DISTURBANCES IN THE MANUFACTURING Ms - num.—Manchester was made, on Monday last,
a scene of outrage among the suffering weavers. A meeting held
on Sunday despatched delegates to the different manufacturing towns in the neighbourhood, to invite the weavers to resist by force any attempt to reduce their wages. There was another meeting on Monday morning ; at which, says
the Manchester Mercury, one speaker " exhorted those who were hungry and
thirsty, to go to any place where there was meat and drink, and help themselves, telling them that the law of nature perfectly justified such a proceeding" This hint was followed. Several power.loom manufactories were attacked, the looms destroyed, and the cloth and warps rendered useless. One manufactory, belonging to John and Thomas Parker, they destroyed by fire ; and some houses in the neighbourhood were injured by the same cause. The damage done by the mob in the course of the day is estimated at 15,000/. The police seems to have been unable to manage the rioters, and the military arrived at too late an hour to pre vent the more serious part of the proceedings. On Tuesday, the mob proceeded to levy contributions on the bakers. One bread-cart, passing along, was soon emptied. Some of the bakers adopted the course of complying with the de mands of the mob, by giving them bread; but one who chose to resist their mandates, had his shop completely gutted. The soldiers could not be every.. where, and the moment they disappeared from one point, the system of plunder by the mob was renewed. " The only object of the mob during the whole of
Tuesday," says the correspondent of the Morning Chronicle, " seemed to be to satisfy their hunger. No attempt whatever was made to destroy any factory, or
to molest the workpeople in them, as had been done on the previous day. It was,
indeed, melancholy to see with what avidity they grasped at the loaves which were given to them, and with what care they picked up out of the mud upon
the street, the smallest fragments which fell in the struggle to obtain apart of tho bread. The miserable emaciated countenances of many of them showed die. tinctly enough that their eagerness was not without cause." No fewer than fifty. seven persons have been arrested for having participated in these disturbances. There was not, it seems, the slightest manifestation to riot during the whole of Wednesday. Our present latest accounts come down to Thursday morning, when allseemed quiet; and no trifling force, civil and military, seemed to have been organized to keep the peace. If later accounts reach us, from that important manufacturing district, before our latest edition go to press, the facts will be communicated.
Some magistrates from Manchester and Rochdale arrived yesterday, and had an interview with Mr. Secretary Peel, at the Home Office, on the subject of the disturbances in those parts. Circulars were afterwards issued to the members of the Government, who had frequent communications on the subject during the day.
Rens AT Rocnoate.—We mentioned last week, that the suffering workmen of Rochdale had so far forgot themselves as to commit riot and and incur the severe vengeance of the law. Their proceedings have now unhappily produced very fatal results. A number of those engaged in the previous disturbances had been arrested. Sixteen of them, after an examination on Tuesday, were, accord. ing to the Times correspondent, " not only handcuffed but fastened together by a rope ;" and in this manner conducted through the streets. They were lodged in prison. Their escort having retired, the mob threw missiles at the prism guard, numbering nine privates, a sergeant, and a corporal. The object of the mob was to rescue their friends ; and to gain this end, they assailed the soldiers with stones. The sergeant directed two men to fire over the heads of the mob. This had no effect. The soldiers then fired two vollies among them; and the lamentable result is, that five persons were killed, two are supposed to be mortally wounded, one young man has had an arm amputated, another has had a leg amputated, a girl was shot through the knee, and about ten more were wounded. Next day the town was quiet.
SPITALFIELDS Weavees.—These men have adopted the most iniquitous plan of entering at midnight, the houses of those who are disposed to labour at the prices their masters are willing to give, and destroying their work. The first inquiry touching this practice, was entered upon at Worship.street Police-office, on Saturday ; but it was unavailing. The weavers whose work had been cut, either could not or would not give any information against the delinquents. On Tuesday, a great quantity of silk which had been destroyed in the looms, was brought to the office. The idle weavers, who crowded around the office, cheered as each fresh quantity was brought up. Thirteen weavers were placed at the bar to answer for the destruction of the property with which they had been intrusted. Still the delinquents were screened. The accused declared that entrance to their houses was obtained either by stratagem or violence. The rioters accomplished their object without opposition, as the weavers affected to be intimidated by them, and to consider resistance useless. In the course of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the work in forty-two looms was destroyed ; and on Wednesday night the work in nineteen additional looms was also cut, making the destruction of work in the looms amount to nearly one hundred. As the weavers act on a concerted plan,—remaining quiet through the day, and carrying on their operations at night—they elude the vigilance of the police. The work of destruction still goes on. In the course of Thursday night the property in eighty-six looms was destroyed, besides a great deal of the machinery haying been demolished. The district was yesterday in a state of the most feverish excitement; and fears were entertained that the idle weavers would burst out into acts of open violence. Perhaps the presence of a strong body of police, rather than any diminution of their will to work mischief, prevented them. There was a meeting of about twelve thousand of the weavers on Wednesday—called to petition the House of Lords against the Bill now in progress through Parliament ; but the petition was scouted amid deafening cries of "No petition. They won't return to the duties. We have done with Parliament, let us now settle with the masters." The subject of the dispute between the masters and the men was next brought under discussion; and a Committee appointed to try and bring about a reconciliation. The Committee of Delegates had an interview with the Committee of masters on Thursday evening ; but no arrangement was come to, and the Committee seemed in nowise inclined to adopt the masters' propositions. They insist on a return to thewages of 1824 and 1825—nothing short of which would enable them to live,
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