Lord Normanby has addressed the following letter to Mr. William
Seholefield, late Mayor of Birtningham, and the other Magistrates, acquitting the Magistrates of wilful neglect of duty during the riots on the 15th of July. " Whitehall, 20th December 1839.
"Gentlemen—I have the honour to ;affirm you, that having considered the evidence adduced on the late inquiry at Birmingham into the conduct of the Magistrates, ou the occasion of the outrages which took place on the 15th July last, I do not perceive any smile:eat ground to impute either to the Mayor or the other Magistrates any %villa] neglect of duty. " I am of opinion, that it would have been more prudent if the Magis- trates, instead of ordering the Police not to act in their absence, bad made ar- rangements for the constant attendance of one at least of their body at the Police-office ; and, although the Magistrates might have supposed that, by the directions left there, they had provided for immediate attendance in ease of emergency, I still regret that the other course was not taken ; but 1 see no reason whatever to charge the Magistrates, on this account, with any win! neglect of duty or want of zeal. I regret that I have not been able sooner to communicate to you my
"61 tun, gentlemen, your ol,dient servant, NORMANDY."
A letter from Mr. Phillippe, of the Home Office, to Mr. Hebbert, of Birmingham, one of the memorialists who alleged wilful neglect of duty ugainst the Magistrates, aequaints that gentleman with Lord Nor- tuaohy's opinion, " tint the memorialists have altogether failed in establishing the allegations and charges contained in their memorial ; and that such evidence does not call for, and would not warrant the institution of any such proceedings as are prayed for in the memorial against the Mayor and Magistrates."
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