21 SEPTEMBER 1839, Page 4

courts Millet city on Monday. There are 288 objections made

by both parties, 776 by Liberals, 1379 by Tories. Liberal claims 297, Tory claims 229.

Mr. J. II.. Richardson, a leading Chartist orator, was arrested at his residence in Salford on Friday last, on a charge of sedition and con- spiracy. On the following day, respectable bail was given for his ap- pearance to take his trial at the Liverpool Assizes, next March.

The inquiry into the conduct of the Birmingham Magistrates, in connexion with the riots, commenced on Thursday, at the Public Office, before Mr. Dundas, the barrister deputed by Lord Normanby to conduct the investigation. Mr. Hebbert and Mr. Clark appeared for the petitioners ; Messrs. Gem, Barlow, and Ryland, for the Magistrates. The witnesses examined were Mr. John Payne, a constable, Colonel Chatterton, commander of the Fourth Regiment of Light Dragoons, stationed at Birmingham, and Mr. Whateley. No new fact was elicited,

but the teuour of the evidence was rather in exculpation of the Magis- trates. Colonel Chatterton distinctly stated, that he saw no symptom, and had no apprehension of, a disturbance on the Monday on which the riot broke out. The Colonel spoke in high praise of Dr. Booth's zeal, firmness, and activity.

The evidence offered yesterday supplied no new facts. Some wit- nesses said they expected riots, others that there was every appearance of tranquillity.

On Wednesday week, the Chartists held a " silent meeting" in Shef- field, and paraded the town. Disturbances ensued on that and the next night; of which we find the following account in the Sheffield kis- A pistol was fired in the square, and several windows of Mr. Carr's house were broken with stones. On Thursday afternoon, the Magistrates issued placards, cautioning all persons against attending such meetings, as effectual means would be taken to disperse them. The Reverend G. Chandler and C. Brownell, Esq., remained in town during the day, to be in readiness in case their presence might be required; the recruiting-parties under their connnand- ing-offieer were under arms at the Town-hall, where a detachment of them hail been quartered since Wednesday ; and the Police Surveyor had his whole force of watchmen and policemen mustered. The assistance of Colonel Marten and his Dragoons having been required by. the Magistrates, they appeared in front of the Town-hall soon after eight o clock ; where they wheeled round, and thence proceeded to the square, attended by the police. About 2,000 p.r- sons were assembled in the square, its darkness, for the gas had beep put out. The cavalry immediately proceeded to clear the ground, while the police fol- lowed the crowds along the avenues. Many of the Chartists took to the churchyard, from whence they let fly tremendous vollies of stones. They were, however, driven out by Mr. Raynor and the police. From many other points showers of stones were thrown, and we understand that some of the people were armed with pikes. One man was captured with a shillelagh, loaded ut one end with lead, and the other end containing the tang of a pike, which had evidently been very recently broken off. Another man was taken with a formidable shillelagh; and a dagger fourteen inches long was also found, which appeared to have been thrown away. The town continued to be in a state of disorder for two or three hours, and the clearing of the streets required the most active and unremitting exertions of the military and police. During the evening„ the police, supported by the military, went to the room in Fig-tree Lane, expecting to find some of the party there ; but the roots' was empty. About nine o'clock, Mr. Pallieyman, while its front of his house, overheard sonic of the crowd propose to ' serve him out ; ' when he immediately seized the foremost of the party, who were about breaking his windows ; and the man di- rectly struck hint a violent blow upon the face. Mr. Palfreymen, in return, struck the man a violent blow with a stick which he had in his hand, and knocked him down. Some of the man's companions then fell upon Mr. Pal- freyman, and severely bruised and cut him about the face and head, until as- sistance arrived, on which they decamped. Soon after the military and the police had retired—the former to the Tontine, and the latter to the Town-hall —intelligence arrived that a large body of persons had collected together in what is called the Doctor's Field, near the Lead-mills. The Magistrates, the military and police, immediately proceeded to clear the place ; and on their arrival at the bottom of Arundel Street, they were assailed by it volley of stones, which were thrown under cover of the darkness by a number of scoun- drels, who had concealed themselves in the various passages and corners in the neighbourhood. In consequence of the darkness, it was impossible to reach the Doctor's Field ; and the soldiers and police commenced clearing the streets in the neighbourhood ; in which, in the course of a short time they succeeded, and about eleven o'clock the streets were comparatively quiet."