The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-02 00:00:00

remainder at six o'clock. From that moment the mob
became more daring in their attacks on the Mansion-
house, until at length the Mayor came forward to beg of
them to desist and to retire peaceably to their homes.
The sentiments delivered by his Worship on this occasion
were such as did honour to his heart, though it is to be
regretted that he did not come forward at an earlier stage
of the proceedings, before the minds of the people bad
been so highly wrought up. His Worship cautioned
them of the possible consequences of continuing their re-
fractory proceedings ; and, in alluding to the military,
known to be in the immediate neighbourhood, said sorry
he should be for it to be hereafter said that, during his
mayoralty, such scenes took place as most probably would
ensue, if he should be compelled to read the Riot Act, and
they should be called in to quell the disturbances.
Hia Worship, we regret to state, during his ad.
dress, was assaulted with stones, and a very
large one very narrowly missed striking him
on the head. The Riot-Act was then read, but without
producing the least good effect upon the mob, who, per-
ceiving the weakness of the force opposed to them, rushed
upon the constables, disarmed them, and beat them severely.
In this affray we have heard of some losing their lives,
others having their limbs broken, and very many being
severely injured. One constable, as a condition of release
from their vengeance, was compelled to throw his own staff
at the Mayor's windows ; others were obliged to seek re-
fuge in eight ; and one was actually chased into the float,
whence he was taken up by a boat-hook.
Nothing now remaining to curb the mob, the work of
violence immediately commenced by a general and simul-
taneous attack on every part of the Mansion-house. In an
instant, the windows and sashes were smashed to atoms ;
the shutters were beaten to pieces ; the dome forced ; and
every article of furniture on the groond-floor broken up.
Tables, chairs, sideboards, mirrors, chimney-glasses—in
fact, every thing that could be found was demolished. The
iron palisadep, tegether with the curb-stones in which
they were set, were thrown down as if they had been
mere reeds stuck in a mud bank, and furnished many a
desperate villain with a formidable iron bar ; young ,
trees were torn up by the roots, and converted into wea-
pons of destruction ; walls were thrown deco to provide
bricks with which to assail the upper windows; and straw
and combustibles were procured, with which to fire the
whole premises. At this critical moment it was, as we
have been informed, that Sir Charles effected his retreat,
in disguise, through the adjoining premises; but it was
not made immun until twelve e'cloch on the following day
(Sunday) that lie had left the city. For the present,
however, the Mansion-house was saved from conflagration
by the arrival of the troops.
We had supposed, judging from the conduct of the mob
in the morning, that the appearance of tcvo troops of horse
would have been the signal for a general rout. We were,
however, deceived. They had now acquired a considerable
accession of force, and it was obvious that they had been
joined by some of the most determined and desperate cha-
racters. Iriteod of retreating, the thousands who were
present, clustering like bees on the adjoining walls r,nd
elevations, cheered the troops with the greatest enthusiasm.
Under the protection of the military, the constables
and specials again collected in considerable numbers, and
several of the most daring of the mob were made pri-
soners. Still it was ionnd imporsible to char the square
or streets adjacent. The soldiers trotted their horses
backward and forward amidst the cheers of the mob, but
not the slightest disposition was shown to disperse. The
Colonel of the district, Colonel Brereton, exerted himself
in he most humane and laudable manner. He harangued
the mnititude, begged anti entreared thrm to iepaii• to thzir
homes, and cautioned them of the dreadful consequenCes
which their conduct otherwise would infallibly draw upon
them. He was every where received with the greatest
cordiality, and with loud cheers. It is a subject of deep
regret they at as er,;l;er come such an able individual
had not been found to attempt fie concitiation of the
people. We cannot but think that the good temper, fine-
ness, and presence of mind which he displayed, would
have teen fraught with the happiest results.
'lf any' tlaiog or a nature calculated to draw off the at-
tention from the consideratilln of the present state Of thing!,
could be tolerated, we might here descant at some length
on the ludicrous appearance of the kitchen at the Mansion-
house, as view,,,d ;:hrough the broken windows; at the
fire, the meats were turning upon the spits, and npqn the
ranges the different saucepans, kettles, &c. were boiling,
unattended by a living soul. But the idea which at the
te,omeot so forcibly impressed us of the feelings of the men
who, anticipating the disiairbaneea of importance surneirot
to justify the calling irr of the military, could, 'limier- such
circumstances, contemplete the luxuries of a banquet, fore
bids us to enlarge upon the subject. We turned from the
scene with disgust.
Ira the manner already described, things proceeded in
the square until twelve o'clock at night. About this
time a party of the rioters disappointed by the restraint
which the troops imposed upon them, proceeded to the
Council-house, where they commenced operations by
amaehln the windows. Meanwhile orders were given
to the cavalry to make y ;huge, and here the scene be-
came one of the greatest confusion. The peeple, who rap
in all directions, were pursued through the streets for a
considerable distance by the soldiers, and several of them
recef.ve4 eeyere cute from the sal:res. Many of the people
took refuge in the vitrions passages in Wine-street, from
whence they assailed the troops with stollen, particularly
at the top of the Pithay, where one of the soldiers having
been struck, he immediately turned round, and shot a
man 440 upon the spot. It has been currently reported
that he dismounted and fellowed him ; but we have been
assured, on good authority, that this wqs not the case.
This was at half-past twelve, and the soldiers continuing
to gallop about the streets, prevented the re-assembling of
ihe mob during the night.
94 Sunday morning the people again began to assem-
ble at an early hour in Queer,-square, bot every thing re-
maining quiet, and it beiog hoped danger had subsided,
the troops were withdrawn, for ewe refreshment, (laying
been on duty more than twenty-four hours. They had
scarcely disappeared, when the mob again commenced
their sntrages. Ascending now to the upper rooms of the
Mansion-house, they proceeded to throw opt the valuable
furniture into the square. the draWcos mad other de,-
positories were ransacked, and wearing-apparel, bed and
tank-linen, china, &c. were plundered, or wantonly
stroyed.

