The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-16 00:00:00

No. 5.

The Mayor of Bristol desires Col. Brereton to consider himself
fully authorised to take whatever steps, and give whatever
orders, he, as the military commander of the troops in this city,
may think fit to restore and preserve, as far as possible, the
public peace. The Riot Act has been read three times to-day.
Col. Brereton will have the goodness to consider this order to
apply not only to the troops at present under his command, but
to any which may subsequently arrive in the city.
Mr. Daniel Fripp's, No. 30, Berkeley-square,
Sunday night, Twelve o'clock, 30th October, 1831.

The Mayor of Bristol begs to inform Colonel Brereton that if
he should have occasion for the orders of a Magistrate, either the
Mayor or some other Magistrate will be found at No. 30, Berke-
ley-square. Mr. Daniel Flipp's, the second house on the right
hand on turning into the square from Park-street.
Berkeley-square, Twelve o'clock, Sunday Night.
This communication is made to Colonel Brereton, in conse-
quence of Lieut. Macclesfield calling at the Counc•l-house, and
requesting to sce a Magistrate; Col. Brereton was gone out when
a call was made at the Staff station to inform him as above.

No. G.

Bristol, Three o'clock, Moilday Morning, Oct. 31, 1831

Ste,—l direct you, as commanding otticei---of his Majesty's
troops, to take the most vigorous, effective, and decisive means
in your power to quell the existing riot, and to prevent further
destruction of property. I am, Bc.
CHARLES PINNEY.
To Colonel Brercton, or the Cominanding Officer
of his Majesty's troops.
Per Mr. (.loldney, and Mr. W. Harris, jun.

COUNCIL-HOUSE,
Baisiot, Nov. 4, 1831.

MY Losn,—l feel it to be my duty, as Mayor and
Chief 3lagistrate of the city of Bristol, to 14y before your
Lordship a statement of a few facts relating to the un-
happy transactions which have lately taken place in this
city. Three troop: of cavalry had been, upon the appli-
cation of the Magistrates, seat to the neighbourhood,
before the 29th of October, in order to assiat in main-
taining the public peace, on the occasion of Sir Charles
Wetherell (as Recorder) coming here to hold the gaol de-
livery on that day, The public entry of Sir Charles into
the city, the reading the charter at the Guildhall, and
Sir Charles's arrival at the Mansion-house, had been
effected by about twelve o'clock without having bad re-
course to the troops ; and Colonel Brereton, upon his ap-
plication soon afterwarda for orders, was told to keep
them in readiness for immediate service when called
upon ; the mob which had accompanied Sir Charles hay.-
ing continued in front of the Mansion•house, and oici
sionally thrown stones at the is indows, and having been
in other respects noisy and violent, About five o'clock
the constahka having gone to the assistance of a
man who was in danger at the distance of a few
doors, two of them being brought in considerably
wounded, and being ultimately driven into the Mansion-
house, a violent attack was made by the mob upon the
building : the iron railing in front was torn up, the pan-
nets of the doors were forced, and the window frames
beaten in. The constables being unable to maintain pos-
session of the ball, in consequence of the h..ick bats,

