The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-04-30 00:00:00

111 E sirAlt=MAtit.

Afit. WOODS

Mt: Sheriff Wood has, to correct some rt) .
statements, given to the Public the, folios
Narrative of his proceedings on the strest V Sir
F. Burdett :

" On Saturday. the 7th pf April, is the evening
ceived the following fetter from Sir F. Burdett ; t a. dais'
Letter •ee Tun StAnerv4u) of the 9th iast.)—Ou r eipt of
this, I went iminedimely to the house of Mr. Sheri Atkins,
who was not at home, being gone into the country I there-
fore tell a copy of the Letter ut his house; and imp thence
proceeded td the Mansion-house, where I communicated to
the Lord Mayor the general purport of the Letter l had
received from Sir F. Burdett.—ln a situation of high re-
spousibility, and of which there was no precedent—us Con-
servat,T of the Peace of the County entrusted to my care.,
on the one hand, and on the other, required by the Speaker
of the house of Commons to aid and assist in the execution
of his Warrant, I next waited nit him, at bis house, ac-
companied by Mr. Smith, my Under Sheriff; nod having
also communicated to Mt. Speaker the Letter of Sir
Fiancis Burdett, required his information and advice upon
the tubject. The result of this conunanication 'was. an ob-
servation from Mr. Speaker; that • in issuing the Warrant,
he had performed his duty, and that he had no doubt 1 should
do mine.—Thus left without even the opinion of the Speaker,
whom I naturally conceived best able to inform me olthe na-
titre and extent of authority of his own Mandate, and re-
garding the Letter of Sir F. Burdett, as an intimation of a
diaurbance, of which, as Comervauir of tht Peace, I was
hound to take official notice, I then went to Sit F. Burdett's
house, in Piccadilly, in front of which I found a strung mi-
litary force: although at that time there were but few persons
in the street, and those by no means indicating any disposi-
tion to riot.—Sir F. Burdett, requesting me to pass the night
in his house, for protection, &e. by civil powef; against mi-
litary force, 1 readily consented to comply with iii: desire.
Sir F. Burdett, then retired. to acquaint Lady Burdett with
my intention, nod shortly returning, said, her Ladyship felt
much tranquillized by the assurance of my presence; and,
that she and her family tcould now retire in peace.'—At
half past 10 o'clock, we left Sir F. Burdett's house, without
interfering at that time with the military, either directly
or indirectly ; hut hearing the cries of a woman in the street,
a few doors from Sir F. Burdett's house, we proceeded to in-
quire into the occasion of her cries; when one of the Lift Guards
instantly riding upon the foot pavement, exclaimed—," Uamn
your eyes, walk on;" at the same moment aiming a blow with
his sword ut Air. Smith, which that gentleman fortunately
parried with his stick. The soldier again :wore, and threat 7
etied to "cut us down" if we did not go on. Mr. Smith re-
plied, that he was not aware who he wasattacking; but he
proceeded, and the soldier discontinued his attack. Anxious
to preserve the peace, without the interference of the mili-
tary, l immediately directed Mr. Smith to issue precepts, for
the attendance of all the constables of the county that could
possibly be assembled on the following morning, and then
went to my own house to inform my family of my intention
of sleeping at Sir Francis Burden's. 1 was stepping tutu a
carriage to return to Piccadilly, when I received a message
from Mr. Sheriff Atkins, that he would be with me in a few
minutes. Oa his'arrival, we dispatched a note to the Secre-
tary of State, with a copy of Sir Francis Burden's letter, and
then 'proceeded to his house in Piccadilly, where the follow-
ing reply of the Secretary of State was delivered to US :

" Whitehall, Sunday morning, 2 o'clock, April 8, 1810.
GENTLEM EN—I have this moment had the honour of re-
relying your letter. inclosing one to you, from Sir Francis
Burdett. It is not for me to enter into the reasoning of Sir
Francis Burdett's letter I but, I cnp have no doubt, that you
will feel it to be your duty, to give every assistance which
may he required of you, in aid of the Speaker's Warrant,
rather than in resistance to it.
" 1 have the honour to be. Gentlemen,
" Your most obedient humble Servant.

