The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-03-14 00:00:00

THE CROWDS ON 'CHANGE.

It will be seen from a statement elsewhere that for
several days last week the area of the Exchange was
crowded by a number of persons, who congregated there
each afternoon, without any ostensible object.
On Thursday an address from the porters was posted on
the walls, " to the merchants and brokers," setting forth
certain grievances to themselves and also to the shippers
and receivers of goods, from the present system of master
porterage. This, it will be found, by an advertisement'
in one of our columns to-day, caused a meeting of the'
magistrates, who admit the grievances stated to a cer-
tain extent, and announce their determination to re-
medy the evil so far as they have the power. We append
below a remark on this part of the question.
Oh the same day a workman presented one of the pla-
cardx alluded to to Mr. Rushton, at the police-court, who
on perusing it stated that he should lay it before the mayor
and magistrates, and strongly urged the complainants to
be peaceable, adding that if the system of master porterage
as now pursued were according to the late act of parlia-
' ment, the porters must, if it' were oppressive, petition for
its abrogation. He advised that they should cease to hold
meetings at the Exchange or elsewhere, as such might be
injurious to their cause. At the meetings of these work-
men on the Exchange, Mr. Dowling mixed with theerowd
and conversed in a kindly manner with them, counselling
them above all' things to keep the- peace. Some fevilads
and mischievous idlers evinced a' disposition, by shoats
and intemperate expressions, to excite a disturbance, but
without effect, the porters them selvect observing becoming
patience and forbearance.
On Friday the advertisement we have alluded to was'
posted as a placard,. in various parts of the town, and its.
judicious, just, and conciliatory character had the effect
of preventing on that'day any formidable gathering of the
men. The magistrates, in fact, admit' the grievances
complained of, and show a willingness tb aid in seeing
them redressed. Every precaution was on that day and
Saturday taken to meet'any sudden outbreak, by swearing
in special constables, giving instructions to the police, &c.
[With reference to the placard issued by the magis-
trates, it is but proper tb state in behalf of the master
porters under the new act, amongst whom a comprised
many of the most respectable merchants slut brokers in
thetown, that they are not'at least the immediate parties
who-are to be blamed. The new system is assuredly im-
micA to the interests both of the master porters and the
men. The former for the most part cannot themselves
/Atm& to. and overlook the labourers. The majority of
the master porters are not guilty of any of the practices
condemned. The system must, however, be amended in
in someavav, for it works badlrfor all parties, as is testi-
fied by the following memorial. to the Dock Committee,
which W 513 signed in a very short time last week, at the
Exchange News Room, by about4wo hundred of the most
respectable merchants and brokerain town :—" Liverpool,
9th March' 1848. Gentlemen t We, the undersigned
merchants =and brokers of Liverpool, some of us being
registered master porters, having given a fair and impar-
tial trial to the system of quay porterage by master-por-
ters, only recently introduced into this port, beg to repre-
sent that the said system has proves} most unsatisfactory,
our property being abused by the awkward handling of un-
skilful portera,.while the charges have far exceeded the
amount for which the porterage could have been effected
by ourselves. We, therefore, respectfully request, that
you will be pleased to abolish the system of discharging
vessels by master porters only, and order that in future
each consignee or importer of goods shall take charge of
his own property on the quay, as formerly."]
On Sunday however great numbers again assembled in.
consequence of the following placard

" Public meeting. Good and royal subjects of her Most
Gracious Majesty the Queen are respectfullyvequested to meet;
at three e'clock to-morrow afternoon, on the Exchange-square,
to take into consideration why British artiaans should have to,
pay dearer for everything they consume than any other people
under Heaven; and it is- hoped that some good citizen will pro
pose a remedy for the above grievance, which is breaking the
spirit of the English people, and will ultimately sink the na-
tion.—A British Artisan. March 11, 1848."
_ . . . _

The above placard,.which was Printed fired on a white
ground, bore no imprint upon it. It was mot posted till
early on Sunday morning. Though no effect was appre-
hended from the above silly production, the magistracy
assembled at the Town-hall, and took every precaution
which prudence for the public safety could suggest, and
as one step the following placard was immediately issued
by the Mayor :
° BOROUGH Or LIVERPOOL.

"Notice of the intention of holding a public meeting thisday
having been posted cir the walls, I, Thomas Berry Horsfall,
hereby caution all persons•not to attend it. The meeting is
called anonymously, and it is believed by strangers; and the
Mayor confides in the Ltryal population to aid him in his de-
termination to preserve the peace of the town.
"THCMAS BERRY HORSFALL, Mayor.
" Town Hall, March I2t"

