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Leader (1850-1860), 31st March 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 10, 208 T^lf lf IjWA & E/Bj. ^AsmmjkS^

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      The Late Riots In Australia. The Followi...

      other materials :- tTe hadTiardtjr . takenup , our position , ; ¦ when a visitTvas- paid us- by a small' party of diggers , * requeisting-anns , powderj and ball .. This request on the next day became a demand ; and those who had not given wiHrngly-hHd to ; give - unwillingly . ' Bodies of armed men , from-fiftyto ; a hundred strong , were ,. cbn-Btantly passing ; some-watching the camp , others " watching the roads , to ' cut off'reinforcements , and to . prevent the prisoners takenbythe , officials being carried to Melbourne . The date of'bur arrival here I think , was the 29 th November . * The immediate cause of tKe premiature outbreakTof the diggers -was , an ostentatious attempt to search fdr-unlicensed diggers at a time when , th " e commissioners knew the population to be in a terrible state

      of'excitement . You "will have already received the news of the burning of ( Bentley ' s Hotel—a . sort of Lynch law Justice upon Bentley ; after a magistrate had dismissed the charge against him . S ' nce th ' e burning of his hotel , he has been tried and found guilty of manslaughter , and sentenced to three years on the roads . Some men , supposed ringleaders at" the burning of Bentley ' s Hotel , vrere captured a day or so after . These men -were in prison at Melbourne . The diggers sent a deputation to the Lieutenant-Governor , demanding the release- of the prisoners . Sir C . Hotham replied , that the demand prevented him from entertaining the matter at all . This ¦ was an approximate cause of the arming and marshalling of the diggers ; but the raid of Mr . Commissioner Rede

      • was the immediate and : exasperating cause . Oh the troopers coming out , the diggers faced them-with arms in their hands . Shots -were exchanged , and a digger or two -was -wounded , and , I believe , a trooper shot . One or two prisoners were taken by the troopers , who then retired to the camp . From this moment the diggers began to arm . It was on a Wednesday the collision took place that led to the arming . On the Thursday , Henry and I went to Bakery-hill ( near the camp ) , where ¦ we saw a tall , intelligent-looking man standing on a stump with a rifle in his hand , arranging them into different brigades , and furnishing them with arms . The men chose their captain , who then drilled them after his own fashion . This sort of thing , went on

      all Thursday , Friday , and Saturday . On Friday ; it became necessary- for us to appear to "join the movement , or to give up our armsr We therefore determined to attend a meeting called for Friday evening on the Eureka-hill . This visit gave us no confidence in . the movement . The fighting-men were there , but the head was not . On attending on Saturday evening , we found the number of men less , and indecision at head-quarters ? whilst troops of the 40 th and 12 th Regiments of the Line had arrived to strengthen the forces at the camp . The diggers had formed a palisade round their camp . No one who entered was allowed to pass out unless he could give , the countersign . Having ascertained this , as early as convenient we left the camp at the Eureka . Many

      of the men who were there were well armed , especially the Rifle Brigade and the Rangers , as they were called . Most of these men went home , being told nothing would be done that night . The men grumbled very much . They had not , they said , come out to play at soldiers , but to fighty-andif it-was _ toJbe ^ done , it Jiad-better . be . done at once . Very few effective men could have been left on the Eureka . * No one seemed to imagine the likelihood of an attack by the Government forces . It appears that about four o ' clock on- the Sunday morning an attack was made which proved successful , having taken the diggers quite by surprise . The-particulars you will receive from the papers . The troopers acted like infuriated demons , cutting down those they met , whether inside or outside

      the palisade , and women , and unarmed men , and men who surrendered within it They burnt , down all the tents within the palisade , and would not allow the owners to save ' thoir property . Martial law was proclaimed ; but a notice , from Sir C . Hotham annulled it by twelve o ' clock on the following Saturday . The authorities seem desirous to make it appear that foreigners were the principal movers in this armed attempt to redress great grievances and insults . There were a few foreigners , no doubt , and many more would have joined had they been called upon to act . The Irish element , I believe , predominated , though the English numbered nearly the same . Anything like success would have made the movement universal at tho diggings , and

