The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-03-01 00:00:00

CHAIRING OF MR. BARCL.4Y.

TUMULT IN THE BOROUGH.
The proposed measures for restricting the imports.
Lion of foreign grain into this country, we have al.
ready stated, have excited considerable ferment in
the minds of the inhabitants of this great city, and the
scene which was yesterday exhibited in the Borough
of Southwark exemplified, in the strongest manner,
the truth of those observations.

Our Readers may recollect that Charles Barclay,
Esq. was but a few days back returned, by a very
considerable majority, to serve in Parliameut, as the
Representative of the Borough of Southwark, after
a fruitless, but spirited, opposition upon the part
of the friends of William Jones Bartlett, Esq.—
Subsequent to this Gentleman's return, the subject
of the Corn Laws has: been 'brought before the
!louse of Commons, mud es this is a question in
which the interests of all classes are concerned, con.
siderable curiosity was
.maeifested by the inhabi-
tants of the Borough, to know the course which
their new Member would puisfie respecting it, the
more especially as they hue ytit an opportunity of
expressing their sentimeuts upon his conduct, during
the • ceremony of chairing, 'which was still to take,
place.
Those who naturally looked with an eye of jealousy
on Mr. Barclay's principles, as he had taken no
pains to explain them, soon had au opportunity of
guessing at these, and of expressing their disappro-
bation of them. The event to which we allude, was
the first division which took place in the House of
Commons 'won the Corn Laws. The question upon
which this division took place was, as to whether the
House should resolve ,into a Committee upon Mr.,
Robinson's Resolutions or not, for the purpose of
deliberately considering their object, and the policy
of their adoption. On this occasion the great ma.
jority of the House voted for the Committee, the mi-
nority amounting only to six Members, independent
of the Tellers. Of this Minority. Mr. Calvert, the
second Representative for the Borough, was one;
and, in a letter which he addressed to Mr. Solomon
Davis, one of his constituents, after adverting to other
topics which' gave rise to the correspondence,
he stated, as a mere matter of fact, that 66 he had
just been left io a minority of six against the Corn
Laws, and that his colleague, Mr. Barclay, remained
in the house, with a considerable majority in favour
of the question." This communication, without fur-
ther explanation, was published, and hence a spirit of
opposition was raised against Mr. Barclay.
No sooner had the •friends of Mr. Barclay heard
of the commotion which had ohtaiued existence,
than they used every effort to counteract its bane.'
ful influence. Their efforts, however, were, in a
great measure defeated by the circulation of hand-
bills, and the exhibition of posting-bills in every
part of the Borough, in which Mr. Barclay was de-
scribed as the advocate of a measure which had for
its object the oppression of the poor, by raising the
price of bread.
To counteract the ferment no pains were spared—
vestry meetings were called in every parish, and the
friends of Mr. Barclay, and that gentleman in per.
son, protested against the erroneous conclusions
which bad beets drawn from the course he bad put.

-------eseaseser
I sued. Unfortunately, however, the great bulk of throng, they were overborne by numbers) and were
the population had not admission to these meetings, happy to escape with their lives.
and designing persons taking advantage of their As it was anticipated that the Horns at Ketining.
. inexperience, and want of information, fomented ton would form the principal point of attraction to
the prejudices which existed, and by their misrepre- the discontented assemblage, several Magistrates,
sentations added fuel to the flame, which already attended by their Officers„ repaired to that spot, and
burnt with too much vigour. All Saturday, Sun- in a short time, Sir N. Conant, Mr. Birnie, Mr.
day, and Monday was devoted to endeavours to King, Mr. Colquhoun, and some others, met, and
quell this violence: and on Monday evening, as proceeded to swear in extra constables, for the pro,
soon as ever the question of the Corn Laws was tection of the peace.
brought before the House, Mr. Barclay, in his place, 1 These arrangements, however, were scarcely de.
as may be seen by our Report of the proceedings 1 cided upon, when distant shouts announced the near
yesterday, protested in the strongest and most un- I arrival of the mob, which soon surrounded the house,
equivocal manner, against the Report of the Com- and commenced a dreadful attack on the windows
mittee being received, and urged some short but with stones, brickbats, &c. The doors were imme.
forcible arguments in support of the sentiments distely barricadoed, and every means taken to pre=
which he delivered. This it was thought would vent the entrance of the assailants, who made de-
have given the finishing blow to the malevolent in- monstrations of such an intent. The cries of '6 No
sinuations of his enemies; and in order that it might Corn Laws!" were now repeated with additional
be universally known, and that no person might clamour, and the conduct of the populace became so
plead ignorance of his conduct upon the subject, the infuriated, that, after some deliberation, it was
following placard was yesterday morning posted in deemed prudent to send off a Messenger to the Office
every conspicuous situation in the Borough :
of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to
.. TUESDAY aloes IRO, FEL V.—Electors of Southwark! demand the assistance of the military. This reqUisi.
