Star.
London, England, 1821-05-16 00:00:00

pladion aro deem

Pattilei !

He was but attempting to institute,an inquiry into
transactions which he (Sir Francis Burdett) contetved
it was a disgrace to the Government not to have in-
vestigated—(Hear, hear).—In bringing the subject
before the House, it would be necessary for him to
refer to what had been said upon it, in this House,
on former occasions. He recollected that the Noble
Lord, Member for the county of Lancaster, had
stated, that it was not until the Yeomanry had been
attacked, and, as he said, wounds had been indicted
upon them, that they turned round. With every
possible respect for that Noble Lord, he would assert
that that statement was not founded in fact. He
disclaimed all intention of personal imputation; and,
should be feel himself obliged to use a very coarse
word—falsehood, in characterising certain state-
ments, he begged it to be understood as having no
personal reference whatever. The Honourable Mem-
ber for Dover had said, it was not until the Yeo-
manry had been attacked with stones, which had been
placed there for the purpose, that they had turned
against the people. The Honourable the Solicitor-
General had stated, that not only an attack had
been made upon the Yeomanry, but that many of
them had been literally unhorsed. He would here
disclaim all idea of imputing to that Honourable
Gentleman any intention or wish to mislead the
House, particularly as he (Sir Francis) had motives
for refraining from any imputation against the Ho-
nourable Gentleman; which, although that Honour-
able Gentleman might have forgotten, were still very
powerful with him (Sir Francis). The Honourable
I Gentleman, it was true, might have found himself
justified in the professional reservation of having only
stated from his brief: After these came, naturally,
the Noble Marquis opposite, who mounts and soars
into the regions of fancy and delusion, so far above
all his compeers, who declared that the accounts of
attacks made upon the people by the military were
false and groundless; that, on the contrary, the
people had attacked the military with showers of
'stones, brickbats, and even fire-arms ; out that the
military used none; that although care had been
taken to remove those missiles, the Noble Lord had
found that, on the same spot, thousands of stones
had fallen upon the unoffending heads of the Yeo-
manry ; and therefore supposed that the people had
come prepared with them in their pockets! He
(Sir Francis Burdett) did not believe that inference
to be a just one, and would rather suspect it had
been a meteoric shower by which those heroes had
been assailed, which he thought a much more ra-
tional conclusion than that they had come from the
pockets of the people !--(Hear, hear, and a laugh).
That the Magistrates were, even after that attack, so
anxious to act according to law, that one of them
read the Riot Act from the window of the house in
which they had assembled. One scrupulous Magis-
trate, fearing it had not been heard, like another De-
cius, devoted himself for his country, plunged into
the crowd, and was trodden down by the people 17--
Two having been disposed of, another presented him-
self (for, like Faistsr's men in buckram, they conti-
nued to increase), and fearing the people were still
ignorant that the Riot Act had been read, he also
read it. All the assertions which charged the people
with having been the first aggressors had been proved
to be false,
,by the most irrefragable testimony, fur,
with the exception of three, all the witnesses who had
been examined on the inquiry at York gave evidence
of the good and peaceable conduct of the people pre-
vious to the attack by the Cavalry—two of those
three, Mr. Hulton and Mr. Entwistle. Mr. Hulton
was the only person who spoke of the attack, and of
the shower of stones described by the Noble Lord.—
He (Sir Francis Burdett) hoped these stones had been
preserved, as they would form an appropriate monu-
ment to the Noble Lord. But even Mr. Holton could
not to this day tell how the attack on the people
commenced, or from what motive, or by whose order
this spilling of the blood of the people happened,
which called so loudly for inquiry. Bat Mr. Hulton
says, that, seeing the Cavalry beaten, he ordered
Colonel L'Estrange and the 15th Dragoons to sup-
port them ; and yet, to this moment, not even the
Rev. Mr. Hay, nor indeed any other mortal, could
be found to bear out the statement of Mr. Holton ;
and all the remaining evidence taken at York suffici-
envy proved the peaceable conduct of the people on
that fatal day. Whether that Meeting, was legal or
illegal was no reason for dispersing n by vicilence,
and which violence, he contended, was a sufficient
ground for instituting an inquiry. For a long time
previous to the Meeting the Magistrates had been
aware of the intention of the people to march with
banners, of the drilling, &c. and yet they took no
steps to prevent those things. In the papers on the
table would be found a letter, signed by at Mr. Mor-
ris, to a Nobleman, who performed the functions of
an Officer well known in France, but happily until
now never heard of in England, he meant Lieutenant
de Police. In that letter he says, that, " although
anxious to preserve the peace, yet he had no power
to prevent the intended Meeting." From this, he (Sir
Francis Burdett) would deduce that the Magistrates
were not aware that that Meeting would be illegal.
