CHRONICLE. 



97 



and Ireland, inBlandford church, 

 after morning servi(;e. The form 

 regidarly appointed for tlie pur- 

 pose was used on the occasion, 

 under the direction of the Bishop 

 of Bristol. 



2S. 3Iansio}i-house. — Several 

 journeymen sugar-bakers, in thi? 

 employment of Messrs. Danvers, 

 and others of that trade, were 

 charged ^vitll a criminal combina- 

 tion. It appeared from tlie state- 

 ment of the complainants, that a 

 few years since, during a time of 

 great scarcity of provisions, the 

 wages of the journeymen (inde- 

 pendently of being provided with 

 apartments, tire, &c. &c.) were 

 raised from 10s. to J 2s. per week. 

 A short time back, however, the 

 masters were of opinion, that in 

 consequence of the decreased price 

 of provisions, the allowance 

 should be reduced to its original 

 standai'd. Notice to this effect 

 was accordingly given to the re- 

 sident journeymen, but the latter 

 refused to continue their services 

 upon such terms ; and a general 

 combination being entered into 

 between them, what is teriued a 

 round robin was signed by about 

 500 persons. The business of the 

 sugar-houses was thus wholly at 

 a stand, the journeymen having 

 suddenly struck, without giving 

 the slightest notice, and in one 

 or two instances having actually 

 left their employment at a time 

 when the sugar was in such a 

 state of preparation in the vats as 

 to occasion its total loss. A num- 

 ber of the defendants (being Ger- 

 mans) pleaded ignorance of the 

 law ; while others contended, 

 that the advanced wages were 

 barely sulUcient to supply their 

 wants. They were reminded, 



however, that the advance was 

 clearly stated, at the time, to be 

 given dviring the continuance of 

 the then existing dearth of pro- 

 visions, and by no means as a 

 permanent one. The LordlNIayor 

 inquired if any of the parties had 

 given the requisite notice (14 

 days) of an intention to quit their 

 employment ; and being answer- 

 ed in the negative, his lordship 

 proceeded to hear evidence of 

 identity, when he ordered four 

 of them to be committed to the 

 house of correction for one month 

 each — hoping this punishinent 

 would operate as a warning to 

 the rest;, and induce them to re- 

 turn to their employment. 



MARCH. 



2. Belfast. — On the morning 

 of Wednesday last, about four 

 o'clock, a band of armed ruffians 

 attacked the dwelling house of 

 Mr. Francis Johnson, muslin 

 manufacturer, near the head of 

 North-stieet, while the family 

 were all asleep : this family con- 

 sii(ed of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, 

 eight children, two maid servants, 

 and one servant man. The ban- 

 ditti began their operations by 

 forcibly breaking off the shutters 

 of the parlour window, which 

 were sheathed with iron ; having 

 effected this, they raised the lower 

 sash, and, horrible to relate, they 

 then introduced a large box tilled 

 with pitch, tar, hemp, and other , 

 inflaniniable materials, and, to 

 render their diabolical design still 

 more serious and direfuUy de- 

 str\icti\e, they had attached to 

 the.'^e inflammable substances a 

 large ball or bomb shell Hlled with 

 gimiKJwder 