Attend to this plain fact : Last night your Representative, •
Charles Barclay, E.q. moved, in the House of Commons, tion was immediately complied with, and at half-past
That the Itemlutiowi mi the Corn Laws 11/10U L three o'clock a detachment of sixty Life Guards
ivr D. Is not this decisive proof of his de-
termination to support your interests, and of his attentiou to
marched from their quarters at the
the pro,, in thus keeping down the price of bread p. II G d
orse- Oar S t 0
the scene of action. They were at first received eith
These proceedings were considered the more ne- shouts of indignation, and by some trilling resist.
cessary, as yesterday was the day appointed for the ance, but by a cool perseverance in their duty they
1
chairing of Mr. Barclay, according to ancient cos- succeeded in gaining possession of the ground in
tom, and for his numerous friends to meet at the the immediate front of the tavern, and then by de-
Horns Tavern, at Kennington, to celebrate his re- grees, but not without difficulty, they contrived to
turn to ParliaMent. Arrangements for these pur- disperse over a considerable space the messes of
poses had been previously made; and it was not people who were assembled. Still, however the
9
, thought requisite to defer the ceremony to any future cries of Down with the friends of the Corti Laws!
1 ' day. At nine o'clock, therefore, yesterday morn- —Down with those who would raise the price of
i ing, the friends of Mr. Barclay began to assemble in bread! burst from various quarters, and stones con.
1 the road leading from the obelisk in St. George's- tinued to be thrown at the windows. Every coach
fields to the King's Bench Prison. The numbers and full of Mr. Barclay's friends who approached to be
respectability of the cavalcade which repaired to the present at the dinner, were pelted with mud, and
place of rendezvous, exceeded any thing we have pronounced the enemies of the people, because they
witnessed on any former occasion. There were a were friends of him who had acted for the Corn
great many carriages and four, and an innumerable Laws. During this period a large stone entered the
concourse of carringes and pair, the horses and ser. room in which Mr. Barclay was with some pf his
rants decorated with orange and blue ribbons, the friends, and striking Mr. Perkins, his partner, on
colours of Mr. Barclay. To these were lidded sere. the head, inflicted a severe cut. Many eicaped'a
ray hundred horsemen, well mounted, all decorated similar fate with great difficulty.
with the favours of their Representative. When we The activity of the guards produced, after some
conjoin with these upwardi of 300 Electors out foot, time, a cessation of those attacks ; and the friends of
some idea may be formed of the procession.. Mr. Barclay arrived in considerable numbers. At
The approach of Mr. !Barclay in a barouche, drawn five o'clock upwards of five hundred persons had
by four blood horses, decorated with ribbons, was taken their seats in the large room where the dinner
soon recognised, and he was received with the loud- tables were laid, but, as a measure of precaution,
est acclamations of applause. In the barouche with they were forced, although it was yet day-light, to
him were Mr. F. Young and Mr. Moulden, the mover let down the curtains, to save thems'elves frem the
and seconder of his nomination. The barouche hay. stones and broken glass which occaslonully fell among
ing taken the situation appointed in the procession, them.
the whole moved on down Blackfriars-road; hailed Soon after this period, Mr. Barclay, attended by
by the loudest vociferation, of appla'use, intermixed Mr. Young, Mr. Moulden, and several of the Stew.
with occasional hisses. The course of the cavalcade i cads, entered the room, the band playing, " See
down Higgins's.lane to the Borough was uninter- the conquering hero comes !"
rupted, but on their arrival in Tooley-street, and the The cloth being removed, and the health of Mr.
neighbourhood of Horsleydown, the strongest man'. BARCLAY drank, he rose and addressed the assembly.
festation of dislike was exhibited. Groans and hisses In the Course of a speech of acknowledgment, for
burst from all quarters, and showers of mud and filth the friendship with which he had been helmeted by the
of every description were poured on the members of reepeetableend numerous company by whom he wait
the procession. The cries of "No Corn Laws" re- that day tin/rounded ; he said, during the election
sounded from thousands of an enraged multitude, and foe the. Boroegbecif Southwark, various attacks had
indignation of the most marked description," was ex. been made upon, all of which were alike uefoustded„
pressed towards Mr. Barclay, the supposed advocate lie had been called upon at the close of that election
of these measures, and all who wore his colours. In to declare his political principles, but he had refused
vain did the members of the cavalcade exhibit the pla. to comply with that call, from a conscious feeling
card already described, and in the most decided fan- that he was not hound to state upon what side he
guage declare, that the people laboured under a nsis. should vote. To those who were now assembled,
take; and that Mr. Barclay was their friend, and the however, he.had no hesitation in saying, that he had
opponent of the corn measure. In the open and un. always considered it his duty to support the Govern.
