The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-07-19 00:00:00

THE ItENEWED RIOTS AT BIRMINGHAM.

• (From the Morning Herald of Wednesday.)
BIRMINGHAM, Tuesday night.
Last evening, for full an hour and a quarter, the town of
Birmingham, owing to the criminal negligence of our borough
magistrates, was in the hands of the chartists, and subjected
to the rioting, pillaging, and burnings of the scum and refuse
of that political union, of which Mr. Attwood and Mr. Scol-
field were and are the acknowledged leaders.
A rumour had been circulated that on Monday (yesterday)
Mr. Thomas Attwood would arrive in Birmingham, and at-
tend a meeting of the chartists, at Holloway-head, in order, no
doubt, to condole with them upon the defeat of their darling
panacea for all evils, in the House of Commons, on Friday
night last. This rumour, " with its thousand tongues,"
caused a considerable number of those Monday loungers,
who are regularly to be met with in our streets, to congregate.
About noon small groups might be seen wending their way
towards Holloway-head, and between two and three o'clock,
there might probably be 200 lasy.looking mechanics assem-
bled on the top of the hill, whilst numbers might be seen
stretched upon the grass. Others were smoking their short
dingy tobacco-pipes, and a number of boys playing at pitch
and toss. Such was the nucleus from whence sprang the
serious disturbance which took place in the evening. One of
them proposed that, as Mr. Attwood was not present, (all
parties must have been equally honored had he been there),
they should adjourn the meeting to the Bull-ring. A person
on horseback, whose name we understood to be Bradshaw,
coming up at the moment, said the man who proposed the
adjournment to theßull-ring ought to be .hanged up to the
nearest lamp-post. The mob gave Mr. Bradshaw great ap-
plause for this suggestion, which however, they did not seem
desirous to carry into effect. Immediately afterwards a tall
figure, with a piece of blue paper round his hat, and a large
bell in his hand, called the attention of the chartists to the
following important announcement
" This is to give notice that there will be a public chartist
meeting in this place about half-past six o'clock this evening.
Every inhabitant of Birmingham and its vicinity is requested
to attend ; and it is also requested that every man will bring
a newspaper with him !"
At hall-pist six o'clock, according to this announcement,
the chartists assembled at the appointed place ; and, when
little more than a hundred got together in the valley, near
the road, a person, whose name we could not learn, addressed
the mob. Although two or three disaffected periodicals were
displayed, the injunction of the bellman, for every man to
bring a newspaper, was not complied with. The speaker
called the attention of the people to the cruelty of the magi-
strates and the police, and the determination of the govern-
ment to disregard the cries of the working classes. He
entreated them to be firm and united, and not to cease till a
fair price was obtained for their labour. He wished them to
bear in mind that the working man earned, daily, four times
as much as what he was paid for, and he trusted that they
would ultimately obtain better prices. If, however, the
rulers of the nation were determined not to redress their
grievances, the people must rise, one and all, and their
tyrants would perish in the wild confusion. The speaker
went on in this strain for upwards of half an hour.
During the meet ng a car was passing, containing three
or four persons, whom the mob imagined to be policemen in
disguise, and the shower of stones with which they were
assailed was tremendous. The chartists imagined that the
car would pass by the church, and numbers sallied forth in
that direction, but the driver took another route, and thus
eluded their violence.
Another speaker' then addressed the meeting, and, at the
conclusion of his speech, proposed that they should form
lines, six abreast, and proceed from Holloway-head to Suf-
folk-street, and along the principal streets of the town, in
order to show the authorities that the chartists of Birming-
ham could conduct themselves peaceably and orderly.
This suggestion might be very well meant on the part of
the speaker, but it was attended to by the mob in a very dif-
ferent manner. Although the man who first addressed them
requested that his bearers would not go near the Bull-ring,
still the seeds of mischief were already spread. The spirit
of rebellion was aroused—the meeting had been held without
molestation—it was whispered that the police dare not inter-
fere with them—the multitude congregated in small groups,
and it was quite evident that each little band was plotting
some scheme of serious mischief.
The mob did not form -lines, as the speaker wished, but,
to the number of about 2,000, departed with all speed into
the town, and, as might naturally be expected, the Bull-ring
was the rallying point. For a considerable time after the
arrival of the multitude the tumult kept increasing, without
any apparent effort on the part of the authorities, to stop
the disturbances. Several of the rifle-brigade passed along
the Bull-ring, without even their side-arms, and it did not
appear as if there was the slightest anticipation of the devas-
tation which was about to take place. The cry amongst the
mob was " The police dare not face us !" " The soldiers
dare not face us ! ' and the crowd increased considerably,
until the crash of windosss, and shouts of the infuriated
assailants, gave notice that the work of demolition had com-
menced.
The first intimation of approaching tumult in the centre of
the town was the departure of the messenger sent to Warwick
with Collins's release. They left the Red Lion, in the Bull-
ring, shortly after four o'clock, and soon after that hour the
mob began to asemble in the thoroughfares leading towards
Warwick. It was evident, even at this hour, that mischief
was intended, but then, as at subsequent hours of the night,
there did not appear to be the slightest precaution taken on
the part of the civil authorities. At eight o'clock affairs as-
sumed a serious aspect. No person of decent appearance
could pass along the Bull-ring without being subject to the
insolence of the mob, and in many instances to the most un-
provoked and brutal assaults. Mr. John Bond, a respect-
able solicitor of the town, was stoned and otherwise attacked,
and so serious were the injuries he received that he was
carried to the George inn, Digbeth, as it was at the time
supposed, in a very dangerous condition. In a few minutes
after this occurrence, the mob, to the number of some thou-
sands, were observed coming up Digbeth, armed with wea-
pons of all descriptions. For this purpose they had broken
down the palisades in the outskirts of the town, particularly
Bradford-street, High-street, Deritend, and thus armed with
iron and wooden bludgeons, they proceeded in the direction
of Moor-street. Amongst other weapons, one fellow carried
a rusty.old scythe, and from the varied manner in which they
were provided with arms it was clear that the chartist mob
were determined upon the most violent measures. From the
Bull-ring the mob proceeded along Moor-street to the public
office, and here the innat F.traordinary scene ensued. The
re. 74.? A envision of the London police still left in Bir-
mingham, under the command of Mr. May, were stationed
in the prison-yard, but, notwithstanding the violent conduct
of the mob, they appeared at once spell-bound. Not an arm
was raised in defence of the office, and in the course of a
few minutes the whole of the front windows were demolished.
The apparent indifference of the police was afterwards, with
shame be it spoken, satisfactorily explained. It appears that
the magistrates, ignorant of, or indifferent to, the threatened
violence of the chartists, had given orders that the police
should act without their orders ; and the consequence was
that the constabulary force, prepared and anxious to do their
duty, were penned up in the public office, unable to wield a
weapon or move a step in protection of the public peace.
Thus elated with unchecked success, the rioters now re-
turned into the Bull-ring and it became apparent that riot
and turbulence would reign triumphant. The mob, being
armed with iron bars and other formidable weapons already
described, proceeded to dig up the stones with which the
street was paved, which they continued to throw with con-
siderable force against the shop windows of Messrs. Bourne,
wholesale grocers. This, as it were, acted as a signal for a
general and indiscriminate attack upon all the houses in the
Bull-ring. Stones flew in every direction, and in less than
five minutes scarcely a whole pane of glass could be observed
in the houses which were the object of the rioters' attacks.
For a time the shop-shutters of Messrs. Bourne resisted the
violence of the mob, notwithstanding the rapidity with which
the stones rebounded against the windows. This seemed to
increase the number of rioters, and being thus reinforced
they proceeded with the weapons with which they were armed
to demolish the shutters. The wood and iron bars yielded
to the force of the blows levelled against them, and in a few
minutes the whole window was completely gutted. This was
a glorious opportunity for the vagabond chartists to indulge
in riot,. plunder, and destruction. Parties entered the shop,
and seizing upon tea-chests, tea-canisters, and every other
description of property, threw them out to the multitude,
who speedily demolished them with their bludgeons. The
shop of Mr. Leggett, feather-merchant, now became the ob-
ject of attack, and impunity, together with success, had ren-
dered the rioters more daring. The maddened multitude

