Oxton November 1816—
Sir,
I have this moment the honor of your letter, which I shall have an opportunity of laying before the Magistrates assembled in Sessions on Monday next. The Magistrates requested that a small Military Guard might be placed in the House of Industry, as they had reason to apprehend that an attack would be made upon it, they had previously sworn in a great number of Special Constables, in the Parishes of Basford and Bulwell; on the confines of which it is placed; but so remote from the Villages, that there was a reason to apprehend that the Building might be demolished before an adequate Civil force could be collected: a Special Constable is always in the House & there are Magistrates within a few Miles who would attend with all possible expedition upon the first alarm—
The Military force was requested as an auxiliary to, not as a substitute for the civil Power.—The Watch and Ward Act will be put in force on Saturday next which I hope will prevent the Nocturnal Meetings of the Depredators & that a Military Guard will no longer be no longer necessary—I must take this opportunity Sir, of requesting your attention to a point of Law in which I have reason to believe that I differ (tho’ with great deference) from your opinion & that of the Secretary of State I apprehend that according to the Constitution of this Country, every Man is enjoyned whatever his profession to be aiding, assisting & abetting in taking any Person in the commission of a felony & that when he is so employed he is protected by law the same as a Constable performing his duty
The Outrages committed in this District are Felonies and Burglaries & the Persons perpetrating them, meeting in the night with faces blacked & fire Arms differ in Crime & every material effect from a Mob assembled some political purpose or to remedy some Fancied grievance. My opinion is that if Soldiers are sent by the Civil Power to defend the Bank of England, a House of Industry, or any other Building, that they are as guiltless of Blood, upon resisting an attack as a Constable would be in firing upon any Person in the Act of destroying a Building, every other means of resistance having been previously & in vain resorted to; & tho’ no man can more highly appreciate the wholesome Laws & regulations which preserve a Constitutional Controul over the Military by the Civil Power yet I am unacquainted with any law that can prevent the Soldier from making every exertion to save the life & protect the property of his fellow Subjects—I cannot conclude Sir, without offering you my personal thanks to not withdrawing the Guard before you had a communication with the Magistrates, although the measure did not meet your approbation.
I have the honor &c
W. Sherbrooke
To
Major Genl Fane &c &c—
Showing posts with label general fane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general fane. Show all posts
Friday, 4 November 2016
Monday, 24 October 2016
24th October 1816: Major General Fane reports from Nottingham
Nottingham 24th October 1816
My Lord
In conformity to your instructions of the 24th of September, I do myself the honour to state, that since my return to my command I have personally visited Northampton, Leicester, Loughborough, and Nottingham; and have held communication with the Civil authorities of each of those places.
I have stated, as directed, my readiness to cooperate with them in any measures they may deem requisite for maintaining the peace of their respective districts: and I have endeavoured to learn from them their opinions as to the temper and disposition of the people within reach of their observation.
At Northampton, a number of Shoemakers are stated to be out of employ; chiefly owing to the stoppage of Government contracts: but they form but an inconsiderable portion of the inhabitants; and no disturbance appears to be apprehended.
At Leicester and Loughborough, altho a considerable number of people are in distress, employment is more plenty than it has been: and it does not appear that any good grounds exist for expecting any disorder.—Of the Society coming calling themselves the "Hampden Club", and their proceedings, Your Lordship has already been informed by the magistrates of Leicester: and I do not imagine it is necessary for me to say any thing on the subject.
In respect to Nottingham, and its vicinity, I have made all the enquiry I can: and especially relative to the recent outrages committed upon the Frames of manufacturers.
It appears that certain combinations exist, professing to have the object of regulating Trade, and the dealings between the master manufacturers and the Workmen.—That the persons so combining, have agreed upon a minimum of wages to be paid to certain descriptions of work: and that when a master manufacturer employs workmen at a less rate than this fixed minimum, his Frames immediately become in danger from the machinations of the aforesaid combinations. It is not a war against any particular description of Loom; but against all Looms, let for work below certain fixed rate of wages.—Therefore, It is to the power of dictation in respect to wages, to which these outrages are directed: and they are upon the same principle as those which have recently been detected in the Hat trade.
In respect to the temper and disposition of the people, I need not remind your Lordship that there are in this, and all large manufacturing Towns, abundance of Agitators and Demagogues always ready to lead the people astray: and that it is in times of distress, like the present, that they are most successful. That they are now actively employed in spreading as much as possible those lessons which are taught by certain assemblies in the Capital, I have no doubt: but that there is any particular feeling, amongst the great body of the people, hostile to the Government, beyond what severe distress is calculated to produce, I can see no symptom. To what extent this distress may in any particular case drive the unthinking, it is of course impossible to say.
I have not been called upon for aid from the military, in any part of the district under my command, since last I had the honour to address your Lordship.
I have [etc]
H. Fane
Maj General
[To] Rt Honble
Lord Sidmouth
&c &c
My Lord
In conformity to your instructions of the 24th of September, I do myself the honour to state, that since my return to my command I have personally visited Northampton, Leicester, Loughborough, and Nottingham; and have held communication with the Civil authorities of each of those places.
I have stated, as directed, my readiness to cooperate with them in any measures they may deem requisite for maintaining the peace of their respective districts: and I have endeavoured to learn from them their opinions as to the temper and disposition of the people within reach of their observation.
At Northampton, a number of Shoemakers are stated to be out of employ; chiefly owing to the stoppage of Government contracts: but they form but an inconsiderable portion of the inhabitants; and no disturbance appears to be apprehended.
At Leicester and Loughborough, altho a considerable number of people are in distress, employment is more plenty than it has been: and it does not appear that any good grounds exist for expecting any disorder.—Of the Society coming calling themselves the "Hampden Club", and their proceedings, Your Lordship has already been informed by the magistrates of Leicester: and I do not imagine it is necessary for me to say any thing on the subject.
In respect to Nottingham, and its vicinity, I have made all the enquiry I can: and especially relative to the recent outrages committed upon the Frames of manufacturers.
It appears that certain combinations exist, professing to have the object of regulating Trade, and the dealings between the master manufacturers and the Workmen.—That the persons so combining, have agreed upon a minimum of wages to be paid to certain descriptions of work: and that when a master manufacturer employs workmen at a less rate than this fixed minimum, his Frames immediately become in danger from the machinations of the aforesaid combinations. It is not a war against any particular description of Loom; but against all Looms, let for work below certain fixed rate of wages.—Therefore, It is to the power of dictation in respect to wages, to which these outrages are directed: and they are upon the same principle as those which have recently been detected in the Hat trade.
In respect to the temper and disposition of the people, I need not remind your Lordship that there are in this, and all large manufacturing Towns, abundance of Agitators and Demagogues always ready to lead the people astray: and that it is in times of distress, like the present, that they are most successful. That they are now actively employed in spreading as much as possible those lessons which are taught by certain assemblies in the Capital, I have no doubt: but that there is any particular feeling, amongst the great body of the people, hostile to the Government, beyond what severe distress is calculated to produce, I can see no symptom. To what extent this distress may in any particular case drive the unthinking, it is of course impossible to say.
I have not been called upon for aid from the military, in any part of the district under my command, since last I had the honour to address your Lordship.
I have [etc]
H. Fane
Maj General
[To] Rt Honble
Lord Sidmouth
&c &c
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