wasalarmedbyrumoursofadesigntomarchuponCambridgeitselfonmarket
day。IndevonshireLordEbringtonreportedanagitationforhigherwages
withencouragementfromthefarmers。Hewashimselfimpressedbythelow
wagesinforce，andhadraisedtheminplacesstillquiet；amistakefor
whichheapologised。EvenHereford，’thishithertosubmissiveandpeaceful
county，’wasnotunaffected。InNorthamptonshiretherewereseveralfires，
andalsorisingsroundPeterborough，OundleandWellingborough，andageneral
outbreakintheMidlandswasthoughttobeimminent。Hayricksbegantoblaze
asfarnorthasCarlisle。SwinglettersweredeliveredinYorkshire，and
inLincolnshirethelabourerwassaidtobeawakeningtohisownimportance。
Therewereinfactfewcountiesquitefreefrominfection，andaleading
articleappearedintheTimeson6thDecember，inwhichitwasstated
thatneverhadsuchadangerousstateofthingsexistedtosuchanextent
inEngland，intheperiodofwell-authenticatedrecords。’Lettherichbe
taughtthatProvidencewillnotsufferthemtooppresstheirfellowcreatures
withimpunity。HerearetensofthousandsofEnglishmen，industrious，kind-hearted，
butbroken-heartedbeings，exasperatedintomadnessbyinsufficientfood
andclothing，byutterwantofnecessariesforthemselvesandtheirunfortunate
families。’
UnfortunatelyProvidence，towhomtheTimesattributedtheserevolutionary
sentiments，wasnotsoclosetothesceneasLordMelbourne，whosesentiments
onthesubjectwereverydifferent。On8thDecemberheissuedacircular，
whichgaveadeath-blowtothehopethatthemagistrateswouldactasmediators
onbehalfofthelabourers。Afterblamingthosemagistrateswho，underintimidation，
hadadvisedtheestablishmentofauniformrateofwages，theHomeSecretary
wenton，’Reasonandexperienceconcurinprovingthatacompliancewith
demandssounreasonableinthemselves，andurgedinsuchamanner，canonly
lead，andprobablywithinaveryshortperiodoftime，tothemostdisastrous
results。’Headdedthatthejusticeshad’nogenerallegalauthoritytosettle
theamountofthewagesoflabour。’Thecircularcontainedapromiseonthe
partoftheGovernmentthattheywouldadopt’everypracticableandreasonable
measure’fortheallegationofthelabourers’privations。
Fromthistimethemagistrateswereeverywhereonthealertforthefirst
signsoflifeandmovementamongthelabourers，andtheyforbademeetings
ofanykind。InSuffolkandEssexthelabourerswhotookupthecryforhigher
wageswerepromptlythrownintoprison，andarbitraryarrestsbecamethe
custom。Themovementwascrushed，andthetimeforretributionhadcome。
Thegaolswerefulltooverflowing，andtheGovernmentappointedSpecial
CommissionstotrytheriotersinHampshire，Wiltshire，Dorset，Berks，and
Bucks。Brougham，whowasnowenjoyingtheofficeinwhosepompousmanner
hemusthavelispedinhiscradle，toldtheHouseofLordson2ndDecember，
’WithinafewdaysfromthetimeIamaddressingyourLordships，thesword
ofjusticeshallbeunsheathedtosmite，ifitbenecessary，withafirm
andvigoroushand，therebelagainstthelaw。’
Thedisturbanceswereover，butthepanichadbeensuchthattheupper
classescouldnotpersuadethemselvesthatEnglandwasyettranquil。Aslate
asChristmasEvethePrivyCouncilgaveorderstothearchbishoptoprepare
’aformofprayertoAlmightyGod，onaccountofthetroubledstateofcertain
partsoftheUnitedKingdom。’Thearchbishop’scomposition，whichwaspublished
afterscoresofmenandboyshadbeensentencedtotransportationforlife，
musthavebeenrecitedwithgenuinefeelingbythoseclergymenwhohadeither
broken，orwereabouttobreak，theiragreementtosurrenderpartoftheir