almost instantaneously shattered into atoms the frontage of
the building, the contents of which they dragged out and
threw to . the rioters outside. The mob having collected
various articles, such as chairs, tables, feather-beds, linen-
drapery, and other articles, from the shops of which they had
demolished, lit a bonfire in the centre of the Bull-ring, upon
which they plied the tradesmen's goods. It now became
evident that the " torch and dagger" suggestions of Mr.
Feargus O'Connor were to he put in fearful application. The
multitude (some of whom, we are sorry to say, appeared by
their dress to move ii a more respectable sphere than the
generality of the chartists) now seized fragments of burning
materials, and proceeded deliberately to set fire to the house
of the Messrs. Bourne. This was speedily accomplished
amid the cheers of the incendiaries. The house of Mr. Leg-
gett was the next object of attack by the mob, and, in a short
time, both buildings blazed with frightful fury. The mob,
yet untired of riot and incendiarism, now made a desperate
attack upon the shop of Mr. Wainwright, liquor-merchant.
The windows and the elegant lamp which projected from the
shop door, were very quickly demolished. Contemporary
with this attack, another was made on the Nelson Hotel, and
the adjoining houses. Burning fragments were thrust into
the shops of Mrs. Brinton and Mr. Arnold, pork butchers,
and these buildings, too, would soon have fallen a sacrifice
to the blind fury of the incendiaries, had not the police ar-
rived at this alarming juncture. It was now about a quarter
to ten o'clock, the mob having been in undisturbed posses-
sion of the Bull-ring for an hour and a half. Nothing could

