XXIII. 1831. however, indicated to what they had been stimulated by CHAP. the incendiary language so long addressed to them by the reforming journals and the public meetings. The Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Cumberland, and the Marquess of Londonderry were assaulted in the street, and with difficulty rescued by the police and the respectable bystanders from the violence of the mob. The latter Oct. 12. nobleman, whose courage and determination during the whole contest had signalised him for vengeance, was struck senseless from his horse by showers of stones at the gate of the Palace, amidst cries of "Murder him-cut his throat!" Persons respectably dressed, and wearing rib- 1 Ann. Reg. bons round their arms, took the lead on these occasions, 281. gave orders, and, rushing forward from the crowd, led it on, and made way for those who commenced the demolition of the windows of Apsley House.* But alarming as these riots were in the metropolis, they were as nothing to those which occurred in the provinces, where scenes ensued which have affixed a lasting stain on the English character, and proved that, when their passions are thoroughly roused, the people of this country may 1831; Marbecome as dangerous, and engage in atrocities as fright- 46, 47. ful, as the worst populace of foreign states.2 1831, 280, 2 Ann. Reg. tineau, ii. 84. ing of poli at Birming While the bill was yet pending in the House of Lords, a great meeting was called by the Political Union of Great meetBirmingham, attended, it was said by the Reformers, by tical unions one hundred and fifty thousand, and probably, in truth, ham." by one hundred thousand persons. At this meeting very violent language, as might have been expected, was used, though not more so than was usual on all such occasions at that period. But it acquired a historic importance from * See in particular the statements of Mr Trevor and Col. Trench (who followed the crowd which committed the outrages), in the House of Commons on 14th October.-Ann. Reg. 1831, pp. 288, 289. One of the speakers said: "He declared before God, that if all constitutional modes of obtaining the success of the reform measure failed, he should and would be the first man to refuse the payment of taxes, except by a levy upon his goods-(tremendous cheers). I now call upon all those who are prepared to join me in this step to hold up their hands-(an immense forest of hands was XXIII. 1831. CHAP. what followed. The meeting voted an address to the King, setting forth the "awful consequences " which might ensue from the rejection of the bill, their pain at imagining that the House of Lords should be so infatuated as to reject it, and their earnest desire that his Majesty should create as many peers as might be necessary to insure its success. They voted also thanks to Lord Althorpe and Lord John Russell. Both these noblemen acknowledged the compliment with thanks; the latter, in doing so, used the expression which became so celebrated: "I beg to acknowledge, with heartfelt gratitude, the undeserved honour done me by one hundred and fifty thousand of my countrymen. Our prospects are now obscured for a moment, and, I trust, only for a moment. 1831, 2835 It is impossible that the whisper of faction should prevail against the voice of the nation."1 1 Ann. Reg. 85. Riots at Derby and Nottingham. Similar meetings, attended by vast multitudes, took place at Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Edinburgh, and all the great towns, at all of which language the most violent was used, and ensigns the most revolutionary were displayed; while the press, provincial as well as metropolitan, increased every hour in vigour and audacity. To intimidate the Peers was the great object, and acts soon ensued more calculated even than words to produce this effect. At Derby, the mob, as usual, demolished the windows of the anti-Reformers; and some of the ringleaders having been apprehended by the magistrates and put in jail, it was forthwith attacked, the immediately held up, accompanied by vehement cheering). I now call upon you who are not prepared to adopt this course to hold up your hands and signify your dissent-(not a single hand was held up). Mark my words, 'Failing all other constitutional means." Another speaker said: "It is said that the reverend fathers in God, the bishops, will oppose this bill if they do, their fate, which even now is exceedingly doubtful, will be irrevocably sealed. The haughty remnants of the Establishment will be buried in the dust, with a nation's execration for their epitaph: the splendid mitre will fall from the heads of the bishops; their crosses will fall as if from a palsied hand; their robes of lawn may be turned into a garb of mourning, and my Lord Bishop of London may shut up his episcopal palace, and take out a license for a beershop."-Ann. Reg. 1831, p. 282. At CHAP. XXIII. 