The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-01 00:00:00

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, OCT. 30.

THE BRISTOL RIOTS.
THE KING V. PINNEY, ESQ.
(Continued from The Sun of yesterday.)

Mr. Isambart Brunel!, examined by Mr. FOLLETT—
Was a civil engin, cr, and, at Bristol, engaged in assisting
to suppress the riots. Was at the Mansion•house and the
Palace when they were attacked. The whole of the
Saturday the multitude shouted and encouraged the mob.
On the Monday he observed a great number of the special
constables, whom he had observed the day previously, as
being actively engaged in the riots.... Some of those per-
sons joined a party of constables with whom the witness
was, on the Monday morning. He saw one man in par-
ticular acting as a special constable on the Monday, whom
he saw on the Saturday in the riot at the Mansion-
house.

Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant \VanE—That man
►witness recollected as having rescued a prisoner from wit-
otss's custody once. Witness spoke to him, and, finding
Le was recognised, the man left witness's party. Did
not point out that man to any Magistrate.

Mr. Christopher Clacketone, examined by Sir JAMES
SCARLETT—Was a Lieutenant in the Navy on half-pay,
and held the sitution of cprp4eter under the Corporation
of Bristol. About ten (lays before the 30th of October,
he collected, a body of seamen to try to enrol them to pre-
serve the peace ; but a body of men came down to the ship
and broke up the meeting. One of the persons was Mr.
Powell, the secretary of the Political Union. There were
more than 200 came into the ship next to the one in
which witness was, and they interrupted him. A cry
was raised of, " Set to work, Powell." The Monday after
the Reform Bill was thrown out by the House of Lords
there was a meeting, and Mr. Herepath, the president of
the Political Union was in the chair. There were about
4,000 people at the meeting. One individual made a
speech, one part of whizia was a call on the people to
come forward with their pence, and to recollect what the
Catholic rent did in Ireland.

Mr. Justice TAUNTON asked if that was material?
Witness—l think it is important, my Lord.—
(Laughter.)
Sir JAMES SCARLETT did not wish to give all the
speech in evidence, and at length declined to examine the
witness any further.
Mr. James William Gibbons, examined by Mr. CAMP-
BELL—Was clerk to Messrs. Burgess and Brice. On the
Saturday night he remained at the Mansion-house. Saw
the Mayor make his escape from the Mansion-house on
the Sunday morning. This witness corroborated former
witnesses as to tl,e Mayor escaping by a window on some
leads, and not in the way described by one of the witnesses
lor the prosecution. He also swore that no female was pre-
' sent when the Mayor escaped. At the first attack, the
females got on the top of the house and remained there.
After they escaped and got into the Custom-house, the
Mayor sent witness to the Guildhall to assist the Under-
Sheriff, Mr. Hare, in getting the constables together. On
the Sunday morning, while the Guildhall was shut, wit-
ness was stationed at the door of the Guildhall Chambers
to tell all persons who came that the Magistrates were up
stairs ; and he did tell a great many persons so.
Cross-examined by the ATTORNEY- GENEKAL—Knt-w
Townsh..nd, Sheriff Lax's servant, but did not see him
when the Mayor escaped; he might have been there. Had
come from Bristol this morning.
Mr. John Wood, examined by Mr. FoLnaTT—Was at
Bristol during the riots, and was called out of church on
the Sunday to take summonses to the Churchwardens of
the perishes. Witness and his brother, at half.past 12
o'clock, went to all the Churchwardens. He met one Ves-
tryman Sr.'man of Sr Thomas's in the streets, and on telling him
that lie had such a notice, lie replied, that the Magistrates
had better order out the fire engines and pump on the
• people. In one parish the Churchwardens said they bad
attempted to call the inhabitants together, but could not
succeed : another person on whom witness called said
the Magistrates having sent the military out of the
city he would have nothing to do with it, and recom-
mended witness to do the same. That was St. Stephen's
parish. Witness then went to the Guildhall. In the
evening Mr. Herepath and Mr. Venn, the president and
the secretary of the Union, came ; the former said the
cause of all the disturbance was the military having fired
on the mob without sufficient provocation. Mr. Alder-
man Savage was present when that was said. Mr. Here•
path, finding the persons there were of a different opinion
to him, said he knew nothing of it, for Mr. Venn was
his authority. Witness told them that Mr. Venn's au-
thority ought not to be taken, for he had seen him cheer
on the mob in front of the Mansion-house the night be-
fore. Mr. Venn denied that he had done so, on which
Alderman Savage said to witness, " My good fellow, make
no accusations now ; let us all be united." Witness now
swore that he did see Venn cheer on the mob, and went
twice to the Magistrates to lay an information against him.
Cross-examined—The Magistrates thought the informa-
tion had better be dropped.
By Sir JAMES SCARLETT--WitrieSS wrote to tl:e Com-
mittee of Inquiry,,tendering evidence respecting the issuing
of the notices, but there was a disinclination at first to re-
ceive any thing favourable to the Mayor. It was, how-
ever, ultimately taken.
James Byrne, examined by Mr. FOLLETT—Was a bill-
poster at Bristol; was employed on the Sunday to post
bills (copies of which he produced) about Bristol, at one
o'clock ; he had an assistant. They were repeatedly inter-

