The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-02 00:00:00

DUNDEE-ILLUMINATION RIOTS.

(Front the Dundee Cuurier.)
The news of the English Reform Bill having passed a
second reading by a majority of one, was received here on
Saturday last ; and early nu Sunday morning large
placards were posted through the town in the following
terms :
" The boroughmongers are defeated and condemned !
in spite of their own interested votes ! ! The speedy and
final triumph of Reform is certain ! ! ! Let all Dundee be
illuminated on the night of Monday first, from seven till
nine o'clock. There is to be an illumination in Edinburgh
on that night."
Every one, as he read this flaming mandate, inquired
who has ordered the illumination ? Who has published
the placards? And almost all concurred iu denouncing it
as one of the most impudent tricks that ever was practised
upon the inhabitants of this place. The Justices on Mon
day found it was too late to forbid the illumination, and
accordingly issued a handbill, stating that they had re-
ceived a requisition to have the town illuminated, and
that an illumination would take place. The illumination
was general—people preferring to be at the expence of a
few candles rather than have their property destroyed.
Boats, tar-barrels, &c., were passed along the streets
and burned—several windows which were not lighted
up were smashed, notwithstanding the injunction of
the Justices, which were in this instance also defied.
Towards midnight the chief disturbances were confined to
the High-street, where an immense crowd was collected,
and a bonfire made out of the remains of a boat and a
number of tar-barrels and other combustibles. About half-
past eleven the Police Commissioners observing that the
crowd .hewed no disposition to disperse, and that the fire
was industriously fed from all quarters, and the burning
faggots occasionally thrown about in all directions, inter-
fered in older to prevent the fire from being kept up, and,
aler telling the crowd that they hail alloyed them hitherto
every liberty, exhorted them to forbear from throwing on
more fuel and to go home quietly. For this purpose the
pensioner-constables and police officers formed a circle
round the fire fur about half an hour. The more daring
of the crowd, not relishing this, made an attempt front
the west side of the street to push the constables into the
fire, which they resisted, and cleared away the crowd in
that direction with their batons. Hostilities being thus
commenced, stones and other missiles were collected and
thrown at the Commissioners occasionally, but the fire
was put out by throwing on water, and part of the re-
mains taken away, although the policemen eligaged in this
duty were very roughly handled by the mob. Up to this
time we viewed 'the proceedings of the crowd. About
half-past twelve the crowd bad removed from opposite
Budge's Hotel to the entrance to the Police Office, where
the contest continued for some hours; the constables
dispersed, leaving the police officers to manage as
they best could. They recited into the lane leading to the
office, and occasionally burst out and secured the most
active among the crowd. During the whole of the evening
the police officers behaved with the greatest propriety,
executing their orders with coolness and decision. They
were, however, few in number when compared with their
assailants, and they were at times beaten hack, and the
windows of the office were smashed to pieces. About 40
of the rioters were apprehended and lodged in the Police
Office, and repeated attempts were made to force it and
rescue the prisoners. It was not till four o'clock on Tues-
day morning that the streets were cleared. The darkness
rendered it difficult to identify the offenders, and ,they have
all been set at liberty but three, who have been given over
to be prosecuted by the Procurator Fiscal for the county.
On Tuesday, crowds collected in various parts of the
town dining the day, and the detention of the prisoners
in the police office, was a general subject of conversation.
In the evening, au attack was made on the office (which
is situated behind the Town-house,) and the dour forced
—an old lamp-iron being uscd as a battering-ram. Having
effected an entrance, the prisoners were set at liberty ;
t
the mob were not satisfied with this achievement, as they
proceeded to gut the office ; and every form,
was
la
tern, or other article that could he lifted or torn up, was
carried to the street and burned. A great number of the
windows of the Town-house were broke during the riot,
but the building is otherwise uninjured.

What services did my Lord SiDmouvi ever
render to the people? What benefit, either as to its ho-
nour or political consequence, did be ever confer on the
country to entitle him to a p• nsion of 3,000/. a-year?
He was certainly Speaker of the House of Commons for
many years, but was he not the Speaker of the Minister
more than that of the country, and did he not desert and
betray that very Minister, his great protector, from ex-
vanity--dreaming that he was capable of directing
the affairs of a great empire? Enabled by feeding the
bigotry of a poor insane Monarch to master his mind,
and becoming the tool of an ignorant and wicked faction,
he constituted himself Premier, made a disgraceful peace,
and then renewed hostilities with France, incapable of
directing them, and was finally driven from his seat by
the repeated charges of Messrs. Ronsorr and Nicnor.t.s.
As one of the most mischievous of men—as one of the
meanest that ever was elevated to the peerage—as the

most ignorant and most evil-disposed Alinister that Eng-
land was ever accursed with, is it that he receives a pen-
sion of 3,0001. a-year ? He owes much to his country,
but. his country owes nothing to him. He has now sunk
and may soon sink into his grave
nto insignificance,
there 1 t him rest. Ho will have no monument.--Times.