exceed the terror of the inhabitants, and the universal cry
of the inhabitants was, " Where are the magistrates ?"
" Where are the police?" " Where are the military ?" And
echo answered " Where?" At the hourlnentioned (a quar-
ter or ten minutes to ten) the London police sallied forth
from Moor-street, accompanied by Mr. Walker, one of the
borough magistrates, Mr. George Whately, and other re-
spectable inhabitants of the town. The military followed
immediately, and the cowardly mob instantly took to their
heels in all directions. The mischief, however, was done,
and sorry ,n e are to say that to the culpable negligence of the
magistrates all the blame is to be attributed. In addition to
the conflagration of Messrs. Bourne's and Mr. Leggett's
premises, which were now raging, the mob had succeeded in
entirely or partially demolishing the shops of Mr. Belcher,
printer ; Mr. Banks, druggist ; Mrs. Martin, jeweller ; Mr.
Dakin, grocer ; Mr. Price, glass warehouse ; Mr. Naden,
grocer ; Messrs W. Dakin& Co. grocers; Mr Horton, silver-
smith ; Mr. Parkes, Tobacconist : Mr. Wainwright, wine-
merchant ; Mr. Gooden, Nelson Hotel; Mrs. Brinton, pork
butcher ; Mrs. Allen, biscuit baker ; Mr. Arnold, pork
butcher ; Mr. Perkins, brush-maker ; and Mr. Heath, cheese-
monger. Mr. Weston, a radical town-councillor •, Mr. Ford,
a radical; and Mr. Aston, ironmonger, ditto, although their
shops are in the very centre of the destruction, most mira-
culously escaped, without, we believe, suffering the loss of a
single broken pane of glass. In some of the instances of
destruction enumerated, the circumstances were peculiarly
aggravated and appalling. The valuable goods of Mr. Hor-
ton, jeweller and silversmith, were kicked about the streets
like foot-balls, and even used as weapons of offence against
the windows of the neighbouring shops. Mr. Belcher, sta-
tioner, and his female servant, were rescued through the
chamber window by means of ladders, as it was feared, in
consequence of the contiguous fire at the shop of Mr. Leg-
gett and the determination of the mob, that they would have
fallen a sacrifice, if not to the fury of the flames, to the fury
of the multitude.

The police and military, having at length scoured the streets
of the rioters, we were able to form some estimate of the da-
mage which had been committed. In the Bull-ring, the
conflagration continued for some hours, but the fire-engines,
which arrived as soon as they could in safety, at length sub-
dued the flames. The interior of Messrs. Bourne's exten-
sive premises was, however, together with a large portion of
their stock, entirely consumed. The damage done to these
premises alone, including the loss of stock and furniture, is
estimated at £lO,OOO. Fortunately the family of Mr. Bourne,
usually resident in the house, were from home, and, happily,
not a single life was lost. At one period, just previous to
the arrival of the military, the Nelson Hotel was in imminent
peril ; the mob succeeded in breaking :the window-shutters
of the wine vaults, and attempts were made to tire the es-
tablishment ; hut the timely arrival of the police and mili-
tary frustrated the intention of the incendiaries. Similar at-
tempts were made upon the shops of Mr. Arnold and Mrs.
Brinton, pork butchers. Having, with the aid of the pon-
derous iron rails, which were literally torn up from around
Nelson's monument, broken open the shutters, the mob
':feet prupPdscl to throw lighted embers into the shops ; it so
t,,iprrtecl, however, that Belem the hellish design was carried

into effect, the malignant ruffians were discomfited and put
to the rout. In the first onset several of the mob were ap-
prehended, but the principal leaders made their escape be-
fore the arrival of the police. Being nearly dark, the inha-
bitants in the Bull-ring, who were spectators of the riot,
have great difficulty in identifying the offenders. One of
the most active was a fellow with a wooden leg, and, if met
with, there can be little mistake about him.
The rioters dispersed, and the civil and military powers in
occupation of the streets, the night passed off in comparative
quiet. By twelve o'clock, the mayor, Dr. Booth, T. Clark,
S. Beale, C. Shaw, Joseph Walker, and other magistrates,
were in attendance at the public office. It is due, however,
to the mayor and some others to state that, late as it was,
they were at the public office by ten o'clock, just time enough
to witness the clearance of the Bull-ring.
The magistrates have been occupied during this day in in-
vestigating. the charges against the persons apprehended du-
ring the night, which amounted to nearly 50. Many were
discharged on their recognizances, and others were commit-
ted to take their trials at the assizes. It is expected that the
parties implicated in the outrage at Messrs. Bournes will be
brought to justice. _

Tlie streets are lined with troops, and the police are active.
The shops have been closed all the day.
This evening the following memorial was signed by about
50 of the principal inhabitants of the centre of the town, who
had principally suffered from last night's proceedings. It
was forwarded to Lord John Russell by post this evening.
"TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD JOHN RUSSELL,