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　　theoffenceswereofthesamecharacter，andtheCommissionssatatthesame

　　time。Thedifferencewasapparentfromthefirst，andon1stJanuarytheTimespublishedaleadingarticlepleadingforuniformity，andpointing

　　outthattheBerkshireCommissionwas’amercifulcontrast’tothatatWinchester。

　　Thecauseisprobablytobefoundinthedispositionsandcharactersofthe

　　authoritiesresponsibleinthetwocases。ThecountrygentlemenofBerkshire，

　　representedbyamanlikeMr。Dundas，weremorehumanethanthecountrygentlemen

　　ofHampshire，representedbymenlikethedukeofWellingtonandtheBarings；

　　Mr。Gurney，thepublicprosecutoratReading，wasmorelenientthanSirThomas

　　Denman，andtheReadingjudgesweremorekindlyandconsideratethanthe

　　judgesatWinchester。Further，therehadbeeninBerkshirelittleofthe

　　wildpanicthatsweptoverthecountryhousesinHampshireandWiltshire。

　　ThejudgesatReadingoccasionallyinterjectedquestionsontheprisoners，

　　behalf，andinmanycasestheydidnotconcealtheirsatisfactionatanacquittal。

　　Further，theyhadamoredelicatesensefortheproprieties。Contraryto

　　custom，theyaskedneithertheGrandJurynorthemagistratestodinneron

　　thefirstday，beinganxious，wearetold，tofreetheadministrationof

　　justice’fromtheslightestappearanceofpartialityintheeyesofthelower

　　classes。’TheLordChancellorandLordMelbournehadbeenconsultedandhad

　　approved。

　　ItmustnotbesupposedthatMr。JusticePark’stheoriesoflifeandsocial

　　relationshipsdifferedfromthoseofhisbrothersatWinchester。Inhisaddress

　　totheGrandJuryherepudiatedwithindignationthe’impudentandbaseslander……

　　thattheupperranksofsocietycarelittleforthewantsandprivations

　　ofthepoor。Idenythispositively，uponaveryextensivemeansofknowledge

　　uponsubjectsofthisnature。Buteverymancandenyitwholooksabouthim

　　andseesthevastinstitutionsineverypartofthekingdomfortherelief

　　oftheyoungandtheold，thedeafandthelame，theblind，thewidow，the

　　orphan——andeverychildofwretchednessandwoe。Thereisnotacalamity

　　ordistressincidenttohumanity，eitherofbodyorofmind，thatisnot

　　humblyendeavouredtobemitigatedorrelieved，bythepowerfulandtheaffluent，

　　eitherofhighormiddlingrank，inthisourhappyland，whichforitsbenevolence，

　　charity，andboundlesshumanity，hasbeentheadmirationoftheworld。’The

　　theorythattherichkeptthepoorinastateofstarvationandthatthis

　　wasthecauseofthedisturbances，hedeclaredlatertobeentirelydisproved

　　bytheconductofoneofthemobsindestroyingathreshingmachinebelonging

　　toWilliamMount，Esq。，atWasing，’Mr。Mounthavinggivenaway&#163；100

　　nolongeragothanlastwintertoassistthelowerordersduringthatinclement

　　season。’

