181S.] 



quotations from tlie Times and the Morn- 

 ing Herald; but, since the opinions of both, 

 in effect are nearly tlie same, I shall con- 

 fine myself here to a short extract from 

 the former: — "The Address printed at Bir» 

 mingham," says the Times, " and exhi- 

 bited by a printer there, with a view to 

 tranquillize the inhabitants, but which un- 

 fortunately had so different an effect, hke 

 many other well-intended measures, errs 

 from want of jiulj;ment ; it endeavours Jo 

 palliate evils which are too obvious to be 

 denied, and it excuses Misconduct which 

 cannot be justified." 



Thus, then, wc see that the " Address" 

 alone must have been amply sufficient to 

 have somewhat irritated the feelings of 

 such as were already disaffected towards 

 the present government, and to have ex- 

 cited some degree of resentment agaiu'st 

 Mr. Jabet for thus publicly exposing and 

 sanctioning it ; but, in addition to this, 

 another circumstance operated to the pre- 

 judice of that gentleman, which was as 

 follows : — a report was spread by a person 

 in the crowd, stating that Mr. Jabet had 

 declared it as his opinion, that " nine shil- 

 lings per week were sufficient for the sup- 

 port of a man, his wife, and six children ;" 

 tJiis report has since been proved to have 

 been utterly false, according to the public 

 acknowledgment of the person by whom 

 it was first circulated. This latter cir- 

 cumstance, in conjunction wilh the former, 

 at length worked upon the minds of the 

 people to such a degree, that they pro- 

 ceeded to acts of open violence, and in 

 the course of the evening broke nearly all 

 the panes in the windows in front of Mr. 

 Jabet's house : the aid of the military, how- 

 ever, being called in, the crowd was soon 

 after dispersed, but not till considerable 

 damage had been done. 



A copy of the resolutions of the " Bir- 

 mingham Hampden ('lub," a society lately 

 established in this town, whose chief ob- 

 ject is to assist by every legitimate means 

 in their po%ver in the proii;otion of the 

 truly groat and important woik of Par- 

 liamentary Reform, having, it is said, been 

 produced in the ciowd by one of ihe 

 members of that society, and who was 

 himself, it is also said, .imoug the number 

 of these disturbers of the public tran- 

 quillity, an opinion has thence originated, 

 tJiat tile disgraceful proceedings of the 

 SBtli ult. were caused aud promoted by 

 the Hampden Club; but, suppose these 

 report-) to h* true, (which I arn not awaie 

 they have yet biun proved to be,) I would 

 a.sk, can any body of nun be answerable 

 for the conduct ol' its members as indivi- 

 duals f and, because the actions of one 

 among their uunilier n)ay have b(.-en cri- 

 minal, >liall we condeuui the whole .So- 

 ciety i With regard to the influence which 

 a perusal of the resolutions of the Hamp- 

 den Club might Uayt miou the jsjusl? of 



Mr. Clark on the Riot at Birmingham 



475 



the riotously disposed, it has been very 

 justly remarked by the editor of the 

 News, that " they will thexe learn, that 

 the road to a successful resistance of flit 

 present spirit of misrule adopted by mi- 

 nisters, is not by rioting, but by a una- 

 nimous stand of the embodied public 

 opinion." 



In consequence of the unwarrantable 

 supposition that the Hampden Club has 

 taken an active part in promoting the 

 late disturbances, an opinion which, in 

 tliis town, is, I believe, exclusively con- 

 fined to persons whose political sentiments 

 differ from those whicii are avowed by 

 that society, nuicli obloquy has been 

 thrown upon it, and in some of the Lon- 

 don paper* it has been declaimed against 

 in the most open, unjustifiable, and vio- 

 lent manner; the Courier and the Sim, ia 

 particular, have filled several of their co- 

 lumns with the most imqualitied and scur- 

 rilous abuse nf it, and the foinn-r of these 

 two writers has vented his spleen against 

 Mr. Edmonds, the Society's chairuian, in 

 the most virulent lan;;uage, and has as- 

 serted of him some of the grossest and 

 most palpable falsehoods. From a per- 

 sonal knowledge of Mr. Edmonds, who is 

 engaged in the arduous task of the in- 

 slriiciiou of youth, I feel uo hesitation iu 

 pronouncing him a man of unsullied repu- 

 tation, whose highest ambition would be. 

 to render himself subservient to the best 

 interests of his country, and it is witb 

 peculiar pleasuie I embrace the oppoi- 

 tunity now affoided me, of thus publicly 

 doiug justice to his worth. Though I have 

 myself no connexion with the Hampden 

 Club, I am acquainted with seveial of its 

 leading members, persons whose cliarar- 

 ters, I will venture to say, are unimpeacli- 

 able. T. Clark, jun, 



A number of men, artisans and o:hers, 

 at BirmiMgham, liave been put on the 

 roads at is. per day, payable out of a 

 voluntary ijite, tax, or subscription. The 

 local newspapers state that some of the 

 best shops are ai)imdoned, from an impos- 

 sibility to meet the extent of taxation. 



Manial.] Mr. Kicliaid- Lloyd, to Mrs. 

 Lewis. — Mr. Oeoige Wethtriv, to Miss 

 Phrebe W.utoii.— AIi. William Sliaw, to 

 Miss Nicliulls. — Mr. Jarvis Turner, to Miss 

 Caroline Wilday : all of Birmingham.— 

 Charles Bullin,' esq. of Rugliy, to Mi^S 

 Lvdia Wortinglou, of Brockhnrst. — Mr. 

 P.. Souihal!, jun. of Birmingliam, to Miss 

 Auiie Enston.of I'etworth.— Mr. Hall, of 

 P.irmingham, to Miss Sarali Yale, of 

 Bridgnonh. 



Divil.] At Birmin^-haniiin Church-street, 

 3-1, Mr. W'lhiamUodgeis.— <i;'), Mrs. Sarab 

 Moore.— In U'eaur,m-street,7'J, Mrs.SaraU 

 Taylor, regretted.— In Worcester-stieet, 

 5i», Mr, Joseph ftvlrv, respected.— In 

 J'liilay-sfreet, 67, M'r. "William Ashbee.— 

 Iji* LaiirQuce-strtct, 70, Mrs. Thompicm. 



Si' i At 



