both belonged to Mr. Langdale, an eminent diftiller, and contained immenfe quantities of fpirituous liquors, Six-and-thirty fires, all blazing at one time, and in different quarters of the city, were to be feen from one fpot. -During the whole night men, women, and children, were running up and down with fuch goods and effects as they wished moft to preferve. The tremendous roar of the authors of thefe horrible fcenes was heard at one infant, and at the next, the dreadful reports of foldiers mufquets, firing in platoons, and from different quarters: in fhort, every thing ferved to imprefs the mind with ideas of univerfal anarchy and approaching defolation. Two attempts, in the courfe of the day, were made upon the Bank; but the rioters were fo much intimidated by the ftrength with which they beheld it guarded, that their attacks were but feebly conducted, and they were repulfed at the first fire from the military, They made an effort to break into the Pay-office likewife, and met the fame fate. Several of them fell in thefe ikirmishes, and many were wounded. Had the Bank and the public offices been the first objects of their fury, instead of the houfes of individuals, the chapels, and the prifons, there can be little doubt but they would have fucceeded in their attempt; and what the confequences in that cafe would have been, let any rational inind figure to itself! It is impoffible to afcertain the number of unhappy wretches who loft their lives in the course of this dreadful night.-Powder and ball was not fo fatal to them 21 their own inordinate appetites, Numbers died with inebriation, especially at the diftilleries of the unfortunate Mr. Langdale, from whofe veffels the liquor ran down the middle of the street, was taken up by paiifuis, and held to the mouths of the deluded multitude; many of whom killed themselves with drinking non-rectified fpirits, and were burnt or buried in the ruins. The regulars and militia had poured in fo faft, in confequence of the exprefles difpatched for that purpofe, that the citizens on Thurday began to recover from their confternation. They were, however, fo thoroughly alarmed, and fo much affected by the depredations they beheld on every fide, that the hops were univerfally shut from Tyburn to Whitechapel, and no bufinefs of any kind, except at the Bank, was tranfacted. The military were exceedingly active this day; and fecured great numbers of diforderly perions; feveral were taken in the cells of Newgate, attempting to rekindle the fire in those parts which had not been totally deftroyed. The following is faid to be a copy of the return made to Lord Amhert of the killed and wounded during the disturbances: By affociation troops $109 and guards By light horfe Died in hofpitals" Frifoners now under care 173 75 458 killed. the ruins of the demolished houfes, is not known, but is conceived to have been very confiderable. Friday, at eleven o'clock, a Council was held at Lord Stormont's office in Cleveland-row; in confequence of which, a warrant was iffued by his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, directed to Mann and Staley, two of his Majefty's Meffengers in ordinary, for the apprehending and taking into fafe cuftody, the Right Honourable Lord George Gordon. The meffengers, on receiving their warrants, inftantly repaired to his houfe in Welbeck - Atreet, and, getting admittance, were introduced to his lordship, whom they made immediately acquainted with the nature of their vifit:-Lord George only replied,-- If you are fure it is me you want, I am ready to attend you! Upon which, a hackney - coach being previously got ready, and a party of light horfe having received orders to attend in an adjacent ftreet, his lordship was conducted fafely by them, about fix o'clock, to the Horfe-Guards.-A long examination took place in the War-office, before the Lord Prefilent, Lord North, Lord Amherft, the Secretaries of State, and feveral other Lords of the Privycouncil; and at half an hour after nine, Lord George Gordon was committed a clofe prifoner to the Tower. The guards that attended him were by far the greatest in number ever remembered to guard a ftate prifoner. A large party of infantry preceded in front, his Lordfhip following in a coach, in which were two officers; two foldiers rode behind the coach, and immediately followed General Carpenter's regiment of dragoons; after which came a colonel's guard of the foot guards, befides a party of the militia, which marched on each fide of the coach. The ca- · valcade paffed over Weftminsterbridge, through St. George's Fields, the Borough, and fo on to the Tower, where his lordship alighted about ten o'clock, and refted that night in the Governor's apartments. The fame day Mr. Fisher, Secretary to the Proteftant Affociation, was taken to the Tower, examined by the