tithes。Onepassageranasfollows：’Restore，OLord，toThypeoplethequiet
enjoymentofthemanyandgreatblessingswhichwehavereceivedfromThy
bounty：defeatandfrustratethemaliceofwickedandturbulentmen，and
turntheirhearts：havepity，OLord，onthesimpleandignorant，whohave
beenledastray，andrecallthemtoasenseoftheirduty；andtopersons
ofallranksandconditionsinthiscountryvouchsafesuchameasureofThy
grace，thatourheartsbeingfilledwithtruefaithanddevotion，andcleansed
fromallevilaffections，wemayserveTheewithoneaccord，indutyand
loyaltytotheKing，inobediencetothelawsoftheland，andinbrotherly
lovetowardseachother……’
Weshallseeinthenextchapterwhathappenedto’thesimpleandignorant’
whohadfallenintothehandsoftheEnglishjudges。
ForBredeseeH。O。Papers，ExtractsfromPoorLawCommissioners’
Report，published1833，andnewspapers。
TheyweresignedbyG。S。Hill，minister，byeightfarmersandthefour
labourerdelegates。
AffidavitinH。O。Papers。
Times，November25。
Thepetitionwasasfollows：’Wefeelthatinjusticeweoughtnot
tosufferamomenttopassawaywithoutcommunicatedtoyourGracethegreat
andunprecedenteddistresswhichweareenabledfromourownpersonalexperience
tostateprevailsamongallthepeasantrytoadegreenotonlydreadfulto
individuals，butalsotoanextentwhich，ifnotchecked，mustbeattended
withseriousconsequencestothenationalprosperity。’MrHodgesdoesnot
mentionthedate，merelystatingthatitwassentWellingtonwhenPrimeMinister。
TransportedforlifetoNewSouthWales。
Fordwascapitallyconvictedandsentencedtotransportationforlife，
buthissentencewascommutedtoimprisonment。
H。O。Papers。
Accordingtolocaltraditionhewaskillednotbytheyeomanrybut
byafarmer，beforethetroopcameup。SeeHudson，AShepherd’sLife，
Tendayslater，afterLordMelbourne’scircularofDecember8，Dr
Newboltchangedhistone。WritingtotheHomeOfficehedepreciatedthecensure
impliedinthatcircular，andstatedthathisconductwasduetopersonal
infirmitiesandthreatsofviolence：indeedhehadsubsequentlyheardfrom
acertainMrWickhamthat’Ilefthisplacejustintimetosavemyownlife，
assomeoftheMobhaditincontemplationtodragmeoutofthecarriage，
andtodestroymeuponthespot，anditwasentirelyowingtotheinterference
ofsomeofthebetterdisposedofthePeasantrythatmylifewaspreserved。’
Thebandsofmenandboyswhohadgiventheirrulersonemomentofexcitement
andlivelyinterestintheconditionofthepoorhadmadethemselvesliable
toferociouspenalties。Fortheprivilegedclasseshadsetupacodeunder
whichnolabourercouldtakeasinglestepfortheimprovementofthelot
ofhisclasswithoutputtinghislifeandlibertiesinanoose。Itistrue
thatthesavagelawswhichhadbeenpassedagainstcombinationin1799and
1800hadbeenrepealedin1824，andthatevenunderthelessliberalAct
ofthefollowingyear，whichrescindedtheActof1824，itwasnolonger
apenaloffencetoformaTradesUnion。Butitiseasytoseethatthelabourers
whotriedtoraisetheirwageswereinfactonashelvingandmostperilous
slope。Iftheyusedthreatsorintimidationormolestedorobstructed，either
togetalabourertojoinwiththemortogetanemployertomakeconcessions，
theywereguiltyofamisdemeanourpunishablewiththreemonths’imprisonment。
Theywereluckyiftheyrannograverriskthanthis。Fewoftheprosecutions
attheSpecialCommissionswereundertheActof1825。Abodyofmenholding
ameetinginavillagewherefamineandunemploymentwerechronic，andwhere
hardlyanyonehadbeentaughttoreadandwrite，mightverysoonfindthemselves