There was another letter from a Mr. Spooner, of sth
July, 1819, in which he described his fears that, at
an intended Meeting to be bald at liirmingham, fir

the purpose of electing a Legisbttorial Atlorney,lculed the chimerical fears of those who aeprelsakted
much violence would take place.; but on the 13th of danger from the Meetings of the People, %iv,
the same month he wrote to say, that the Meeting of tened to the tales of the intended seizure and caeca....
the 12th had, contrary to his expectations, passed off cation of property, and the assumption of ticks he
without any outrage having been conimitted by the I them It any person could be found so weak
as to
people. From which he (Sir Francis Burdett) would credit those stories, they ought to be taught to be.
infer, that the people could not be acted upon in the
,lieve that Atlas would resign his load, and that the
manner—the anticipation of which bad so alarmed world would fall to pieces. It was never commit
him. It ought to be recollected too, that that was I cam' to Mr. Hunt in any one way that the Maetiv
one of the greatest Meetings that had been held. On about to be held was illegal; and from this circuni:
the ground of similar anticipations, the Lord Mayor stance he had an rusdonbzed right to draw a
of London wished to prevent the great Smithfield elusion that the Meeting took place under the 5,„,„.
Meeting, and wrote for advice to the Lieutenant of' don of the Magistrates of the place—(Hear)„,,
Police: but that Noble Lord did not feel himself war- It appeared further, that a Meeting was held at
ranted in preventing. it. From this also he would Wigan, after the Manchester Meeting, and a
deduce, that these Meetings were not then held to be larger one at York, yet the Magistrates did not think
contrary to law: At the Smithfield Meeting, where proper to interpose any violence; and what was the
Mr. Hunt presided, Mr. Harrison was arrested in the consequence? Why, that they passed away inn*
heart of that immense Meeting, yet no attempt was greatest order and tranquillity, as was the case Wian
made at resistance ; and therefore the Manchester all the Meetings that took place throughout' ti
Magistrates were not justified in their anticipation of country, before and after. Where, then, was the
.violence on the part of the people, nor in their con- ground for imputing disloyalty to the People? 04
duct at the Meeting. He could conceive no motive the contrary, had they not always shewn the greatet
for that conduct, but a wish to instigate the people reverence for the laws ? He hardly knew a circam.
to an attempt at Revolution ; for it had been proved stance in all history, ancient or modern, more cal.
that one of the most inflammatory of the hand- mirous, and more to be deplored, than thefatat trans.
bills which had been distributed at the Smithfield action of the 16th of August, at Manchester—a ,day
Meeting, had been previously seen and read by that would never be forgotten in the history of this
Lord Sidmouth, and had been traced to Franklin.— country—a day blackened with a deed which never
He next alluded to Mr. Hay's dispatch, which stated would be effaced from the memory of Englishaat
that it was not the intention of the Magistrates to —Wad fatale le.thum et nempiam samabde valuta
stop the columns of the People on their way to the (Hear, hear)—He had a right to charge uprat tit
hustings, and described the military preparations Ministers the whole burden of the accusation, arid,
made: the line of Constables extending from the hus- passing by Magistrates and constables, he, on the pan
tings to the house in which the Magistrates had assem- of the People of England, demanded an investigation
bled: even Mr. Nadin had walked through the Peo- into the conduct of the Administration itself!--11-kmi.
ple without having been offended, and therefore any It was a remarkable circumstance that the number
warrant could have been executed without danger of victims on that fatal day was double the number
from resistance. Mr. Hay then went on to state that of killed and wounded on the glorious occasion of
there were no pikes, although a Noble Lord, in ano- the victory by Admiral Jervis, in consetpwace
Cher place, had said that there were pikes, but that which he received the title of Earl St. Viucent!--
there were plenty of sticks and stave.! It appeared When that gallant leader obtained the victory ofd
by Mr. Nadin's own testimony, that so far from his Vincent, with fifteen sail of the line over twenty-eras
preceding the Yeomanry, they had preceded him. sail of the enemy, and brought two of the enemy's
The letter then stated the colours and other matters ships into port, the retur,s of killed and wounded did
taken from the hustings. Mr. Saxton's case was a not exceed three or four hundred. At Manchester
horrible one: one Yeoman said to another—" There the number of victims--men, women, and children,
is that villain, Saxton; run your sword through him." was computed at upwards of six hundred!--(Hear}
" No," said the other, " I will leave that to you:— Was it pcssible, then, that so fatal a day should rat
He made the attempt accordingly, and it was only be remembered—and remembered, too, Kith a rest.
by stooping that Mr. Saxton had escaped death; and less anxiety tor a Parliamentary inquiry, and a rati.
this yeoman was one of the persons the Crown had re- tution of justice, from which the unfortunate sufea
fused to prosecute. The law of England was founded ers and their friends were debarred in any other place
upon the law of GOD. The first command of the AL- Because, as to Courts of Law, they knew very wit
MIGHTY, to him who was the ancestor of all the pre- that the subject was too vast in its nature to beau&
sent race of mankind was, that " whosoever sheds the matter of investigation by them ; the Judges might
bloodof man, by wan shall leis blood be shed." For mur- indeed inquire into, and perhaps redress the wrongs
der no satisfaction could be given, nor reparation of A, B, or C, but they could never remedy the
made; and, until this blood be expiated, the land will injury which had been inflicted on the Laws ml
remain defiled ! It would be found in that Sacred Constitution of the country!—(l-fecr).—Heliad nearly
Volume. in which we all profess to believe, (but in forgot to notice a document, which was very Jot
which Ministers must " believe and tremble too") that one, consisting of no more than five or six lines, bit
even in case of a man killing another by accident, the which was sufficiently long, according to that clam.
