both belonged to Mr. Langdale, ball was not fo fatal to them as an eminent diftiller, and contained immenfe quantities of fpirituous liquors. Six-and-thirty fires, all blazing at one time, and in different quarters of the city, were to be feen froin one fpot. -During the whole night men, women, and children, were running up and down with fuch goods and effects as they wished moft to preserve. The tremendous roar of the authors of these horrible scenes was heard at one in-. ftant, and at the next, the dreadful reports of foldiers mufquets, firing in platoons, and from different quarters: in fhort, every thing ferved to imprefs the mind with ideas of univerfal anarchy and approaching defolation. Two attempts, in the course of the day, were made upon the Bank; but the rioters were fo much intimidated by the ftrength with which they beheld it guarded, that their attacks were but feebly conducted, and they were repulfed at the first fire from the military. They made an effort to break into the Pay-office likewife, and met the fame fate. Several of them fell in thefe fkirmithes, and many were wounded. Had the Bank and the public offices been the first objects of their fury, inftead of the houfes of individuals, the chapels, and the prifons, there can be little doubt but they would have fucceeded in their attempt; and what the confequences in that cafe would have been, let any rational mind figure to itself! It is impoffible to afcertain the number of unhappy wretches who loft their lives in the course of their own inordinate appetites. Numbers died with inebriation, efpecially at the diftilleries of the unfortunate Mr. Langdale, from whofe veffels the liquor ran down the middle of the street, was taken up by pailfuls, and held to the mouths of the deluded multitude; many of whom killed themselves with drinking non-rectified fpirits, and were burnt or buried in the ruins. The regulars and militia had poured in so fast, in confequence of the expreffes difpatched for that purpose, that the citizens on Thurfday began to recover from their confternation. They were, however, fo thoroughly alarmed, and fo much affected by the depredations they beheld on every fide, that the fhops were univerfally fhut from Tyburn to Whitechapel, and no bufinefs of any kind, except at the Bank, was tranfacted. The military were exceedingly active this day; and fecured great numbers of difor. derly perfons; feveral were taken in the cells of Newgate, attempting to rekindle the fire in those parts which had not been totally destroyed. The number of those who pe this dreadful night.-Powder and rifhed from inebriation, and in the the ruins of the demolished houfes, is not known, but is conceived to have been very confiderable. a Friday, at eleven o'clock, Council was held at Lord Stormont's office in Cleveland-row; in confequence of which, a warrant was iffued by his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, directed to Mann and Staley, two of his Majefty's Meffengers in ordinary, for the apprehending and taking into fafe cuftody, the Right Honourable Lord George Gordon. The meffengers, on receiving their warrants, inftantly repaired to his houfe in Welbeck- ftreet, and, getting admittance, were introduced to his lordship, whom they made immediately acquainted with the nature of their vifit :-Lord George only replied,- If you are fure it is me you want, I am ready to attend you!-Upon which, a hackney-coach being previously got ready, and a party of light horfe having received orders to attend in an adjacent ftreet, his lordship was conducted fafely by them, about fix o'clock, to the Horfe-Guards.-A long examination took place in the War-office, before the Lord Prefident, Lord North, Lord Amherft, the Secretaries of State, and feveral other Lords of the Privycouncil; and at half an hour after nine, Lord George Gordon was committed a close prifoner to the Tower. The guards that attended him were by far the greateft in number ever remembered to guard a ftate prisoner. A large party of infantry preceded in front, his Lordfhip following in a coach, in which were two officers; two foldiers rode behind the coach, and immediately followed General Carpenter's regiment of dragoons; after which came a colonel's guard of the foot guards, befides a party of the militia, which marched on each fide of the coach. The cavalcade paffed over Westminsterbridge, through St. George's Fields, the Borough, and fo on to the Tower, where his lordship alighted about ten o'clock, and refted that night in the Governor's apartments. The fame day Mr. Fisher, Secretary to the Proteftant Affociation, was taken to the Tower, examined by the Privycouncil, and honourably dif miffed. The arrangement of the mili.. tary, that was made on Thursday, produced fo good an effect, that there was no riot or disturbances in any part of the town, in the courfe of the night, and the nextday (Friday) peace and tranquillity were restored, and the only uneafinefs felt, was, that the metropolis was fubjected to martial law. This very difagreeable apprehenfion arofe from the proclamation which was issued, declaring that orders were given to the military power to exert their utmost endeavours for the reftoring of peace. In order, however, to diffipate this idea, the following hand-bill was circulated in every quarter of the town:— Whereas fome ill defigning and malicious perfons have publifhed, for the purpofe of difquieting the minds of his Majefty's faithful fubje&s, that it is intended to try the prifoners, now in cuftody, by martial law; notice is given, by authority, that no fuch purpofe or intention has ever been in the contemplation of Government; but that the faid [R] 4 prifoners 1 prifoners will be tried by the due courfe of law, as expeditiously as may be.' We must not forget to mention, that attempts were made to create the fame difturbances at Hull, Briftol, and Bath. By the care and attention of the civil magiftrate they were fruftrated; but