rupte.l by the people, who tore the bills down again.
In some instances they tore the bills doxn, and rubbed
them in witness's face. He also distributed some small
bills, in which the Magistrates entreated the assistance
of the citizens to preserve peace when the Recorder came
in to hold the assizes, and cautioning the people against
rioting. The large bills state d that the Riot Act had
been read three times, and that it was felony in persons
assembling in numbers. Bills, stating that Sir Charles
Wetherell bad left the city, were also posted.
Cross-examined by the ArronNEY•GENEKAL—Tbere
was also one posted, calling the pensioners together on the
Monday. Saw seine pensioners, but not so many as 20.
Mr. James Cunningham, examined by Sir J. SCARLETV
—Had a counting-house at Bristol, adjoining the Mansion-
house. It was destroyed by fire by the rioters. Saw part
of the riots on the Saturday. Siw a party of the mots
repulsed by the constables. They then went to the Back
(a back street), and returned armed with sticks. On the
Sunday morning he went to Bristol, about 9 o'clock, and
meeting some gentlemen, they told him not to go in the
direction he was then going, as he would meet the Mayor,
who was calling out the inhabitants to act as con-
stables. He, however, proceeded, and met the Mayor
in St. Augustine Back ; the Mayor was knocking at the
doors, and callinz out the inhabitants. He commanded
witness to assist in the King's name to keep the peace.
The Mayor having knocked at other houses, witness ac-
companied him towards the Mansion-house. Alderman
Abraham Hillhouse was with Lim. This was scion after
9in the morning. While the Mayor was telling him what
had occurred at the Mansion-house, Colonel Brereton came
up with a troop of the 3d Dragoons. The Mayor desired
the Colonel to proceed to Queen-,.qu ire, whither he would
follow to read the Riot Act again. The Mayor also de-
sired witness to go to the Guildhall, and call, on his road,
upon as many persoLs as he could to meet him (the Mayor)
there. Mr. Waring and witness went to the Guildhall
together, where he saw several Magistrates. Witness re-
mained there from half to three-quarters of an hour.
During that time no sufficient force collected at the Guild-
hall. Observing but few persons there, Mr. Waring anti
witness proceeded to Queen-square to see the state of the
mob. One of witness's clerks having been severely
woundel, and in a house there, witness conducted him
to a place of safety. He then went to the Mansion•
house, which had been attacked and broken into ; the
mob had been dispersed by the troops, who were drawn
up in Queen-square. Witness saw Colonel Brereton enter
the square, cheered by the mob. The troops were then
in two divisions ; they were on perfectly familiar terms
with the multitude, and witness thought it unsafe to re-
main there. Flom what witness observed, there was no
disposition in the inhabitants to aid the Magistrates in
keeping the peace—quite otherwise.
Cross-examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL-When
witne s went with Mr. Waring to the meeting at Guildhall,
he was greeted with the cry, "Here come two Reformers."
There was a public meeting on the Friday, and witness at-
tended it ; 200 or 300 persons were present. Witness
took the chair. There was a second meeting two or
three weeks afrerwaids, but witness did not attend it.
The first was held at the Commercial-rooms, and the
second in Princes-street ; generally the persons witness
spoke to refused to attend the meeting of the Magistrates
at the Guil.ihall. Had known Mr. Pinney intimately
for many years, but never saw him on horseback.
By Sir JAMES SCARLErr-When Mr. Hare, the Under
Sheriff, said, " Here come two Reformers," it was not by
way of rebuke, but is if Mr. Hate was glad to see persons
of all parties there. The meeting at the Commercial..
rooms was for the purpose of an inquiry into the causes
of the riots. A Committee was named, of which wit-
ness was a member. He attended the Committee for
some time.

Sir JAMES SCARLETT-Why did you discontinue your
attendance? I don't know your reason, but 1 wish to
know it.

Witness--Am I bound to tell it ?

Sir JAMES SCARLETT—Yes, you are.
Witness—The gentlemen o❑ the Committee seemed to
have a greater object in prosecuting the Magistrates than
in going into a general inquiry. There were many gen-
tlemen appointed at the public meeting who did not attend
the Committee. The Committee had opened a corre-
spondence with Lord Melbourne and the Members for the
city, and they had had some letters from his Lordship ; but
when I found their object was not so much to institute a
general inquiry al to prosecute the Magistrates, I with-
drew from it.