homicide should fly to the City of Refuge, from which cal maxim, which said that nothing was long from
he could not depart until purified by the High Priest. which nothing could be taken withoat detriment, sad
Even if a man be attacked himself, he must not raise nothing was short from which anything could be ala
his hand against
e.en his brother's life, until he himself stracted with advantage. lie referred to the let:erof
shall have driven to the wall. Although the Lord Sidmouth totheNlanchesterMagistrates(Cleen).
Riot Act had been read, still that was no justifica- A letter which contained no feeling in which the
tion of the slaughter of the People, as we had no King of England could participate. What did it
evidence to prove that the People had been made ac- state ? Immediately on the arrival of the dreadfd
quainted with that circumstance—( Hear, hear).— news, before even a decent defence could be patched
A few days ago a young lad had been executed at up for the occasion, the 'letter state.: that " his Ma.
Shrewsbury, for having continued rioting one hour jesty returns his great satisfaci:on"—a‘‘ord,he would
Noble after the Riot Act had been read ; it was said, that venture to assert, so objectionable, that had the Nob
although that person was of respectable connections, Lord ransacked every dictionary in the English las'
and that much interest had been used to save him, guage, lie could not have pulled out one word which,
yet that an example was necessary. But it could not as a rock, he should have more avoided—.(Churn),
His Majesty was represented to have felt the highestbe necessary to let loose mounted soldiers, to ride
satisfaction when the news of the miserable massacre
over and cut down even defenceless women. One
poor woman, with a child in her arms, had been rode reached him, and was pleased to bestow his high sp
over, and the child killed, yet the Coroner's Inquest probation on the Magistrates for their efficient con
had found that the child died of a fall from its mo. duct on that occasion—(Hear, hear). He haute
ther's arms! The Hon. Baronet then read from a knew a parallel instance in all history for this ewe.
paper an account of the transactions which took The only occurrence which resembled it at all, we
place, which he described as more strongly resem- that which was perpetrated by the debased Roma,
bling a town taken by storm than anything else. He in the period of their fall, in the Asiatic provincs
might well ask, was this a Christian land ? was this When that base people had determined upon the &-
a land of liberty ? He hoped the House would prove struction of the Goths, the Captain-General of the
that it is still a Christian land—that we still have troops, in pursuance of a discretionary order, which
some little liberty remaining—and that, whatever he received from the Senate at Constantinople,d
becomes of the people's money, still their lives shall acting as he should judge most expedient for de
not be sported with—( Hear). —The People had not good of the Republic, concerted measures for the
only been cut down by the Yeomanry, but bruised execution of his bloody design. He issued an order
by the peace-officers. On the inquiry, when one that the Gothic youths should be assembled in the
person was asked how he knew them to be peace-offi- capital cities of their respective provinces, and opal
cers? he replied he did not know them to be such an appointed day, the youths beiug collected in the
until-he saw them knock down the people with blud- squares, all the avenues carefully blocked up by the
geons !—(Laughter)—The bruises were, in many in- Roman soldiers, and at the same hour, the sigral
stances, as fatal as the cuts and stabs; in the case of being given throughout the provinces, the soldiers
Lees, which he felt reluctance to describe, a female fell upon the defenceless multitude, and slaughtered
witness had said, that he looked exactly like a soldier them indiscriminately. He would not do the ging
who had been flogged. Mr. Ilay, however, had of England the injustice to suppose that he could*
stated that Hunt was made prisoner, and that a few prove of the bloody act of the 16th of Augest
persons were hurt.—The Magistrates, having cons- held it to be an act purely and exclusively Ministaill
mitted all those outrages, assembled together to as- The atrocious massacre to which he alluded, ear'
certain what crimes had been committed—(Cheers). ralleled as it was in history, was yet approved d.
After that dreadful example had been made, and and this was the language in which that extraonfe
that Ministers imagined they had terrified the people nary approbation was expressed:—
from proceeding further in the business of Reform, *His diebus Julii Magian militia enituit, (Pia, nerd
another, and he was quite sure as large a Meeting, sallow'"
took place in Westminster, at which he had the ho. —Whether or not the Noble Lord, when he train
nour to preside, in order to enter into subscriptions mined thanks, in the name of the King, to the Mtn
for the relief f the sufferers, and he had the plea. chester Magistrates, might have been influenced by
sure to say, that with that subscription six hundred his classical recollections—or whether, in approvieE
persons had been relieved, amongst whom were seven of bloody deeds, some devil prompted the mind, and
police constables, one man who was suspected of guided the pen into the adoption of the same Phrases
being a spy, and 120 women—(Hear, hear).—Mr. in all times and ages, he would not now stop to ra-
Hulton himself had seen one woman down with her quire, but he should ever regard it as strange tbs
.