But another, and a most dangerous exciting cause now
began to develope itself. During the sacking of the Man. sion-hoevei the wine-cellars were forced, and it is sup-
posed that at least ooe-third of a stopk of three hundred
di zen of choice wines was carried offend wasted and dank
by the mob. It is needless to say that the result was
fraught with the worst possible effects : they became
roadli infuriate, and regardless alike of what mischief they
committed, cr what risk they incurred. The scene at this
moment was of the most deprived description i all agee,of both
sexes, were to.be seen greedily swallowing the intoxicating
liquors, while upon the ground the bodies of scores were
tp Pe found dead with drunkenness. The streets, too,
remote fiom ;lie scene of action from this time became noisy
from the turhulene of c:7;,:cliea who were to be seen
staggering about in all directions. The iroopa were ;hen
speedily replaced, but the infuriate mob began to act on
the offensive, and sought to wreak their vengeance on them
for the wounds they had inflicted on the preceding evening,
and particularly to be revenged for the killing of time man
on the top of the Pithay. They attacked them with a
al;.qwer of stones and brick-bats, which the men were
unable to ;.so Magistrate being in attendance to
take the responsibility of crd;rq to that effect. The
Aldermen, we have been assured, considering ibis to the
exclusive duty of the Mayor, refused to give the word, and
Ake ktter, it would appear, was overpowered by his feel-
ings. in !late of things the commanding officer
judged it prudent to withdrc,v th; troops (the 14th Light
Dragoons) and replace them with 'a bom:y of the gd
Dragoon Guards. On the retirement of the former, 6Cy
7ere followed by a large portion of the mob, who conti-
nued theia; ea;auhs upon them along the quay and over the
drawbridge. On arri4i,;g at St. Augustine's Back, being
provq(ed beyond furtherlorbearanee, ;hey turned round
and f.re.;•seyeral shot 'on their assailants, and a further loss
of life was the result, 'The mob, hOwever, 'nothing
daunted, still continued to follow them, and in toilege"
green some further firing occurred. In this place a consi-
derable number of persons had assembled, expecting Sir
6fiaos, az; usual, would attend divine service in the
Mayor's 6haPel. tb mob continued their assaults,
•.;
hanging upon the soldiers' heels until they ve,verl at their
quarters in the Boar's Head yard, where they were again
red upon. The discharges, as the result must show,
ete, ia.?lvi,-ver, but partial : the number of killed, as near
as we could ascertain, Le:pg,, one, and wounded seven or
eight. One poor fellow, who iia4i te.ken no part in the
41;.terbances, was shot through the arm as he swat: atand-
ingtirin;ditihteefiyuaait'eronthteht; o
occurrences, Colonel Brereton
opposite side.
rode down to the square, followed hi w considerable num-
i,er of men and boys, who cheered him on hie way
thither. ie etsured them that there should be no more
firing, that'the 14th shez,:ki be immediately sent out of the
,
city, and again exnorted them to return to their homes.
This was about eleven o'clock, and 'it was truly awful
to relleet,t,:a thc scenes which *ere passing at the time
when
.service was commencing in the churches in the
neighbourhood.

