After the Levée was over, a vast number of the lower orders assembled in the park, awaiting the arrival of some of the Anti-Reform peers. About five o'clock, the Marquis of Londonderry, accompanied by a friend, made his appearance on horseback, and was proceeding to the House of Lords. Before the Marquis was aware, he found himself in the midst of between 4000 and 5000 persons. At first, he was not recognised, and he was proceeding with apparent security, when, on a sudden, a voice exclaimed, 'There goes the Marquis of Londonderry.' In an instant he was assailed with pebbles. Several of the missiles struck his lordship, which so enraged him, that he pulled up his horse, and solemnly declared that he would shoot at the first individual who again dared to molest him. His lordship accompanied his declaration by pulling out a brace of pistols. This, for a time, so intimidated the mob, that they gave way in a slight degree; and, after the Marquis had conversed for a few seconds with a gentleman on horseback near him, he rode off towards the Horse Guards. Thither the mob followed; and, believing that his lordship only endeavoured to intimidate them, they commenced another attack. The showers of stones were now thicker than ever, and one stone, hurled with considerable force, struck the noble Marquis immediately over his right temple, cut through his hat, and inflicted a serious wound on his head, which rendered his lordship nearly insensible. The military here interposed, and the Marquis was placed in a hackney coach, and conveyed home."

The Rev. G. R. Gleig, in his "Life of Arthur, Duke of Wellington" (edit. 1864, p. 360), gives the following account of the window-breaking at Apsley House:—

"The Duke was not in his place in the House of Lords on that memorable day when the King went down to dissolve Parliament.[10] He had been in attendance, for some time previously, at the sick bed of the Duchess, and she expired just as the Park guns began to fire. He was, therefore, ignorant of the state into which London had fallen, till a surging crowd swept up from Westminster to Piccadilly, shouting and yelling, and offering violence to all whom they suspected of being Anti-Reformers. By-and-by, volleys of stones came crashing through the windows at Apsley house, breaking them to pieces and doing injury to more than one valuable picture in the gallery. The Duke bore the outrage as well as he could, but determined never to run a similar risk again. He guarded his windows, as soon as quiet was restored, with iron shutters, and left them there to the day of his death, a standing memento of a nation's ingratitude."

Doubtless many of my readers remember those shutters, which were always down, and were not removed until after his funeral on November 18, 1852.

CHAPTER IX.
1831.

Reform procession — The Corporation of London and the King — Dreadful riots at Bristol — Riots in other parts of the kingdom — Edward Irving and the "Gifts of Tongues" — The cholera — Its spread — State of Ireland — Tithe agitation — Scarcity of food — Repeal of the Union — Cases of violence.

A large portion of the nation, and London in particular, had Reform on the brain; and, as soon as the news of the rejection of the Bill was generally known, it was arranged at a meeting of delegates from the several parishes that separate addresses to the King should be presented from each, and that deputations should be accompanied to St. James's Palace by such of the parishioners who chose to attend. Accordingly, on October 12th, deputations and auxiliaries from St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, St. Luke's Clerkenwell, St. James Westminster, and St. Mary Newington, marched to St. James's, and it was reckoned that there was an assemblage of about sixty thousand people.

The deputations waited on Lord Melbourne, who was Home Secretary, and requested him to present them to the King. My Lord diplomatically replied that he would first learn his Majesty's pleasure thereon, but would advise them to give the addresses to the members for Middlesex, Messrs. Byng and Hume, who would present them, which was accordingly done. The members returned in about an hour, when Mr. Hume addressed the mob. He told them that he had presented their addresses to his Majesty, telling him that they were passed at meetings of near forty thousand persons, and that they prayed he would retain his ministers—use all constitutional means to pass the Reform Bill—and dismiss those persons from his court and household who were opposed to the measure; and he further informed his hearers, that the King had distinctly promised that their prayers should be complied with, and that he had emphatically observed that he had the highest confidence in his present ministry, and that every means in his power should be used to secure the success of a measure so essentially necessary to the interest, happiness, and welfare of his people; and, further, all persons about his court, or person, opposed to the Bill should be removed. The mob cheered loudly, and duly broke windows and committed excesses on their way back.

The City of London, now so overwhelmingly Conservative, was then, and long after, violently Radical in its politics, and, consequently, must needs present an address to the King, as, by prescriptive right, they were entitled to do. The King received the Mayor and Corporation, seated upon his throne, and to their address gave the following diplomatic answer:—

"I receive, with satisfaction, the expression of your loyalty and attachment to my person and government, and of your confidence in my Constitutional advisers.