date, and I have alfo feen Lieutenant-colonel Grinfield. I cannot fay more regarding the propofal for putting arms into the hands of the inhabitants of the city, than is contained in my letters to you of Monday's and yesterday's date, and I fully approve of your conduft upon the whole of this bufinefs. There can be no doubt that the aldermen in propofing to arm their wards, mean by way of general defence; but fuppofing that the affembling the inhabitants under arms was legal, the inconveniencies which you have ftated to the mayor, &c. as likely to arife from the motley appearance of the armed inhabitants in cafe of the rioters affembling again, fhould, I think, be fufficient to induce the magiftrates of the city to drop the intention. I have laid before the king's confidential fervants all your letters upon this fubject, together with copies of my answers to them; and I am very glad to inform you that your conduct has received their full approbation, as well as that ourfelves and neighbours, against à renewal of the mifchiefs fo recently experienced from a lawless and licentious banditti. As the ftrongeft fentiments of loyalty and affection to his majesty and the conftitution are our governing principles, we rely on your lordship's kind recommendation of this measure. We have the honour to be JAC. WRENCH, M. DUKE THOMPSON, Right Hon. Lord Amherst, &c. &c. The Plan referred to above. A battalion company of fifty of the opulent part of the inhabitants, armed, cloathed, and taught the manual and platoon exercife, at their own expence, and not to do duty out of Bridge Ward. Whitehall, 16th June, 1780. SIR, HAVING laid before the king the letter of yesterday's date, figned by feveral gentlemen of the Ward of Bridge Within, that you put into Bridge Ward Within, 15th June, my hands this morning, wherein 1780. MY LORD, WE are directed, by the unanimous refolution of a very numerous and refpectable wardmote, held at Fishmongers-hall, this day, before Thomas Wooldridge, Efq; alderman, to apply to your lordfhip for the king's leave to affociate ourfelves, pursuant to the annexed plan, for the prefervation of it is defired that a certain number of the inhabitants of the faid ward may have leave to form them felves into a company, and be armed for the purpofe of preferving themfelves and neighbours in cafe there fhould be a renewal of the late mifchiefs in the metropolis, or any affembly of a lawlefs and licentious mob; and the faid propofition having been fully taken into confideration, Guildhall, 14th June, 1780. MY LORD, I AM directed by the court of aldermen to inform your lordship, that, in obedience to your lordhip's orders, they have made diligent fearch in the feveral wards after thofe diforderly perfons who have been concerned in the late dangerous riots, and have taken to their affistance the houfe keepers in each diftrict, who have armed them felves, under the direction of the court, for the purpofe of Supporting the civil magiftrate; but having communicated to the court the inclofed letter from Lord Amherst to Colonel Twifleton, who favoured me with copies of them, the court are defirous that fome explanation may be given to thofe letters, as they now militate again ft the orders first received from your lordship: they alfo beg leave to be informed by your lordship whether the order fent to Colonel Twifleton by the Adjutant-general, directing the military to act without waiting for the directions "I HAVE been honoured with your lordship's letter of yefterday's date, and have laid the fame before the lords of the privycouncil, and am to inform your lordship, that we apprehend Lord Amhert's letter to your lordship of the 13th inftant has not been properly understood; for when he fpeaks of the arms in the hands of the city militia, or other perfons authorifed by the king to be armed, he certainly includes the arms in the hands of the citizens and houfekeepers, who, by virtue of an order of the court of lieutenancy, are required to keep them in their houfes; and Colonel Twilleton has put the proper conftruction on thofe letters, by only taking arms from fufpected perfons, or thofe who could not give a good account of themselves. While the military, neceffary for the prefervation of the public peace, remain in the city, it will, no doubt, be proper that the order of the Adjutant-general for their acting without waiting for the direding of the civil magiftrate fhould continue in force. The attention paid by the inhabitants in preferving the peace of the fe veral wards is extremely commend able; yet the greatest care fhould be taken that any armed houfekeepers do not expofe themselves to the military, who in a tumult might not be able to diftinguish them from the rioters. I have the honour to be, my lord, your lordship's most obedient humble fervant, BATHURST, P. Right Hon. Lord Mayor. this city judged neceffary to take with them in the execution of that order, in addition to the peace officers, being bodies of the inhabitants of their refpective wards, who have armed themselves under the direction of the court of aldermen (not the court of lieutenancy) for the purpofe of fupporting the civil magiftrate. The court were the more inclined to fear, that the order in queftion would be fo interpreted, as Lord Amherst had in his letter to Colonel Twifleton of the twelfth To which the following Reply inftant expreffed it to be his opi was fent. MY LORD, nion, that no man can bear arms in this country but under officers Guildhall, June 17, 1780. having the king's commiffion; this was what was meant by faying that thofe letters militate against the orders first received from your lordship, and the court defire to fubmit to your lordship's confideration whether fome further explanation may not be neceffary to prevent a conftruction, which would leave the civil magiftrate without power to act at all, for want of neceffary fupport, especially if it be thought proper that the Adjutant-general's order for the military to act, without waiting for the direction of the civil magiftrate, fhould continue longer in force. I AM to acknowledge the