Scotland; and either he or some one near him added, "that a Militia was against the Union.”

"The Meeting after this, notwithstanding a considerable noise in the street, continued to hear Appeals, and to correct the Parish Lists. Whilst thus employed, one of the Constables represented to Mr. ANDERSON the necessity of getting some of the Military to assist the Constables in keeping off the mob from the door. A message was in consequence sent to the Commanding Officer, who brought down a Serjeant and six men for this purpose, and posted them at the door. In doing this, we understand from him, that he was much insulted, that stones were thrown at him and the party, and that he warned the people to desist from violence, and not to proceed to extremities; for if the Military were called on to act, numbers would suffer.

"After we had corrected the Lists from the Parishes of Salton and Ormiston, and were employed in examining that from Prestonpans, a person from that Parish, named Nicholas Caterside, presented to us an Address, subscribed by a number of persons in a circular manner, which, on being read, was found to be highly seditious. A copy of it is hereto annexed for your Lordship's perusal. On examining the person who had delivered this Address, and finding that he denied any knowledge of the subject of it, we informed him that he had been guilty of a flagrant breach of the Laws of his Country, but that in consideration of his apparent ignorance, we should for the present overlook it, leaving it to be determined by his future conduct, how far the Paper which he had presented should ever be produced against him. We then dismissed him; and very soon after, it was observed by some persons

in the room, that the women had mostly disappeared, and that the streets were full of men who had large bludgeons in their hands.

"Immediately after this a great tumult was heard, and a heavy shower of large stones was thrown at the house, many of which came into the room, and obliged us to desist from business, to rise from the table, and to seek for shelter in corners and passages. The Guard at the door was forcibly driven away, and it was with much difficulty that the Constables were able to shut the door against the mob. About this time Mr. CADDEL, one of our number, and a Justice of the Peace, who had brought with him a copy of the Riot-Act, went to the window and attempted to read it, but he was instantly driven from it by showers of stones. He was going down to the street to read the Riot Act there, when he was told by Mr. ANDERSON in particular, that that was impossible, and that he should read the Act within the house, which he did accordingly.

"The efforts of the mob to break into the house being continued with increased violence, Captain FINLAY, the Commanding-Officer, brought down a party of the Pembrokeshire Cavalry, with a view of drawing them up for our protection, in front of the house; but the men and horses being unable to stand against the quantities of stones thrown at them from the sides of the streets, the heads of narrow alleys, the stairs and tops of houses, they were obliged to gallop down the town. He continued to make the same attempt several times, but in vain :-during these attempts a Serjeant was beat from his horse by a violent blow on the head from a stone, and dangerously wounded; several Troopers, we understand, were also

in

in like manner dismounted, and their horses running loose through the streets; and the Commanding-Officer himself had his horse knocked to the ground by a stone, and before he could recover his position he received many blows with stones and bludgeons, and his sword was struck out of his hand and carried off by one of the Rioters.

"After the street had been partly cleared of the mob by the movements of the Cavalry, Mr. CADDEL went down, and intimated that the Riot-Act had been read, and entreated of the people for God's sake to disperse; but instead of attending to his entreaties, they assaulted him with showers of stones, and it was,with difficulty he could get back into the house. The attack on the house was then re-commenced with more violence than

ever.

"Parties of the Dragoons again passed along the street in front of the house, but without making any impression on the multitude of Rioters on the opposite side, when Major WIGHT, looking through the window, repeatedly called out, "There, there," pointing to the people assembled in the entrance into the alleys immediately opposite, which he wanted the Dragoons to attack. His calling out produced no change, when he said in a pretty loud voice, "Why don't they fire?" and in doing so, was joined by the rest of our number. Soon after, a firing of pistols actually commenced, but apparently with little effect.

"We had hitherto been assailed only on one side of the house, but the mob was now getting round to the back part of it, and beginning to attack it in that quarter. A party of the Military not long after appeared in the fields on the

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same side. This we have since learnt, was a party of the Cinque Ports Cavalry, which Captain PRICE had taken round with a view of dislodging the people from the tops of the houses, which he at last effected, by causing the men to dismount and fire their carbines.

"Whilst matters continued in a state of great uncertainty, the Commanding-Officer came under the window with a few Dragoons, and cried up to the Gentlemen to come down, as he could not ensure their safety any longer. Mr. ANDERSON accordingly went down, and getting into the midst of the party, was hurried along by them to the West end of the village. There the Officers gave him an escort, and desired him to go off and provide for his safety, as they did not think they would be able to get the better of the Rioters. The rest of our number continued in the house, and were for some time in a most perilous situation. The Scene of Action was then, however, transferred chiefly to the fields, or the back part of the house, where the openness of the ground enabled the Cavalry to act with superiour advantage. At length the mob began to give way, and to run from the village in all directions, when part of the Cavalry for some time followed them, and attacked such as they either knew or understood to have been actual Rioters, many of whom they brought in prisoners.

"After the street in front of the house had been cleared, we went down, accompanied by the Constables. At that time the person who at the beginning had made the seditious proposition in name of the people, and who had all along been an active Rioter, made his appearance at the entrance of an alley; two of our number ran after him, and chased him into a back yard among a body of his companions,

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companions, where he turned and struck one of us who was endeavouring to secure him: he was instantly knocked down by the other Deputy Lieutenants, and, together with three or four more of the Rioters, was made prisoner, by the assistance of the Constables, and immediately after delivered into the custody of the Soldiers. Several more prisoners were soon after taken in the lanes and houses adjacent; and the whole number, when collected, amounting to thirty-six, were afterwards sent prisoners to Haddington.

"We then returned to the house, and resumed the business of the Meeting, when we examined the Lists of the four remaining Parishes, heard many Appeals from parties who thought themselves aggrieved, and granted redress. After the business was completed, but before the prisoners had been marched off to Haddington, we were rejoined by Mr. ANDERSON, who, apprehensive that the Troops already at Tranent might fail in their endeavours to suppress the Riot, had proceeded to the Commanding Officer at Musselburgh, from whom he had obtained a farther re-inforcement, a part of which was left at Tranent, for the protection of its inhabitants.

"We cannot conclude this Address without expressing our high sense of the temperate, firm, and spirited conduct of the Officers employed on this occasion. We have no hesitation in declaring, that to their exertions we owe the preservation of our lives, and that by their means only, we were enabled to discharge the duty prescribed to us by the Act of Parliament.

"With respect to the number of persons assembled in Tranent, attracted by the business of our Meeting, the intelligence we have received varies considerably. Some informations

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