JET. 35.] THE OPPOSITION. 77 



as to the details, than to observe that considerably 

 more were acquitted than we had expected. 



" As to the material point, of what it all was, the 

 opinion I gather from all I have seen in public and 

 private is shortly this : That the apprehension of being 

 ruined by being thrown out of work in consequence of 

 machinery (shears), excited numbers of the croppers 

 (who cut the cloth by hand) to destroy the machinery; 

 that some of the masters may possibly have been 

 encouragers of them ; that, to effect this, they did not 

 form any very regular association, but did certainly 

 associate in considerable numbers ; that we have no 

 traces of the oaths among these men, except ordinary 

 oaths to keep certain acts secret after they were com- 

 mitted ; and that these acts of violence (130 to 150 

 being present on one occasion) were confined to 

 Huddersfield, and seven or eight miles round it I 

 might perhaps rather say one mile. There was little 

 or nothing done after April; the defence of Cart- 

 wright's mill and the murder of Horsfall, followed 

 by the introduction of the military, suspended the 

 riots, at least for a time. Meantime a pretty severe 

 example has been made by the judges here, for, three 

 days ago, three of the four murderers of Horsfall were 

 hung in front of York Castle; and fourteen of the 

 rioters will be executed to-morrow or next day. This 

 is wholesale work with a vengeance ! Ever truly 

 yours, H. BROUGHAM." 



TO EARL GEEY. 



"TEMPLE, July 17, 1813. 



"DEAR LORD GREY, I rather write now for the 

 purpose of telling you that I know nothing of what is 



