Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-08-09

( OF the riots of'Manchester, the following
article presents more detailed account
than we had room for in orr paper of yes
terday morning:
From the London Traveller of May 81
In another part of our paper we have
given the substance of some letters recciv-
ed yesterday from Manchester, relating to
the proceedings of the distressed manufac-
turers in that town and neighborhood, i'm
consequence of the refusal Of Parliament to
entertain bill for fixing minimum for
their weekly labor. We are sorry to state
THAT it has been found necessary to have re
course to strong measures to dissovle the
meetings which took place among this un-
Happy class of people. The following let
tier, which we received this morning from
| a correspondents, upon whose accuracy we
can place perfect reliance, contains an acr
count of what occurred at Manchester on
| "wednesday. The cotton Weavers seem TO
have adopted very erroneous idea of the
feelings of Parliament with respect to their
case. We were present at the short dis
cussion which took place on the subject on
Friday last, and we can assert that il was
from motives of the purest compassion for
them that leave was not given to bring in
the bill. There was but one opinion in the
house specting it, and it was this,
that il would encrease rather than remove
| the distresses of the manufacturers that il
might do infinite mischief and no possible
good:
Manchester, Wednesday evening.
"Your London papers wi no doubt TEEN
with dreadful accounts of the riots 1T Man
chester; bu' having been accidentally both
an eye and ear witness of what has unfortu-
nately taken place here, send you few
hasty lines.
ga number of the journeymen weavers
assembled yesterday, not in riotous tumul-
tuous manner, but in a decent orderly style,
requesting tohave their grievances redress
sed, and their wages raised. Some thou
| sands attended on the ground called St.
Georges Fields, and appointed delegates
to wait upon the principal manufacturers,
humbly desiring an immediate interview.
Ehe magistrates and several respectable
gentlemen senttoremonstrate with the poor,
lemaciated, and distressed objects, reques-
| ting them to dispense; but finding every
thing they said was of no avail, they were
under the painful necessity of resortlng 90
the reading of the Riot Act, and sending
the constables and the military among them,
who soon cleared the ground but finding
the inhabitants were considerably alarmed
the streets were patroled all Tuesday night,
and every thing remained pretty qniet-
This morning, about ten O'Clock, my Gu
riosity was attracted by seeing some hun
dreds of weaveIs marching, in a most or.
derby manner, into Manchester, to JOIN Sc
veral thousand of others of The same cal
| ng, who had again assembled on Saint
[ Georges Fields. (Which is close to the edge
| OF the town) A regular square was form
| ed and the members of the respective COM
! tees stationed themselves in the centre.
| They then dispatched delegates, to COM
mlme with the Boroughreeve and the prin-
cipal officers of the town who we're reques-
ted to use their influence with the most
eminent manufacturers to raise their wa
ges. One of the Delegates soon returned,
and went round the square, attended by the
committee, and addressing the poor half
famished, but patient auditors, informed
them, that he had seen the Boroughreeve,
that he was friendly to their cause, and
sympath'sed with them in their present dis
dresses, which he was sorry he could not
alleviate that he had taken the names and
lplaces of abode of their delegates, who
1 were responsible for the conduct and beha-
Iviour of their fellow sufferers. The dele
gates then exhorted them to be firm in the
cause they had undertaken to support, and
strongly enjoined them to behave peaceaOy
anu orderly.
"About three o'clock P. NJ. again went
10 the field, attended by friend, and was
4 sstonshedto see so many thousands of peo.
pie, for as all the weavers had struck their
work in the neighborng towns, am of o.
Ipinion that there were at least from ten TO
Fifteen thousand people. Loud, indeed,
were the murmurs of the poor wretches,
but not the least indication was there of a
lriot.
"Many baskets of bread, with some ale,
and several cans of butter-milk, were dis
itributed among the multitude, and their Sor-
Irowful and piteuous tales of distress quite
unnamed me, as also several other sympa-
thetic spectators. About half past three
O'Clock, the Boroughreeve, accompanied by
lanother gentleman on horseback, entered
the (holIow) square, and the poor creatures
gave a patient hearing 20 them he advis.
ed them to dispense, but the general cry was.
awe have nothing to eat, and unless our
wages are raised, we might as well play
and starve, as work and be famished." ]
listened attentively, aud heard tales of the
most distressing scenes chat ever human
Ieye was witness to; and am sorry TO say
that the military were obliged to interle re
for the second time, and l apprehend that
the consequences will be dreadful, as i saw
them FIRE, and observed several wounded
wretches carried TO the infrmaTy. The
shops and houses are all shut up in this
. a IL. a.. .