breast cut open I—(Hear).—We have the highest an- men so far asunder as the Historian of the
thority (perhaps) on the Bench (Justice Bayley) to say war, and the Noble Lord (Sidmouth), should have
that it was not the number, but the intentions of the approved of two transactions equally bloody sad
parties, which rendered a Meeting illegal. That atrocious in their nature, and recorded their app' '
Learned Judge was an old lawyer—he had read the bation precisely in the same phrases!—(Cheers).-"
. old law books, and knew, no doubt, that voluntas et That the deed was prompt, decisive and efficacieek
preepositum distinguunt makficium. The people met no 'turn could doubt who remembered the surface'
the
numerously, because they knew that numbers only mess of the onset, the fury of the attack, atid
gave respectability to.their proceedings. On this oc- number of victims that had fallen in consequent..
casion, knowing their enemies only wanted occasion But that such an atrocious event should have exams
to attack them, they had been particularly cautious unalloyed satisfaction in the heart of the Kin
in their conduct. The people had only done that thing en earth could make him believe--(Hedr4
which the Magistrates themselves had sanctioned. hear). No man in England, much less the Kant"!
When the Meeting was announced for electing a Le- even the blood that was spilt was a necesiaressc!
gislatorial Attorney, at Birmingham, the Magistrates lice to the law—could be so devoid of feeling.ci
&ere did that which they ought to have done—they common sense as to use so disgusting an expressta
_
gave the people warning. l'lte worthy Baronet ridi-, cva such an occasion—(Hear, hear). Such deeds 0"

[

fleeted disgrace and shame on the character of Eng-
lishmen ; and if passed over without a rigid inquiry,
that House would sink so low that nothing hereafter
could make it lower. Let them not turn a deaf ear
to the simple, unexaggerated complaints of the un-
happy sufferers ; and let them remember, that up to
that moment their wrongs were unredressed (cheers).
This was the first time since England was England,
that a Coroner had taken upon him to discharge a
jury—( Hear, hear).—The Honourable Baronet then
sated the history of the conduct of the C'oroner's dis-
missing the Jury upon the body of J. Lees, at Old-
barn, and the subsequent proceedings that were taken.
upon that act, insisting, that up to that moment jus-
tice had been obstructed, delayed, and denied to the
people of Manchester. He again repeated, that it
was not the case of individual suffering which he now
;pi-ease. upon the consideration of the House, but the
'mole ice done to the Laws and the Constitution. He
tres,ed it the more, because Ministers not only put
4rortt, grossly false statements with respect to this
'tea i•action, to delude the House and turn them from,
inquiry, but made those statements the grounds for
the enacting of six Bills, which constituted a greater
' infringement on the Constitution than was attempted
since the Revolution; so great a change had been ef-
Tected, indeed, that'it might be stiled the Revolution
of 1819, as the former one was called the Revolution
of 1688—(Hear, hear).—When he considered the va-
rious points of view in which this great question
might be regarded, and when he considered that no
one was made responsible for all the dreadful evils
that took place, and that no inquiry was set on foot,
he could not but deem it to be a piece of good for-
tune, though he did not then regard it as a misfor-
tune, the unavoidable delay in bringing forward the
subject. The time had now arrived, when, laying
aside conjecture and uncertainty, the House could
proceed upon a just estimate of the lying impostures
by which it had been so long deluded. Time, which
brought all things to light, had now drawn aside the
veil which hypocrisy and cheat threw around this
transaction, and when it was presented to the eyes of
an astonished country—the events of the 16th of
August, in all their native deformity—he might say
of it, " Nihil est scelestius, nihil perniciosus, nail quod
here civitas magis plerare posset"--(Hear, head.—
If the Noble Lord and his colleagues had not lost all
regard for justice and for their own characters, they
would consent to the inquiry which he now, on the
part of the People of England, demanded. They
had now an opportunity of making good that ardent
desire which some of them professed to entertain for
inquiry. It was impossible that this subject could
remain in its present state. It was impossible that
an Administration stained with blood—for such he
must consider it to be until it was relieved fre.n the
imputation—could remain without having their con-
duct investigated; or that that House, however in-
different it might be to the purses of the subjects,
ought n3t to justify the imputation that they were
indifferent to their persons, by resisting an inquiry.
He therefore called on Ministers to afford an oppor-
tunity of inquiring into their conduct. He called on
the Gentlemen who had deluded the House and the
Country by their mistatements, to come forward—
let them show the sources of their false and delusive
statements—let them declare from what polluted lips,
from what spies they received their news—" let them
drag the monsters into day".--and let them no longer
be secuied under the cover of all the letters of the
alphabet. For himself he would only say, that he
was satisfied that he was attempting the best in his
power to do justice to the People, and to give Mi-
nisters an opportunity of doing justice to themselves.
He relied, therefore, on the concurrence of the Noble
Lord in the following motion—" That a Committee
be appointed to inquire into the events of the 16th
of August, 1819, at Manchester."—(The Honourable
Baronet sat down amidst loud cheers).