(Signed) "It. RYDER."
" Ite remained in the house of gir Francis Burdett. until
nearly half-past two o'clock, when the whole family, except
Sir Vraitcis Burdett, hnvine retired to rest, I declined passing
the remainder of the night there, from the necessity L was
under of making arrangements for the emuing day.—At nine
o'clock next morning, 'Mr. Sheriff Atkins, and myself, again
proceeded to Piccadilly, whereen our arrival, we found the
military parading in front, and. to some distencef on each side
of Sir Francis Biirdett's house.—Our arrival being notified
to the Commanding Officer, we were introduced to him; he
informed us, that he considered himself as acting under the
orders of the Magistrates; bat, that for near two hours, not
one of them had been present, although he had sent for them,
several times to Bow-street. I then apprized him of our of-
fice, and authority as Sheriffs, and expressed my desire that
the military might be gradually minuted from the front of Sir
Francis Burdett's house, conceiving, that from the then ap-
parent
disposition of the people (composed principally of
passengers add spectators) no riot or disturbance of the peace
was to be apprehended : and that the presence of the military
had a natural tendency to create a crowd of spectators, and,
1 as on similar occasions, very general andereßt irritatinn.—l
I inforMed the Commanding Officer that 1 momentarily ex-
pected a great number of constables, who had been sumnion-
ed ; and by whose aid I hoped and expected to he enabled to
preserve the peace, without the assistance or interference of
the military. The officer very readily complied with an de-
sire, and the military were' gradually withdrawn as I re-
quired.
" That part of Piccadilly, in front of Sit Francis Bur-
dett's house, remained without disturbance for a considerable
time. The number of passengers; in carriages, and on horse-
back, who were continually passing was very considerable;
many of the tatter stopped, opposite to Sir Francis Burilett's
house, and dirt certainly was thrown, by same few indite-,
duals, at those persons ip carriages and on horseback, who
refused to take off their hats while passing the house. From
the shortness of the notice, it happened that the constables
did not arrive in any considerable number; but a large body
of Sheriff's officers was inconstant attendance. In the course
a the morning a notice to the people to keep the peace was
drawn up, and dispatched to a printer's office : but it being
Sunday, it was a long time before it could he visited and
posted, according to our intentions. At three o'clock, the
Proclamation prescribed by the Riot Act was read by Mr.
Biroie, one of the Police Magistrates; and about an hour
after another Magistrate wrote, in large eharacterte. on a
piece of paper, a placard containing the following illsjodged
and offensive wails, " You are ail Felons;" which he said
he should display upon his hat, its ,the crowd. Against
this I remonstrated, and strongly recommended him not
to do so, as such an exhibition ruled serve ibo other purr
pose than that of irritating. and Warning the people. Soon
after, the Officer commanding the troops informed us that he
had received written orders from the Magistrotes to wet. I in-
stantly protested against his so doing; and, warning him of
the responsibility ha would incur by such a measure. ex-
pressed my astonishment that the Magistrates should have
given such orders, when one of them had, hut a few minutes
liefore, Receded to the propriety of my proposal of going out,
as soon as the above notice was priated, to attempt the dis-
"persion of the people ourselves; be requested me to see the
Magistrates, and conducted me and my brother Sheriffto their
r00111..-..We were introduced to five Polite Magistrates, then
at dinner. I expressed my surprise that they should have
given such orders;- that I was confident they were mere
likely to irritate, than to effectually disperse the people ; that
I would engage, with the sole aid ofsach officers as were then
in attendance, to clear the streets ; but that, at all events, the
more constitutional mode would be, to try first the effect of
the civil power ; and if that failed, then, and then only, to
call in the military.' The propriety of this plan was agreed
to by three of the Magistrates then present. During the con-
versation, the Field Officer io waiting 01100 the Secretary of
State arrived, and said. that he was desired to say, from
Mr. Ryder, that the Sheri/certainly hail the right of calling
in the power of thelhounty, hut that the Magistrates had also
the right of acting."
" However, after many arguments and observation' on
both sides, the Commanding OtQcer who had taken the wise
precaution of receiving written orders from the. Magistrates
(Agora, $ he•liove, by four of them), • to disperse the peo-
ple, and not in allow any person to pats up or eown the pub-
lic road,' being somewhat impatient, and requiring hie enal
orders, I said, (addressing myself to the Magistrates,) I
protest against this measure—you have taken the power out
of my hands, and if any one shall be killed, you will be
justly responsible for ail consequences, and I shall certainly
think it my duty to indict the parties offenditie.' We still te-
maine'l ;it the tilieucter Coffee-house. About 5 o'clock,
Mr. Coleman, the Serieaet at Arms, was introdaced. He
produced the Speaker's Warrant; Mr. Cater, of the She-
I rift's °Kw, asked, whether he intended to leave it with the
Sheriff? Ile answered in the negative, and said, • that the
his visit was, to require the aid of the Sheriff in
object
sjeesret of
csitiois. Mr. Cater directed it copy of the warrant to
he taken; and then asked' Mr. Cotemait, • in what manner
he expected ille,Sheriff should aid him ; whether by "Peaking
into the house oniir Francis Burdett, or how otherwise'' lie
said. he did e.t know.' lie was shell Inferincd, ' that the
Sheriff had considered the subject poet fully, and that he
conceived the warrant was not alegal authority to broils open
the miter door, and that he could net, therefore, assist him in
that way) hat he Ras ready to aid him in nil other respects with
the Sheriffs pewee acid authority: in the comer of the con-