at Bath not till a chapel and fome houfes were destroyed. N this ample detail of the tu very existence of the metropolis, it cannot but be remarked, that fcarce any attempt appears to have been made either to prevent them, or to check their progrefs. For fix days fucceffively, from Friday the 2d of June to Thurfday the 8th, the cities of London and Weftminfter were delivered up into the hands of an unarmed and nameless mob, to be plundered at its difcretion. Much blame on this account has been thown on the magiftrates of the cities, much on the king's minifters; with what juftice the following authentic papers will in fome meafure enable our readers to judge. Copies of the Letters which paffed between the Secretaries of State, the Lord Prefident of the Council, the Commander in Chief, and the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, and alfo of the King's Proclamation, relative to the late riots. St. James's, June 3, 1780. 14 M. p. Two P. M. MY LORD, AS information which I have received gives me reafon to apprehend that tumults may arife within your lordship's jurifdiction, I think it my duty to convey to you immediately this information. I cannot too ftrongly recommend the matter to your lordship's attention, and am confident, from your known activity, that you will not omit any legal exertion of the civil power which may contribute upon this occafion to preferve the public peace. I have the honour to be, Moft obedient humble fervant, The Right Hon. the Lord St. Jame's, June 4, 1780. 25 M. p. Ten, P. M. MY LORD, INFORMATION which I have juft received makes me think it my indispensable duty to recommend the contents of the letter which I had the honour to write to your lordship yesterday, to your moft ferious confideration: I cannot but hope and truft, from your lordship's known zeal and activity, that every effectual legal method will be used by you to preferve the public peace, by guarding it against thofe dangers to which it stands expofed. I am, with great respect, Right Hon. the Lord Mayor. of last night, that you were then ufing your beft endeavours to difperfe the tumultuous affembly in Moorfields, and to prevent every outrage. Those endeavours feem to have been in fome degree fuccefsful for a time; but we have just received intelligence, which gives us equal concern and furprize, that there is actually a riotous meeting at the fame place, and that a great number of feditious perfons are employed in demolishing different dwellinghouses, and all this is done in broad day, according to our information, without the leaft interpofition of the civil 'magiftrates to preserve the public peace. Under these confiderations we think it our indispensable duty again to call your lordship's attention to fuch very serious objects, and we cannot but perfuade our felves that you will feel that a conftant, uninterrupted exertion of every poffible legal endeavour to prevent or quell fuch outrages, and to preserve or reftore the public order and tranquillity, and to feize and secure the principal delinquents, that they may be brought to juftice, is an indifpenfable part of the duty of the high ftation in which your lordfhip is placed. We have the honour to be, Your lord hip's moft obedient, and moft humble fervants, STORMONT, HILLSBOROUGH. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of the city of London. GEORGE R. WHEREAS a great number of disorderly perfons have affem bled themselves together in a riotous and tumultuous manner, and have been guilty of many acts of treafon and rebellion, having made an affault on the gaol of Newgate, fet loose the prisoners confined therein, and fet fire to and deftroyed the faid prison: And whereas houses are now pulling down in feveral parts of our cities of London and Weftminifter, and liberties thereof, and fires kindled for confuming the materials and furniture of the fame, whereby it is become abfolutely neceffary to use the most effectual means to quiet fuch difturbances, to preferve the lives and properties of individuals, and to restore the peace of the country: We, therefore, taking the same into our moft ferious confideration, have thought fit, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to iffue this our royal Proclamation, hereby ftrictly charging and exhorting all our loving fubjects to preferve the peace, and to keep themselves, their fervants and apprentices, quietly within their refpective dwellings, to the end that all well-difpofed perfons may avoid thofe mifchiefs which the continuance of fuch riotous proceedings may bring upon the guilty And as it is neceffary, from the circumftances beforementioned, to employ the military force, with which we are by law entrufted, for the immediate fuppreffion of fuci rebellious and traiterous attempts, now making against the peace and dignity of our Crown, and the fafety of the lives and properties of our fubjects, We have therefore iffued the moft direct and effectual orders to all our officers, by an imme On the fame day the following general orders were iffued to the officers and commanders of all his majefty's forces in Great-Britain. GENERAL ORDERS. Adjutant-general's office, "In obedience to an order of the king in council, the military to act without waiting for directions from the civil magiftrates, and to ufe force for difperfing the illegal and tumultuous affemblies of the people. WM. AMHERST, Adjutant-gen." Several inhabitants of the city of London having propofed to arm themselves for their common prefervation, the following letters palled on that fubject. Whitehall, 12th June, 1780. SIR, I HAVE received the favour of your letter of this date, with the feveral papers inclosed. If in the printed paper, with the lord mayor's name annexed, firelocks are meant by the words," with their arms," in the firft article of the paper. I wholly difapprove of that intention: no perfon can bear arms in this country but under officers having the king's commiffions. |