      popular in the towns . As it is , the men shot ace regarded as misguided martyrs in a good cause , and a strong constitutional agitation will be tho result . Hardly any one makes any other objection to the arming than this—that it was mistimed , that all constitutional and moral means ought to have first been tried .. The diggers have grumbled , but they have not organised or brought the moral force of organised public opinion to bear upon tho Government . Tho pooplo of Melbourne , who , until latel y , were as ignorant of the true istate of the diggers' grievances as the people of London , now sympathise fuliyAvith the diggers . Public opinion was so strongly- expressed there , that ; tho Lieutenant-Governor has sent a Commission to inquire

      Into the political griovanoes of tho diggers , the management of the gold-fields , and tho causes of the late armed resistance to the ' authorities . - Henry and I-have been appointed-by tho'diggers an members of a Diggers ' Committee , to select evidence to put before tho Commissioners . Three of the committee sit with the Commissidn ,. to watch the evidences The Commissioner left here

      at six a . m . for Cress-moE * Creek- They . did not ^ seem to desire to have noaaiy of the atrocities of -ibe tcoopera put uppn record . Men were cutdosraand bayonetedaftersurrendering .. Others , 800 and 900 yards , from . the . insurgents' stockade , were shot dawn ; ., and , - amid . oaths , and language the most-beastly ; and brujtal that can be- conceived , their bodies , were slashed with the troopers ' sabres . Some were taken prisoners , stripped-of , their clothes andvsueh property as they had about . them r detained , in a beastly place infested , with . vennin ^ then let-out .. On . inquiring of the captain in command . for their clothes and property , they were told . to go to the turnkey . This official told one that if he did . not be

      off ,. he would shove * -a . bayonet into him j .. another was told that it was the fortune of war ~ A few yards ; from the insurgent stockade a . boy of fourteen was * hot and sabred-in . attempting , to leave bis .. mother ' s tent , for a safer abode . A ^ Scptch girL after the affray , . entered the stockade to help a woman and iave : some property from her burning ; tent . A trooper thrust ... at' her with , his sword , and she was only saved from . butchery-through the interference of two other troopers ,. wJho carried . off their < . comrade and a bottle of brandy to pacify- him : These things are facts , not hearsays . They are selected from evidence taken down , by me at Bath ' . s HoteL-. on Tuesday the 26 th , for the Commissioners .-" Believe- me , ever ypurs truly , -. " O . F . N »"

      208 T^Lf Lf Ijwa & E/Bj. ^Asmmjks^

      208 T ^ lf lf IjWA & E / Bj . ^ AsmmjkS ^

      State Of Trade, Eabotjr, And The Eqor. S...

      STATE OF TRADE , EABOTJR , AND THE EQOR . Spbaking generally , a decided improvement is discernible in the condition of-trade and manufactures ; but , side by side- withthisy we-behold' in > some districts a reduction of wages , and the melancholy accompaniments of strikes and riots . Manchester reports a continuance in the advance of prices recently- obtained for cotton yarns : the clothmarket also is firm ; At Liverpool there is a rise in the price of cotton , owing to advices from- the United States to the effect that there will probably be some delay in the arrival of supplies , as the American rivers are at present too low for traffic . The print-market is tolerably active , and ether manufactured stuffs meet with an accelerated sale . . ¦ _" ¦ From Birmingham we hear that the home trade is improving , but that the American trade is dull . The coal trade is at the present time in a state of great commotion . The thick coal colliers have received notice of a-reduction of Is . per day , and other coal and stone getters 6 di per day . Engineers and labourers are to be reduced 10 per cent , and coal will be reduced Is . per ton- The late embarrassments of one or two large houses in the iron trade have acted as a check upon

