The Sun.
London, England, 1810-04-21 00:00:00

BRISTOL ASSIZES.

On Monday last Sir VICARY GIBBS, onr Recprr
der, arrived in this city, to open the commission of
Oyer and Terminer.— From symptoms of no du-
bious character, it was evident that a commotion
among' the people was to he apprehended, and the
~'Magistrates requested ,Str Vicary to hasten his entry
before dark. A mob, lu colleaed,in the

evening round the Mansion House, assailing it withstones, dirt,-&c. and rending the air with shouts of
Burdett for ever—NO Tower !" tkc. from thence
proceeding to the Council House and Guildhall,
breaking the windows of each gas they pissed—
: From the temperate behaviour of the Mayor and
Aldermen, 'who went among the, people, and rea- -
-soned with Ahem on the imprOpriety of their. con-
due, and the exertions of a nuMber ot ludividu4s,
who volunteered- as constables; 17 of the.rnost tun.'

. bulent were taken into. custody. This, and the
.timely publication of halid;bills on Tuesday morn-
ing, completely-restored the tranquility of the city,
and Sir Vicary was enabled to•proceed on his com-
mission, which being opened in properfOrm,- and
the Grand Jury sworn, he addressed them.in nearly
the following terms ;

. , „
becomes my duty,' in 'calli ng
your attention to the presentinents about to be laid
before you, to.suggest the necessity that presses upon
you, of being causirius that neither fivour nor par-.
tiality to individuals-, on the 'one hand, nor too
acute sensibility on the other, swerve yen from the
stria line of duty. Before,however, I proceed
to notice the partscular features of the calendar pre-
sented to nie, r am sorry to observe is much
heavier than what usually this city affords; I cannot
retrain from exptessing the deep concern, with which
'ittiessed tie tumultuotis proceedings. of _last
evening. What motive could the promoters of
that diiturbance have in view I No state of things
can justify an appeal so violence; andrl flatter my-
self that *not. One-fink' of those who were assembled
.in, the streets were disposed to do mischief; they

were drawn together, perhaps, from curiosity, or
frotn idle dislposition, though there doubtless were
per'sons of desperate characters, whose delight was,
the; corbmission of evil. But it is proper that the .
unwary should be informed of • the risk they ran.
If mischief had ensued, and there should have been
loss 'of life, every one, hoWever innocent his inten7 -
tion might be, who was Countenancing the mob by
his presence; would havebeen indielable fOr murder.
An attack was made on the Mansion Hoose with
stones and other hard substances—every one then.
looking on might be said to be aiding and abetting-
that attack, and was amenable to the laW for all its
consequences. • One would" stippo,e no one could
be found to engage in so unequal a contest ; for in`
cases of riot every man may 13*.:! called on for his
.Sist6ice in quelling it, and if life should be taken,
the á& is held innocent; whilst every one rioting is
subject "to the severest punishment .of the law and
very few cases occur, that some
.feel 'riot its•weight.
I trust, Gentlemen, that all is now over; hilt if any
recurrence should take place, pronipt measures are
'ready to suppress, and the utmost rigotir wilt be •
.used 'in punishing the delinquents."
Sir Vicary then proceeded to notice the various
offeriee's in'the calendar. He took an 'opportunity
of ob'ser4int, in regard to duels, " that if'two men
had a quarrel in The' street-;_ and proceeded in the
Height of -pasSiOn to blows, and one` of them should
be killed, it was considered aS Manslaughter ; but if
there w'ere time for reflection, which WA (Tenetally
the case (the very arranging and fetching The wea-
pons giving that time)) the ~case was 'materially . al-
tered 5 and that if one fell, not only the person by
whose hand he fell, but every one aiding .and abet-
ting, either as second, or in any other capacity, was
'equally guilty-it. murder."
Sir Henry Lippincott was tried for the violation
'uf the person of Mary Milfcrrd. The trial lasted
from. eleven O'clock to 'half past six. Sir Henry
Was acquitted.

,
. A shockincr mode of robbery, 'ha's been lately. had
recourse to by a drsperate gang of thieves, who in-
feit the West end of 'the town. One of the gang
approaches his objea with a stone or brick, knocks
biro down; and then rifles his pockets. Two- Gen-
tlemen within Abe "last 'week have, been treated in
the above manner in OxforJ-street, and the night'
before last the Earl of Morton's valet was.knoCked
down in, the above manner, in the same street, 'and
robbed of a two pound note and hill -watch. He
now lies dangerously ill from the woundhe received.
The following is taken from the leaterfordillir-
rorof last Monday :—" In consequence of the dis-
turbed state of our neighbourhood, • Sir F. J. H ha-
SARD went out on Saturday night -last; with a party_
of the Royal Waterford infantry, to that part. of
the B2rony of Gualtier 'which boiders immediately
on this City. A party of Caravats had attacked
and robbed four ,or five houses on the Passage
Road (three of them in the avenue of Grants-
, town). Captain HASSARD hearing of this, follow-
ed the track of the marauders, and came up
,with
them at the house of JOHN WHITTy-, which is also
at Grantstown, where they had broken in, bad
beaten hiS son, and were in the adi of taking away
what cash he bad ;—their vidette at the door gave
the alarm ; three of the party who were in the.
house made their escape through a back window,
under cover of the hedges and the darkness.of the
..,oight. Captain HASSARD'S party secured the other
two (who attempted to, fly by the, front door); and
followed the three who went out, of the window.
The Captain discharged two shots very near the
fugitives, and one of them fell, but•got off. The
two were yesterday committed to our County
!;;Anle.we, the property of Mr. Thomas Taylor, of
Brausby, near •Sturton by Stow, on, Friday last
yeatied fire lambs, all alive. Four are* still living,,
and likely Co do well.
Although notice was given in the last Number;
yet it may be necessary to acquaint the Booksellers
in Town and Country, that the price of the.SPORT-
ING MAGAZINR will be Two'Shillings in future,
and that the improvements in the Engravings, &c.
will amply, compensate for the trifling advance of
Sixpence per Number.—One of the Plates for this
Munth will be by Mr.. John Scott, whose talent as
an Engraver has been so Successfully evinced in Da-
niel's, Rural Spotts, Reinfigle's Dogs, History of the
Horse, &c. ; ,the second Plate, a most spirited
Etching, by H-owitt.—April 18, 1810.