucituoLm, SuLy 5 —Sevonty.five days, 11, 38.
BERLIN, JULY 5. Three to •nt his, 6. 21‘9.
PRUSSIAN FUNDS.—BERLIN, JULY 9.
Bins, Money,
St. Schuld. Sch., 4 per cent lO3l 103%
Prussian English Loan, 1830, 4 per cent 103% 10274
Joacefiange on London, three monr,is 6 21%
—Prussian State Gazette. July 10.

LLOYD'S SHIPPIN(-(THISDAY.)

DEAL, JULY 15. —Wind W. S. W. Arrived the
Mount Stewart Elphinstone, Jolly, from Calcutta; Ca
zelle, Hutch ii,son, Bahia. Sailed the Thomas King,
Rounce, for Sydney; William Jardine, Crosby, Cal-
cutta ; Matilda Luckie, Munro, Demerara ; Ludlow,
Thom, Quebec: British Tar, Frazer, ditto; Vernon,
Liddcrdale, Madeira.

PORTSMOUTH, JULY 15.—Wind W., fresh breeze.—Ar-
rived her Majesty's steamer ColumLia, from Halifax—
sailed the 27th ult.

PLY NIOUTII. JULY 15. —Wind variable.—Arrived the
Sylph, from Cadiz.

,
ALMOUTII, JULY 14.—Wind S. to N.N. W., fresh
bretze.—Arrived the Penelope, Huntrod, from Sierra
Leone; Clurinda, Hawks, Odessa; Liverpool, Potter,
Palermo.

LIVERPOOL, JULY 15.—Wind W. N. W.—Arrived the
Washington, Burnett, from Monte Video—sailed the 28th
of April; Othello, Tucker, Savannah; Gem, Matthew,
Kertch ; William, Mackwood, Trieste ; Elizabeth, Clark,
Black Sea; Spiek, Hamilton, Naples; Ann Weze, Potts,
Leghorn; Brigand, Groom. Marseilles. Sailed the
Sheridan, De Peyster, for New York ; Mary, Morton,
Quebec. Off Port, the Countess Dunmore, from Odessa.

Mr. MACKWORTII PRAED, Member for Aylesbury,
is dead, and has created a vacancy for that place.

DISTURBANCES IN IRELAND.—The Crown
business of the city terminated on Monday, having occupied
but a day and a half. The assizes are maiden. —Lime-
rick Chronicle.

A WOMAN OF A NOBLE COURAGE.- On
Monday last, as Miss Henderson, mantua-maker, of Co-
ronation-street, Sunderland, was walking on the sea-shore,
she observed a girl in the sea, who had ventured out of her
depth while bathing, and was in danger of being drowned;
when Miss H. rushed in and brought her out in safety.—
Sunderland Herald.

We understand that Sir William Horne has been
offered the vacant Mastership in Chancery, but that he has
not yet accepted it. The vacancy is caused by the resigna-
tion of Mr. Martin.
CIIARTIST MEETING AT KENDAL.-An-
other Chartist meeting was held on Tuesday last, on the
old Bowling-fell, Kendal, to which place some hundreds
proceeded about seven o'clock in the evening, preceded by
a band of music, a flag, and one or two small banners,
with appropriate inscriptions.' The star of the evening (a
Mr. Lowry, who had arrived from the North by the
Whitehaven mail that day) then burst into light, and
harangued the assemblage for about an hour, in language
which appeared to nurture the root of disaffection to the
present state of things, so lately planted in their bosoms
by the speech of Dr. John Taylor. There would be
about two thousand persona present. This slums a vast
forward
od r r
ate
increase to the last meeting, which numbered only ala:mt
five hundred; and they now also appeared to be
well organized, as the majority marched to and from the
Bowling-fell three abreast, and arm in arm.
spondent casts some reflection on the " criminal apathy"
of the middle class of society, for not stepping fOoruv
this crisis, and organising societies in every town and
village, for the constitutionally endeavouring to obtain the
tangible objects of household suffrage, vote by ballot, and
triennial parliaments, the organization of which might be
made a means of disabusing the minds of the lower classes
of the universal suffrage mania, and the granting of which
reforms would strengthen the friends of the Monarchy and
constitutional liberty, and cause an almost total desertion
from the ranks of the revolutionists ; and he thinks that if
some such plan is not very speedily adopted, the opportu-
nity for its being usefully done will 'have passed away.—
Lancaster Guardian,