　　AfeatureoftheReadingCommissionwasthedifficultyoffindingjurymen。

　　Allfarmerswerechallengedonbehalfoftheprisoners，andmatterswere

　　atadeadlockuntilthejudgesorderedthebystanderstobeimpannelled。

　　TheearliercaseswereconnectedwiththeriotsinHungerford。Property

　　inanironfoundryhadbeendestroyed，andfifteenmenwerefoundguilty

　　onthiscapitalcharge。OneofthefifteenwasWilliamOakley，whonowpaid

　　thepenaltyforhis&#163；5andstronglanguage。Butwhenthefirstcases

　　wereover，Mr。Gurneybegantodropthecapitalcharge，andtocontenthimself，

　　asarule，withconvictionsforbreakingthreshingmachines。Onecaserevealed

　　seriousperjuryononesideortheother。ThomasGoodfellowandCornelius

　　BennettwerechargedwithbreakingathreshingmachineatMatthewBatten’s

　　farm。Theprisonersproducedfourwitnesses，twolabourers，awomanwhose

　　husbandwasinprisonfortheriots，andJohnGaiter，whodescribedhimself

　　as’notquiteamasterbricklayer，’toprovethatMatthewBattenhadencouraged

　　theriots。ThefirstthreewitnessesdeclaredthatBattenhadaskedtherioters

　　tocomeandbreakhismachineinordertoserveouthislandlordandMr。

　　Ward，andhadpromisedthemvictualsand&#163；1。Battenandhisson，on

　　theotherhand，sworethatthesestatementswerefalse。Theprisonerswere

　　foundguilty，witharecommendationtomercywhichwasdisregarded。Goodfellow，

　　whowasfoundguiltyofbreakingothermachinesaswell，wassentencedto

　　fourteen，andCorneliusBennetttosevenyears’transportation，Thejudge

　　spokeoftheirscandalousattempttoblackenthecharacterofarespectable

　　farmer：’itpleasedGodhoweverthattheatrociousattempthadfailed。’It

　　wouldbeinterestingtoknowwhatweretherelationsbetweenMatthewBatten

　　andhislandlord。

　　OnthelastdayofthetrialsMr。Gurneyannouncedthattherewouldbe

　　nomoreprosecutionsforfelony，asenoughhadbeendoneinthewayofmaking

　　examples。Someinterestingcasesofriotweretried。Themostimportantriot

　　hadtakenplaceasearlyas19thNovember，andtheherooftheproceedings

　　wastheRev。EdwardCove，thevenerableVicarofBrimpton，oneofthemany

　　parsonmagistrates。Amobhadassembledinordertodemandanincreaseof

　　wages，anditwasmetbyMr。Coveandhisposseofspecialconstables。On

　　occasionslikethis，Mr。Gurneyremarked，webecomesensibleofthegreat

　　advantagesofoursocialorder。Mr。CovewithoutmoreadoreadtheRiotAct；

　　themobrefusedtodisperse；hisspecialconstablesthereuponattackedthem，

　　andageneralm&ecirc；l&eacute；efollowedinwhichhardblowsweregiven

　　andtaken。NooneattemptedtostrikeMr。Covehimself，butoneofhiscompanions

　　receivedfromarioter，whomheidentified，ablowrivallingthatgivento

　　Mr。BinghamBaring，whichbeatthecrownofhishatinanddrovetherim

　　overhiseyes：itwasfollowedbyotherandmoreseriousblowsonhishead

　　andbody。Thecounselforthedefencetriedtoshowthatitwasdistress

　　thathadcausedtherioterstoassemble，andhequotedaremarkoftheChairman

　　ofQuarterSessionsthatthepoorwerestarvedalmostintoinsurrection；

　　butallevidenceaboutwageswasrUledout。Thecourtweredeeplyimpressed

　　bythisriot，andMr。JusticeParkannouncedthatithadalarmedhimand

　　hisfellowjudgesmore’thananythingthathadhithertotranspiredinthese

　　proceedings。’’Hadonelifebeenlost，’hecontinued，’thelivesofevery

　　individualofthemobwouldhavebeenforfeited，andthelawmusthavebeen

　　carriedintoeffectagainstthoseconvicted。’Asitwas，nobodywascondemned

　　todeathforhisshareintheaffray，thoughthemoreviolent，suchasGeorge

　　Williams，alias’StaffordshireJack，’a’desperatecharacter，’receivedheavier

　　penaltiesformachine-breakinginconsequence。

　　Threemenwerereservedforexecution：WilliamOakley，whowastoldthat

　　asacarpenterhehadnobusinesstomixhimselfupinthesetransactions；

　　AlfredDarling，ablacksmithbytrade，whohadbeenfoundguiltyonseveral

　　chargesofdemandingmoney；andWinterbourne，whohadtakenpartintheHungerford

　　affairinthemagistrates’room，andhadalsoactedasleaderinsomecases

　　whenamobaskedformoney。Inoneinstancethemobhadbeencontentwith

　　&#163；1insteadofthe&#163；2forwhichithadaskedforbreakingathreshing

　　machine，Winterbourneremarking，’wewilltakehalfpricebecausehehas

　　stoodlikeaman。’