Mr. HOBHOUSE seconded the motion.

persons to offer themselves to preserve the public
peace. Several in consequence offered themselves;
but Bamford, one of Mr. Hunt's companions, pub-
lished apaper, in consequence of which very few per-
sons resident near him offered themselves for the pur-
pose. In the interim, the training of men in arms
continued—e. In arms !" from the Opposition)— He
begged pardon, he should have said the drilling of
men at night. Two persons, who had been sent to
watch these proceedings, were very ill treated, and
Hunt published a paper. declaring that the Meeting
of the 16th was a mere adjournment of that of the
9th. The Honourable Member here, at considerable
length, referred to numerous depositions made before
the Magistrates. These were made in general brper-
sons resident in Manchester and its vicinity.
Lord MILTON wished to know, whether these
depositions were made before Magistrates regularly
in a Court of Justice, so that opportunity had been
afforded forthe cross-examination of the witnesses?

Mr. B. WILBRAH ANI said, they certainly were
not of the latter description—(Hear, hear, hear, from
the Opposition). He had no wish to give them more
weight than they deserved, and of that the House
would judge. The Hon. Member proceeded to read
the depositions. They stated, that on the day before
the Meeting there were as many as 1000 men as-
sembled on Taddle Hill, and were regularly drilled
like soldiers. Their leader told them to be punctual
the next day, and to keep true to their colours, as
they were to march to Manchester. That one of the
witnesses being observed, was knocked down and in-
jured by the persons thus assembled. That one of
the witnesses who was a Rent Collector for some
cottages near Manchester, on calling as usual for the
rent from the cottagers, was told by one of them
that he would not pay a farthing until after the day
of the Manchester Meeting, as that would be a day
of general settlement. That another witness over-
heard a conversation between these men in which
they observed that they would soon make some of
the Gentlemen at Manchester, find new lodgings.
In consequence of these depositions, the Honourable
Member observed, the Magistrates made every ar-
rangement in their power to preserve the public peace.
They assembled a body of about SOO Constables, in
a house from which a communication might be held
with the hustings; but the persons connected with
the Meeting prevented this communication by re-
moving the hustings to a distance from the house.'
The People, on the morning in question, passed in
large bodies through the streets of Manchester, and
as they passed the Exchange they groaned and hissed.,
They did the same on passing the house of the man'
who had witnessed the drilling, and who then lay
severely ill from the injuries he had received. The
mode of their march was military; they were six deep,
and were locked arm in arm. At this time the Com-
mittee in aid of the Civil Power went before the Ma-
gistrates, and upon consideration it was thought ad-
visable to read the Riot Act. Accordingly the Riot
Act was read by a Magistrate who had a particularly
strong voice!—("" Name r frond the Opposition). It was
Mr. Ethelstone—(Cheersfrom the Opposition).
Mr. BENNETT said, he should be glad to be in-
formed if Mr. Ethelstone had ever sworn to this?—

(Order, order !)
Mr. WILBRAHAM said he had not, but he
believed it to be true—(Hear, hear).—Much stress
had been laid on the Meeting not being dispersed in
an hour after the reading of the Riot Act; but it was
dispersed because it was altogether an illegal Meet-
ing, assembled with banners, bearing inscriptions of
" Liberty or Death," and " Let us die like Men, not
be sold as Slaves." He then continued to read the
affidavits of several witnesses, as to the finding of
stones and sticks on St. Peter's-field, at Manchester,
after the Meeting was dispersed, when the ground
hid been cleared previous to the Meeting. He con-
tended that the Yeomanry, advancing in close files of
six, it must be obvious that only the outside files
could use their sabres. He also read the depositions
of several other witnesses to shew that the Yeomanry
did not advance rapidly, or cut any with their sabres,
until resisted by the People! This evidence would
have been given at York, but that the Judge nar-
rowed the proof to the nature of the Meeting merely.
The Magistrates of Manchester were no parties to the
prosecution at York ; nor was one of them put in
the box except Mr. Hulton, whose testimony was
perfectly satisfactory to the Jury—( Hear, hear).—
Mr. Carlile was invited to the Meeting of the 16th ;
and, as all knew Mr. Carlile's political and religious
opinions, he would wish to know what man, who had
a faith in the Christian Religion, could believe Mr.
Carlile on his oath, or any who thought like him ?
