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1780. fequence from the numbers that profeffed their adhe

29.

rence to the cause it fupported; and lord George Gordon was elected prefident. The firft object of the affociation, after a committee had been chofen, was to draw up and present a petition to the house of commons, requesting a repeal of the above law. The petition was publicly advertised to be figned by all who approved of it. The alarm which the act gave, had reached various parts of the kingdom, and fimilar petitions came from many of them, most of which were prefented to the May houfe by lord George. The affociators met at Coachmaker's hall, when the prefident addreffed them for half an hour. His fpeech was received with the loudest acclamations, on which his lordfhip moved the following refolution-"That the whole body of the proteftant affociation do attend in St. George's-fields, on Friday next at ten o'clock in the morning, to accompany his lordship to the house of commons, on the delivery of the proteftant petition;" which was carried unanimously. His lordship then informed them, that if he was attended by lefs than 20,000 men on the appointed day, he would not present their petition. He also directed that they fhould be formed in four divifions, three of which were to answer to their belonging either to London, to Westminster or Southwark, the fourth was to be compofed wholly of his own countrymen the Scots, refident in London and its environs. To prevent mistakes, the whole were to be distinguished by blue cockades.

June

2.

The grand divifions of the affociators being drawn by different routes from the rendezvous, filled the ways through which they marched in ranks, with a multitude that excited wonder and alarm. When arrived at

Upon the ap-
their violence

the place of destination, they occupied the streets and 1780. avenues to both houses, and foon began to compel the members to cry out-" no popery," to wear blue cockades, and fome to promise their affistance for the repeal of the new popery act as they called it. pearance of the prelates and court lords, increased to the highest pitch; and several of them were treated with the greateft indignities: the lives of two were in imminent danger. It is impoffible to defcribe the astonishment, fenfe of degradation, horror and difmay, which prevailed in both houfes. Mean while lord George Gordon having obtained leave to bring up the petition, afterward moved for its being taken into confideration. This brought on a debate, and the affociators being in poffeffion of the lobby, the commons were kept confined for feveral hours before they could divide on the queftion. The arrival of the magiftrates and guards having removed the impediment, it was rejected by a majority of 196 to fix only. Before the rifing of the house, several parties filed off, and proceeded to the demolition of the infides of the chapels belonging to the Sardinian and Bavarian ministers. The commons adjourned to the 6th; but the lords met on the following day, and agreed on an addrefs requesting the king to give immediate orders for profecuting the authors and abettors of the outrages. On the 4th the mob affembled in and about Moorfields, and repeated their outrages on a Romifh chapel and school in the neighbourhood. The military were present, having been fent for; but the lord mayor, through timidity, would neither order them to act, nor venture to interfere with the civil power that attended him. Toward

1780. the evening of the next day, different parties collected and attacked various houfes. Between twelve and one o'clock at night, a large body affembled before Sir George Saville's house, and after breaking all the windows, stripped it of the moft valuable furniture, which they burnt before the door. They difperfed on the arrival of a party of horse.

June

6.

About two hundred members had the courage to make their way into the house, through the vaft crowds that filled the streets, and that were interlaced and furrounded by large detachments of the military on foot and horfeback. They paffed fome refolutions; but intelligence being received of the conflagrations which were commenced in the city, a hasty adjournment took place. Some of the lords met, but foon adjourned to the 19th. It was observed of the mob which furrounded the parliament house this day, that it confifted of different persons from those who attended the petition on the Friday, being compofed almoft wholly of men and boys of the lowest rank. Early in the afternoon, the keeper of Newgate was informed by a fmall party, that the jail would be forced open, if the rioters confined in it, were not releafed at a certain hour when applied for. He acquainted his civil fuperiors with it, who neglected the precaution of fending a few armed men, who with a fufficient ftock of powder and ball might, from the top of the prifon walls, have defended it against all the rioters. About feven in the evening, they came and demanded the release of their comrades; which not being complied with, they took all the jailer's furniture, piled it before the prifon door and burned it: they alfo fired his houfe, carried off their comrades in triumph, fet at li

berty all the other prifoners to the number of about 300, 1780. and fired the infide of the jail which was wholly confumed. They afterward went to New-prifon Clerkenwell, and to Clerkenwell Bridewell, and released the several prifoners at thefe places. From the moment that the great number of prifoners was let loofe, the fpirit of the depredations took a different turn. Religion was no longer the fole fubject of refentment; the jails, the police, and plunder were alfo incentives. A party appeared before justice Fielding's house about midnight, and breaking into every room, feized all they could meet with, brought the fame into the street, and making three fires, the whole wa confumed. Another party went to lord Mansfield's. All the furniture, his lordship's invaluable papers and library of books, his pictures, and every moveable, was brought into the street and burnt; after which the house itself was fet on fire. A party of the guards fired on the mob feveral times, and a few were killed and several wounded; but the conflagration was not thereby prevented, nor would the rioters difperfe till the deftruction was completed. Many other houses belonging to papifts were alfo deftroyed.

The directors of the bank took the precaution to obtain in time a party of foldiers to fecure that grand repofitory of the national treasure: which was a happy circumftance, as the attention of the mob was invited toward it by a paragraph in one of the public papers, mentioning that the papifts had carried all their plate to the bank for fecurity: though this was falfe, the affertion was calculated to produce the same effects as if true. It is faid, that the officer who commanded the foldiers was jealous, whether he could depend upon them in

1780.cafe of an emergency, becaufe of their being chiefly Scotch, and poffeffing the national bigotry of their coun. try against the act for relieving the papifts. He was glad when freed from his apprehenfions, by the arrival of the militia in the metropolis.

June

7.

The house of commons met at twelve, but inftantly adjourned to the 19th. Though the military were pouring into the town on every fide, the mob continued, even during the day time, in different parties. In the evening and night, the capital exhibited fuch a dreadful fpectacle of calamity and horror, and experienced fuch real danger, terror and distress, as it had never before known. A vaft number of rioters affembled before the Fleet prifon in the evening, and fet fire to its different apartments, fo that it was wholly confumed. A party went from thence and burnt the distilleries and dwellings of Mr. Langdale in Holborn, who was a Roman catholic. The flames communicated to a number of adjacent houses, which were alfo confumed. Another party repaired to the King's-bench prifon, which was burned after the prifoners had removed their effects. A different party that had affembled to the east of the city, and had burnt fome houfes in Whitecross-street, Houndfditch, &c. proceeded into it, and down Threadneedlestreet with an intent of attacking the bank, but were fired upon by the foldiers, who killed several, and drove the reft back. Government obferving that the magiftracy of the city did not exert themselves in fuppreffing the riots (though individuals united in forming a military affociation which was of fervice) orders were iffued from the adjutant-general's office, in obedience to an order of the king's council, for the military to act with

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