Sir JAMES SCARLETT—My Lords, I intend to dose my
case here ; I have several of the Magistrates here whom I
could examine; but as they are themselves the objects of
criminal prosecutions, I will not call them.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then rose to reply. He
trusted that he should be pardoned both by the Court and
the Jury, if, before be attempted to comment on the tt sti-
mony that had been given for the defendant, he made a
few. observations on the irrelevant mass of matter which
(tail been introduced by his Learned Friend, Sir James
Scatlett, in his address to the Jury ; and in doing so, he
must beg leave to call the attention of the Jury,
in the first place, to the invectives and insinuations
with which his Learned Friend had thought it right to
embellish the merits of the case, keeping out of sight alto-
gether the charge for which his clients had been brought
before the Court. Those insinuations had been directed
for the avowed purpose of making an appeal to prejudices,
to keep alive th,se wounds in the public mind which
all good men would wish to be forgotten, and in order
to get rid of facts and conclusive evidence. His Learned
Friend, in his periorations, had introduced a long string
of authorities, not fur the purpose of benefiting the
party he was defending, but to cast imputations on
those who had thought it their duty to draw the
attention of a Jury of their country to the acts and
conduct of the Magistrates of Bristol. His Learned
Friend had thought proper to tell the Jury that the Ma-
gistrates of Bristol had not been guilty of infi tming the
public mind, evidently meaning by that to impute it to
others, that they had not made any declamation against
Corporate property and C trporate rights. He would ask
any man of common sense whether it was likely they
would do so, when they were members of a Corporation
themselves ? His Learned Friend had also said
that they had never preached up the doctrine of
not paying taxes. Another topic was with respect
to the Bishops, whom his Learned Friend had stated had
never been tcld by the Magistrates of Bristol to " set their
houses in order." Observations like those which he
had referred to were the main stress of his Learned
Friend's speech,—topics which, be could assure the
Jury, if he bad seen stated in a newspaper, he should have
said to himself, who can it be that is coming forward
with these old and unpleasant recollections? it must surely
be some gentleman that has not obtained the ear of the
House of Commons, who is not likely again to have a
seat there, and has obtained his notions from some
club or other, ur front some person who had not obtained
that patronage from the Government ; hut if any person
had said, look at the top, and there you will find the name
of your friend Sir James Scarlett, I should have said, it is
impossible, it must be a work of the calumnious press that
is now calumniating my Learned Friend, it is out of his
nature to make such statements ; he is one of the most
considerate of advocates ; and then, perhaps, if it had still
been stated, that it is as he, he (the Attorney General)
should have said, if his Learned Friend had indulged
in such topics, it showed the weakness of his case when
it came to he considered. Many of the statements of his
Learned Friend of which he had taken notice, were totally
without foundation, and one of the most important with
which his Learned Friend bad sought to charge him was
totally the reverse of what he had stated. His Learned
Friend had stated that Lis (the Attorney-General's)
greatest complaint against the Magistrates was, that they
had not ordered the soldiers to fire. Now, what he corns
plained was, that they should have made that call
under any eye but their own, as they were bound to satisfy
themselves of the necessity of giving such orders, and wit-
ness, with their own eyes, the riot, before they gave such a
command. Another complaint which he (the Attorney-
General) made against the Magistrates of Bristol was, that
they had abandoned every means in their power to put an
end to the riots. If the Magistrates were not aware of
their own duties, it was incumbent upon them to ascertain
them. He had been supposed to have said that the
Mayor was bound to go out even with ten men to resist
the mob. He would appeal to the recollection of the Jury
if he bad made any such statement. What he really had
said was, that it was the duty of the Mayor to keep ten
men together, if he could procure no more, in order to in-
crease the number of those he might by possibility obtain,
by giving the inhabitants an opportunity of exercising their
good sense in getting men together. Great complaint,
too, bad been made, at the mode in which the prosecu-
tion had been conducted, and it had been said that
the Ma;istra tes bad not been fairly dealt with, Mr. hare,
the Town Clerk, Mr. Brice, and Mr. Burgess, not having
been consulted whether the prosecution should be pro-
ceeded with or not. He would ask the Jury whether it
was common sense to go to those who took part with
those against whom the proceedings were to be taken ?
The form of the information had also been complained of,
and had been called by his Learned Friend an omnium
gatherum. Now, his Learned Friend might consider
that a very appropriate name, but he thought he could
find him a better, out of the mouth of the Learned Recorder
of Bristol himself, who, speaking of the information
against Mr. Alexander, of the Alorniny Journal, for