becomingwhattheActof1714calledariotousassembly，andifamagistrate
tookalarmandreadtheRiotAct，andtheydidnotdispersewithinonehour，
everyoneofthemmightbepunishedasafelon。Thehour’sintervaldidnot
meananhour’sgrace，for，asMr。JusticeAldersontoldthecourtatDorchester，
withinthathour’allpersons，evenprivateindividuals，maydoanything，
usingforceeventothelastextremitytopreventthecommissionofafelony。’
Therewereatleastthreewaysinwhichlabourersmeetingtogetherto
demonstrateforhigherwagesranariskoflosingtheirlives，ifanyof
theirfellowsgotoutofhandfromtemper，orfromdrink，orfromhunger
anddespair。MostoftheprosecutionsbeforetheSpecialCommissionswere
prosecutionsunderthreeActsof1827and1828，consolidatingthelawon
thesubjectofoffencesagainstpropertyandoffencesagainsttheperson。
UndertheeighthsectionofoneAct7and8GeorgeIV。c。30，anypersons
riotouslyortumultuouslyassembledtogetherwhodestroyedanyhouse，stable，
coach-house，outhouse，barn，granary，oranybuildingorerectionormachinery
usedincaringonanytradeormanufactureweretosufferdeathasfelons。
InthisActthereisnodefinitionofriot，andtherefore’thecommonlaw
definitionofariotisresortedto，andinsuchacaseifanyoneofHis
Majesty’ssubjectswasterrifiedtherewasasufficientterrorandalarm
tosubstantiatethatpartofthecharge。’1*Underthesixthsectionof
anotherAct，anypersonwhorobbedanyotherpersonofanychattel，money，
orvaluablesecuritywastosufferdeathasafelon。Nowifamobpresented
itselfbeforeahouseholderwithademandformoney，andthehouseholder
infeargaveevenafewcoppers，anypersonwhowasinthatmob，whether
hehadanythingtodowiththisparticulartransactionornot，whetherhe
wasawareorignorantofit，wasguiltyofrobbery，andliabletothecapital
penalty。Undersection12oftheActofthefollowingyear，generallyknown
asLansdowne’sAct，whichamendedEllenborough’sActof1803，itwasacapital
offencetoattempttoshootataperson，ortostab，cut，orwoundhim，with
intenttomurder，rob，ormaim。UnderthisAct，asitwasinterpreted，if
analtercationaroseandanyviolencewasofferedbyasingleindividual
inthemob，thelivesofthewholebandwereforfeit。Thiswasputveryclearly
byBaronVaughan：’Thereseemstobesomeimpressionthatunlesstheattack
onanindividualismadewithsomedeadlyweapons，thoseconcernedarenot
liabletocapitalpunishment；butitshouldbemadeknowntoallpersons
thatifthesameinjurywereinflictedbyablowofastone，allandevery
personformingpartofariotousassemblyisequallyguiltyashewhosehand
mayhavethrownit，andallalikeareliabletodeath。’Undersection4of
oneActof1827thepenaltyfordestroyingathreshingmachinewastransportation
forsevenyears，andundersection17thepenaltyforfiringarickwasdeath。
Theseweretheterrorshangingoverthevillagelabourersofwhomseveral
hundredswerenowawaitingtheirtrial。
ThetemperofthejudgeswasrevealedintheirchargestotheGrandJuries。
InopeningtheMaidstoneAssizeson14thDecember，Mr。JusticeBosanquet2*
declaredthatthoughtheremightbesomedistressitwasmuchexaggerated，
andthathewassurethatthosewhomhehadthehonourtoaddresswouldfind
itnotonlytheirdutybuttheirpleasuretolendaneartothewantsof
thepoor。3*Mr。JusticeTaunton4*wasevenmorereassuringonthissubject
attheLewesAssizes：thedistresswaslessthanithadbeentwelvemonths
before。’Iregrettosay，’hewenton，’therearepersonswhoexaggerate
thedistressandraiseupbarriersbetweendifferentclasses——whousethe
mostinflammatorylanguage——whorepresenttherichasoppressorsofthe