A strong body of pollee were stationed in the Sessions'
House, and in the cenU•al, office in High-street a large
force was also kept in reserve. At the hour announced
two or three hundred individuals, "to see the fun," had
gathered upon the flags ; spectators cohered, and the
crowd received instant secession from the crowd of well-
dressed people flowing every fine Sunday towards the pier
heads. Birkenhead for- the nonce was deprived of its
parading visitors. The crowd, an aimless meeting, was
gathered, but no " good:it:ben" appeared to address them.
There was no excitement; no rallying point, till Mr. Dow-
ling, who was unknown: to, the mass of people there,
mingled with the crowd, and proclaimed, like a " good
citizen," to those who rushed round him, that no •meeting
was to be held. The crowds at last perceived the hoax
which had been practiseii and gradually dispersed.
Yesterday, a rather more alarming, yet equally silly,
demonstration, without apparent definite aim, took place
in the Ex-change area. Crowds of idlers, men and boys,
but chiefly the latter, began. to assemble on the flags and
the adjoining thoroughfares, and these greatly increased
towards three o'clock. Numbers of well-dressed persons
were attracted to the spot,. and so swelled the assemblage
that shortly after three o'clock the flags were nearlyfilled,
especially on the east side of the square, opposite the
north door of the Exchange News-room, where a man,
apparently drunk, and a number of youths and boys
caused, by silly broken expressions, followed by shouts.
jeers, laughter, and occasional hustling to get up
a disturbance. They succeeded only, however, in
causing rushes of the people to and fro, and there.
can be no question but that pickpockets, and' vaga-
bonds of elder growth or practice, had urged on the boys
in hopes of a row, by which they could make, their
harvest. The business- usually transacted on 'Change
was of course for a time suspended, and at length•
matters having begun toassume a serious aspect, it was
deemed prudent to call in, shortly before four o'clock, a
strong body of police who were before quartered near the
spot. These, marching, in an orderly and determined
manner, urged those present to disperse. It was but ne-
cessary to make such a demonstration to induce the
greater portion of the assemblage to move off. Consider-..
able numbers, however, of those bent on mischief declined
to move from the square, and the police, naturally be-
coming impatient at this and the insulting language used
towards them, used their sticks with considerable, but it
is generally thought necessary, severity. The result•was
a few broken heads and bruises, but nothing serious. The
effect was almost electric, and the flight general in all.di-
rections, the feeling being "sauvequi peat." A tremen-
dous rush took place in the direction of and along
High-street, the north end of which was so blocked up
that young and old were thrown down over one another
until they lay in heaps on the ground, out of
which they were very soon hurried by pokes and knocks
from the police. In a very few minutes the Exchange
flags were cleared of the greater portion of those who had
filled them, and Dale-street, Castle-street, &c., were
crowded by many hundreds moving. We should think
that not fewer thau.3ooo to 4000 bad at one time congre-
gated at the Exchange and the surrounding streets, After
the dispersion, which from its rapidity was somewhat lu-
dicrous, the police bodies occupied the ends of the several
avenues leading ta,the Exchange, and effectually, kept out
known or suspected persons, permitting respectable parties
who had businesa there to pass and repass. It was, we
think, indiscreet in strangers and others in respect-
able society to swell the crowd that had collected
by mingling amongst them. Had they absented them-
selves the thing would have died away without any inter-
ference of the police. Of equally questionable taste was
the appearance of gentlemen at open windows in the un-
derwriters' rooms, and merchants offices facing the crowd,
and immediately above the densest portion. of them. At
four o'clock many of the shop windows in. Castle-street
and Dale-street were closed, in case of.breakage of glass:
but this was unnecessary. •

The fire brigade were at hand, and prepared to drench
the multitude had they lingered after the first charge, in
which case the merely curious as well as the mischievous
would have got cooling by no means agreeable. We
are glad to learn that the working porters so far as could
be observed, took no part in the intended disturbance ;
and that the loyalty of the people at large remained quite
unshaken on both days. The greatest praise is due to the
Mayor for his watchfulness and caution, and his forbearance
combined with firmness, in conserving the peace of the
town ; and his efforts have been anxiously seconded by
his brother magistrates, and by all the civic officers and
others from the highest to the humblest. These pre-
cautions of the authorities taken and in preparation
against any further disturbance, (should such unhappily
arise—which we do not apprehend) have inspired the
public mind with the greatest confidence.

A body of regular troops have arrived from Chester.
A large number of special constables were also yesterday
sworn in, in addition to many before. About 500 of the
men employed at the yard and works of the Corporation,
have also been taken up as constables ; and the police aro
so divided and instructed, that large bodies of them may
at once be brought to bear upon disturbances that may
show themselves in any part of the town.
About five o'clock, some idle fellows, who had been
driven from the Exchange, took it into their heads to roll
about some of the casks intended to be used in Exchange..
street East, for the consolidation of the new pavement
there laid down. They were soon put to flight by the
police.

Soon after the dispersion of the crowd from the Ex-
change, some of the tire brigade, finding a crowd at the
corner of Hargrave-buildings, played upon them from the
water mains, and got them away, the mass of them seem-
ing to take it as a mere amusement.
There was a rumour of a disturbance in Richmond-row
yesterday evening, but it turns out that it was merely a
resistance made to the apprehension of an offender by
some of, his co-mates ; that the case had nothing what.
ever to do with any of the proceedings at the Exchange ;
and that such attempts at rescue are more or less of daily
occurrence in the rough districts of the town. _

At the present time, ten o'clock, all is quiet through.
out the town, and: there is no indication of any disturb-
ance of the peace.

EXAMINATION OF MASTERS AND MATES.—At a meet-
ing held on the 7th instant, Capt. Edward Joseph Allen,
master of the William Botsford, of Liverpool, and Capt.
Thomas Tinley, master of the Nith, of Liverpool, were
examined and found duly qualified fOT first, class masters'
certificates,