libels against Lord Lyndhurst and the Duke of Welling-
ton, had designated them omnibus libels, or what in
cookery would he called hodgepodge. He had also been
accused of misstating the case of the Mayor of London.
He accused the Mayor of a complete desertion of duty
from the first to the last, in declining to do a single act
to call out the citizens, and prompt them to do their
duty. That charge extended not only to Saturday, but
Sunday, Sunday night, and Monday morning ; and he
would put it to the Jury to say whether it was possible for
' the Government of England, which was bound to protect
the lives of every one, not to have instituted inquiry into
the conduct of persons who had so acted. The Jury would
recollect that many outrages had burn committed, and
many crimes perpetrated, many of the authors of which had
been brought to an ignominious death, that a great portion
of the city had been saved, almost miraculously, and that no
step had been taken by the Magistrates. A Court of In-
quiry had been held on the conduct of the soldiers. The
rioters had been tried, and many executed, and could
it be said that the Magistrates, who had so grossly
neglected their duty should escape a trial ? It was impos-
sible. No men had less interest in the trial than the Go-
vernment, but a duty which they owed to the public,
renderel it necessary that the present proceeding should
take place. He (the Attorney-General), from the evidence
which had been brought forward, acquitted the Mayor of the
charge of cowardice, and thought him very much to be
pitied in not having the best advises and examples about
him. Much was to be said in his favour, even when the
Jury, which he (the Attorney-General) had no
doubt of, pronounced their verdict of Guilty. Alder-
man Daniel had said he did not know the Mayor
was going to Alderman Fripp's, and that he had intended
to carry him to Clifton. Why, the Mayor's object through-
out was to make himself known to the Corporation, and
it was clearly necessary that he should give notice to the
Corporation of where he should be, and there could be
no doubt that the information he gave from time to time
was correct ; and viewing it in this way, the witness
Townshend's evidence must be correct. As regarded
the conduct of the Mayor, there could be no doubt
that there had been a shrinking from the responsibility
he ought to have taken upon himself. He ought to have
kept at his post the whole of the time ; and he (the Learned
Counsel) was at this moment at a loss to know ashy be had
left the Pal ice and the Recruiting-office, because
there did not appear to have been the slightest danger
of the M iyor. There was no cry against him, and he
need have been under no apprehension. Subsequently,
in the midst of the College-green, he said to Alderman
Daniel, he had done all he could do, and insisted to know
if anything occurred to him. This was what the Learned
Counsel complained of. The Mayor was found running
about from place to place, asking every person he met
whether or not they had any plan to suggest. Instead of
tha-, he ought to have done his duty. His
duty was to have got together and organized
as soon as possible, either by summoning, ordering, or
commanding as strong a civil force as it was in his power
to collect, and with that power to have made every
effort to subdue the rioters. He (the Attorney-Ge-
neral) did not think that the mob was in the first in-
stance so bad a mob as it had generally been repre-
sented,. else he could not think that both Mr. Ser-
geant Ludlow and Sir Charles Wetherell would, looking
out at a window at a late hour of the day, have said
it was not a case to warrant sending for the military.
In the result, therefore, it wo en appear to the Jury that
there bad been, on the Saturday evening, considerable
neglect on the part of the Magistrates. They had spoken
of the alarming appearances of things, such as the carry-
ing of straw into rooms for the purpose of putting
fire to them. Those appearances, certainly, were
very alarming, but it became them to act with
still the more energy. As regarded the sta.e of things
that evening, Colonel Brereton was right in the opinion
he had given ; he had said it was possible, and he had
undertaken, to clear the streets without violence. He
had cleared them without violence between twelve and
one o'clock at night, and every one then thought there
was au end to the danger. But though this appeared
to be the case then, early next morning
the windows were broken, and the shutters of
many houses torn down. The Mayor, then, on
the first appearance of this renewed aggression, ought
to have called together the civil force ; and it was to be
complained of him that he had not attempted to call for
assistance until he himself bad been obliged to fly the
Mansion-house at ten o'clock. A few constables would
have put an end to the riot at first, with a very small
portion of military. One of the witnesses on the
other side had said, this might have been done
on the Saturday; and the Mayor ought to have
called on the citizens to have come forward, instead of
having invited them to meet at the Guildhall for the pur-
pose of agreeing to some plans. Could anything have
been more objectionable than to have found them throw-
ing themselves down on their knees before persons, when
it was their very duty to have commanded those
very persons to action? The Learned Counsel
would not say it was in the power of the Ma-
gistrates, at any moment, to have raised a civil force
that could have made head against the mob ; but there could
be no doubt, as had been proved, that at many periods of
the Sunday, if the Magistrates had been at their post,
and acted with energy, they might have subdued the
rioters. It was not the business of the Magistrates to
look to the military as their only protection ; and much,
too much, had been said respecting the lethargy of the
military. The Magistrates had said the town was dis.
affected, and that it was impossible for them to get the
citizens to act with them in co-operation—it was impossible
for this to form a ground of defence. The Magistrates knew
well what the mob were about to do. For instance, the
Bridewell they knew was to be attacked, and it had clearly
been shown that that was a place that a small party could
have defended ; but it was not pretended that even one
slight attempt had been made to preserve the Bridewell.
It was true, it had been said, Colonel Brereton had been
spoken to about it, but that was not for hours after it had
been in flames. Those Dragoon Guards had been made
the subject of great malign—they had been made the subject
of wit--taken, no doubt, from the Edinburgh Review,
—they had " taken their degrees from the three (lays
of Paris." Notwithstanding, however, all that had been
said of them, it appeared on all hands that they had
been most willing to do their duty ; and it was
a most unreasonable thing for those men who
got their bread and cheese, their steaks and
their chops, to think of keeping those poor men on
horseback for six and thirty hours without eating or
drinking. No one could deny that it was the duty of the
Magistrates—particularly of Mr. Pinney, the leading Ma-
gistrate, to call on those whom they had a right to
c .II upon to act in defence of the Bridewell. They
had not done this. This was complained of, and had been
made the first charge in the indictment. The second
charge affected the gaol. The Magistrates had full notice
that the rioters were about to attack it. Was it defence-
less ? Why, it stood upon an island ; there was a moat
surrounding it, and a draw-bridge to protect it—it was the
duty of the Magistrates to have taken up this bridge, and
thereby to have preserved it. No doubt, at a subsequent
period, two of the Magistrates had gone to it. Some of the
soldiers had also gone to it, and something had been said
about the soldiers and the Magistrates not understanding
each other. This vvas a source likewise of serious complaint.
There was a continual misunderstanding between the
Magistrates and the military. If the Magistrates had, in
the first instance, accompanied the troops, and kept
with them, or had remained at their own proper
stations, this misunderstanding never could have ori-
ginated, and never could have gone on. Then the
Mansion-house, the Custom-house, and about 40 houses
been snetntwfiirtehattoanwdiintlgunththeehsepaaveye
many other unfavourable circumstances, not a single
oinrainf Qa
tbuhoeaue tnt slingaildnuer fehaol luehnrasd;during the whole of the day, and
sect
et enme p to f hadhavbneeen
all madeul
nt
go dislodge
cla ee t.
ti ae r rei.o t e rAs
gfraoi
nm, the
to the defence, on the ground of want of po-
pularity on the part of the Corporation, though it had
been said the Corporation was so unpopular that they
could not expect assistance from the citizens, it was ab-
surd to suppose that so wealthy a Corporation as this, in a
borough town, could be without influence or without a
party ; and it was the duty of the Magistrates to have
commanded that party to have come forward to give
assistance. They had talked about the whole town
having been indisposed to give assistance—about Reform—
about Dissenters—and about some statement of re-action.
With respect to the last of these, if his Learned Friend
had stated that
indiscreetthere thingwas a
d veryhi.
part.great r e-A pr
a c t i oen,.
()n
who it
was a most
ought only to have been known in Bristol in a
judicial character, ought to have raised no cry of re-
w cchou
action--to act otherwise was to hold out a chal-
lenge for the purpose of seeing whether there was
wldas allon lie had to
lybeaion
con-
sidered ac
a ts a
great
or
misfortune,stf, antine ,
it
hi
say about it. Then the misfortune,
Reformers were to be considered
as persons extremely unwilling to interfere—unwilling to
defend a Corporation—therefore, to be considered as
a condemned class of persons. Why, who did in-
re-noiu
terfere? Almost every person of respectability who
did interfere, acknowledged themselves to be active and
staunch Reformers. They were the persons who had
risked their lives, and had taken the most active part in
subduing the rioters, and who still thought it no discredit to

