The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-12 00:00:00

SERIOUS RIOT AT ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE,

A serious disturbance took place at Ashton on Sunday-
afternoon between the Roman Catholics and the Orange
party in Ashton. The Catholic chapels have been much
damaged, and it is feared that the assaults committed will
in more than one instance prove fatal. On the afternoon
in question about 100 or 150 Irishmen assembled on
Ashton Moss. They marched through different streets,
and on reaching a certain point a man left his com-
panions and attacked a young woman who was wearing
a streamer of orange ribbon, which he tore from off her
head. She immediately drew a handkerchief of the same
colour and shook it in his face, and he, being irritated,
gave her a violent blow on her mouth. This had been wit-
nessed by a neighbour, who went to the girl's assistance,
when the Irishman drew a hatchet from his pocket and
struck at him, but the blow was stopped by a woman who
seized his arm. The Irishman then ran away, chased by
the bystanders and a constable, who, Yiith their assistance,
captured him. The body of Irishmen tben came up with the
intention of rescuing the prisoner. They struck the police-
man on the head with a thick stick, and he was obliged to
release the delinquent. By this time the Irish were several
hundred strong, and they at once attac keel the few English-
men who were there, and put them to night by using sticks
and stones. It being about church time the streets were full,
when the Irish made a terrible onslaught on the spectators.
The English were unarmed and apparently peaceably dis-
posed, but the Irish were armed with every kind of weapon
—revolvers, pistols, hatchets, hammers, picks, spades,
sickles, pokers, and the like. One or two of the English
stood their ground and were sadly injured in consequence.
One man was shot in the back of the head, and although the
pistol was loaded with wadding only the man is much injured.
A. man named Mills, a greengrocer, who was merely a
spectator, by some means got into the midst of the Irish
mob, and was cut, in such a fearful manner about the
head with some sharp instrument that he was rendered
insensible. Several men tried to break through to his
assistance, but were unable to do so. By this time the
English had mustered in some force ; but though they
attacked their assailants with great courage they were
unable to make head against them, their numbers being,
so inferlier. Part of the mob then entered St. Ann's
Catholic Chapel by smashing the doors. They tore up
the pews, broke down the crucifix and the figures of. the
Virgin, and did damage to the extent of several hundreds
of pounds. The house of the Rev. W. J. Crombleholme
was then at:: c red, and,,,thedoors and windows smashed.
From the windows of the schbol-room in Barufield the
Irish fired pistol-shots, but the tioters were at this time
in the chapel. The carpets from the sanctuary were torn
up, and burnt on a piece of ground close by. The rioters
then ran to St. Mary's Chapel, and here they commenced
to break the windows, but revolvers were fired through
from the inside, and this prevented the rioters from
approaching very closely. One of the bystanders, how-
ever, named William Ibbotson, was shot, the ball lodging
in the intestines. He was conveyed home, and' was
attended by several doctors, and his life is despaired
of. Mr. Hugh Mason read the Riot Act about ten o'clock,
and specials were then sworn in to the number of 250.
The fury of the rioters seemed now to have spent itself,
and they gradually deserted the streets and went home.
About eleven o'clock everything was quiet, but in half an
hour afterwards a party of Irish attacked some cottages in
Barnfield, and wreaked their vengeance by smashing
the windows.
During Sunday night several Irishmen were taken to tan
Town Hall, having been engaged in the riots. A
leader of the gang was captured, and was knocked
down like- an ox in the road. He was locked up,
bleeding fearfully from the base of the skull. About
midnight another man was taken in by a party
of English literally covered with blood, having been
beaten by a young man for attacking some women with
stones. Others were quite feeble from loss of blood, and
their wounds were dressed by the surgeons in attendance.
On Monday afternoon, David Flannagan, a tramp, John
Flynn, a labourer, Christopher Haughton, Thomas Had-
field, Martin Coffey, Benjamin Tetlow, Isaac Buckley,
and William Garnett were taken before the borough
magistrates for being concerned in the riots. Sufficient
evidence was taken for a remand, and some of them were
admitted to bail.

