There was a serious riot in New York on the
18th of February. It seems that flour had been dear and work scarce in New York ; and on the morning of the 13th, a meeting was summoned in the Park, to in- quire into the cause of the "present unexampled distress." After the meeting was over, the crowd attacked two large flour-stores, and rolled 300 barrels into the street, taking away very little flour, but knocking Out the heads of the barrels, till the street was knee-deep in flour. They pursued this work for several hours without molestation. At length, about seven o'clock in the evening, the " Mayor and Alder- men" and some police appeared on the scene ; and the rioters ran away, without offering the slightest resistance. They had " riddled " the counting.house of the store belonging to Mr. Hart, which they first attacked: with this exception, all the damage was confined to the dis- persion of flour. Several persons were taken to gaol, but none of the ringleaders. During the night, military and police were on duty ; but the city was perfectly quiet. It is said that all the actual damage was done by about fifty or sixty men—" foreigners," which, we presume, means Irish. The number of the whole mob, however, is estimated at 3000 men. [If a New Yorker were asked how they were per- rnitted to have their own way for so many hours, we presume that he would answer—" Why, really, we are not prepared for these dis- turbances. We take it for granted that everybody has, we know that everybody can get, enough to eat and drink in New York ; and we were taken by surprise—quite astounded—by a riot. We do not like to Ere upon men as you would do in Europe ; and therefore in fact our police is defective for preserving order."]
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