      business ; but the panic has now nearly subsided . At Kidderminster the state of the carpet weavers is extremely distressing . Great numbers of men , women , and children are out of employ , and have petitioned the corporation of the borough to supply a portion of them with the means of emigrating . Lord Ward has already generously given them assistance for this purpose , and a . public , meetfng . ol the _ inhabj | tan _ ts ^_ hnsj |>_ een held for promoting the same object ; The operatives attribute their distress to the introduction 1 of steam-power in

      weaving . The fancy-lace trade of Nottingham is improving ; but in hosiery there is a slight falling off . The cheapness of the latter is now surprising : the hose which previous to 1850 could not be sold formless than 6 s . 6 d . a dozen are now sold for 3 s . 'a dozen : The worsted and woollen goods of Leicester have not been recently in demand : the yarn-market continues depressed , and some of the mills are working short hours ; but for some descriptions of wool there is an advance . The leather trade of Bristol is tolerably active . Tho woollen cloth trade of Leeds is more- alert ; and the same may bo said of the worsted trade of Bradford . The demand for linen and- flax in the markets of the North of Ireland is improving .

      There have been some riots among tho colliers in Staffordshire , owing to reduced wages . At Bilston , five hundred of the colliers who refused to accede to a reduction of their wages from 3 s . Cd . to 8 a . a day , assembled in Cald Lower early on tho morning of Friday week , and marched tlionco in procession through Portobollo , Willonhall , Darlaston , andM-orloy , visiting tho various pits in the neighbourhood , and compelling those who were at work in thorn to come up and join the strike On re-entering the town at 11 o ' clock by Oxford-street , fromMoxloy , their numbers had reached near 8000 , most of them armed with the handles of their pikes , and some with largo hedge stakes . They had been followed

      throughout unmolested by about 80 of tho county constabulary , armed with cutlasses , whom they ( surrounded in Oxford-street , and the police had to make use of tho back of thoir weapons to escape—one of thoir numbor having been knocked senseless to the ground by a blow from a- stono . Some shops were rifled , tradesmen were ill lined , and 'a policeman was forced ¦ to fly for his life . Five of tho rioters were ultimately taken into custody , and committed for trial . The yeomanry were called out , tho Stafford militia sent for , and special constables sworn in ; but nothing serious occurred . At Walsall , and in tho neighbourhood of Wolverhampton , similar scones havo taken > place . Shop window * were brokeni

      and provisions abstracted ; but , after a sharp centest ~ wifti the police * % severabof thfe riotcrr ^ wfeo were chfefly Irish > were-taken into custody .- The * mob ?; upon" arriving at pits , w & erei-. tha- workmen ^ nwtnifteBfc- a ' dfiirieWhation- to join ^ them , either tunx ; wBtaKiiko th «» pit 8 or-disable tlfe machinery , . and force- thei workpeople * ; - old-and young male-axid . fensaley to jokrtlBeijrTJonrpany ? undfer pain of a ducking : in the ; waste 1 waterp » oJs .- As ? a-. * -whole ; the colliers of Wolverhampton , JBiliton , and ' " Walsall , whife they think that the proposed "' reducti < m ; i » -too heavy have adecided .- objection- to the course' which some of their r fellow-workmen- from ' - other parts 1 of the district are . pursuing . ; They add that if the proposed reduction had been confined , to 3 d . a day , ' the- terms would have been accepted ithEoughautthe-.-whole of the districts .

      The Case Of'hoed. Claneic Arde.. We Find...