be called Reformers. As regarded Mr. Waring in par-
ticular—a name which had been coupled with his own, he
hoped that what had passed to-day would secure to him Mr.
Warinfs friendship during the remaining period of his life.
The Jury would see, on reference to Mr. Waring's evi•
denee, that if the information which he had given had
been acted upon, the city would have been saved,—that
was, at the outset ; and if vigorous measures had
been adopted, the best results would have followed,
But the want of making that first step showed
a want of security for the best interests of the
inhabitants. Some observations had been made upon Dr.
Carpenter, a gentleman of great learning and piety, and a
very ingenious writer, as to his interference ; but it was
clear that his object in going to the Magistrates was
to propose a plan, and render assistance. He was,
however, told that there was not then a quorum
lof Magistrates left. That most respectable witness had
laid before the Jury such a state of the mob that showed it
could easily have been suppressed by prompt measures. Mr.
Edgeworth, Mr. Roberts, and other gentlemen also, went
there to propose their services ; but yet from 7 o'clock,
Sunday morning, until 6 in the evening, nothing what
ever was done by the Magistrates. That only proved the
very great absurdity which prevailed in their councils,
and that they did not show the spirit they ought
to have shown. Why were not the pensioners called
out ? Major Macktvorth stated that he had advised
that being done two days previously, but it was not done
Why were they not called out and armed on the Sunday ?
Two of them went to the Mansion-house to k ffer their
assistance, but they were unable to find a Magistrate. It had
been asked, had not the Magistrates an interest in saving the
Corporation property ? Certainly they had ; but the citizens
had also an interest. Yet those gentlemen could find
no power, and could exercise no authority as Ma-
gistrates to organize their force. The Political
Union had been mentioned in a manner as if
that body were to be condemned ; but what was
its history ? No doubt they would be loath to interfere
if it was a mere personal question between Sir Charles
Wetherell and themselves relative to a re-action, but
after Sir Charles was gone, Mr. Herepath was proved to
have exposed himself amongst the mob at the gaol, and
endeavoured to prevail on them to disperse. Mr. Hare,
the Under Sheriff, also employed Mr. Herepath, and
requested him to obtain the assistance of the members of
the Union to suppress the mob. That showed plainly
that there was no indisposition on the part of the people,
of whatever political opinions, to suppress the riots,
but on that occasion the authority of the Magistrates
was never exerted. There was no evidence that any one
individual was ever stationed in Queen-square, to watch
the mob, and report their proceedings to the Magis-
trates—a measure of precaution which he ought most as.
suredly to have taken. The letter that had been
written to Lord Melbourne after a meeting had been called
contained no complaint against the Union, nor against the
soldiers. If there had been any just cause of com-
plaint, the Magistrates were hound to have made it at
that time, particularly it it regarded the conduct of the
Political Union ; and that letter was not written on a
sudden, but after ample time had been allowed for reflec-
tion. If any of the Jury had gone into Queen-square, and
have seen above 30 houses destroyed by a riotous mot),
would not the first question have been, where were the
Magistrates, and what was their conduct? But it
appeared one went to bed at nine o'clock, another
went to the recruiting-office, and none were to be
found. He could not but think that the unhappy
men who had been executed . for those crimes,
had fallen victims to the apathy evinced by
the Magistrates, for he thought that all en-
couragement to crime by not resisting it with all the
means which the Magistrates possessed divided the re-
sponsibility between the Magistrates and the criminal. At
half-past 3 on the Sunday, a meeting of the Magistrates
was held, hut no plan was adopted. When the mob were
going towards the Palace, the Mayor was called on to lead
the constables ; he promised that he would, but got only a
short way down stairs, and returned back to the room. Was
it not clear that many persons were waiting to assist it
the Mayor had led them on ? It had been said
that the Mayor was not bound to expose himself to
danger. The Jury were all Magistrates, and he
was sure they would not believe that that was
the law, for a Magistrate was bound to act with
vigour, even though he himself led the way. Colonel
Brereton, who, no doubt, in storming a breach, or
facing an enemy, would have acted with vigour and
spirit, when called on to put down a mob,
by the sword, without the presence of a Magistrate,
was justified in using the observation, that if he did so,
though he might succeed at one point, yet it would be ne,
ceasary for the citizens to act and support that success.
With regard to the night when the Mayor escaped, the
Learned Counsel charged it upon him as a great
crime that be did not let it be known where he
was to be found until twelve o'clock, when he wrote
the note to Colonel Brereton. For several hours before
that period the houses were burning and being plundered
by a mob, which, according to Capt. Codrington's evidence,
might have been suppressed by the 58 troops then in the
town. Some observations had been made upon Col.Brereton's
not using force when he had a written authority from the
Mayor ; but he asked, suppose lives had been lost, and
Colonel Brereton tried for murder, would the production
of that written paper have justified him in the eyes of a
Jury ? He was afraid it would not. The Jury had heard
the particulars of that lamentable desolation, and it had
not been proved that any thing had been done to arrest its
progress.

