The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-19 00:00:00

STOCKPORT, &c

On Sunday the rioters assembled in various places in the
neighbourhood of Stockport. On Monday and Tuesday also
meetings were held, but all is peaceable, though every trade
is at a stand, and there does not appear much disposition to
resume work. No further disturbance of any moment has
taken place in any town adjoining Stockport. At one of the
meetings on Monday John Wright was called upon to pre- '
side; and, after the deputation had stated the result of their
mission, a chartist, named Pilling, of Ashton-under-Lyne,
got up to address the meeting. After stating that the turn-
out bad commenced at Stalybridge, in consequence of Messrs.
Bayley attempting to reduce the wages of their work-people,
he said—l am the originator of this move, and I do not care
what I suffer, so that the point is carried. We began our
meetines at Ashton ; then at Stalybridge and Dukinfield ,•
and, if at the end, the cause is gained, I do not care if I
suffer within the walls of a prison. The manufacturers had
offered a reduction of 25 per cent., but all except Mr. Bayley,
a corn-law repealer, withdrew the notice ; and the operatives
swore by the God of Heaven, that they would annihilate him
(Mr. Bayley) and the system, before they would work at the
wages offered. Here he related his proceedings at Ashton,
Oldham, &c., and continued—lf there be even an honour
attached to a man, I claim the honour for this movement.
All labour is ceased ; and it is spreading like wildfire through
Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. I have
heard a person say, that you turned out for an advance of
wages ; but, I mean to tell you, you did not. You were com-
pelled to leave work by the people of Ashton ; and, if you go
in again, the people of Ashton will visit you, and will again
make you leave off work, and give you a good hiding too. I
have been instrumental in making you all ladies and gentle-
men,ydo_____ur power;.
and the day I did it was the proudest I ever had. This
movement shows to the aristocracy of the country that you
could
annihilate them if you thought proper. You now know
starve if You loaned.
you gain your if. you go in as you came out, eternal
55 is your desert. The masters will cut, and slash, and
you have felt the:Pe:4s
object.
ah! you had better haye staid in, unless
this timenneexstaiya
itistrike,.3n
the
During the last summer and winter,
of hunger? and, if you go in before
300,000 people since the
year, you YI,RI will be labouring for six shillings per
week.—
and robbery at the word attended meetings, and addressed
In referring to the attack
said' the people of Ashton previous Thursday, he
had not been led by other.; "Id
never have gone in if they
telling them, that all who luld You have deceived them by
liberated, whilst some were de een apprehended had been
They swear by the God of Heaven
ned an sent to Chester.
they will not stand it. We went to t(jr , if they come aeain
no damage done there. If the dham
masters do not •
, and there was
wages we are contending for, we must and will give us the
thing to eat, wherever it comes fram. As ai I.have sc•me-
esterday, if we turn thieves and get taken •
friendsaid
to
me yesterday, into custody,
the soldiers would guard us and cook for us, while
being tried ; and this would eat up the system. Minde were
thing, if you go to work, and the people of Ashton :lit
you, they will give you a d—d good thrashing : and catch
you deserve it ?—(Yes, yes.) And by you will have it
After speaking a short time longer, in a similar strain, he
concluded, and the meeting afterwards separated.
On Tuesday three men named Mortimer, Kershaw, and
Smith, were committed for trial on a charge of rioting, and

on 'Wednesday two others were committed for intimidating
parties with a view to compel them to give up work. On
Wednesday evening another public meeting, at which at least
10,000 persons were present, a person in the meeting gave the
chairman a note, which he read to the meeting, and which
went on to say, it was expected that Mr. Scott, iron founder
would give them one thousand loads of potatoes.

WARRINGTON.
At Warrington, on Monday and Tuesday last, a report
was very current that the Chartists proposed visiting that.
town ; about noon on the latter day, a great concourse of
persons were seen in the Wigan road, " wending their way"
toward the heretofore peaceable town of Warrington ; the
alarm immediately spread among the inhabitants, and most
of the shops were do and, in some instances the words
" To let," were writt large characters on the shutters ;
several hundreds ofChartists, thieves, and pickpockets, (we
suppose, our readers will think, the three synonymous,) went
in procession to meet and welcome the supposed Chartists;
their cheers were loud, long, and enthusiastic ; but the con-
sternation and disappointment of the mob may be imagined,
when, upon a near approach to the supposed Chartists,
they found the company was composed of two companies of
the Rifle Brigade, who were coming to be stationed at War-
rington, to keep the now chop-fallen rioters in check ; the
dress of the brigade being dark green, and being surrounded
with women and children, and much dust flying about, the
mob did not, until a near approach, recognise them as sol-
diers.