oersatinn, Mr. Cater asked the Ffertit at Arms: • whet het
he had taken legal advice ?' lie answered that lie h. d laid
the ease before the Attorney-General, hal h d not vet ob-
tained his opinion; mot promised tom ht west! fUrnish us
with it, immediately on receiyiog it.. We rent:listed at the
Gloucester Coffee-house until near It o'clOrk; hut &I not
hear from him. Returning into the city, my apiiteto•nsiori
were realized. The people had been driven Wow one end of
Piccadilly to the other, and there remained in great numbers,
and, f 0 a considerable distance on the way, had broken the
lamps, untwithstanding the presence of the military: Ott
Monday morning I retied no the atteodatice of nearly 300
constables, as well ;.s that of many hotidreds of the inhabit-
' ants of the county, who were ready to come for w;trtS to pre-
serge the peace k and I have no doubt, ;hat with tont force,
that object would have been fully accomplished without thq
slightest aid from the military. In my way to Piccadiflj, f
met one of the Under-Sheiilfi (Mr. Forbes), who iutorined me
that Sir E. B. bad been bitten from his bowe that mornings
that the Serjeant at Arms his Deputy had called him (the
Under-Sheriff) up at one ticlock, and communicated to hint
tbe opinion of the Attorney-General (already before the
public). lie at the same time informed the Serjeant, it was
the Sheriff's intention to be at the Gloucester Coffee-Monte,
attended by he civil Oliver, for the purpose of preserving
the peace; That be (the Under Sherif) was confident the
Speaker's warrant would meet no interruption in its exerts..
lion; but whether the Sheriffs would take upon themselves to
enter by force the house of Sir Francis Burdett, was a ques-
tion for them to answer; but this he would take upon. himself
to say, from his principal, Mr. Sheriff Atkins, that' nix %vitt-
lotion should be offered to the Serjeant at Arms in the etym.
tit's, of what hetqight conceive to he his dirty, in the manner
of effectuating int execution; nor had he any doubt that Mr.
Shelia' Wood,- on his part, would do all Om was tit in he
done, but that, not being his Uuder-Sheriff, he, from defer-
ence nod respect, declined anticipating the opinion of Mr.
Sheriff Wood.
"Thin ended the ditties of the Sheriff on this important ne•
casion." .

Several duds have occurred between the Conkers
of his Majesty's and the Honourable Company's
army, arising out of matters connected with the
late transactions.