The question as to how soon there could he a dissolution
with a view to the general election taking place under the
new registers is now freely discussed. If it is to he expe-
dited, the provision in the Reform Act of last year,
altering the date for the new electoral lists to come
into operation from December 1 to January 1, must
be repealed ; and here a month would be saved at
once. But as an even earlier date may be desirable, it
is now suggested that the register should, if possible, be
completed by the middle of October. This might be
effected by substituting, for this year only, -the 30th June
for the 31st July as the time from which the grounds of
qualification shall date back. The Law Times argues that
instead of twenty-five days being allowed for sending in
claims and obje,tions, this should be done within a fort-
night ; that the revising barristers should commence their
work within four days from the final publication of
the lists ; and that, instead of prolonging the registra-
tion until October 31, the lists, by the employment of an
additional number of barristers, should be completed by
Septerriber 27. Allow eighteen days for printing and
publishing the lists, let them come into operation by
October 15, and dissolve Parliament on the following day.
Such is the plan proposed by our legal contemporary ; and
that Parliament has full power to make such arrange-
raeOs as its wisdom might dictate, there can be no doubt
whatever. ,

The Times tells the House of Commons that there is on
insuperable legal or mechanical difficulty involved in the
assembling of a reformed Parliament in 1868. The diffi-
culty rests, if anywhere, with the unreformed House. If
the present representatives of the people are bent upon
resigning their trusts, so as to make way for the represen-
tatives of a larger electoral body voting in new combina-
tions, they have the power of accomplishing their wishes.
The necessary changes in the Act of last year are easily
made, and there then remain to be disposed of the Scotch
and Irish measures of Reform, the Boundary Bill, and the
Bribery Bill. The Times anticipates no invincible obstacle to
the speedy closing of the session in any one of these measures.
The principles of the Boundary Bill have, it says, been
affirmed, and it is impossible to wage a lengthened war
over its details. In this, however, opinions do not agree.
The sum of the position is thus stated by the Times :—" If
the House of Commons be sincere in its professed desire
to hasten its own dissolution, it can do so ; if it hesitates,
it must not be because of external difficulties, but from re-
luctance to meet the fhte it professes to desire."

Notwithstanding the rumours of an intended opposition
to the return of the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton in East Worces-
tershire, there seems to be little probability of a con-
test. Lord Calthorpe, the late member, has issued a fare-
well address, in which he says : " I am glad to learn that
Mr. Lyttelton, whose connection with the county is far
greater than mine ever was, and whose Liberalism is
vouched for in the satisfactory terms of his address, has
already come forward to solicit your suffrages. I earnestly
hope that he will be successful, and that you will find him
as true and thorough as, from experience, I know he will
find you indulgent and forbearing." The election is
expected to take place in the course of next week.

The active canvass of Mr. W. H. Smith in Westminster
has aroused the energies of the committee for securing the
return- of • Captain Grosvenor and Mr. Stuart Mill. It is
thus evident that the two sitting members will coalesce,
and follow the course which was adopted in
1865. At a recent meeting of the committee, Dr. Brewer,
the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Colchester last year;
stated that forty-five Liberal members of Parliaaient
living in Westminster bad, in reply to letters addressed to
them, sent in their names as members of the committee,
including Mr. Gladstone; Mr. Cardwell, Mr. W. H.
Cowper, Mr. Brand, the Marquis of Hartington,
Mr. Milner Gibson, Mr. Bouverie, Mr. Bruce,
Mr. Kinnaird, Baron N. M. de Rothschild,
Baron L. de Rothschild, Mr. Coleridge, Mr. Forster,
Mr. Goschen, Professor Fawcett, and others. The busi-
ness of the evening consisted of the appointment of an
executive committee, with power to add, and the passing
of resolutions for the promotion of registration and the
formation of committees of working men. Some exception
was taken by two gentlemen present to the course Mr.
Mill pursued on the Jamaica question ; but while they
declined on that account to contribute towards the election
expenses, both declared that they would not vote for a
Tory. It was agreed that a deputation should wait on
Captain Grosvenor to obtain the consent of that hon. and
gallant gentleman to the raising of subscriptions to aid in
the return of himself and Mr. Mill.

THE LATE ELECTION AT BRISTOL.--We hear
that among the disclosures to be made at the approaching
inquiry into the late election for Bristol, will be the filet
of three voters who recorded thirteen votes for Mr. Miles.
—Western Daily Press.

THREE MEN DROWNED.—OR Saturday after-
noon, while four men, named Brown, Prior, Frater, and
Wake, were exercising in an outrigger on the Wear, at
Sunderland, the frail boat was upset by the strong eddy
near Ravenswheel, and before assistance could he rendered
by the spectators on the river's bank the three first•named
sank without a struggle, and the fourth only saved himself
by perseveringly swimming for the shore. The river
police dragged the place, and recovered the bodies of Prior
and Frater, liut Brown's body seemed to have been carried
down the stream, and probably made fast amongst the
shipping. All the deceased were Monkwearmouth men.—
Arorthcrn Daily Express.