stones, and pieces of timber by which it was, rated, the
mob effected an entrance, destroyed all the furniture in
the rooms on the ground floor, and, as it appears, had pro-
vided and placed a quantity of straw in one of the rooms.
Three dispatches were sent for the troops, who arrived about
40 minutes after they had been sent for, and relieved the
persons in the Mansion-house from their critical situation.
On the arrival of the troops the mob retired from the
door, but continued to occupy the ground in front, in great
numbers, at a very short distance ; and as soon as the
troops had passed the street, the mob returned again close
under the windows of the Mansion-house, but without re-
newing any attempt to force an entrance. Col. Brereton
was directed by the Magistrates to clear the streets, disperse
the mob, and preserve the peace of the city. The troops
under his direction continued at a slow trot to march round
the squire, in which the Mansion-house is situated, and
the communicating streets. The mob cheered the sol-
diers, and sung "God save the King;" and it appears that
Colonel Brereton addressed them, and shook hands with
many of them. The mob continued at intervals to throw
stones at the Mansion •house in different directions ; and,
in a short time, two soldiers of the 14th Dragoons were
brought in atounded, one of them considerably. The Riot
Act had been read at least two hours before; and upon
these acts of violence continuing, the Magistrates urged
Colonel Brereton to proceed with more effect in getting
peace restored. He dissuaded the Magistrates from direct-
ing a greater degree of force to be used, expressing his
opinion that the men appeared to be very good-humoured,
and that he hoped and expected very shortly to get them
away. In consequence of the disinclination he manifested,
he was asked if he had any directions ft om your Lordship
which prevented him from acting under the Magistrates'
orders. To which he answered, my orders are to take
the directions of the Magistrates. And, in reply to this,
it was stated to him that the Magistrates' directions were
to clear the streets, and to get the city into a state of quiet.
A charge in the interior of the square was made, which
in a few minutes dispersed the mob, and they retreated to
a place called the Quay, to which the soldiers followed
them, and were assailed by stones ; they had before put
out the lamps, and one of the cavalry officers came to the
Magistrates to know if he might fire some rounds of
cartridges down the street, as the mob, by retreating into
ships when driven by the cavalry to the brink of the Quay,
preserved the means of annoyance, and rendered it impos-
sible for the cavalry to get at them. One of the special
constables proposed, with five-and-twenty men, if sup-
ported by the soldiers, to go and clear the ships ; but this
was given up, as was any further use of active force, it
appearing, upon Colonel Brereton's statement, that they
seemed to be peaceably inclined, and that he expected, if
they were left to themselves, the city would be quiet. The
military, therefore, continued to patrol the streets, and
with the exception of one short conflict, during which
one of the rioters was shot by a soldier of the Ilth, it is
believed there was no disturbance until the merning. At
day-break the people began again to assemble near the
Mansion-house in considerable numbers. About eight
o'clock, and shortly after the soldiers were removed from
the house, a violent attack with stones and iron bars was
made upon the Mansion-house, which had been barri-
cadoed with planks during the night, and made as secure
as circumstances would permit; and the mob were on the
point of forcing an entrance when I, with some others,
left the house by going over the roofs. The mob immedi-
ately- afterwards entered and took possession. Sometime
before my leaving the house, Colonel Brereton had with-
drawn the troops, having mentioned that the few troops
there had no other effect than that of attracting the mob,
without being able to render any service, and that they
were much harassed and must go to their quarters. Very
soon after the troops had withdrawn, the mob entered into
the Mansion-house, got possession of the cell irs, and be-
came intoxicated, and within thirty or forty minutes after
the troops had been sent to the stables, they were again
called for, but, except a small party of the 3d Dragiem
Guards, did not stay long, and the mob having followed
.ind pelted the 14th, four or five shots were discharged
upon them. Soon after this, I and several Magistrates
being assembled at the Guildhall, Colonel Breteton ep-
plied to us fir our authority to withdraw the 14th from
the city, stating that they were so much harassed, and had
so much exasperated the feelings of the public, that they
could not remain except at the peril of their lives. Colo-
nel Brereton was told in answer that the Magistrates rut
only could not authorise him to do so, but directed it not to
be done, saving that the military had been sent down for
the protection of the city, and that the persons and pro-
perty of the inhabitants could not be protected without
therm Col. Brereton stated that their staying would be
utterly useless; they were harrassed and worn out, and
wanted refreshment, and were altogether insufficient in
their present condition, and that it would be many hours
before they would he fit for service again. He was told,
if he sent them off it mutt be done upon his own respon-
sibility, and that the Magistrates would not relieve him
from it ; at the same time, upon his asking where it would
be best for them to go, it was stated that the Magistrates
would not embarrass him if they could not assist him, and,
subject to bis responsibility, recommended Brislington as
the nearest quarters.
Soon after this, information was brought that the mob
was proceeding to Bridewell to release the prisoners, and
several of the inhabitants having assembled at the Guild-
hall, in pursuance of a requisition of the Magistrates,
they refused to act without the assistance of the troops,
Colonel Brereton was desired to bring the troops into im-
mediate service, and sometime afterwards was asked, be-
fore the citizens, if he had ordered out the 14th, as
well as the 3d dragoon guards ? He stated that he had
not and could not do so ; they would be useless, and it
would endanger their lives. He was remonstrated with
upon this, and told expressly that the Magistrates de-
manded end required their protection. I find that,
upon his going to the quarters of the 1 4th, and desiring
them to go out of town, they were unwilling to do so,
and expressed the utmost readiness to act, but that they
were told by the Colonel it was the Magistrates' ori'er,
and that they must go. I find also that the horses, at
that time, were by no means in a state incapable of ser-
vice. From this time, up to eight o'clock in the even.
ing, at which time the Bishop's Palace was fired and
destroyed, and the mob had set fire to the Mansion-
house, (in the mean time the gaols of Newgate, Bride_
well, and Lawford'a-gate having been fired, and the
prisoners discharged) the Magistrates had no assistance
from the military, and, as I believe, no effort whatever
was made to render any—except that some soldiers
marched to the gaol when it was first attacked, and
might, I believe, have been successfully defended, if the
troops bad not almost immediately retired—and except
also that a tew troops went to the Bishop's Palace, in aid
of the constables, and withdrew from it when the con-
stables came in contact with the mob—and also except
about six or eight men who patroled near the Mansion.
house. Having gone to the Bishop's Palace upon the first
alarm, with several of the special constables, and they
having been, as I have understood, in contact with the
mob, and having been disappointed by the retirement of
the troops, just about the time when a fresh body of the
mob were coming up, I went to the house of a friend in
the neighbourhood, from which, in the course of the night
(first at twelve, and afterwards at three o'clock in the
morning), I sent urgent requisitions to Colonel Brereton
for assistance; not only the Mansion-house and Custom-
house were burning, but other houses had been set on fire,
and by the time the troops were taken down to the spot,
through the personal application of a Magistrate, two
sides of the square, consisting of nearly forty houses, were
burning ; but, upon their coining down, the mob desisted
from further attempts.
On the Monday Major Beckwith, of the 14th, came
from Gloucester, and the division of the 14th having been
brought back, took the command of the cavalry, and, un-
der the sanction of the Magistrates, charged the mob
wherever they were assembled in bodies, speedily dispersed
them, and, in a great measure, restored peace and security
to the city.