      THE CASE OF ' HOED . CLANEIC ARDE .. We find .. tbe-isubjoined letterjn the : Ttnws-of Monday in .. aaswerrtQ . certain statements made by . Lord ClanrieaxdeinMsaffidaYit : " A short time before-Mr ; Handcock ' s death , while residing , in futenishedJlodgirrgs i a * Islington ^ finding himsel £ seriously ill-he * isentrfoT me , and , on my arrival , I found hint inn i bod ? . , andi very dejected . - He entered at once-on-the : subject fof hisfraffiiirs , ' and entreated of me to allow-Mm-to appoinfcme * hfe ^ executor , while he named his --wife : gdardianra > frhis ? daughters ; - I" at' first declined the responsibility , -, but - after consulting some of my friends , I accettted-dtt ! . "I wrote'to-his :, wifej ? then in > Paris , * to inform her and her daughtersvofrhis dangers . In'a'few * -days afterwards sheaurived witih hereldest daughterin-London , and took lodgings in St . James ' s-street , and there I frequently met Lord Clanridarde andtothengentlemen : " On ; the ¦ recommendation ofLordClahricarde I-called on Dr .-. Paris , and requested of hinr to call and see MrV Handcook at Islington . ' On the doctor ' s suggestion he was removed- ' . to , Brompton .. At Lord Clanric . trde ' s request I accompanied him in a cab -to Brompton , where I with gr eat difficulty induced'Mr . -Handcock to see him for a short time . " On calling-. to see Mr . Handccck theday before his death , Dr . Paris ; infi > rmedme that : he- found him very much , better— -so much so that he had great hopes of his recovery ; Poor Mr . Handcoek seemed in very good spirits ; but on the _ following day , ' when I chanced to call again , I wasj greatly surprised' to- fina" Lord

      Clanricarde , Mrs . Handcock } and Miss "Handcock , with Dr . Paris , in the sick , man ' s apartments . Dr : Paris was hastily writing a paper , with which'he went into ¦ the ' bedroom ; in a . few minutes he- called Lord Clanricarde , who , on going in , closed the door . As soon as I could gain-access Mr . Handcock reproached ine'for not calling earlier in the day , and complained bitterlyof Lord Clanricarde ' s intrusion ;; In about a quarter of an hour afterwards the poor man . died . The widow refused to bury him unless the will was given up to her . This I did not do ; but at a considerable expense , I had it proved , and established its validity . I also-defrayed the funeral expenses , and of those disbursements I nave not received more than one'tenth . '

      ""'"»« Of * th " e " existence of "Mrs ? Han'dcock's' reputed' son , Mr . Hlndcockwas not in anymeasure aware ; and , had I been cognisant of it , I should not have written to her , nor should I have allowed either her or the marquis to approach that injured death-bed . " Poor Mr . Handcock had scarcely breathed his last when , the widow carried off his watch from under the pillow , and the ring from off his finger ! " In conclusion , 1 havo to express my regret that compassion for a hapless gentlemanj who placed implicit confidence in me , has mixed up my name with transactions in which figure the most noble marquis and the late Mrs . Handcock . " I have . the . honour to be , Siiyyour obedient servant , "'F . Lanciax . "

      With ' reference to-Mr . Langan ' s statement about Dr . Paris writing a paper in Mr : Handcock ' s bedroom , Dn Paris writes as follows to the Times : — " After thb lapse of so many years , is it extraordinary that I should not retain tho slightest recollection of any ; such written pnper ? It might have been a prescription , or , more probably , a summons to call the Rev . Mr . Irons , tho Rector of Brompton , as Mr . Handcockhad oxpressed a wish to see a clergyman ; but , whatever it might have been , I do most solemnly declare it had no reference to any testamentary arrangement , or to anything regarding . his worldly afrairs . "

      Our Civilisation. A Stranok Case.—Philip...

      OUR CIVILISATION . A Stranok Case . —Philip Herring , a " respectable " man , was charged at the-MarylobOno Police-court , lust Saturday , with hnvlng wounded a woman named Mitchell , with , whom he cohabited , by cutting her throat with a razor . Tho prisoner ' s throat was oIho wounded , and bound up . It appeared that a policeman had been callod to tlio , honHe , and had found tho woman lying on tho socond-floor landing , having her throat dressed . Tho prisoner wis present , and tho two- accusuul oacn other of using- tho razor with intent to murder , Iftoy were both taken to tho station-house , where a large quantity of gold was found on tho man , which the woman- eagerly de « ittd to obtain , saying it was hers . » no

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 31, 1855, page 10, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31031855/page/10/