It appears, from an account Laid before Partin.
Merit; that the amount of the repair!. done to
the Cathedtal of Canterbury, during the last t wen.
ty yeart, is 21,0501. which gives an average of
1,0501. 5.5.
An elderly Woman Was on Sundae wounded at
Literpooli by a shut fired from his 'Majesty's ship
Princess, to hring.to a boat belonging to a vessel
just arrived ftotn Madeira..
The personal effects of the late celebrated musi.
cal composer, Haydn, Were to be publicly suld at
Vienna on the 26th inst. Among them is a parrot,
which he had taught to sing a variety of (llama* •
airs;
Last week, at Ling&ltl, in Surteri the wife of s
labourer, named Davis, having gime out early its
the morning, left an infant 14 months old in the
cradle. On her -return, she found the child dread.
fully mangled; one eye turn out of the socket,
its arms, face, and neck, much lacerated, and
struggling for breaths as if oppressed with a weight.
On turning down the clothes, the agonized mollies
perceived that it was occasioned by the cat, which
with her kitten had foetid the way into the cradle,
and probably being annoyed by the ulayfalness of
the infant, had reduced it to the above state.
A servant in Red Lion‘street, Clorken well, hat,
ing some time since accidentally swallowed a needle,
was, a few days ago, seized with an excruciating
pain,ln the small of her back ; and one neigh,
touring surgeon being sent for, he discovered the
Point of the needle making its way through the
skin. It was immediately extracted, and the piling
woman is now recovering.
A merchant of Nuremburg, of the name of
Mcisner, lately shot himself, his wife, and one
child, in the MOM of an inn; at Munich, where he
lodged. His despair arose from pecuniary emhar,
iassment, some bills of exchange which he hail
drawn upon a banking-house at Augsburg having
been returned protested. In a note which he left
upon the table, he requested that they might alt
three be buried in one grave, which was complied
with.

John Williams, late servant to Mr. Fisher, of
Shirt's', was committed, on Tuesday last, by the
Magistrates, to take his trial at the next Shrews.
bury Session, for wilfully burning his livery
clothes with vitriol, or some other mineral acid,
at the time he left Mr. Fisher's service.
Last week, at Spalding, during a funeral pro.
cession, a cow, which had been over-driven, at.
tacked the bearers, and compelled them to drop
the corpse and fly for shelter. The animal Vico
repeatedly butted at the coffin, and would proba-
bly have broken it to pieces, had not assistance
been procured, and the beast secured.
An inquest was held on Friday, at the Coach
and Horses, in St. Martin's-lane, on the body of
Mrs. Anna Maria Kentierley, who died on Tues-
day last, iu consequence of being dreadfully burp.
ed at her house in St. Martin's-court.
Mr. Robert Bownes, a clerk to Mr. Kenner.
ley, said, tekt he slept on the ground floor ; on
Tuesday mottsiag last, about half.past one o'clock,
he was awakened by some noise in the house ; the
wittiM Fact., tis Stairs, and between the first and
second ilentr.t.lairt he met Mrs. Kennerky, nll3
was running doWn, with her clothes on fire, j
she exclaimed, 64 Robert, assist. me." The wit-
ness wentinto the first floor back room to get some
clothes to wrap round Mrs. Kennedy, who fol-
lowed him into the room; net finding any thing,
he attempted to get up the dun ing.room carpet,
but it was nailed to the floor ; then with his hands
he tried to extinguish her clothes, which were
burning very rapidly, in which attempt he burned
one•of his hands ; he next ran down stairs to get
the counterpane off his. bed, and ran again up
stairs with it ; he met Mr. Ford,• who had been
alarmed by the noise ; he desired him to take the
counterpane, andio and wrap it round Mrs. Ken..
nerley ; the witness opened the street door, ant
called some persons who were passing at the time,
and desired them to render assistance ; they went
up to the second floor bed.ronm, and found ono
side of the bed in dames, which they extinguished.
There was a candlestick lying close to the bee,
side, but no candle in it ; it was burnt down to this
socket.

Dr. Thomas said, on Tuesday morning last, be.
tween two and three o'clock, he found Mrs. K►•u.
nericy in a bed on a ground flour ; sic WaS c►xn.
planting of excessive pain ; upon examination, I►,►
found she was dreadfully burned in the trunk an,l
upper' extremities. It was very clear that' er ilca;;4
was inevitable, and he directed hjs a!teniivn
give her present relief. She expired about live 1;4
the afternoon of the same day.
The Jury returned -a ir!g4ict of 4cri4l;4
Death.

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