　　PublicopinioninBerkshirewashorrifiedattheprospectoftakinglife。

　　PetitionsformercypouredinfromReading，includingonefromladiesto

　　thequeen，fromNewbury，fromHungerford，fromHenley，andfromotherplaces。

　　Twocountrygentlemen，Mr。J。B。MonckandMr。Wheble，madeeveryexertion

　　tosavethecondemnedmen。TheywaitedwithpetitionsonLordMelbourne，

　　whoheardthempatientlyforanhour。TheyobtainedareprieveforOakley

　　andforDarling，whoweretransportedforlife；Winterbournetheycouldnot

　　save：hewashungon11thJanuary，prayingtothelastthathiswife，who

　　wasdangerouslyilloftyphus，mightdiebeforesheknewofhisfate。

　　Fifty-sixmenweresentencedtotransportationfromReading——twenty-three

　　forlife，sixteenforfourteenyears，seventeenforsevenyearsthirty-six

　　weresenttoprisonforvariousterms。

　　ThesamecommissionerswentontoAbingdonwhereproceedingsopenedon

　　6thJanuary。Heretherewereonlyforty-sevenprisoners，allbuttwoofwhom

　　wereagriculturallabourers，mostofthemveryyoung。Thecasesresembled

　　thosetriedatReading，butitisclearthattheevidenceofMrs。Charlotte

　　Slade，whoseconductwehavealreadydescribed，andhermethodofdealing

　　withtherioters，madeagreatimpressiononMr。JusticeParkandhiscolleagues，

　　andopenedtheireyestothetrueperspectiveoftherhetoricallanguage

　　thathadassumedsuchterrifyingimportancetootherjudges。Oneyounglabourer，

　　RichardKempsterbyname，whowasfoundguiltyofbreakingathreshingmachine，

　　hadcarriedablack-and-redflaginthemob，andwhenarrestedhadexclaimed，

　　’bedamnedifIdon’twishitwasarevolution，andthatallwasafiretogether：’

　　itiseasytoimaginethegravehomilyonthenecessityofcuttingsucha

　　manoffforeverfromhiskindthatthesewordswouldhaveprovokedfrom

　　thejudgesatWinchester。Mr。JusticeParkandhiscolleaguessentencedKempster

　　totwelvemonths’imprisonment。AtAbingdononlyonemanwassentencedto

　　betransported；ThomasMackrell，anagriculturallabourerofforty-three。

　　Another，HenryWoolridge，hadsentenceofdeathcommutedtoeighteenmonths’

　　imprisonment。Thirty-fiveothersweresenttoprisonforvariousterms。

　　ThesamethreejudgesproceededtoAylesburytotrytheBuckinghamshire

　　rioters。Thechiefeventinthiscountyhadbeenthedestructionofpaper-making

　　machineryatWycombe。TheCommissionopenedon11thJanuary：thedukeof

　　BuckinghamandMr。MauriceSwabeywerethelocalcommissioners。Therewere

　　onehundredandthirty-sixprisonerstobetried，almostallyoungandilliterate：

　　onlyeighteenwerefortyyearsofageorover。Forty-fourmenandboyswere

　　foundguiltyofthecapitalchargeofdestroyingpapermachinery。Mostof

　　theotherprisonerswhowerechargedwithbreakingthreshingmachineswere

　　allowedtopleadguiltyandletoffontheirownrecognisances，orelsethe

　　chargewasnotpressed。Anexceptionwasmadeinacaseinwhichsomemembers

　　ofamobhadbeenarmedwithguns。Threemenwhohadcarriedgunsweresent

　　totransportationforsevenyears，andthirteenothersinvolvedweresent

　　toprisonfortwoyearsoreighteenmonths。Severalmenweretriedforrioting，

　　andthosewhohadcombinedademandforincreasedwageswitharequestfor

　　therestorationofparishbunsweresenttoprisonforsixweeks。Onemore

　　trialisworthnotice，becauseitsuggeststhateveninBuckinghamshire，

　　wherethegeneraltemperwasmorelenient，individualswhohadmadethemselves

　　obnoxiouswereSingledoutforspecialtreatment。JohnCrook，amiller，was

　　indictedwithfourothersforriotouslyassemblingandbreakingawinnowing

　　machineatMr。Fryer’satLongCrendon。AsCrookwaschargedwithamisdemeanour

　　hiscounselcouldaddressthejury，andwelearnfromhisspeechthatCrook

　　hadbeenkeptinprisonsince2ndDecember，though&#163；2000hadbeenoffered

　　inbailandmanyotherprisonershadbeenallowedout。Theexplanation，it

　　wasargued，wastobefoundinthefactthatCrookhadcomeintosomeproperty

　　whichqualifiedhimtoholdagunlicenceandtokillgame。Hewassentenced

　　tothreemonths’imprisonmentwithouthardlabour，andtopayafineof&#163；10。

　　Thirty-twomeninallweresenttoprisonfortheagriculturaldisturbances

　　inadditiontothethreesentencedtotransportation。Forty-twoofthose

　　concernedinthebreakingofpapermakingmachineryreceivedsentenceofdeath，

　　buttheirpunishmentwascommutedtolifetransportationforone，sevenyears’

　　transportationfortwenty-two，andimprisonmentforvarioustermsforthe

　　rest。Twomenwerereservedforexecution。One，ThomasBlizzard，wasthirty

　　yearsold，withawifeandthreechildren。Hischaracterwasexcellent。At

　　thetimeoftheriotshewasaroundsman，receiving1s。adayfromtheoverseer’s

　　and1s。6d。aweekfromafarmer。HetoldhisemployeratLittleMarlowthat

　　hewouldtakeaholidaytogomachine-breaking，forhewouldendureimprisonment，