In the slime, with the exception of the scenes of drun-
.ennese wbi-h were still going on, nothi9p. particular

transpired until the evening, with the exception that an
individual mounted the statue of King William, and fix-
ing a tri- coloured cap on a long pole, pronounced aloud,
" The Gip of Liberty !" The soldiers were drawn up in
front of the Mansion-house, and the mob seemed nowise
disposed to molest them. After a while, however, they
manifested a restlessness for action, and a party, by no
means numerous, proceeded to the
BRIDE WELL,

For the purpose of rescuing the prisoners. On their ar-
rival they lost no time in procuring sledge hammers from
the nearest smith's shop, and immediately proceeded to
beat in the doors. The keeper, Mr. Evans, we have been
informed, had just sat down to dinner when he received
the visit of the unwelcome intruders. Having succeeded
in opening the doors, they became apprehensive that the
large folding gates which at night shut up the thorough-
fare would be enclosed upon them, and they directly set
about removing them. This they accomplished with most
astonishing facility, and disposed of them by throwing them
over the bridge into the float ; they then proceeded to li-
berate the prisoners, and, having accomplished their end,
they forthwith set the building on fire. During their ope-
rations, not the slightest molestation was offered them.
This happened about two o'clock. About the same time a
stronger party of rioters, comprising, indeed, almost the
whole body, proceeded to
THE NEW GAOL,
a strong-built modern building, having been erected about
ten years since at a cost of nearly 100,000/. 'When we
first heard of this movement we regarded any attempt upon
the prison as the wildest scheme that could have been
imagined ; but we lost no time in repairing to the spot.
The scene which there presented itself will never be effaced
from our memory. Along the New Cut, in front of the
gaol, a dense mass of the rioters had assembled; and on
the opposite bank of the river, and indeed wherever the
eye could range, the people were posted in thousand,. The
mob had already succeeded in forcing an entrance into the
yard and the Governor's house, and were busily employed
in throwing every moveable article into the new river, and
as the tide was fast ebbing, all was carried off by the
stream. The caravan used for conveying the prisoners to
the Guildhall was launched into the water entire, and
thither also were consigned the Governor's books and the
apparatus for constructing the drop. The rioters, we have
heard, procured hammers from the adjoining ship-yard,
and with them the massive locks on the iron doors of the
different wing), wore smashed to atoms. The prisoners
were now released, and the scenes which followed were be-
yond description. Many of them, both male and female,
stripped off their prison clothes, and proceeded on their
way almost in a state of nudity, As they passed along,
the nob cheesed them and followed after them with exul-
tation,. Many of them met their friends on the outside,
and it is not easy to depict the extravagant joy with which
they mutually embraced each other.
After the prisoners had been liberated, anacamting al-
t.ogether, e.-iclueiye of &Otero, to more than one hundred,
the next step taken was that of setting the prison on fire;
and a black handkerchief having been tied to the weather-
cock on the top of the porter's lodge, over the gate way,
it seemed to be the signal for commencing operations, for
immediately after dense clouds of smoke wee seen to issue
from every part of the building. The flames were seen
first to break out from the tread-mill, which burnt with
fury until it was quite consumed. In about an hour the
Governor's house, over which was the chapel, was com-
pletely enveloped in flames, and the reflection on the hea-
vens was grand and terrific. The wings, however, being
built almost ezcinsively of stoke and iron, with iron roofs,
were but little injured by fire; though the rioters left be-
hind them every possible mark of wanton outrage. Dur-
ing the proceedings, and while the prisoners were in course
of liberation, a party of the 3d Guards, about twenty in
number, arrived ; but the mob aneered nothig intimi-
dated on the contrary, they cheered the troops, who ac-
knowledged the compliment by taking off their caps, and
almost immediately after turned round and departed. As
soon as the work of destruction was here completed, the
rioters divided themselves into parties, the one proceed
ing to the