The Magistrates, anxious to prevent mischief, pub-
lished a Placard, recommending the towns-people to
keep their children and servants at home. It had
been said, the Magistrates ought to have arrested
Mr. Hunt previous to the Meeting ; but he was a
man of too keen an understanding to give them any
opportunity of doing this. It was also argued, that
the Magistrates should have prevented the people
assembling; but how were they to do this? Were,
-they to stop a body of sixty thousand persons, who
had, as yet, done nothing illegal ? As soon as they
committed themselves by their acts, the Magistrates
interfered. It was said by some, the Meeting was
a quiet one, and that the people assembled with the
most peaceable intentions. Why, then, did they
bring large sticks and stones? He denied that the
Yeomanry came desermined to atsack the people :
on the contrary, they came in quietly, headed ,by
the Civil Power! With respect to the alleged loss
of lives on this melancholy occasion, the return of
the Coroner was, that no individual had died in

Mr. B. WILBR AHAM said, he addressed the
House under a very great disadvantage, after the
eloquent speech they had just heard, and after the
exertion of the well-kaown talents of the Hon. Baro-
net. He, however, rose in defence of the Magistrates
of Manchester, and he would discharge the duty he
bad undertaken to the best of his power. He felt
exceedingly glad that the question had been fairly
brought to issue, though he thought the Hon. Baro-
net had not treated it with perfect fairness himself.
The transaction complained of occurred nearly two
years ago. In the month of April, in the last year,
the Hon. Baronet had given notice of a motion on the
subject, which he had afterwards postponed; so that
the Hon. Baronet was not consistent in postponing a
subject which, in his own opinion, was of such gene-
ral and paramount importance. However, he had,
he could assure the Hon. Baronet, not the slightest
wish to say anything offensive ; and he therefore
would oppose the motion by nothing but a plain
statement of facts, in confirmation of which state-
ment he should refer to the most indubitable testi-
mony on oath. The House would remember the state
of the country in the spring of the year 1819.; parti-
cularly in the northern manufacturing districts.—
That state was such, that the Magistrates of the
County of Chester had come to certain resolutions
on the subject; and these were followed by others
from the Grand Jury of Salford. Many popular
Meetings had taken place, and these increased with
impunity. They were attended by itinerant leaders,
and they were composed of such large bodies of peo-
ple, that cool and temperate discussion was almost
impossible. He should here state, that Mr. Hunt,
who had, through the Secretary of State, addressed
a Petition to the Prince Regent, applied to have it.
re-delivered to him, stating, that he would seek other
means of conveying the sentiments of the people to
his Royal Highness.—(Cries if Hear, hear).—
One of these Meetings voted thanks to Hunt, Wooler,
Cobbett, and Cathie. A Meeting had been intended
for the 9th of August, but a Gentleman at the Bar
being consulted on the subject, declared that, in his
Opium% the object of the Meeting was illegal. In
COnieqUenCe of this, a change was proposed of the
day as well as the object of the Meeting, but the peo-
ple formed a procession, in which they carried Mr.
Hunt in triumph. The Magistrates, under these cir-,
cumstances, formed a Committee, of which they
elected a Mr. Hutton Chairman, a Gentleman of for-
tune, no less distinguished for courage than for hu--
Th_ailisy—(Hear, hear,
,ftom the Opposition). The
Weeting was fixed for the 16th, and the avowed ob-
ject of rt was to petition, but a design to revolt was,
Pretty evident. The Magistrates, therefore,

consequence of the wounds the soldiery inflicted
!
The first return stated, that Jane Parker died by the
pressure of the crowd. An infant was also thrown
into convulsions by fright, whilst in its mother's arms
in the crowd. An Inquisition was also held on Ash-
worth, a Special Constable, who died of pressure.—
Another Special Constable died from the same cause.
One man died of suffocation, owing to eating some
mutton, which stuck in his throat! There was a man
also, whose death had been occasioned by a nail
striking into his foot at a considerable distance from
the place—(A cry 9f " Name, name').—He trusted
the House would give him credit, when he declared
he believed the statements to be correct. He never
would make any statement to the House of what he
did not believe in substance to be correct—(Hear,
hear),—and he hoped he had now satisfied every one
who had kept their minds open on this important
question. He that alluded to an Address, signed

b 7 8,000, to the then Prince Regent, which Address ' saves in their own defence. All actions were to be
approved the conduct of the Magistrates. To adopt judged of by the motives of those connected with
a motion to call them to the Bar, would be to do them. He had no objections to have their action'.
them an injury ; he trusted the House would not en- tried by the test of /tic voluattas et preepositunt distin-
tertain such a motion, as, by so doing, they would pa- genet malefictuw. The men at the bottom of these
ralyze the effin is of all the Magistrates in the kingdom. measures had views of their own, perhaps, not con-
Lord MILTON congratulated the House and the sistent with the preservation of good order. It was
country on the publication of the names of the va- ,no part of their plan to appeal to the people's reason,
rious sufferers at Manchester. It had been asked, bur to seize upon their passions. Had they hesitated,
why none of those persons had been brought forward their scheme would ,be blown, for these were they
as witnesses on the trial o( Mr. Hunt? But he would "Who giro the warm People no conaidering time.
ask in his turn, why the prosecutors had not called ! For then rebellion mil* be deenect a crime!"—(Hear).
witnesses to prove the assertion so repeatedly made' They might appeal to the laws for redress if they'
in defence of the Magistrates? I
t was impossible for would. The Hon. Baronet had said, that the memory
them to do so: but the fact was, that many persons of this transaction would never be wiped away; that
who had appeared as witnesses on Hunt's trial proved I might be true, if the doors of justice were shut against
the sufferings inflicted the people. This was a the complaints of the injured—(Hear).--One Jury
question which never could be set at rest except had thrown out their Bilts, but why not try another?
through the intervention of Parliament—(hear, Was a single isolated appeal to the law thought enough
hear). It was a question which involved in it the —or rather was it not thought too mach ?—(llear).
