THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 145 



times a Methodist teacher," to treat with them. The 

 farmers were generally frightened into agreeing to 

 the demands, which were considered reasonable by 

 independent persons. The magistrates at first some- 

 times acted as mediators. 



There seemed every prospect that the movement 

 might have ended in a definite improvement in the 

 wages, and the conditions of life of the labouring 

 population. But towards the end of November the 

 government became frightened, and the lord-lieu- 

 tenants and the magistracy were urged to proceed 

 with greater vigour in quelling disturbances. The 

 government's fright created a panic amongst the 

 magistracy. Everywhere they took action : arbitrary 

 arrests became common, and the gaols were soon 

 crowded. The trials that followed were too often a 

 mockery of justice. At Winchester some three 

 hundred prisoners were tried in batches, and the 

 evidence given was in many cases of a most shadowy 

 kind ; in some instances it depended solely on the 

 statements of informers, to whom large sums of money 

 were given. Of the three hundred, over two hundred 

 were found guilty of various offences ; of these about 

 half were convicted of noting and rick-burning and 

 other similar crimes, for which in those days the 

 penalty was death. Two of these men were hanged in 

 the presence of the whole of the condemned men, and 

 the remainder were transported or sentenced to hard 

 labour. Similar repressive measures went on through- 

 out the country. The movement among the labourers 

 was crushed, and they were forced back into a silent 

 poverty. 



Two years later, at the time when the laws against 

 combinations had been repealed, and there was a spread 



II 



