The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-16 00:00:00

PRESTON.

Our reporter proceeded to Preston yesterday morning,
and on his arrival there he found, as stated already, the town
in a state of perfect quietness. He ascertained that at five
o'clock on Saturday evening the magistrates gave orders, by
the distribution of hand-bills at every public-house and beer-
shop, that the whole should be closed at that hour. This
direction was to a great extent complied with, and to it may,
perhaps, be attributed the safety of the towu during the
night.
During the afternoon of Saturday, in addition to the force
already in town, a company of the 72nd Highlanders arrived
about two o'clock, and at four a further reinforcement of 150
of the 60th Rifle brigade, under the command of Major Wool-
ford. They were brought from Manchester by a special train,
and were only one hour and four minutes on the journey : the
distance is about thirty-six miles. About one o'clock on
Sunday the Wigan troop of the Lancashire Yeomanry, un-
der the command of Lord Francis Egerton, marched into
town ; and we believe it was intended that another troop of
the same regiment should come in yesterday morning, but
from the appearance of the town orders were despatched to
say that their services were not needed. The following is
the proclamation which the magistrates issued :

" WHEREAS,
A number of persons did yesterday illegally assembly them-
selves together within this borough, and did with great force
and violence break open divers mill and manfactories, and
turn out the persons employed therein, and commit divers
acts of outrage and violence against the Queen's peace ; and
whereas a still greater number of persons did this morning
illegally assemble together in this borough, and did with great
force and violence break into another mill, and make a great
riot, tumult, and disturbance against the Queen's peace;
and whereas the mayor and magistrates having proceeded
with a civil and military force, to restore the public peace,
the said rioters did make an attack upon them, striking
and wounding divers of the police, and knocking down the
chief constable, whereupon the Mayor did cause the Pro-
clamation, directed by the Statute, commonly called the
Riot Act, to be openly read to the persons so illegally
assembled, and did command all persons being assem-
bled, immediately to disperse them, but after such Pro-
clamation made, the persons then so assembled continued
their violence, and overpowered the constables, and pro-
ceeded further to attack the military force, by whom the ma-
gistrates were assisted, and by throwing stones at them in
front and in rear at the same moment, did attempt to over-
come the said military force, whereupon it became necessary
for the said military force to fire upon the rioters, and the
military force, by lawful command, did then and there fire
upon the rioters, whereby they were dispersed and divers of
them wounded.

These are in the name of our Sovereign Lady the Queen,
strictly to charge and command all persons to keep the
Queen's Peace, as they will answer the contrary according to
Law. And to declare that the Mayor and Magistrates will
use every authority with which they are invested for the pre-
servation of the public peace.
By order of the Mayor and Magistrates,
RICHARD PALMER.
Town Clerk."

Aug. 13th, 1842.

In consequence of so a large number of the 60th rifles
having arrived, it was concluded that the services of the two
detachments of the 72nd (the one from Blackburn and the
other from Wigan) might without any fear be dispensed
with, when those from the former place were marched back,
and thh other by the Railway- The soldiers were kept
closely within quarters, and the magistrates continued their
deliberations till a late hour, being ready in case of a sudden
outbreak to act with the same promptness and energy that
had characterised their proceedings in the morning; Sunday
passed over most quietly—the only excitement being in
front of the Bull Inn, where the greater part of the Rifle-
men were located, and that excitement was only
caused by a great number of idlers that would as easily
have congregated on any other occasion. The authori-
ties had a conference in the evening, and arrangements were
made as to the mode of action to be adopted yesterday
morning, had there been any attempt to disturb the peace
of the town by preventing those hands that were willing to
resume their work, from so doing.
The first intimation yesterday morning that the military
were in the town, was the bugle of the. yeomanry about four
o'clock, in order to have them in readiness to act at the time
of the factories commencing (six o clock). About half-past
five they were paraded in the street, as also the rifle brigade.

The mayor (S. Lterrocks, Esq.) and the following magis-
trates—T. B. Addison, Esq., Colonel Austen, T. Lowndes,
Esq., G. Jacson, Esq., J. Bairstow, Esq., and W. Taylor,
Esq.—were in attendance at the Bull Inn at five o'clock. A
little before six, part of the rifle brigade marched to the east
end of the town, and the other division to the west, with a
body of rural police and the borough police, but their services
were not needed, as all the hands at all the factories (except
what we shall -name below) went quietly to work as on any
other day ; nor did there appear in the different neighbour-
hoods the least excitement, every thing wearing the ap-
pearance of a common working day. The exceptions we
have alluded to were the spinners of the factory of Mr.
Gardner, in Marsh-lane, on a dispute about wages; and the
original turn-outs at Messrs. Ainsworth's. They were con-
gregated in front of the factory, and had a conference or two
with Mr. W: Ainsworth ; but no terms were come to, the
stipulation of the weavers being to turn off the manager or
taker-in, who, they allege, is much to strict, and his abate-
ments on their work much too large.

The wounded rioters in the House of Recovery were yes-
terday morning a little better, but two or three of them con-
tinue in a most' precarious and dangerous state. The man
in Birk-street still continues in a dangerous state. We have
mentioned above that several must have been wounded
whose names we did not know—one of these, George
Sowerbutts, who lived in Chandler-street, a youth about 18
years of age, a power-loom weaver at Gardner's, was shot
through the lower part of the belly. He was immediately
carried to his lodgings, and lingered till nine o'clock on
Sunday night, when he died. He was exceedingly busy du-
ring the riotous proceedings of the mob, and very active in
endeavouring to put out the fire under the boiler at the fac-
tory of Messrs. Paley.

The inquest on the body of Laverhitts will be held this-
day (Tuesday,) at the House of Recovery, before Mr. R.
Palmer, the borough coroner.
The man, who so violently assaulted Captain Woodford,
chief superintendent of the rural police, was apprehended on
Sunday, at Leigh, near Bolton. He is an inhabitant of that
place, and has made himself conspicuous by his violence.
An inspector of the force was despatched to Leigh for him
by the train, which left Preston at twenty minutes past two
o'clock yesterday afternoon, and the prisoner will be
examined before the magistrates this-day. Several parties
who are in custody, will be examined at the same time.
The activity and promptitude of the authorities of Preston
cannot be too much praised. We are satisfied that had they
not exhibited so much decision the town would have been
entirely at the mercy of the mob, the consequences of which
it is useless to conjecture. The town had resumed its usual
appearance when our reporter left yesterday afternoon.