TOLL-HO USES,
at Prince's-street Bridge, another to the one at the Wells,
1-id another to the one at St. Philip's. These, in the pre-
sent state of things, were considered minor affairs, and were
speedily in flames. The tenants, we were informed, had
liberty given them to remove their effects. While these
were being destroyed, the cre at the prison raged with the
greatest fury. They then set off, about seven o'clock, to the
GLOUCESTER COUNTY PRISON,
avo lord's Gate, which, in a short time, was broken into,
the prisoners all released, and the building also fired. Here
the flames were as appalling as at the New Gaol. At the
same time, also, a party proceeded to Bridewell, which had
only partially been destroyed, and kindled up the wing
occupied by the keeper; so that the 'three prisons were in
flames at the same instant. There was now not even the
appearance of a check to the licentiousness of the mob, nor
indeed had there been since the firing of the soldiers in
the morning r but they now seemed to revel in a comlciolis.
ness of their security. Acoordingly a mere handful of the
miscreants proceeded to
THE BISHOP'S PALACE,

Canons' Marsh, and, having effeeted an entrance; immedi
ate)y commeuced the work of destruction. A few indi-
viduals, however, were hastily collected, and, for awhile,
succeeded in eloying their diabolical designs. Orders were
then sent for the military, who had been guarding
THE MA NSION- H 0 U.
to repair for the protection of the Bishop's residence.
They had no sooner, howeyer, left for that purpose; than
the mob, who had all day meditated the total destruction
of the Mansion-house, commenced operations, and in a
very short period set it on fire, commencing in the kitcken
under the bancipeting room. On the arrival of the troops
at the Bishop's Palace, they found thing! there tolerably
scnre hut the !lames which even then rose I.qm the
Mansion-house too plainly indicoted that they had gone to,
the protection of the one place, at the expense of the qe-
struction of the other. They, howeVer, tuned back
again, apd, by the time of Their return to the square,
the reflection op the opposite side of the Froom made
it apparent that, by their endeavours to protect
both places, each had been sacrified to the fUry of
the incsndieries, When they arrived in the square,
they found the whole of the back premises of the
Mansion-house burning with fury, and the apartments
in the front rooms occupied by wretches facilitat-
_ ti
#e
ing the tiestrretion or the outtoteg, tiy hring the apart-
ments siundtarreously. The infatu-ated ereatores, no less
intoxicated with their successful career than with liquor,
pressed forward to the windows and waved
chiefs, cheering, at the same time, in exultation of the
final accomplishment of their designs on the ill-fated
building. We are almost certain, however, that many of
them paid the forfeit of their byes for their criminal' te-
merity. From the rapidity of the progress of the flames,
it is supposed that some were cut off from a retreat, and
that they thus met with an untimely end. The fire spread
with must surprising Tih.:}rnees, and 0013
the roof felll in, ood; togcither with the whole front, came
down into the street with a tremendous crash.
By this time the fire at the Bishop's Palace raged
throughout the whole pile of building, which, in a short
period, woe reduced to ashes. The Right Reverend the
Bishop, who happened to have been in town &tying the
last ten or twelve days, removed out of the city about the
middle of the day; and we hear that the most *valuable
of his effects had also been removed, as a measure of pre-
caution. He preacbeq, we believe, at the cathedral in
the morning.

But to return to the square..--After the destrtiction of
the Mansion-house, it was hoped that the fury of the mob
military, hayirT no orders to act other-
would have been appeased ; but, unfortunately, it was
The
ere spectators, were, immediately after their
a :sesn: as
withdrawn, n'iedrawn, and we believe joined the remainder
o‘°Ertirhsie otherwise,
v t
their
comrades, altogether few in number, in protect-
ing the Council-house, which it was expected would be
the next public building attacked. It was at least hoped
that the house adjoining the Mansion-house, if not pro-
tected *from Fhe Amer; wo;t:d be the list that would be
permitted to be destroyed ; but We blush for she
of our city, while we record the fiend-like conduct 'whieb
followed. The rioters
conceived the plan of firing the
adjoining houses, and, by twelve at night, the whole mass,
from the Mansion-house to the middle avenue, including.

And all the back building,
4.lfE PUSTOM-40
Little King-street; were 0.4 e
immense mass of fire. The Custom-house, as may readily
be supposed, was a large building, and the expertness of
the wretches in lighting it up here, it is certain, proved
the des,trtction of many who were ranging the upper
apartments. Many oi Ice;:e :seen as they approached
the windows to drop into the'flatnes, and others, amen 4;
whom was a female, threw theinselves in desperation from
the windows. The latter was carried to the infirmary;
where she has sine.a died. Again the hope was raised that
he dreadful work would now cease; but it wcs in vain.
A small band, chiefly boys, who seemed to go about their
work as if they had been regularly trained to the hellish
employment, proceeded to extend the devouring eleMent,
preceding their operation by giving half-an.hour's notice
to the inmates to retire. The windows were afterwards
smashed in, the furniture thrown out and carried off, and