I have considered it proper, with the concurrence of my
brother Magistrates., to submit this statement to your con-
sideration, not intending to make any charge or insinua-
tion against any body, but thinking it proper that the
causes of such an awful calamity as the city has expe-
rienced should be inquired into.
I have every reason to believe that the conduct of the
soldiers and their officers was entitled to your Lordship's
approbation; but I doubt very much whether the military
assistance aff.rded to us by his Majesty's Government was
employed as it might have been, and as the pressing exi-
gency of the case required. I have the honour to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's very obedient humble servant,
CHARLES PINNEY, Mayor.
To the Right lion. Lord Hill, &c. &c.

The Duchess of BuccLEuGH is understood
to be one of the most able female artists of the day. Her
Grace profited by a winter passed at Rome, previous to
her marriage, to improve herself considerably in several
branches of the fine arts. some years ago the same emi-
nence was attained by Lady RAVENSWOILTII, who has
produced some noble landscapes of high account in the
galleries of the curious. The late Queen Dowager of
WIRTEMBURG, and her Royal Sisters, used to occupy the
summer months at Windsor by similar pursuits. Several
fine studies by the Princess Royal still ornament the villa
at Fregmori.

LITERATURE.

CABINET CYCLOPEDIA, No. 24.
LONDON, 1831.

A volume, consisting of a treatise on the
progressive improvement and present state of
the manufactures in metal—matters with which
we have no great acquaintance, but which, judg-
ing from the former elaborate treatises of a
similar character in this treasury of sound in-
formation, we are justified in declaring to be ably
explained.

ALICE PAULET. 3 VOLS. LONDON, 1831.

This tale is spiritedly told, by the author of
an approved novel, entitled " Sydenham.." There
is not much of incident nor characters, but what
there is, of both, is managed with great address.
The author, to become popular, should affect the
novelist more, and the metaphysician less.

DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS.
LONDON, 1531.

A useful work, though a pander to idleness,
inasmuch as it affords an opportunity to the ig-
norant and lazy, by the help of Latin, or Greek.
or French quotations, to ape the scholar and the
man of research. The translations of the almost
countless number of quotations contained in the
present volume are well executed, with point,
and correctness, and a pertinent brevity, well
calculated to impress them on the recollection.

MEMOIRS OF CELEBRATED SOVE-
REIGNS, 2 VOLS. LONDON, 1831.

Mrs. Jamieson has here executed a difficult
task with great skill and good sense. The lives
of the majority of her regal heroines, especially
of Catherine the Second of Russia, present such
disgusting traits of profligacy, blasphemy, and
the lowest and most grovelling sensuality, that it
was difficult for a female pen to pourtray them
so as to give the reader a correct notion of their
private as well as public characters, without over-
stepping the limits of feminine propriety. But
Mrs. Jamieson has mastered this difficulty, and
taken refuge in significant generalities, where
the minute traits of character were such as could
not safely be narrated. Of all her memoirs we
prefer that of the celebrated Catherine, the woman
of a hundred lovers, the grandmother of the
present Emperor of Russia. It is full of event-
ful incident, entertaining anecdote, and curious
traits of character ; and, though a mere sketch, is
spirited, and sufficiently comprehensive to enable
the reader to form a pretty correct estimate of
the head and heart of one of the most profligate,
abandoned, reckless, and atrocious despots that
ever wore the human form, and disgraced her
sex, age, and country.

ADVENTURES ON THE COLUMBIA
RIVER. 2 Trol.S. LONDON, 1831.

All lovers of the wild and the wonderful,
who are fond of straying in imagination over
pathless oceans and untrodden wilds, among
savage tribes, to whom the sight of a European
countenance is unknown, should peruse these
volumes of travels by Mr. Ross Cox, whose
adventures on the Columbia River alone might
furnish materials for at least a dozen romances.