honour of your lordship's letter of the 15th, which I communicated to the court of aldermen yesterday, by whom I am directed to reprefent to your lordship, that if you will be pleafed to refer to my letter of the 14th, your lordship will fnd the letters of Lord Amherit's there mentioned (copies of which were inclofed were not addreffed to me, but to Colonel Twifleton; the fecond of which feems to import an order to him to difarm all perfons in whofe hands arms fhould be found, except the city militia, and perfons authorized by the king to be armed; which order, it is apprehended, would, if literally executed, difarm thofe afliftants, without whom it would have been impoffible to have executed, and will now be impoffible to proceed in the execution of the order of council of the 9th inftant; the affitance which the aldermen of I am farther directed by the court to reprefent to your lordfhip, that in forming their opinion upon this fubject, and requefting a further explanation of Lord Amherst's letters, they have not forgotten the undoubted right of all his majefty's Proteftant fubjects, as declared by the Firft of William and Mary, Stat. 2. Chap. 2. to have arms for their defence fuitable to I HAVE been honoured with your lordship's letter of the 17th inftant, defiring a further explanation of the letters fent by Lord Amherst to Colonel Twifleton, &c. and have taken the firit opportu nity of laying your lordship's faid letter before the council; and I am to fay that it is the opinion of their lord fhips, that the matter has been fully explained in my letter to your lordship of the 15th. But in regard to what your lordfhip intimates of the impracticability of proceeding in the execution of what was required by the letter from the privy-council of the 9th inftant, without the affiftance of the inhabitants of the feveral wards, who have armed them felves; the council is of opinion, that at a time like this of real danger from riots, tumults, and rebellious infurrections, a reasonable number of inhabitants, armed according to the nature and circumftance of the cafe, may attend the peace officers as affiftants to them, for the prefervation of the public peace, until the danger be over: but although his majefty's Proteftant fubjects may have arms for their defence fuitable to their condi tions, and as allowed by law, yet they cannot by law affemble in bodies armed, and be muttered and arrayed without the authority of his majefty. I have the honour to be, my lord, your lordship's most obedient, humble fervant,' BATHURST, P. Right Hon. Lord Mayor. SECOND REPLY. Guildhall, June 24, 1780. MY LORD, I HAVE the honour of your lordship's letter of the 20th, informing me, "That the council is of opinion that a reasonable number of inhabitants, armed according to the nature and circumftance of the cafe, may attend the peace officers as afflitants to them for the preservation of the peace, until the danger be over," which I have communicated to the court of aldermen, by whofe directions I am to reprefent to your lordfhip, that they forefee difficulties likely to arife in the execution of their duty, if the military are to at independently of them; and therefore, as well as to quiet the apprehenfions naturally aring from a large military force continuing in the capital, and not under the ufual control of the civil magifrate, they fubmit to your lordhip's confideration whether the order of the Adjutant-general for them to act without waiting for the directions of the civil magiftrate fhould ftill continue, or whether it would not be more expedient in the prefent ftate of things to recall that order, and fubje& N Wednesday, June 28, the feffions began at the Old Bailey, when the following prifoners were tried, and capitally convicted of being concerned in the late riots; Mr. Norton and Mr. Howarth being counfel for the profecution, when the latter expatiated on the nature of the offence with which the prifoners food charged, fhewing it to be felony by the ftatute Geo. I. William Lawrence and Richard Roberts, were first put to the bar, and were clearly convicted of having aided and affifted in deftroying Sir John Fielding's houfe, in Bowftreet, on Tuesday night, June 6. Thomas Taplin was next arraigned, for demanding and taking half-a-crown from Mr. Mahon, apothecary, the corner of Bowfreet, June 7, and convicted, though his counfel attempted to prove him infane. William Brown was indicted for entering the dwelling houfe of Francis Deacon, chee femonger, and holding a large knife in his hand, making ufe of the following words: D-n your eyes, if you do not give 66 "me a fhilling dire&ly, I'll bring a mob that will pull down your "houfe about your ears." That accordingly Mr. Deacon threw a fhilling into his hat. He was found guilty, Death. June 29, George Kennedy was indicted for destroying the dwelling-houfe of Mr. M'Cartney, a baker, in Featherstone-street, Bunhill-row. The jury brought him in guilty, but recommended him to mercy. William M'Donald, (a foldier with only one arm) for destroying the dwelling-houfe of John Lebarry, on the 7th of June, in St. Catherine's-lane, Towerhill, was found guilty, Death. James Henry, for destroying the houfe, &c. of Mr. Thomas Langdale, at Holborn-bridge, June 7, was found guilty; and he being the principal ring-leader upon this occation, the recorder informed him, that from the circumstances of his cafe, he could not expect mercy. George Barton, for affaulting Richard Stowe, in Holborn, and feloniously taking from him 6d. in filver, faying, Pray "remember the Proteftant reli"gion." He was found guilty, but recommended to mercy. John Ellis was indicted for beginning to pull down the houfe of Cornelius Murphy, the Sun, in Golden lane, June 7, not guilty. Thomas Chambers was indicted for the fame, and found not guilty. June 30. William Pateinan was indicted for demolishing the house of Robert Charlton, in Colemanftreet, June 7, and found guilty. The court adjourned 'till Monday. July 3. The important trial of Mr. Mafcal, the apothecary, came He was indicted for riotously and tumultuoufly affociating, on on. the |