The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-24 00:00:00

AMERICAN NEWS.

(From the New York Herald of Aug. 3.)
TERRIBLE RIOTS IN PHILADELPHIA.

On Monday last a most terrible riot took place in
Philadelphia, of which we glean the following details
from the papers :

Monday vas the day appointed for a grand tempe-
rance (coloured) procession and festival. The pro.
cession started from the Hall in Bedford-25treet, near
Eighth, the head of it being composed of several tall,
athletic negroes, who, vain perhaps of their phys!Cal
strength, were rather rude to the white persons who.
stood around the doors of the building, or got casually
in their way.
The boys soon began to shout after the procession.
The latter grew restless. Demonstrations of ill-nature
were manifested on both sides, until the crowd reached
Eighth aid Lombard-street, when the coloured Mar-
shals, it is said, commenced riding down with
their horses those who stood in the road. Of
course a fight commenced, which was continued at
intervals until the arrival of the procession at the
Wharton Market, where some new difficulty arose
about the removal of a
,cab. At Fourth and Ship -
pen-street, a butcher-boy knocked a mulatto down
with a leg of mutton, and another butcher flung some
liver at one of the marshals. The negroes retaliated.
A general fight now hegan. The marshals were
dragged off their hoises. Brickbats and other mis-
siles flew in every direction. Broken heads and
bloody noses were seen in abundance. The proces-
sion made out at length to reach Fifth and Shippen-
street, and the Pasityunk-road, when another assault
was made on it by the now increased mob, and a ban-
ner--on which a slave was represented bursting his
fetters, w-ith the motto, " Death or liberty !" over
him, and a fire in the distance—torn all to pieces and
trampled in the dirt. Here the procession had to give
way; and after defending itself awhile, fled in every
direction.

• The fire-bells now rang, and the firemen collected.
The negroes of the vicinity threatened vengeance, and
fight after fight of the most bloody description took
place between the whites and blacks. Several per-
sons were severely and some dangerously wounded
on both sides. The police officers of Moyamensing
were soon 'oh the ground. The Mayor of the city and
his officers arrived at the same time. The Sheriff and
his posse attended, and for awhile tranquillity was re-
stored. A great number of persons were arrested of
both colours for examination, and notwithstanding the
mobs that still hung about the scenes of the late melee
and threatened to demolish and burn down the negro
church, the Hall in Bedford-street, and other houses,
it was thought that all apprehension of danger was
over.

. .
A number of the ringleaders were arrested and put
in confinement. • • Offieer • Whisnei -of • Moyainensing,
arrested one desperate character, who, it is believed,
stabbed" one Of the white men. Ile is a deaf and
dumb. negro.
.. . .
In the course of the afternOon, prison waggon after
prison waggon load of rioters went from the police
office to the county prison. The Mayor disposed of
the, cases with despatch, binding over or committing
the prisoners for further hearing. Jacob Keyser, Ed-
ward Herrick, Samuel Montgomery, Samuel Luslcy,
and John Hamilton (whites), were ordered -to give
bail, the two former in 2,000 dol. each, and the latter
in 1,000 dol. each. Keyser and Hamilton got bail ;
the others went below. Henry Johnson (coloured)
was required to give bail in 2,500 dol. John John-
son (a negro) was ordered to give bail in 4,000 dol.
This prisoner was arrested in the riot, with a knife in
his hand. _ _ _

Quarter to 8 P.M.—Eleven wounded—three white
and eight coloured—at the Hospital.
Eight, P.M.—Six prisoners have just.,been, brought
in• at the police office. Mr. E. D. Woodruff, citizen-
policeman, one of the officers having them in charge,
coatless and badly cut in the head. We left him get-
ting his wounds dressed.
91 P. M.—lt had been anticipated every moment
since eight o'clock, that fire would be set to some of
the public buildings or private dwellings belonging to
some of the blacks. Sure enough just as the clock
struck nine, the fire bells pealed out the note of alarm,
and a lurid Flare in the heavens told that a conflagra-
tion was going on. We ran down towards South-
street, and discovered that the new Smith's Hall
(negro) in Lombard•street, just below Seventh, was
in a blaze. This Hall was not quite finished. It was
being built by the rich negro lumber merchant, Ste-
phen Smith, at an expeme of several thousand dollars,
and was the place at which the grand coloured con-
vention was to have been held on the last Tuesday of
this month. In about half an hour the building was a
mass of ruins.

104 F. M. The bells are now tolling for another
fire. The light is intense. The coloured Presbyterian
Church, in St. Mary-street, between Sixth and
Seventh, has been fired, and is now a mass of flames.
The surrounding buildings and the contents of the
church, the firemen are saving.
11 P. M.—The church is burned down. The walls
are yet standing bare, naked, and desolate. Not a
negro is to be seen in any direction ; all.have fled or
hidden. The riot has entirely subsided. The Mayor
has just visited the scene of disorder, and the first
regiment of City Volunteers are patrolling about in
squads to preserve the peace, having been ordered out
by Major •General Patterson.
Fifteen of the rioters are confined in the Moyamen-
sing Hall.

WEST INDIA MAILS.
IMPORTANT TO MERCHANTS.

The Answer of the Lords of the Privy Council to the
Memorial of the Members of the Manchester
Chamber of .Commerce.
" Office of the Committee of Privy Council
of Trade, Whitehall, Aug. 8, 1842.

" Sir,—The Lords of the Committee of Privy
Council of Trade have had under their consideration
the memorial of the Chamber of Commerce and
Manufactures, praying that the privilege of trans-
mitting letters to the West Indies per packet twice
a month, may on no account be interrupted ' • and my.
Lords, having conferred with the Lords of the Ad-
miralty, are enabled to state to you for the informa-
tion of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, that
there is no intention on the part of her Majesty's
Government of giving up the communication with
the West Indies by packet twice a month, though the
communication to some places, not being colonies of
this country, will be diminished to once a month.--
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" JOHN SHAW LEFEVRE.
" To Holland Hoole, Esq., Chamber of
Commerce, lanchester."

• A WOMAN IN A TRANCE.—On Monday morning,
the 18th ult., an aged widow, named Betty Butterworth,
of Wolstenholme Fold, Spotland, near Rochdale, after
eating a hearty breakfast, lay down and fell fast asleep,
and continued in that state until the Friday following,
all attempts to awake her in the mean time having
proved unavailing. When she awoke, she asked for
some porridge, which being furnished, she ate with ap-
parent greediness. It is stated that about six months
ago she slept upwards of a week in a similar manner.
She is in a good state of health.
LOYALTY.—As a large crowd of unemployed ope•
natives was assembled round the Court House, on Monday
last, Prince George of Cambridge came up to enter the
building where the Magistrates were sitting, when one of
the unemployed policemen most injudiciously called out
"Three cheers for :Prince George." The answer, as
might have been expected, was three very Ioud—GROANS
One man, it seems, shook his fist in his face, and called
him "State pauper ;" upon which the Prince, it is said,
collared him, and threw .him down.—Leeds Times.
Mr. Bunn has, as we expected, advertised one more
masquerade to take place at Vauxhall, on Thursday next,
for which delightful amusement the weather is now so
adidrably. adapted. The idea of a masqued ball in the
open air is so charming, that it cannot fail to draw, as on
the last occasion, a very great assemblage.