APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



353 



tlieCit3'-rnarshal and a civil officer. 

 They drew up three deep in the 

 line from the Tower gates, which 

 were shut, covering the entrance. 



Ten minutes past twelve.an offi- 

 cer of the fifteenth light dragoons 

 rode smartly out from Jewry- 

 street, by the farther side of the 

 Trinity-house, making signals for 

 the mob to clear the way. A 

 quarter past twelve, arrived about 

 twenty of the horse-guards, who 

 rode up towards the Tower gates. 

 At the distance of 100 yards, came 

 about 300 of the 15th light dra- 

 goons, then about 200 of the 

 horse guards, having in the middle 

 of them the coach containing Sir 

 Francis Burdett. 



The windows of the coach were 

 all down ; Sir Francis sat on the 

 riglit, behind ; he sat forward, 

 and was well seen. 



After the horse guards, came 

 about 200 more of the fifteenth. 

 As the procession entered by the 

 further side of the Trinity-house, 

 it came on Tower-hill, in a serpen- 

 tine form, and the military spec- 

 tacle was very grand. Intliisstate 

 things remained for half an hour, 

 the carriage covered by about 200 

 horse guards, the line of foot 

 guards stretching from it up 

 Tower-hill, the fifteenth lining the 

 sides of Tower-hill, to keep ofFthe 

 mob, which began to disperse. 



The two squadrons of the fif- 

 teenth light dragoons opened right 

 and left, and cleared the ground in 

 all directions, forming a circle, t^vo 

 deeparound the entrance, through 

 which the remainder of the force, 

 with the prisoner, proceeded with- 

 out any material interruption ; 

 though there was much hooting and 

 huzzaing — "Burdett for ever!" 

 Many of the mob were forced into 



Vol. LII. 



the Tower ditch, but without mis- 

 chief, as there was but little water. 

 On the arrival of the carriage at 

 the gate. Sir Francis alighted, and 

 was received with the usual for- 

 malities, firing of cannon, &c. 

 The gate was immediately shut. 



Sir Francis was admitted about 

 one o'clock. 



A7i important question havingariseti 

 concerning the legality of Sir F. 

 Burdett's arrest, vie give thefol- 

 lotuing opinion of the Atto? ney 

 General, on the queries proposed 

 1o him, relative thereto. 

 •' Query. — The Serjeant-at- 

 arms attending the House of Com- 

 mons having in the execution of 

 this narrant been resisted, and 

 turned out of Sir Francis Burdett's 

 private dwelling-house, by force. 

 "Your opinion is desired, whe- 

 ther in the execution of this war- 

 rant he will be justified inbreaking 

 open the outer or any inner door 

 of the private dwelling-house of 

 Sir Francis Burdett, or of any 

 other person in which there is rea- 

 sonable cause to suspect he is con- 

 cealed, for the purpose of appre- 

 hending him. And whether he 

 may take to his assistance a suffi- 

 cient civil or military force for 

 that purpose, such force acting 

 under the direction of a civil 

 magistrate. And whether such 

 proceedings will be justifiable 

 during the night as well as in 

 the day-time." 



Opinion. — "No instance isstated 

 to me, and I presume that none is 

 to be found, in which the outer 

 door of a house has been broken 

 open under the Speaker's warrant 

 for the purpose of apprehending 

 the person against whom such war- 

 rant issued being therein. 1 must, 

 2 A 