The Learned Counsel then concluded a speech which
occupied two hours and ten minutes in delivering.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE wished to postpone the sum.
ming up until to-morrow.
The Jury expressed a wish to hear the information
itself read before his Lordship commenced in the morning.
Mr. Justice TAUNTON asked the Jury if they wished
the evidence to be read over sentence by sentence? They
replied they did not.
The Court then adjourned.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

G UILDIIALL.

A respectable-looking elderly man, named William
Jenkinson, was brought before Mr. Alderman FARE
BROTHER yesterday, on suspicion of having kn.mingly ut-
tered a forged bill of exchange for 151.
The prisoner was remanded.
A young man, named Thomas Harding, was charged
with having, at various times, defrauded Elizabeth Chap
man, an elderly spinster, of about 60/.
The complainant, who has an impediment in her speech,
which made it irksome to her to give evidence, and who
was assisted by Dobell, the ex-pugilist, had been in service
at Enfield and at Ongar, and at one place the prisoner
lived as fell,)w. servant with her. Since that he had fre-
quently called upon her, and borrowed money from her
under various pretexts. In three years he drained her not
only of her ready money, in sums of Sl. and 10/. at a
time, but got her to draw her wages in advance. He
had received three of the last four quarters' wages.

Mr. Alderman FAREBROTHER asked what made her so
kind to him ? She could not have kept her place if he
bad not assisted her a good deal, and she promised to be
a friend to him as long as he remained single; but he
bad been obtaining money from her by lies after he bad
been married a twelvemonth to a girl.
Alderman FAREBROTHER-But you are not angry that
he is married? Complainant—No, Sir; not I. He is
welcome to have the girl.
Alderman FAAEBROTuER—I suppose he talked a little
about marriage to you. Complainant—He did not promise.
Alderman—No, not promise, but some conversation
might have passed on the subject, so that you had some
sort of understanding, nevertheless. Complainant blushed,
but did not answer.

The prisoner was then remanded for the attendance of
a witness from the country.

MARLBORO UGH-STREET.