Law and Constitution of the Country ; it could not He concluded by contending that the present motion
be settled by any of the lower tribunals ; it was one I was, in. the first place made too late, and, secondly,
which Parliament was bound to take up ; and if they that it should not have been made at all, until it was
did not, a precedent would be established by which ' shewn to demonstration, that the ordinary tribunals
the Civil might be superseded by the Military Power of the country were inadequate to the discussion 9f
of the country. The Judge at the trial of Hurt de- this subject—(Hear).
dared, what was perfectly true, that the Court was Mr. DENMAN was sorry to rise at the present
riot trying the Magistrates of Manchester, nor in- moment, when the cry of" Adjourn" was so grateful
vestigating the conduct of the military, but that they to all parties in the House ; but he had felt the effects
were to try whether 1-lunt and others had been of an adjournment too sorely on a late occasion—
guilty of a conspiracy, The question, therefore, be- (Hear)—to suffer this great question to be disposed
tween the Manchester Magistrates and Yeomanry and of in that way. Notwithstanding the able speeches
the country had never yet been tried. There might which were already made on the other side of the
be an exaggeration as to the number of the suf- House, be was amazed that his Majesty's Minis-
ferers ; but he contended that if a single person had ters remained silent, sitting under heavy, dreadful,
that day died of a sabre wound, that was sufficient unanswered, and unrefuted charges—(Hear, hear).—
to call for the interference of the House--(Hear).— The Hon. Member for Dover had indeed stated the
He was inclined to think, that so much blame as case of the Magistrates—he had said, that for some
was supposed did not attach to the Magistrates; for of their acts, perhaps, there might be an apology
the probability was, that when the military rushed If the case had been put upon this footing from the
upon the crowd, they were not aware that they would beginning, he (Mr. Denman) would not be amongst
have cut down the people. He was induced to be- those to bear too hard upon those Gentlemen. But
what was the fact—what was the ground upon which
lieve this, because the Riot Act had not been read.
It was not certain that Judge Bayley, before the con- the case had been put? It was not now a question
elusion of the trial, anticipated the acquittal of all of how far indulgence ought to be shewn to the Ma-
the defendants, and some of them were acquitted, gistrates; but the question was upon the share of
That very acquittal gave reason to assume that the praise to which they were entitled—(Hear,hear).-11
Meeting was a legal one, for those acquitted persons was said, not that the Magistrates deserved consider a-
had taken a part in it ; and if it was contrary to law, tion at the hands of the House, but that acting in the
why should they not have been convicted for their zealous and meritorious discharge of their duty, they
unlawful act? If no inquiry was made into the pro- had been obliged to have recourse to strong measures,
ceedings in question, let the House see what a dread- and that if in the consequence some accidents did
ful example would be held out to the Magistrates in take place, the mishaps were not attributable to them,
other parts of the kingdom, particularly after the for the People had fallen by the sword of Justice—
thanks which our Government bad given to the Ma- ( Hear, hear).—All Magistrates were then to go
gistrates and Yeomanry of Manchester. Whether down to the country edified by this doctrine, en-
the Meeting at Manchester was legal or illegal, he couraged by this countenance—(Hear, hear),—an4
contended that the dispersion of it was a most illegal with the sword in their hand, sheath it in the blood
act, and loudly called for the interference of Parlia. of their fellow-citizens, if by chance a Meeting of
ment. He contended, however, from the depositions doubtful politics occurred near them, or if they
of the Gentlemen who gave evidence at Hunt's trial, had a force at hand to second their Constitutionally
that the Meeting was peaceable. This appeared from merciful intentions—(Laud cries of Hear, hear).--
the very witnesses who were called against him. Be_ Had the case of the Magistrates stood alone, it would
sides, dozens and scores of persons had stated, that have been one for the consideration and indulgence
the men came to that Meeting with their wives and of the House, but not for its praise. Their situation
daughters; and he would ask those who asserted was unfortunate in being reduced to the necessity of
that they came in military array, whether they slaughtering their fellow-subjects, and whilst one
ever heard of an army whose object was to over- would deplore the consequences, he could not with-
turn a Government, bringing persons of that descrip- hold the justification arising from a necessity of doing
tion into battle? If they had anything like hos- their duty. But that such an act should be lauded—
tility in contemplation, would they have brought (Hear, hear)—that it should be held out as an exam-
their wives and children along with them?—(Near.) ple for the country Gentlemen of England, was as
The idea was absurd and monstrous. But it had little creditable to those who used their encomiums
with that view, as it was to the general justice of
been said that the people of Manchester were greatly
alarmed. If some- witnesses had said so, others as- this country—(Hear, hear). An Honourable Mem-
serted the contrary ; and the best proof that no alarm ber had produced the evidence of persons who were
existed, was the fact that the Exchange was as full not examined at the trial at York, speaking to the
that day as on any former day. Judge Bayley told disorderly and illegal character of the Meeting; but
the Jury, at Hunt's trial, that there was nothing in he set no regard upon this evidence, for the very
the evidence before them to shew that the employ- reason that the Hon. Member seemed to rely upon
meat of military, in aid of the civil power, was justi- it—namely, that it had not been received and sifted
fiable. If the warrant of the Magistrates could not in Court. And when the Hon. Member libelled the
be executed without the aid of soldiers, why was not Learned Judge who presided on that occasion, by in-
Nadin and others called to prove it?—(Hear, hear.) sinuating that it was because he was anxious to save
But not one of them was called, and therefore the the time of the country, by excluding this evidence,
evident conclusion was, that the military were not he (Mr. Denman) felt himself called upon to defend
required. In order to shew the violence used by the that learned person from so unjust an imputation—.