equivocal detestation Which was expressed of any al- merit of the country, as long as it was conducted
teratioa in the Laws respectiug Corn, Mr. Barclay without detriment to the rights and • privileges of the
was included, and towards him, as the principal ob- people. Although it was true that this country had
ject within reach of popular fury, hostility was every , laboured under severe burdens during the late war,
where evinced. Acts of violence, however, were' he considered that we ought not to repine when we
not alone confined to him, for the members of the I cast our eyes upon the horrors to which other nations
cavalcade shared in the ungrateful fronerc which were ! of Europe, during the same period, had been subject.
universally distributed, and the windows in which To Russia and Germany he particularly referred, CO
well-dressed females were seated to view the passing demonstrative of his argument. His political career had
scene did not escape the general attack. The glass I been short, but it had been eventful. The first subject
flew in all directioni, and those within reach of these ! which presented itself in reviewing this career, was
attacks were most happy to retreat from the work of 1 the Corn Laws. Upon this subject he had already
devastation which seas going on. explained himself at several parish meetings, but he
Weare sorry to say, that some severe contusions , thought it necessary here again to repeat the course
were inflicted during this lawless exhibition, and' he had taken with regard to this question. It would
that some of the horsemen were precipitated from be recollected that, on his election, he had made no
their seats and much injured. The ferment which pledge as to what particular line he should take upon
prevailed here, however, was but trifling compared this or any other matter which might COMP under his
with that which afterwards arose In the front of St. ; observation, because he well knew that his mind was
George's Church, whither the cavalcade arrived i not sufficiently informed to enable him to come to a
with great difficulty. At this spot the mob became i definitive judgment. The first step he find beep
outrageous. On all sides were seen loaves of called upon to take regarding the Corn Laws, was
various sizes, covered with black crape and cloth, Ito accede to enquiry. To this, as he had not made
indicative of the apprehensions which were enter- ' up his mind so decidedly as to give his vote either the
tamed of an advance in the price of that article.— I one way or the other, he had acc;ded.-- But, :thee
I These exhibitions produced an extraordinary sense-1 listening to the arguments which were urged on both
Lion, and the fury of the populace became ungovern. : sides during that enquiry, the conscientious deter-
able. The numbers received reinforcements every mination of his mind was to vote against the Resole-
/ step they took—and in proportion as they became tions which had been submitted to the House.—[4p.
stroug they became audacious—stones, mad, oyster.' please.] —He had voted against the price of 80s. and
-shells, and all manner of missiles, were brought into had voted for no other sum, because no other aura
requisition, and hurled with violence at the supposed had become a matter of question before the House.
offenders. The carriage of Mr. Barclay was frac- I —The Hon. Member then defended himself against
tured in the most shameful manner, while its in- ! the imputation of wishing to advocate the centieu.
mates were rendered undistinguishable, froth the ; ance of the Income Tax, by stating, that lie had al- •
heap of filth by which. they were covered. Some 1 ways entertained a confidence in the assurance Rivet*
attempts were made towards dragging these indivi- i to the public, that this Tax would be discontinued
duals from their seats, but happily this was not ac. 1 with the war. Ile afterwards adverted to the charges
complished. I brought against the Brewers, and entered into a cal.
It had been previously intended that the proves., culation, from whence he deduced that the accusa,
eion should proceed down Kent-street to the Brick. 1 tions against these indivldulls were not fobndeel in
layer's-Arms, but this plan was now abandoned, justice. In conclusinft,lnv declared his intention,
and it was determined to advance in a direct line to , by his actions, to prove the high seism which he en.
Newington-causeway. This resolution was carried tertaimed of the confidence that had been reposed in
into effect, bet on arriving at that point, the tu. him by the Electors of the Borough of Southwark.—
mutt became so great, and the symptoms of pre- [Load and reiterated plaudits.]
meditated pertonal violence became so evident, that 1 The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Youpg) then suggested the
it was deemed wise for all parties to make good propriety, from the natural state of alarm in which
their retreat as quickly as possible. The carriages the family of Mr. Barclay mast he from the events of
and horsemen, therefore dispersed in all directions, that day, of permitting that Gentlemen to retire as
at full speed; that of Mr. Barclay proceeding to las soon as pessible.--Peplause.l—He also con.
the Horns, at Kennington, where he arrived shot tly sidered it wise for the whole party to disperse as soon
before two o'clock. This retreat produced, on the as convenient, in order that no incitement to dise
minds of the multitude, a feeling of triumph, and turbance might exist. He did not desire this from
they rushed forward toward* Kennington with re- fear, for from his birth he scarce koen7 what fear
newed vigour. was ; but Magistrates who were present considered
During these operations the police officers ea. it importaut that a separation should take place as
deavoured, is vain) to check the ferious Cana of the soon as possible; au4 be was most anxious to remove