GENERAL HISTORY. 



[115 



East Indian commerce, and mostly 

 resident in London. There were, 

 indeed, two petitions from country 

 manufacturers, namely, from the 

 Gloucestershire clothiers, and the 

 manufacturers of long ells in the 

 counties of Cornwall, Devon, and 

 Somerset. The corporation of 

 London, in common council assem- 

 bled, also, " solemnly disclaiming 

 all selfish considerations and narrow 

 jealousies," petitioned for a con- 

 tinuance of the connection already 

 existing between the East India 

 trade and the port of London, and 

 that the house would " adopt such 

 measures as to their wisdom shall 

 seem meet, to prevent the exten- 

 sion of the said trade to the out- 

 ports, or other cities and towns of 

 the United Kingdom." 



The great mass of these proceed- 

 ings, and the pressure of other 

 business, prevented the subject of 

 the East India charter from being 

 brought under the discussion of 

 parliament before the close of the 

 session. 



The disturbances consequent 

 upon the numbers of workmen 

 thrown out of employ by the dimi- 

 nished demand for the manufac- 

 tures of the country, after having 

 been for some time confined to the 

 hosiery districts, gradually extend- 

 ed to the neighbouring counties, 

 where they assumed a character 

 stdl more alarming, and engaged 

 the serious attention of government. 

 Their seat was that large and very 

 populous district comprising those 

 parts of Lancashire and theadjacent 

 tracts of Cheshire which are occu- 

 pied by the cotton-manufacturers, 

 and the cloxhing part of the West 

 Ridmg of Yorkshire. The dis- 

 position to tumult in i\ms quarter 

 Vol. LIV. 



disclosed itself about the end of 

 February, and prevailed with 

 greater or less violence till the 

 middle of summer. During this 

 period a great number of acts of 

 lawless outrage were perpetrated, 

 in the destruction of property, par- 

 ticularly of the machinery and im- 

 plements used in the manufactures, 

 and in attempts against the lives of 

 persons active in the suppression of 

 riots. In their progress, the rioters 

 appear to have adopted a system of 

 organization highly dangerous to 

 the public peace, and which mani- 

 fested itself in a degree of military 

 training, accompanied by the 

 seizure and concealment of arms, 

 and the administering of an oath of 

 secrecy and confederacy. 



On June 27th, the Prince Regent 

 sent a message to each house of 

 parliament ; informing them, that 

 he had given orders that copies of 

 the information received relative to 

 certain violent and dangerous pro- 

 ceedings carried on in several coun- 

 ties of England should be laid be- 

 fore them, and relying on the 

 wisdom of parliament to take pro- 

 per measures for the restoration of 

 order and tranquillity. 



Viscount Sidmouth, now secre- 

 tary of state for the home depart- 

 ment, rose in the House of Lords 

 on the 29th, to move an address to 

 the Regent on the occasion, ex- 

 pressing their thanks for the com- 

 munication, and declaring their 

 resolution to take into consideration 

 the documents laid before them, 

 and to concur in the necessary mea- 

 sures. He said he should after- 

 wards propose to refer the papers to 

 a committee of secrecy, and there- 

 fore would not ^anticipate what 

 might be thought necessary by 

 [l] that 



