CHRONICLE. 



267 



*'alks, as they termed it, and in the 

 agreement it was specified accord- 

 ingly, that Mount Beacon should 

 meet Beechen Cliff, precisely at 

 twelve o'clock, on Good Friday. 

 This was mentioned with cautions 

 of secrecy to their sporting friends; 

 and at last coming to the ears of 

 some poor credulous beings, who 

 were totally unacquainted with the 

 intended match, they took it in its 

 plain sense, and absolutely believed 

 it to be a fact ; and as stories sel- 

 dom lose by being repeated, each 

 one added what his fears or fancy 

 framed, and swelled the marvellous 

 tale at last into the before-stated 

 prodigious prophecy.— Somuch for 

 the credulity of the enlightened in- 

 habitants of Bath in the year 1809." 



LANCASTER ASSIZES. 



The Lancashire riot. — The King 

 against Hanson. — This important 

 trial came on before Sir S.Le Blanc 

 and a special jury, on Wednesday 

 se'nniglit. The defendant, Joseph 

 Hanson, esq. was indicted for hav- 

 ing unlawfully encouraged a num- 

 ber of persons to riot. 



Serjeant Cockell addressed the 

 jury on the part of the crown. It 

 appeared that the weavers assem- 

 bled in great numbers on the 24th 

 of May, near Manchester ; that the 

 next morning they again assembled, 

 much increased in numbers; that 

 Mr. Starkie, the Boroughrecve, 

 strove to persuade them to disperse, 

 but in vain. In the afternoon they 

 were increased to about 10,000; 

 and the magistrates, preceded by a 

 party of the 4th dragoons, came to 

 the ground, and the riot act was 

 read. About this time the defend- 

 ant arrived on horseback, attended 

 by his groom; he went up to cap- 

 tain Trattord (wiio commanded the 

 drayoons) and asked, might he 



speak to the people ? Captain T. 

 said, not unless he could persuade 

 them to depart peaceably; but he 

 thought his (the defendant's) pre- 

 sence would irritate them ; and he 

 told hira that he would oblige him 

 if he would leave the field. This 

 he did not immediately; but as he 

 rode along, the people huzza'd, and 

 he pulled off his hat, and spoke to 

 them. 



The witnesses for the prosecu- 

 tion swore, that they heard him use 

 expressions to the following eftect: 

 — " My lads, your cause is good- 

 be firm, and you will succeed." — 

 " I will support you as far as three 

 thousand pounds will go, and if 

 that will not do, I will go further." 

 •' Nadin and his faction shall not 

 drive you from the field this day." 

 " I am sorry your bill is lost. — My 

 father was a weaver, I am a wea- 

 ver, and have got my money by 

 your industr)', and I am the weaver's 

 friend." He afterwards left the 

 field, and rode towards his own 

 house. 



To prove this, a Serjeant and two 

 corporals of the 4th dragoons, and 

 two constables, were called." 



Mr. Raine made a most eloquent 

 speech for the defendant; and said, 

 he should call many respectable 

 witnesses, to prove that he, on that 

 day, was constantly advising the 

 people to be peaceable, and retire 

 to their homes. The groom who 

 attended the defendant the whole 

 of the time, said he never heard his 

 master make use of the expressions 

 sworn to by the other witnesses; 

 that when the dragoons drew their 

 swords, his master's horse becom- 

 ing restive, he slipped off, walked 

 a little way, and then mounted the 

 groom's horse, and rode off. Mr. 

 Stcnnet, Mr. Norris, Mr. C. Sat- 



tcrthwaitc, 