BLACKBURN AND ADJACENT TOWNS.
Church, near Blackburn, Monday Night.
We are now in this part reaping the fruits of the late Whig
government, and also of Tory incaution. On Saturday,
Acrington, Church, and all the adjacent places were besieged
by Chartist mobs ; and, having no protection, we were all
obliged to comply with their demands—stopping our ma-
chinery and turning out all our hands. The print works of
Messrs. R. and T. Peel, at Church, were crowded, and I
feared we should sustain some serious injury ; but, happily,
they passed away without doing mischief. Our pockets and
pantries had to suffer. Yesterday, it was reported a meeting
would be held on Bull. Hilt. the other side of Darwen from
here, and this morning a desperate attack on Blackburn is
expected to take place. The authorities have been very
active in preparations to resist the mob, and I do hope they
may be successful.

We have had visitors this night to observe if we are pre-
paring for starting our engine. The premises of Foxhill
Bank have attracted the mobs attention, and this morning
there is not one factory at work, and it would be folly for us
to attempt any resistance at the present moment. Meetings
have been held in this neighbourhood on Sundays for many
weeks which ought to have been put down. A gentleman,
with a requisition from the magistrates, went to Manchester
yesterday, but they cannot spare any assistance from that
quarter. A mob of from 10 to 15,000 passed along the
Acrington road to Blackburn this morning, and they were
pouring in from all directions, and Blackburn cannot resist
this multitude. Several parties have been seriously injured.
THE MILITARY ORDERED TO FIRE—TWO MEN SHOT.
(From a Second Edition of the Manchester Times,
published on Tuesday)

We have just been favoured with the sight of two letters
from Blackburn, from which we glean the following particu-
lars :

The first letter is dated last evening, and states there had
been a general turning-out of hands there during the day.
On coming before Messrs. Livesey and Hodgetts' mill a stout
defence was made, and the crowd was beaten back by the
military, consisting of two companies of the 72d Highlanders.
In the affray Mr. Livesey, jun. was struck in the eye with a
stone, and received a severe laceration.
Soon afterwards the turn-outs returned in great numbers,
and Mr. Livesey thought it prudent to lock up the mill. The
constabulary present, aided by the military, proceeded to
arrest some of the leaders in the attack, and a number of the
prisoners were sent off to gaol under a strong escort of the
soldiers. Some stones were thrown at the military,
when the officer in command remonstrated, and cautioned
the multitude to abstain from acts of violence or the autho-
rities would be compelled to retort violence in self-defence.
The caution was unhappily unheeded : a great many in
the crowd hurled stones at the soldiers, and ultimately the
position of the military was one of such peril that the officer
deemed it necessary to give the command to fire. The dis-
charge took effect, and the letter states that two persons fell
dead on the spot, one being shot through the body. Several
persons were also taken away wounded, but the entire num-
ber shot was not then known. The people instantly dis-
persed, and the soldiers succeeded in carrying off their
prisoners.

The second letter, which is dated this morning (Tuesday),
states that, notwithstanding the melancholy affair of last
night, the turn-outs had again assembled in great force, and
had attempted to turn Mr. Forrest's hands out. They were
met, however, by the military, and prevented, without any
resort to violent measures.

The following additional particulars are from the Blackburn
Standard of Wednesday :
In the course of Monday evening, about ten o'clock the
garrison was reinforced by the arrival of a half-troop of the
Lancashire Yeomanry Cavalry, under the command of Alex-
ander Halliburton, Esq., lieutenant. This detachment of
the Lancashire Yeomanry is a portion of the Wigan troop.
Shortly after the arrival of the cavalry, the prisoners were
removed from the barrack-yard to the Assembly Room of
Watson's Hotel, under a strong guard of military, with fixed
bayonets, and police armed with cutlasses. The prisoners
were handcuffed in pairs, and seemed grestly crest-fallen.
The prisoners were forty in number, accompanied by six'
prisoners arrested on other charges.
Yesterday morning several of the mills—the hands of which
had turned out the previous day—resumed work, at least
with as many bands as could be induced to go in. The shops
throughout the town were again opened, and the shutters
taken off. This state of things, however, did not long con-
tinue, the mob having again approached the town. We should
have said, that early yesterday morning, a riotous mob visited
the mill of Messrs. Lund, at Wensley Fold, about half a
mile from the town. The hands were here compelled to
leave off work.

