The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-04 00:00:00

BRISTOL, Noy. 3.

RIOTS AND BURNINGS.
(FRO3I A CORRESPONDENT.)
On my entrance into this city this morning I was
addressed by an Anti-Reformer—" A!1 this is owing
to your Reform." My immediate answer was—" It
is owing to your Anti-Reform." Now, how stands
the case ?—it was simply this. Sir Charles We-
therell should never have attempted to have made his
appearance here, after his own conscience had dic-
tated to him, on his quitting the city the last time
that it was necessary, for his own safety, to leave
by the back gate over Prince's-street Bridge, as the
nearest way to Bath ; and especially as his friends
were of opinion that troops should be in attendance,
and that his entrance should be at an early hour,
whilst the working classes were employed, instead
of six o'clock in the afternoon—the usual hour for the
Recorder to enter this city. There is a party here
who believe that all the long and tireseme speeches
made by Sir Charles 'Wetherell were very clever,
and creditable to himself and his party; others think
they were disgraceful to both; and it was evident
to all that his unpopularity in Bristol had greatly
increased since his last exit : and would it not have
been better to have dispensed with his visit, rather
than have risked any ebullition of public feeling
So far, in my view, the Anti-Reformers are an-
swerable for the mischief; that both parties are
guiltless of the horrible results that have followed,
further than the above imprudence, must be admit-
ted—for the state of excitement was taken advan-
tage of by the lawless of both parties, and must be
alike deplored by all. The conduct of the Magis-
trates forms no part of my inquiry : it will be inves-
tigated in a higher quarter.
BRISTOL, FIVE O'CLOCK.
The city continues tranquil. Two more bodies
have been dug out from under the ruins of the Cus-
tom-house this morning.

BRISTOL, Nov. 3.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Since I last wrote to you public confidence
has been in some measure restored, and the protnp_
tit ude and firmness displayed by the members of the
Political Union, who, ever since Monday, have been
parading the streets in bodies, in conjunction with
he parochial authorities, have had the effect of put-
ting a stop to those disgraceful outrages which have
unhappily disturbed the quiet of our city. The shops
are now partially open, although there is very little
business doing. A tradesman who I know, and who
has been in the habit of taking from 251. to 30/. a
eek, has only sold to the amount of Is. 4d. this
week, although his shop is situated at some distance
from the scene of tumult. In times of popular ex-
citement you must be aware of the great difficulty
of arriving at the truth, when we have to depend in

a great measure upon the verbal accounts of indivi- danger. On Sunday they offered, if the military
duals, and perhaps those accounts derived through were withdrawn, to protect the Magistrates ; they
three or four direct and indirect channels of corn- were refused; a respectable solicitor also offered five
munication : with every precaution it is utterly im- hundred men to act in the Mayor's name, and they
possible that some unavoidable misrepresentations were refused permission to do so, and yet this Union
should not occur. You will, therefore, lam sure, has been branded with infamy and disgrace by the
excuse those trifling inaccuracies in my report to creature of the Morning Post, and by a system of
you, which report is substantially, and almost perverted argument it has been accused of exciting
circumstantially correct. At the time I made tumult. Let me try their system of logic, and see
my calculation of the number of burnt houses in if it will not recoil upon its authors. The Ministers.
Queen-square there were many of them in flames, are the protectors and enforcers of the law ; Me
which, together with the general ruin of the whole, Morning Post exeitis the people against the Mini-
and the destruction of many of the party-walls, in sters,thereforc does t irritate them to breaches of the
some measure deceived me. lum happy to say, that law. How blind are persons to imagine that the
I have somewhat overrated the numbers destroyed. Union have not done their duty, because they
You cannot conceive, without you become a specta- could not repel the rioters. Under ordinary circum-
tor, the extent of the ruin and devastation. Queen., stances the sands of the sea-shore are effective bar-'
square was one of the finest, (and I believe the tiers against the encroachments of the waters, but
largest) squares in England, and two sides of this let the convulsion of an earthquake occur, the
beautiful spot, including the Mansion-house, Custom- barriers are cast down, and the mighty ocean, awful
house, and Excise-offioe, are one general mass of and majestic, spreads ruin and devastation in its
ruins, and those houses on the other two sides are resistless course. It is even so with the Union
partially plundered of their contents. It was not Council, when argument will avail, and reason
until Tuesday that the fires were got under, and the can be appealed to, they will have their in.
:lea of the conflagration was awfully grand, the Auence —but whatever be the existing cause, when
flames extending themselves in all directions, so that the passions of men are irritated and inflamed,
the fire was visible at distances of eighteen, twenty, like the sands of the shore they become powerless.
and in some instances twenty-five miles from the It is not worth while to waste any portion of your
city. The accounts you have received from the Bath columns in reply to the ravings of the Post, I will
•Tournal, and some other sources, are grossly exalt- therefore conclude with little iatelligence. Tues.
gerated, both as to the extent of the destruction of day the Political Union received information of
houses and hie. It is very true, that a number of where to obtain possession of some stolen property,
the plunderers and incendiaries fell victims to theit they therefore obtained the assistance of some
own brutal excesses, and were consumed in the constables and commenced a general search,
buildings, but there is ne possibility of ascertaining in the course of which they have succeeded
their numbers for some time at least. Two men and in capturing a considerable portion of property and
one woman were found in a cellar yesterday, and two upwards of a hundred plunderers, 4c., including
more have been got out this morning from the cellar the men who fired the Customehouse, the New
of a house inhabited by a Mr. Smith, and from the Gaol, and the Bishop's Palace. We were some,
stench) arising from the ruins in many places there what alarmed last night by the gas in some parts of
iv too mud' reason to believe that the number of the town going out very suddenly, but nothing else

particular occurred. It -is reported, but I know not
with what truth, that the Magistracy are suspended,
and that in consequence of Colonel Biereton's hu-
manity he is to be tried by Court-martial. The
14th, or " bloody blues," as they are called here,
have just left town.

BRISTOL Nov. 3.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
The Royal Proclamation has been posted in all
parts of the city to-day, and groups are everywhere
collected anxiously reading it. Few comments are
made upon it. It is only such a document as could
at such a time be issued, and in calling upon the
people every where, and particularly the inhabitants
of this city, to be active in support of the laws and
in the suppression of outrage, it only stimulates
them to greater activity in the discharge of a first and
necessary duty. The evidence of such a duty being im-
perative on every man here meets his sight at every
turn, and Royal Proclamations can he of little avail,
if the scenes of destruction do not render any other
appeal useless. I should think that man incorri-
gible who could not be moved by them. Every
precaution is now taken for preserving the peace and
property of the inhabitants. The special constables
are very active, and yesterday evening a fresh no-
tice from the Magistrates was posted up, caut'oning
the inhabitants against collecting in assemblages in
the streets, thereby leading to disturbance, and pre-
venting the adoption of necessary measures for the
recovery of property. The constables acted up to
the letter of this notice, and dispersed every group
that appeared. Individuals also stopping in the
streets were compelled to move on. During the
day a great deal of property has been lodged in
safety, and a number of prisoners have been male;
all, without an exception, that I have heard of are
characters apparently of the worst description. A
number of bodies have been found again to-day, and
many more will doubtless be dug out of the exten-
sive ruins. Inquests have been held on the bodies
of several, but the evidence has been of little mo-
ment in throwing additional light on the proceed-
ings. One man, who died in the Infirmary, has
been identified by a gentleman as one of the leaders,
who appeared leading the mob, holding a written
paper, and he is said to be from Birmingham.