140) ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
admitted as honorary knights. But 
in the event of future wars, in 
which distinction is obtained, the 
number may be increased. No per- 
son is to be eligible to this class 
who does not hold a commission 
not below the rank of Lieutenant- 
Colonel in: the army, or of Post 
Captain in the navy. The Knights 
Commanders are entitled to as- 
sume the distinctive appellation 
of knighthood; and no officer 
shall hereafter be nominated to 
the dignity of Grand Cross who 
shall not previously have been 
appointed a Knight Commander. 
The third class is to be com- 
posed of officers in the army and 
navy to be styled Companions of 
the Order of the Bath. They are 
not to be entitled to the appella- 
tion or precedence of Knights 
Bachelors, but are to take place 
of all Esquires. None are to be 
admitted into this class but such 
as have received a medal or other 
badge of honour, or have been 
mentioned by name in the Lon- 
don Gazette, as having been dis- 
tinguished by valour aud con- 
duct in action. 
Other articles describe the 
badges, ensigns, or distinctive 
marks assigned to each of these 
classes; and lists are subjoined of 
the persons nominated to them, 
which comprehend all the emi- 
nent military characters of the 
three kingdoms. | As this. no- 
mination took place before that 
renewal of war the termination of 
which has been so peculiarly glo- 
rious to the British arms, it will 
readily be supposed that great 
additions have in the latter part 
of the year been made to the pre- 
ceding lists. 
The internal tranquillity of the 
country has in this year under- 
gone some disturbance, though, 
in the larger portion of the em- 
pire, not to a degree materially 
affecting the pubiic peace. The 
re-introduction into parliament of 
a bill to prohibit the importation 
of corn, except when it had reach- 
ed a price considered by the great 
body of consumers as exorbitant, 
rekindled the animosity of the 
inferior classes against the le- 
gislature; and the metropolis was 
for some days in a state of tu- 
mult and outrage which excit- 
ed serious apprehensions in the 
government, and caused strong 
measures to be resorted to for 
quelling the popular commotion. 
This was with little difficulty ef- 
fected, after several obnoxious in- 
dividuals had been sufferers from 
the usual mischiefs of riotous 
mobs, directed against windows 
and furniture. In some parts of 
the country violences of a similar 
kind were perpetrated, though in 
a less degree. The public mind 
was pacified by a fall in the price 
of grain, which a plentiful har- 
vest rendered progressive, till it 
reached a point that threw real 
distress upon the class of agricul- 
turists, and entirely frustrated 
any hopes which the landed inte- 
rest might have entertained of 
maintaining by legislative mea- 
sures the advanced value and 
rents of estates. : 
A resistance to legal authority 
ofa more alarming nature, and 
much more difficult to repress, 
broke out in the latter part of 
the year among the numerous 
sailors of the ports in Durham 
and Northumberland chieflly oc- 
cupied in the coal trade, Their 
object was to obtain an advance 