The same mob then proceeded in the direction of the Dar-
wens; and, having turned out all the hands in that place,
again returned to Blackburn. On their return, they pro-
to attack agai❑ the mill of Measts. Hopwood and
Son, in Nova Scotia, from which they were repulsed, after a
vigorous resistance, by some of the hands, under the direc-
tion of one of the proprietors. Several shots were fired out
of the windows, and we understand that one woman was
slightly wounded ; and we feel certain that others of the
crowd must have also sustained injury. The mob were suc-
cessfully kept back, by the courage of the inmates of the mill,
until a strong detatchment of military arrived, when they
were dispersed, and a number of prisoners taken, who were
soon after removed, under a formidable escort of military, to
the barrack-yard.
A report now (about one o'clock) reached town, that a
large body of rioters was advancing upon the town by the
Burnley road. A party of military was despatched to meet
them, and keep them from entering Blackburn. This, how-
ever, proved to be a false alarm, and probably was given out
by design ; for the detachment sent out to meet the Burnley
men were met by a troop of the 11th Hussars, who had been
ordered to march to Blackburn with all expedition to rein-
force the garrison. They reported, that the road between
Burnley and Blackburn was entirely clear.
The troops, however, had scarcely reached the town, when
intelligence arrived that a formidable force of the rioters,
armed with bludgeons, was marching in by the road from
Accrington and Enfield. The cavalry, infantry, and police,
immediately proceeded to prevent this body from coming
into the town ; and, having met them at Further Gate, com-
pletely routed them, making a great many prisoners. On
the soldiers making their appearance, the mob fled in all
directions, taking to the fields, They were hotly pursued by
the cavalry, and many of them ridden down, and knocked
over with the backs of the sabres. We are informed that a
few were slightly cut. A number of prisoners were here
taken by the cavalry, and the infantry having formed a
hollow square, they were safely lodged inside, and afterwards
escorted into the town, where they are now in safe keeping.
The prisoners apprehended on Monday were brought up
before the magistrates yesterday, and remanded for further
examination till the conclusion of the riots. They were sent
for greater security to Preston yesterday, under a strong
escort of cavalry and infantry, and conveyed in carriages.
The escort had a most imposing appearance on leaving the
town.

We have just received information, that the number of
prisoners taken yesterday was SO. _

The persons composing the turn-out mob were principally
from the neighbouring towns of Bury, Padiham, Accrington,
Burnley, Ilaslingden, and that district.
While we write, Tuesday evening, the town is tranquil;
but still an ominous gloom broods over the place. With the
exception of a few mills, work has been completely arrested,
the hands being unwilling or afraid to return to their em-
ployment.
The following particulars of the affair at the mill of Messrs.
Robert Hopwood and Son will be found interesting. Before
the arrival of the mob, the men inside had armed themselves
with nine guns and six pistols, and stationed themselves be-
hind the factory gate; together with a body of special con-
stables, armed with " picking-sticks" (a wooden lever in
the power-loom, to pass the shuttle from one side to the
other,—about half a yard or three-quarters in length, and
not unlike a constable's truncheon). This force in all did
not number 40 men. When the mob came up, most of the
hands had been turned out; but the rioters, seeing some four
or five women in the upper v.indows, who were too frightened
to go away, and yet not discreet enough to keep out of sight,
insisted that they should all be turned out. This was done ;
but the demand of the rioters to have the gates opened, that
they might come and see if any more remained inside, and
also to pull the plugs out of the boilers, was of course refused.
The mob then began throwing stones at the windows, and
three of them brought a cart and dashed it against the gates.
as a battering ram, but did not succeed in forcing them
open. The force within the gates then made a sortie, and
fired ; the shot wounding numbers of the rioters in the legs
and thighs. This caused the mob to disperse for the mo-
ment, and gave time to the hands to reload their pieces.
The mob then resumed the attack ; taking care to throw
stones from behind shelter. Again the hands rushed out,
and succeeded, with the aid of the special constables, in
driving the rioters from their hiding places, and forcing
them to retreat from the neighbourhood. So quiet was the
place immediately afterwards, that, when the military (who
had been sent for) arrived, they were about to turn back,
supposing there had been no disturbance there: As the
pieces were loaded with small shot only, the great bulk of
th
it
peo-
ple
one
believingwrn i
directions,
eeo rt
oeef rioters,
aeetanoinf thertdebrtreuhnoennn li
sorties,ynfitgrhpts,
the mob
discharge,owomkrd
oero brant;ehsbeotn uro
atn appearedln,imsdphi
rpospsrntoeglrny,seeradtw.oa
afterwards,
:ye e avhoa little,
nitottdli
various
in
e
We BLACKBURN.
hands or special constables were so seriously. hurt as to be
are upon the.
disabled.
have sworn in 1,000 special
NEARWEDNESCDAHYUNRICGHI4T.
constables, and the inhabitanptlsutalgreedniry relievedii from the
steurcrhora ilnatwolewsshicnh)obtl.leywwreere
at
again,
aei
nappearanceor
-f
whole quiet to-day.
rAlowessr
e.xßp.ecatndthTey. Pweeilllhcaovme
mbeegnucnewionrkri
right earnest. The
Broad Oak Print Works (Messrs. Hargreaves) are at 'work,
and they expect to start their factory on Friday. The town
of Blackburn is still quiet, and we now don't expect to be
visited by these wanderers for some time to com About
three o'clock on Tuesday the mob arrived froml%
Further Gate, (about a mile and a quarter fromrnßLYce
Black-
burn,) to the number of several thousands, and the militar
Thewere stationed there to prevent their entering the town. Tly mob would not disperse, on being required to do so ; and at
length the troops (dragoons and hussars) were ordered to
charge, and in five minutes the mob was scattered in all
directions, and eighty of the rioters were captured, forty of
whom were sent off to Preston House of Correction the same
evening, and the other forty would be sent to-day. The mill
of Messrs. Fieldens and Townley was riot stopped except
during the short time that it was surrounded by the mob.