military, the Noble Lord quoted the evidence given (Hear, hear). It was known to every one that Mr.
by the Rev. Mr. Stanley, who said that he saw naked I Justice Bayley sat ten days on the trial at York, and
swords raised up and let down while they were rush- there were few who knew that Learned Judge who
ing to the hustings. If it was the wish of the House would have the boldness to say that he would not
to preserve the Constitution, it was their duty to in- have sat, not only ten days, but ten times that
terfere, otherwise the idea would go forth that there time, if his labour or his patience would thereby
was no protection for the lower classes of the people; tend more to the elucidation of truth—(Hear, hear).
and if that idea became general, if the people thought It was said, that it was improper to go so much into
that the House of Commons would give them no re- the conduct of the assembly at the trial ; but what
dress, the bonds of society would be loosened in a were the facts? A number of persons were charged
most lamentable degree. with making a riot at a Public Meeting. If no riot
Mr. WILMOT commenced his opposition to the took place, and if the assembly was orderly and
motion by defending the character of Mr. Hutton peaceable, of course they were guiltless, and it was
from the imputations of the Honourable Baronet ; therefore a natural and obvious question to inquire
and he declared that a more honourable Gentleman into the character of that Public Meeting. In fact,
did not exist. He combated the assertion of the Ho- this was the only question at issue on the trial; and
nourable Baronet, that the Government had ulterior the finding of the Jury on this question disposed of
objects in view, by what had been done at Manche, the whole matter. The conduct of the Magistrates
ter. The idea was monstrous ; and no other Mem- and Yeomen did not come to be questioned so much,
her of the House, he believed, would impute such but it was their duty, as they were the complainants,
motives to the Government. , About the time of the to adduce evidence, and shew that the Meeting was
Manchester Meeting, several other Meetings had been illegal—(Hear, hear).—The general answer to every
held, in which the people were told by seditious argument on the former debates on this subject was,
leaders, that they could have no relief for their suf- that this was not the proper place for discussing_
ferings bat by the overthrow of the Government— for it was then in a process of legal inquiry. Btu
(No, xo). He could prove that such language had this inquiry had been finished, a trial had now taken
been used; and there were in the Meetings all the place, and was it yet shewn that the Meeting was il-
symptoms of incipient treason. On the day of the legal? The evidence on that trial did not prove the
Manchester Meeting, it would have been impossible Meeting to be illegal; and it was surely preferable
for the Magistrates to preserve the peace of the town to the unknown and unexamined evidence which was
it they had not done what they did; and when it was offered by the Honourable Member to-night. He
known that a large body assembled in military array, therefore charged Government with wilfully holding
it was impossible to have acted without the military. back from an investigation into this notorious out-
It had been said that the Meeting was peaceable. They rage upon justice and law. Ile charged that the
might have been so for a time ; but it was the peace Magistrates had acted under instructions; and in proof
of a thunder storm, which might in a very short of that, he adduced the fact of their departing, in this
time have burst over the whole town of Manchester. instance, from the ordinary modes of dispersing Pub-
Nothing was more unfair than the assertion, that the lie Meetings, which were as effectual as this, and
Military had felt a disposition to cut down women infinitely more humane—(Hear, hear, hear).—Ma.. -
and children: if such persons did suffer, the suffering gistrates would never have dared to depart from the
was unavoidable in so vast a multitude. It was un- beaten road, if they had not the sanction of higher
fortunate that blood had been shed ; but were the authority—(Hear). And if these facts did not fur-
l Magistrates responsible for it? They were doing nish pregnant proofs of the sanction to which he al-
j•their duty, and it was to be regretted that the inter- luded, was he not warranted in inferring, from the
ruptions they met with obliged them to go an ex- hasty and unfeeling thanks given by Ministers to the
tended length in the exercise of that duty—( Hear, Magistrates, that what these latter had done was with
hear).—lf the charge was properly placed, it ought the sanction and connivance of the former ?—(Hear)
to be laid at the door of those who, for wicked pur- At that time Ministers knew no more than that blood
poses, compelled the Governmeut to take Ivopg Inca- been shed—(Hear)—and that the ktng's subjects