BIRMINGHAM RIOTS, ETC.
The defeat of Mr. Attwood’s motion was contemporaneous with alarming riots at Birmingham. These riots arose out of the proceedings of the Chartists. That dangerous body of men had recently resorted to many methods, in order to impose upon the majority of the people that they were the strongest party in the country, and that they could carry their plans into effect without resistance. One mode of proceeding was to go round from house to house with two books, and to say that those persons who subscribed should be registered in one book, while those who did not subscribe were entered in another. Those who put down their names paid a small contribution, and received in return a ticket, which was to be their security in a time of danger: non-subscribers were warned that a time would come when their refusal would be remembered. Another practice of these rash demagogues was to go in procession to the churches some time before divine service commenced, and to take possession of the body of the edifice; some smoking their pipes, and others wearing their hats. These Chartist combinations were very prevalent throughout the country, and in the early part of this year, these combinations in the different cities of the United Kingdom proceeded to the election of deputies, in order to form a national convention, which was to have moveable sittings, and to be entrusted with the ultimate direction of their proceedings. Out of this arrangement arose the “National Petition,” mentioned in the previous article, and which was presented by Mr. Attwood on the 14th of June. Having discharged this duty imposed on them, the deputies proceeded to hold a national convention in the city of Birmingham. By this step great activity was contributed to the motions of the Chartists. It was their practice to assemble in great numbers every evening, on the open place called the Bull-ring. They met as usual on the 5th of July; but by this time the borough magistrates had communicated with the home-office, and it was resolved to send down sixty policemen from the metropolis to disperse them. The railway train delivered them at Birmingham that evening, and they proceeded to the scene of confusion, and directed the people to disperse. This injunction, however, was unheeded, and then the police filed off four abreast, and made for the monument of Lord Nelson, which stood in the centre of the Bull-ring, and which was decorated with the flags of the convention. The flags were captured by them; but the mob, when they saw them in the hands of the police, recovered them by force, broke the poles up into short sticks, and after a fierce struggle overpowered their antagonists: several of the policemen were seriously hurt, and more than one of them stabbed. At that juncture the 4th dragoons arrived on the spot; riding by concert up every avenue which led to the place, the Bullring was completely enclosed. Their appearance was the signal for the people to disperse, and the routed mob proceeded, with the cavalry in close pursuit, down Digbeth and up Broomsgrove-street, to St. Thomas’s church. Hero they tore up the palisades, and made a brief stand; but the tumult was eventually reduced: by midnight quiet was restored, and the military, planting a guard in the great square, returned to their barracks. In this encounter several Chartist leaders were captured; as Dr. Taylor, the Paisley delegate to the convention, and Messrs. Lovett and Collins. There was still, however, an under-current of agitation: in fact, the late event was but the precursor to a more furious storm. While it was taking place, Mr. Attwood brought forward his motion for taking the National Petition into consideration. The rejection of’ his motion irritated the already inflamed minds of the Chartists. It was generally expected that Mr. Attwood would on the 15th of July address them on his old ground at Holloway-head. Under this apprehension the spot was occupied during the day by small groups of artisans, who amounted at half-past six to about two hundred. Several speakers addressed them; but when it was found that Mr. Attwood would not come, an orator recommended them to form into line, and parade through the principal streets. He recommended that they should walk orderly; but instead of that they proceeded tumultuously to the Bullring. No police were on the spot; and thus favoured, the mob, having been reinforced from all quarters, proceeded down Moor-street to the public office. All the windows of this building were broken by them; and, under the impression that neither the police nor the military were able to withstand them, the tumultuous concourse poured back into the square. Weapons were now sought: broken flagstones, heavy bludgeons, and scythes were brought into use, while some loosened the pavement for the purpose of arming empty hands with missiles. The work of demolition soon commenced: the houses of Mr. Bourne, a grocer, and Mr. Leggett, an upholsterer, were plundered and set on fire. A simultaneous attack was next made upon the Nelson hotel; and by casting the lighted brands into other shops, which had been forcibly driven in, the mob were on the point of kindling a general conflagration. At this point, however, the police made their appearance; and at ten o’clock they were followed by some magistrates and the military. The first onset was followed by complete discomfiture: before the troops came up the ringleaders escaped, and by midnight quiet again reigned. The morning, however, showed a dismal scene of devastation: besides the premises which were consumed by fire, nearly twenty shops were destroyed; and it was reckoned that £40,000 would not cover the damages.
In consequence of these lamentable occurrences, and the excited state of the northern districts of the kingdom, on the 22nd of July, Lord John Russell announced his intention of taking the requisite precautions for securing the tranquillity of the country, by placing at the hands of the magistrates a better organized constitutional force for putting the law into execution, and providing sufficient military means for supporting them in the performance of their duty. On the next evening he moved a resolution to authorize the treasury to advance £10.000 out of the consolidated fund, for the purpose of establishing an efficient police force at Birmingham, which was to be repaid out of the rates to be levied on the said town. In explanation of this resolution, his lordship stated, that there were difficulties in the way of an immediate organization of such a force on account of the excited state of Birmingham, and from the question lately raised in Manchester, with regard to the corporation, whether the municipal body of Birmingham had the power to impose a rate for the establishment of a police. Under these circumstances he proposed that the state should interfere so far as to advance certain funds, to be repaid by the town. This would not be a vote of supply, but a vote forming the foundation of a bill which should provide for the recovery of the money by a rate on the borough, to be imposed by an act of parliament, and, therefore, irrespective of the authority of the corporation. This resolution was carried, and a bill was brought in, which became law. Similar bills, with the exception of the advance of funds from the treasury, were subsequently applied to Manchester and Bolton, to remain in force until the power of the civil functionaries to raise a rate should be determined. A bill was also passed, with the same intention, to enlarge the powers of the justices of the peace for appointing county and district constables, and charging their support upon the districts to which they might be nominated. This measure, however, was not intended to be imperative; but justices in quarter-sessions were authorized to report to the secretary of state the necessity of an additional appointment of constables, wherever the circumstances of their district should call for such an augmentation, in a proportion not exceeding one for every one thousand of the population. At the same time magistrates were to create one or more chief-constables of the county, with whom should rest the nomination of petty-constables and a deputy. A further enactment forbade any constable under the provisions of this hill from voting at an election, or exercising any other employment. In order further to secure the peace of the country, Lord John Russell subsequently moved that an addition of five thousand men should be made to the present military establishment; and after an amendment by Mr. Hume, which was unsuccessful, the house went into committee, and a vote of £75,000 was carried for the increase of the army.