Three individuals have been committed from this office,
within the last two days, for selling the Poor Man's
Guardian. It being the first offence of one of the de-
fendants, who had been apprehended by Colley, Mr.
CONANT inflicted a punishment of seven days' imprison-
ment only, and then intimated to Colley, that in cases
where he committed for seven days he should wish him
not to apply for the 20s. reward.
Colley, however, presented the certificate, and pressed
the Magistrate to sign it, observing, that he intended to
give the reward to the poor of the parish.
Mr. CONANT certainly bad no power to refuse his sig-
nature, it it was insisted upon ; but he should use his own
discretion in receiving informations for the future from him.

MARY LEB ONE.
Yesterday a very dashing female, named Amelia Taylor,
applied to Mr. HOSKINS, the Magistrate, to be passed to
the parish of St. Odes, Camberwell, her legal place of
settlement.
The 1,4 waited upon the Magistrate the preceding day,
to whom she stated that she was the wife of a gentleman
of considerable property, a merchant, in Tower-street, in
the City, who, in addition to his town residence, had
another at Peckham, in the parish of Camberwell ; that a
few months ago, in consequence of a breach in their con-
nubial happiness, a separation was agreed upon, her hus-
band stipulating to allow her a maintenance of U6l. a-year,

payable monthly. This agreement, however, he had
broken, and she wished the Magi•trate to give her his ad-
vice how to act, in compelling him to allow her the alimony
he had agreed to.
The MAGISTRATE could not assist her, unless she sub-
rnitted to be passed in the usual manner to her husband's
place of settlement.
The lady then withdrew, stating that she would consult
er friends as to what method she should pursue, with as
little exposure as possible.
Yesterday she again attended, accompanied by a gentle-
man, and requested Mr. HOSKINS to pass her in the re-
gular course to her husband's parish.
Mr. HOSKINS asked her where she had slept the over
night ? The applicant had resided, since her separation
from her husband, in Marylebone parish.
Mr. Hosxlsts told her that it was necessary, before he
could pass her, that she should sleep the overnigt t in the
parish to which she belonged. He then desired her to
sleep one night at Peckham, and in the morning make ap-
plication to the overseers, and if they refused to grant her
relief, to apply to the Magistrates at Union-hall, who
would compel them.

The lady thanked the Magistrate for his politeness, pnd
left the office intending to act upon his suggestion.

Q UEEN-S 0 UARE.

Yesterday, John Thompson and Wm. Burke were
brought up by George Currie, one of the persons
employed by the Stamp-office, and placed at the bar before
Mr. WHITE, charged with selling the Cosmopolite, an
unstamped public itlon.
Currie stated, that about twelve o'clock at noon, he saw
the defendants in the Cornwall-road, Lambeth ; he saw
them sill the papers to several persons. Witness bought
one of Thompson, for which he paid 2d.
Curie here produced the papers which be found on the
defendants. The Cosmopolite was printed on one side,
containing articles of intelligence, and on the other side a
complete almanaek ; he also found several copies of the
Poor Man's Guardian.

Mr. WHITE—You knew these men had a right to sell
these papers I suppose? Currie—No, Sir, I knew it was
illegal for them to do so.

WHITE—And so because you knew it was illegal
to sell them, you tempted them to commit the offence,
that you might get 20s. by the conviction ? Currie—.
They were offering them for sale to every person they saw.
Mr. WHITE—Do you expect that I will convict any
man on the evidence of a person who is interested in the
conviction of the party accused? Currie—Very well,
Sir ; I don't wish you to convict without you like.
Mr. WHITE—I would receive any other evidence but
that of the person who expects to get 201. by the convic-
tion. The law says that persons interested in convictions
are not ptoper,to give evidence, and I will not convict on
the evidence of a person who tempts a man to commit an
ffence which he knows is illegal in order that he may get
20,. Currie—Very well, Sir.
Mr. WHITE (to Thompson)—Have you been ever con-
victed of selling these papers before ? Thompson—l have,
Sir. I was convicted at M .rlhor..ugh• street, and was sent
for 21 days to Culdbath-fields prison. I came out of pri-
son last Monday.
Mr. WHITE—And what have you been doing since?
Thomp-on—l have bad nothing to do, so 1 bought these
papers to sell again.
Mr. WHITE—And although you have been imprisoned
for selling the papers, you still adopt the same plan of
getting your livelihood. Do you think that right ?
Thompson—l have nothing to do, and it is better than
stealing.__ _ . .

Mr:WHITE (to Burke)—And have you ever been con-
viet,(l before? Burke—Yes, Sir, I came out of prison
last Monday.

Mr. WHILE—And what have you been doing since?
Burke—Walking about the streets starving.
Mr. WHlTE—Where do you come from? Burke—
From Dublin.

Mr. WHITE—Why don't you go back? Burke—l
went to Lambeth-street-office to get a pass to Ireland, and
I could not get one.
Mr. WHITE—Had you any money given to you by
some society when you came out of prison ? Burke--•
Neither of us had.

Mr. WHITE—Then pray where did you get the money
to buy these papers ? Burke—We begged it of gentlemen
in the streets.

Mr. WHITE said, that if there hsd been a witness not
interested in the conviction, he should have sent them for
the full period of three months to prison, for it could not
oe suffered that such persons should wantonly set all laws
at defiance.