1831. doors forced, and the whole prisoners liberated. Nottingham the violence was of a still more serious and systematic kind, as the Duke of Newcastle, to whom the castle and great part of the property in the town belonged, had signalised himself by the most decided opposition to the bill. A mob suddenly assembled there, and moved against that venerable pile, once a royal residence, and associated with many of the most memorable events in English history; for it was there that Charles I. unfurled his banner at the commencement of the civil wars. The gates were quickly forced, the building sacked, set on fire, and burnt to the ground. A regiment of hussars having opportunely arrived from Derby, prevented any farther damage being done in the town; but the mob, thirsting for plunder, issued forth into the country, and attacked several houses of noblemen or gentlemen known to entertain anti-reform principles. Among these were those of Lord Middleton and Mr Musters, the latter of which was sacked and pillaged, and his unfortunate lady, driven to seek safety by concealment among the shrubbery bushes on a cold 1831, 281. and rainy October evening, lost her life.1 These disorders, serious as they were, sunk into insignificance before the riots at were of so dreadful a kind as not only to versal panic over the country, but to affix a dark stain on Oct. 29. the English character, and suggest a painful doubt as to its ability to retain its equilibrium in periods of violent political excitement. The occasion, or rather the pretext, for the outbreak, was the appearance of Sir Charles Wetherall, a noted anti-reformer, who, as Recorder of Bristol, with more courage than judgment, made his public entrance into Bristol on the 29th October. He was received by the magistrates with the pomp and respect usually shown to the judicial representatives of royalty on such occasions; but at the same time the cavalcade was followed by a disorderly mob, which, beginning with groans and hisses, soon proceeded to throwing of stones VOL. IV. 1 Ann. Reg. however, all 86. Bristol, which Commencespread a uni- riots at Z ment of Bristol. XXIII. 1831. CHAP. and brickbats. The respectable citizens at the commercial rooms received them with three cheers; but this only irritated the rabble, who, when the procession reached the Mansion House, assailed it with missiles of every description. The mayor in vain requested the mob to disperse, and withdrew a portion of the special constables, who were particularly obnoxious to them, in order to appease their fury. This only increased it, and the mob swelled in number and audacity as night approached. The Riot Act was read, but the military were not called in. The consequence was, that the constables were suddenly attacked and driven back, the doors of the building forced, the Mansion House stormed, its whole furniture smashed and pillaged, and the iron palings in front torn up, and put into the hands of the rioters for future mischief. Meanwhile Sir Charles and the magistrates escaped by a back door, and the former left the city. The latter called in the military, and two troops of dragoons, amply sufficient to have arrested the disorders, arrived in the 1 Ann. Reg. square. But they received at first no orders to act, either 1831, 292; from the magistrates or the commanding officer; and the soldiers, not knowing what to do, for some time merely walked their horses through the multitude. Seeing this, the mob proceeded to break the windows of the Council House, and the military then charged, dispersed the crowd, and prevented any farther mischief that night.1 Martineau, ii. 48; Trial of 87. Frightful But the lull was of short duration. Deeming the riot over, the magistrates allowed the dragoons, who were disorders. much fatigued, to retire for the night, and the mob made good use of the breathing-time thus afforded them to prepare for ulterior measures. The indecision evinced the preceding evening spread far and wide the conviction that the magistrates would not order the soldiers to act, and that if ordered they would not do so. This belief brought multitudes next day to the expected scene of plunder and intoxication; the bargemen from the adjoining canals flocked in on all sides, and those wild-looking haggard XXIII. 1831. desperadoes began to appear in the streets, which in all CHAP. civil convulsions, like the storm-birds to the distressed mariners, betoken coming shipwreck. Thus reinforced, the mob returned in greater numbers on the following morning to the scene of their former violence, broke open and ransacked the cellars of the Mansion House, and soon intoxicated wretches added the fumes of drunkenness to the horrors of the scene. The military were again called in, and a troop of the 14th was soon on the spot; but no magistrate was there to give them orders, and the commanding officer, though the violence was going forward, having no orders from the civil authorities, thought it his duty to abstain from acting, and soon after deemed it best to withdraw his men from the risk of contamination, and moved them to the barracks. They were replaced at the Mansion House by another troop less obnoxious to the people. Upon this the mob cheered loudly, Martineau, and leaving the Mansion House, where nothing now Reg. 1831; remained to pillage, dispersed in different bodies over the 176. city.1 Chron. 175, 88. destruction The most frightful scene of violence and devastation ensued. One detachment proceeded to the bridewell, Immense where they broke open the doors, liberated the prisoners, of property. who immediately joined them, and set the building on fire; another went to the new jail, which was also forced open, the prisoners liberated, and the building consigned to the flames. The Gloucester county prison shared the same fate, and the chief toll-houses round the town were destroyed. A band next proceeded to the bishop's palace, which was set on fire and totally consumed. The Mansion House shared the same fate; and, not content with this, the rioters set fire to the Custom House, Excise Office, and other buildings in Queen Square, which soon were wrapt in one awful conflagration. An attempt was made to fire the shipping in the docks, but happily repulsed by the vigilance and courage of the seamen. Exclusive of the Mansion House, jails, and other public |