Arizona republican., 1914-04-07
TRIAL OF LORD GEORGE GORDON

The millions of Americans who have read ''Barnaby Rudge," by Charles Dickens, ave become &C., of the Lord George Gordan riots in London The trial of the eccentric nobleman who led the ferocious out bursts is, in many respects, one of the most remarkable in the annals of English criminal jurisprudence.
 The year 17S0 was a most trying one to the English. They had just lution. and had lost their colonists on this side of the water, when they were plunged into a rebellion at home brought about through a fa- natical religious agitation which portended serious results A large party of the Church of England had secretly banded themselves together against the Catholics of the coun- try and attempted. by legislation to deprive them of equal rights. The public peace was first disturbed in Scotland
 Lord, George Gordon was the organ 1 in the house of commons of the Scotch anti-Catholic party, and in pre- senting their petitions against the con- sessions that had been granted to the Catholics. he described the people of
 Scotland as ripe for instruction and i rebellion,' and that the inhabitants fit
 to bear arms were ready to resist the powers of the government, and had in- vited him to be their leader" Finally. he declared that the religious consti- tuition of Scotland was sacred against
 any law the parliament of Great 1 Britain might enact for it's alteration" 1 England soon caught the fanatical
 flame and Protestant clubs were
 formed in London and in all the great
 towns of England. The General Pro- | testant Association" was organized and
 Lord George Gordon was elected it's
 president. When parliament again met
 he not only inveighed against judges,
 and declared that If his majesty did i not keep his coronation oath they i would do more than abridge his reven-
 ues; they would cut off his head"
 Finally a monster petition was cir ] culated, and it was resolved that on , Friday, June ?, 178O, the whole body | of the Protestant Association would l assemble in St. Georges Fields. At i the appointed time 60,O00 persons as- sembled and they decided to march cross the Thames in procession
 through the city and present their pe- tition with their own hands. x  l Accordingly the procession headed by
 Lord George Gordon crossed London
 Bridge and before the usual hour for the assembling of the two houses, had 1 gained undisputed possession of Palace l Yard and all the surrounding streets.
 As Chief Justice Mansfield was on his carriage were broken. and he himself
 was illtreated his robe being torn and | his wig disheveled. Other peers that ! followed fared much worse.
 After the parliament had begun. the proceedings could hardly be heard on 1 account of the yells of the mob in the
 Palace Yard. Both the house of lords and the house of commons were comI pel1ed to adjourn, and Lord George Gordon and his associates had the me- | tropolis entirely in their power. Day
 after day the violence of the mob in- creased.
 l Finally the revolutionists passed be- yond the command of their superiOrs
 and the depreciation they committed | brought all the better class of citizens
 who believe in law and order to act,
 and the rebellion was checked by the arrest of the leaders.
 ] Lord Mansfield. who had been badly
 abused and whose house and it's con-
 tents. consisting of his invaluable col lection of books. had been destroyed,