The defendants were then discharged, and the papers
were ordered to be burnt.
LAMBETH-STREET.

A further inquiry into the case of assault preferred by
Mrs. Mary Youard, a married female, against Mr. John
Burnstinie, a medical gentleman, residing in Haydon-
square, Minories, took place yesterday, before Messrs.
WALKER and HARDWICK.

The complainant was cross-examined at considerable
length by a professional gentleman who attended on the
part of the defendant. In reply to his questions, she
said that the defendant first kissed and took indecent liber-
ties with her in his sitting•room ; but thoagh he bad done
so, she afterwards accompanied him up stairs to his bed-
room. There he renewed his improprieties; but his vio-
lence in the sitting-room was greater than that which he
hid offered in his bed-chamber. The noise made in the
latter was sufficiently loud to be heard in the room adjoin-
ing. She remained in the bed-room for upwards of an
hour in repairing a mattress, and when she had done she
returned to the sitting-room with the defendant, and he then
renewed the assault on her. He ultimately paid her a
shilling for what she had done, showed her to the door,
and offered to see her home. She said, that being a
stranger to that part of the town, and not knowing her
way out of the square, she had no objection to his doing
so. She waited at the door while he went up stairs for
his hat, and he came away with her. In Shoreditch be
asked her to have a glass of gin ; but she said she never
drank gin, that ber favourite liquor was shrub. ' He did
not treat her to any shrub. His conversation during the
greater part of the way was principally soliciting her to
comply with his wishes, yet she made no effort to get away
fr m him, nor dad she complain to any one of his conduct.
She had las married about fifteen months, and out of
that time her husband was absent from her for eight or
nine months with his friends in Norfolk, and did not,
during the whole of that time, contribute to her support.
Ills reason for leaving her was owing to the scarcity of
work in his business; she maintained herself during his
absence by making and selling caps.
Solicitor—Was not the cause of your husband leaving
you owing to his finding you at the theatre with another
young man ? Complainant—Certainly not. I have never
been to a theatre in London.

Salicitcr—Have you been an actress? I am intormed
you have been a strolling player. Complainant (indig-
nantly)—No, Sir, I have not. I have, been brought up
quite differently. I am, as I before stated, the daughter
of a respectable farmer, and have always conducted myself
with propriety.
stated that
idue
tlhanudiandey
had
thed
lodged
defendant,
in h
ear veryhourespectablefeomr ailes
months, and a more quiet and inoffensive gentleman,
had never seen, and she considered him quite incapable of
the conduct
months sincehis attributedwife h i
an infant and two other children to his charge ; and such
was the effect that her death had caused on him that he
t . od
died, him.
after It was
childbirth, not
leaving quite three
was frequently in tears.*
Mr. WALKER observed that the complainant had shown
so little delicacy, that they, the Magistrates, could not en-
tertain the charge.
T 0 WN-HALL, S 0 U THW ARK.
Yesterday William Frazer, a vender of the Poor
Man's Guardian, was brought up for re-examination and
committal, charged with stealing a silver spoon, the jaw
perty of Sir Edwin Sandys.
The prisoner declined saying anything in defence, and
was committed to take his trial.

Sergeant 31'Cral,v said the prisoner was a well-known
character as a pickpocket, fur which offence be had been
tried and convicted at the Old Bailey.
_ .

BIRTHS.
On the 28th ult. at Wicken, Northamptonshire, Mrs. George
Fitzroy, of a son.
On the 29th ult. in Eaton.square, the lady of C. J. Laisne.
Esq., of a son.
On the 31st ult. Mrs. Thornton, Bennett-street, Great Surre)
street, of a son.

MARIE.
On the 31st ult. at West HaR
m, Wiliam Champion, second son
of the Rev. Thomas Streatfield, of Charts' Edge, in the collo'''.
of Kent, to Hannah, fourth daughter of Joseph' Fry, Esq.,
Upton.lane, in the county of Essex.] keit
On the 30th ult. at Seven Oaks, William, son of Has
Smith, Eq., of Bedford-square, and Svdenham, to Arnelo'
widow of the late Farmer Bally, Esq., of Ilan Place, Leigh.

DIED.
On the Nth ult. at Greenwich, Mrs. Ann Bridges, widow
the late General George Bridges, of the Royal Engineers.'
On the 23d ult. at Bath, aged 82, Joseph Sigmond, Esq. sg
On the 31st ult. in the Bth year of her age, Louisa, younger
daughter of William Hunter, Esq., Finsbury-circus.
On the ‘2.9th ult. at Itamsgate, Edwan.l Delmar, Esq., of the fiptl
of Messrs. Pinto, Urquhart, and Delmar, London.
On the 30th uit. after a lingering illness, in Nottingharn-plO4
Marylebone, William Simpson, Esq.-
On
the ath ult. suddenly, H. Marsden, Esq., Upper Stamford.
street.

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY MURDO YOUNG, ATTO'
SVN °MCI:, STRAND, LONDON