The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-30
ing, and the windows smashed but no other mischief
VAS done thara

STATE OF THE CITY TO THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS
-HALF-PAsT SIX O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
From the same
The greatest excitement prevailed in town through
out the whole OF yesterday Knots Of five or six adi
vduals standing at every Of the streets 1t was
rumored that the Governor General in the govern
men house. and crowd during the greater part OF the
day collected in the neghborhood the yard before
the house was filled with troops; there also cor
uon hih.aire across NotFe Dame street. at eacn emu
OF the government house to prevent the crowd from
assembling before 1t.
At about PM, mob visited Mr.. Hincks' house,
breaking and destroying everything which could be
broken part Of the furniture it is said, had been
removed during the day The house was much damag-
cd MI Holiness, and another house between, shared
At about PM, the whole town was thrown into
CONSERVATION by the ringing Of the FIRE bells, and the
rattle OF file engines driving through the streets
There was cry that Lafontane's house had been set
on fire by the mob and general rush toward St. An
found the stables out houses attached to Mr. La
fontaine's house, in flames. The mob attempted to
fire the house three times but prevented by the
exertons OF Mr. Charles Phillips Counsellor Bell, and
a few others
desolating scene could not be conceived than
that which presented itself to the writer when the
mob had left the house Every door and window in it
was broken in the stair ratings smashed to atoms and
the stairs dishgured In the drawing room large and
elegant looking glasses together with elegant engrav-
ings and modern furniture, all broken and de-
stroyed and lay heap of rubbish the middle of the
floor Every paror and bed of the house present
ed the same piable picture On the floor Of the libra
ry was piled cart loads of books some OF which
q
and decanters all smashed to pieces; wines Of various
kinds had evidently shared the fate from various
odors in the room. Mr.. Lafontane's family all
away. and no person was hurt
house in the st. Antoine Suburbs in which 1t was
understood Messrs Baldwin, Price and Blake
stones. The house adjoining shared the same fate
Mr.. McNamee's tavern was also battered
The mob dispersed at about IL o'clock, and at tho
time we go to press are perfectly quiet.
1t was rumored in the streets that Lady Elgin was
at St Helens and that several members Of Parliament
had been beaten
sAcKIKG AND BURNING OF THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE.
From the same.
The writer Of this report proceeding to the House
of Assembly on Wednesday evening at about O'Clock
to take his place in the reporters gallery fell in with
crowd Of persons marching towards the House. The
crowd advanced the House by different streets from
the direction Of the Place dArmes 1t speedily sur
rounded the House. and commenced throwing stones
through the windows. The crowd large but not
very dense; the writer able to walk about through
every part of it, The excitement appeared to be in
tense. party Of the mere violent among the crowd
proceeded to burst open the hall door, which they
ccedcd in doing in the space of few moments, smash
ing the door to atoms They then rushed up the main
stairs into the hall Of the Assembly few members only
having remained, among whom were Messrs Stevenson
great GOODNESS planted themselves in such manner
to escape the voeys OF stones and like philosophers
cooy surveyed the scene the last screaming and Yell
ing from very fear The mob proceeded to demolish
everything in the hall One fellow took possession of
the Speakers chair, and declared, in solemn voice
that he dissolved the Parliament in the Queens name
and that the members had better take themselves of
he would not for their lives The remaining
mbers together with other individuals and four OF
five ladies, had in the meantime taken refuge bchint
the Speakers chair One of the reporters from
window in the second story. This, however, wal
full of yelling demons as honorable gentlemen antici
pated they had simply to walk out
The writer proceeded round the house the outside
the crowd appeared to be composed, as fur he
able to observe of merchants and other
citizens Of Montreal, for the most part.
The number OF persons inside the house not very
arge there party in the lobby engaged in break
ing up the committee rooms clerks Offices and knock
ing windows out. On the outside he saw five or six
rough looking fellows beating in the window name,
with sticks and axe-handes. few boys were throw
ing stones through the windows. The writer heard
some expressions to the effect that ii not improba-
Bile that the mob in the building would set it fire.
these expressions did not unnatural from tho
manner IN which the work OF demolition was going on
On arriving at the west end Of the building he saw
few men break open wooden gallery which was en-
poyed as store room for stationary When the board
Ing Ia kind OF panellng) was broken through some
loose papers appeared to have been strewed on the
floor which the writer thought leaves OF printed
bills as these were flying about in all directions The
men then fired these loose papers and threw them
about the room The wind was high and in a very few
moments the wooden gallery and canvas covering
above 1t were cnvcopsd in flames. The crowd stood
at some distance watching in apparently impassive
manner the progress Of this handful of inccndiares
The anxiety of the moment was painful. Five six
resolute men might have arrested the incendiariss
and saved the catastrophe. The writer's first impulse
to hasten for the pocc he did take this STEP
the wild6re rapidly with which the flames spread
rendered it useless.
Some fire engines were Immediately in the neghbor-
hood, but they did not play upon the fire 1t was ru-
mored that the crowd would not permit them.
The writer again hastened to the hall Of the House
with the intention of endeavoring to aid in saving
and in confusion. He thought there persons
engaged already in what he intended to do and finding
that he could be of USE again left the hall to watch
the progress of the flames.
All this occurred in the space of ten fifteen mi
nutes. The wooden part Of the building now
blazing with intense brightness. A dense smoke was
visible inside the main building. moment more, and
it belched through the windows and chimneys with
awful fury. 1t was now evident that any power less
than the hand Of God must be inadequate to the
building and il Womb have been madness for human
hcings to have attempted.
Al hopes Of resculng the libraries we're now at an
end but there was rumor that beautiful full length
picture Of most gracious sovereign the Queen had
been saved and this simple act told cloqucntly of the
loyal feeling Of the crowd The centre part Of the
building occupied by the library Of the Assembly in
short time fell in with dreadful crash through the
rsef Of the west wing Of the building In little time
was enyeoped in one sheet Of living flame 1t was now
impossible to- approach near the building, for the in
tense heat the beching flames burst through the
roof as 1t fell in And the sight became awfuliy and
magnfccnty beautiful The night was clear and cold
and the high wind dashed the flames to maddening
fury. Numbers Of dazzngly white flakes of flame like
balloons OF fire. rose to height above the raging
flames and were borne by the winds to some distance
hese fire fakes appeared to be caused by burning
pieces OF paper being shot upwards by the fury
flames he whole heavens illuminated; and tho
clear and beautiful blue Of the armament, with the
madsened flames and white light below, made a pic
ture OF thrilling and awful beauty such IL is rarely
the lot OF the artist to look upon and such an one that
his pencil would vanly try TO initiate.
The crowd was still not dense; ii not too much
so to allow horscman to gallop through it, The cx-
pressions were various Some execratng the Co.
vcr Generals some deploriDg the outrage; some
specuatng On the loss, parc ularly of the two
best and most extensive libraries in the provinces and
some were exutng over the ruin; while others amused
themselves with tearing to atoms numbers Of bills which
had been thrown through the windows. Some were
hn
dissolution Of Parliament comparing it to the
Long Parliament. There various stories cir
culating about some fellows =" taking away that
bauble,' the Mace and of some fellow taking
possession Of the chair, and declaring that the
Parliament was dissolved. Some were wondering
where the military were, and some gave ont that they
were coming This did not however create the slight
est alarm, that the writer able perceive except
hat few Canadians, catching the word and on the
hint respectively said je men rais, which they mmc
diatcly did The feeling Of the crowd might be divided
into two diysions-desp regret the part of the
hccting and betterinformed-a testing exultation
among the unrehectng and ill-inforncd.
In the meantime the roofs Of houses on the OBJ
I