The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-08-31 00:00:00

4 "•••

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MAN.

LORD VITHURST AND MR. 11:11THMAN.
-:..e.

1111'.:eha11, Aug. TS, 1821.
STR-11 have to acktrwledge the receipt of your '
ter of the 2ftb inst. relative to a riot which took place
at Knightsbridge on Sunday last.
I bad, before the receipt of your letter, given direc-
tions for an inquiry• to be made into the circumstances of
this transaction, in consequence of representations made
to me, which, I am bound to say, differ in many escen-
tial particulars from the statement which 1 have received
from you.
I cannot refrain from expressing my regret and sur-
prise, that " when the civil power under your direction
was fully adequate (as you state) for the preservation of
the peace among the people," a mob should have been
permitted to remain in a continued state of riot, after
the soldiers had been withdrawn within their barracks,
until the Riot Art was read by Mr. Conant. and the
rioters dispersed by the peace-officers under his itnnte-
diate orders; and I do not understand that, in the exe-
cution of this duty, he received any assistance from you.
I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
Mr. Sheriff WAITHMAN. BATHURST.

.11URDER.

.
Ptsnaturr. Ace. 3.—=-llre hear that a Convention
has bees concluded between our King, who resides at
Modena, and the Austrian Uovernment, by which
It.ooo Austrian troops are to occupy, till the end of
September. 1822, certain districts and towns men-
tioned in the Convention. The Austrians are to re-
lieve their garrisons every four months with troops
from the Mileasse. Un the other band, King Charles
Felix pays 600,0011 francs per noustb, and furnishes
daily foliose of bread. Various reports having
been spread in Upper Italy respectiag as iateaded in-
terferesee of Autria in the Journal stars of Sardinia,
his Majesty. Charles Pella, has caused a circular note
to be delivered to all the Foreign Ministers at Modena.

_


MT LORDAS my ohect, in the representation I bad
the honour to snake to his Majesty's Government, through
your Lordship, of the circumstances of the affray which
occurred within my own observation, at Knightsbridge,
on Sunday, was the performance of what appeared to
me to be an indispensable duty, your Lordship's note.
acknowledging the receipt of ilie communication, would
seem to require no reply, more especially as your Lord-
ship intimates that you leave given directions for an in-
quiry into the circumstances of this transaction and,
although bound to acknowledge your Lordship's can-
dour in communicating the receipt of representations
which differ in many essential particulars from my state-
ment, I should have relied in confidence upon the result
of that inquiry establishing the facts I had the honour
to represent to your Lordship.
It appears, hOwever, highly important to that inquiry
that I should explain to your Lordship, that although I
was on the spot for nearly nine hours, and did not re-
tire till I had assured myself. he riding about in
ferent directions for above ail hour and a half afar the
affray with the military, that tranluillity ryas perfectly
restored, no Riot Act was read within lily hearing or
knowledge at or near Knightsbridge Barracks on Sun-
day last ; if, therefore, the Riot Act was read by Slr.
Conant, and the rioters disrersed by the peace officers
under his orders, your Lordship will perceive that this,
must have arisen from some new and distinct disturbance,
and wns not the consequence of the mob " being per-
flatted to remain in a continued state of riot after the
soldiers had been withdrawn within their barracks."
During the whole period I was in the vicinity, I neither
saw nor heard of the attendance of any Magistrate ; and
your Lordship cannot but feel surprise with myself that
the High Sheriff of the county, at the head of the civil
power, should have received neither assistance nor cons-
tnunication from Mr. Conant, or any other Magistrate.
The representation I had the honour to forward to
your Lordship, stated a gross violation of the p.iblic
peace, and daring outrage spun the civil power by the
Life Guards at six o'clock, the circumstances of which I
need not repeat; and your Lordship's reply appears to
have reference only to some unforeseen occurrences two
hours afterwards, and consequently could not have pro-
yoked the previous assault by the soldiery, and which,
therefore, neither concerns me on the subject of the com-
plaint, which still remains thee same, and demands ri-
gorutis inquiry and exemplary satisfaction.
I have the hosour to be, my Lord,
, • Your Lordship's humble servant,
fridge-street, August 29, IS I. R. IVAITIFIXAN.
The Right Hon. Earl IletHuiteT, &e.

The Common Law of England enabled the relations
and friends of the deceased to prosecute the murderer
without Bill of indictment, c r any other form than bring-
ing them before the Judges of Assize, or the sessions of
Oyer mmll Terminer, and on the oath of a credible wit-
ness, or witnesses, submit the case to the disposal of a
Jury of twelve men, whose verdict, if Guilty, was pu-
nished with Death, without benefit of clergy ; nor had
the Ring himself the power to pardon, unless the pro-
secutor joined in the convict's petition. By an act made
some few years ago in silsilar cases, the King must
now be the prosecutor, and a pardon is at his option,
with or without a recommendation from lb(ose..,mtor,
Judge, or Jury. Something on the merits of this
form of procedure, in cases of murder, we have witness-
ed in a recent instance of a very prominent nature, in
the murder of the Fisherman, at Hastings, by a Revenue
Officer, who attacked a poor fisherman in the open day, as
he drew his boat to the shore ; and, notwithstanding,
there was nothing smuggled, and no attempt to pre-
vent a search all over the boat, the ruffian shot the poor
fisherman dead, and left his unfortunate widow and
children to the mercy of the wide world. Next as-
!ins he was tried at Horsham, found guilty of murder,
and received sentence of death, in the usual form, to
be executed within 4$ hours after. The King was
the prosecutor, and the murderer was pardoned, and at
liberty within a few days. The Manchester
were indicted at the suit of the King,, hint the Lanca-
shire Brand Jury ignored :he bills, and saved Ministers
any further trouble on the occasion.
The Life (hoards, or at least one of them, is declared
Guilty of Willed Murder by the Verdict of a Coro-
ner's Jury. On that point, the Law says, " That all
concerned in an affray where murder is committed, are
guilty as well as the man who commits the murder."
If, however, a prosecution should take place and con-
viction follow, a similar result to that of the Hastings
murderer might be the consequence. If that were the'
case, we forbear to say how far his Majesty's sub-
jects might then be considered as holding their exist-
ence almost at the will of any Red-coated ruffian who
might think it necessary to cut them down. Turkey
presents an awful and striking example of the danger
arising from the employment of soldiery for every pur-
pose, for there the Janissaries are even formidable to the
Government, and their late appalling butcheries are
likely in a short time to overturn it, and throw their
country into the fraternal bug of the great Russian
bear.