Privycouncil, and honourably dif miffed. The arrangement of the military, that was made on Thursday, produced fo good an effect, that there was no riot or difturbances in any part of the town, in the courfe of the night, and the next day (Friday) peace and tranquility were restored, and the only uncafinefs felt, was, that, the metropolis was fubjected to martial law. This very difagreeable apprehenfion arofe from the proclamation which was iffued, declaring that orders were given. to the military power to exert their utmol endeavours for the reftoring of peace. In order, however, to diffipate this idea, the following hand-bili was circulated in every quarter of the town: Whereas fome if defigning and malicious perions have publived, for the purpofe of difquieting the minds of his Majefty's faithful fubjects, that it is intended to try the prifoners, now in custody, by martial law; notice is given, by authority, that no fuch purpofe or intention has ever been in the contemplation of Government; but that the faid. priforsers [R] 4 prifoners will be tried by the due courfe of law, as expeditiously as may be.' We must not forget to mention, that attempts were made to create the fame disturbances at Hull, Briftol, and Bath. By the care and attention of the civil magiftrate they were frustrated; but at Bath not till.a chapel and fome houfes were destroyed. IN IN this ample detail of the tumults, which threatened the very existence of the metropolis, it cannot but be remarked, that fcarce any attempt appears to have been made either to prevent them, or to check their progrefs. For fix days fucceffively, from Friday the 2d of June to Thurfday the 8th, the cities of London and Weftminfter were delivered up into the hands of an unarmed and nameless mob, to be plundered at its difcretion. Much blame on this account has been thrown on the magiftrates of the cities, much on the king's minifters; with what juftice the following authentic papers will in fome meafure enable our readers to judge. Copies of the Letters which paffed between the Secretaries of State, the Lord Prefident of the Council, the Commander in Chief, and the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, and alfo of the King's Proclamation, relative to the late Riots. St. James's, June 3, 1780, 14 M. p. Two P. M. MY LORD, AS information which I have received gives me reafon to apprehend that tumults may life within your lordship's jurifdi&tion. I think it my duty to convey to you immediately this information. I cannot too ftrongly recommend the matter to your lordthip's attention, and am confident, from your known adivity, that you will not omit any legal exertion of the civil power which may contribute upon this occafion to preferve the public peace. I have the honour to be, The Right Hon. the Lord St. James's, June 4, 1780. 25 M. p. Ten, P. M. MY LORD, INFORMATION which Į have juft received makes me think it my indifpenfable duty to recommend the contents of the letter which I had the honour to write to your lordilip yefterday, to your molt ferious confideration, I cannot but hope and truit, from your lordthip's known zeal and activity, that every effectual legal method will be used by you to preferve the public peace, by guarding it against thofe dangers to which it ftands expofed. 1 am, with great refpe&, Your lordship's St. James's, June 5, 1780. MY LORD, WE learnt with pleafure, by your lordship's verbal anfwer returned to Lord Stormont's letter of of laft night, that you were then uling your best endeavours to difperfe the tumultuous affembly in Moorfields, and to prevent every outrage. Thofe endeavours feem to have been in fome degree fuccessful for a time; but we have just received intelligence, which gives us equal concern and forprize, that there is actually a riotous meeting at the fame place, and that a great number of feditious perfons are employed in demolishing different dwellinghoufes, and all this is done in broad day, according to our information, without the leaft interpofition of the civil magiftrates to preferve the public peace. Under thefe confiderations we think it our indifpenfable duty again to call your lordfhip's attention to fuch very ferious objects, and we cannot but perfuade ourfelves that you will feel that a conftant, uninterrupted exertion of every poffible legal endeavour to prevent or quell fuch outrages, and to preferve or reftore the public order and tranquility, and to feize and fecure the principal de Luquents, that they may be brought to justice, is an indifpenfable part of the duty of the High ftation in which your lordLip is placed. We have the honour to be, HILLSBOROUGH, The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of the city of London. GEORGE R. WHEREAS a great number of diforderly perfons have affem bled themfelves together in a riotous and tumultuous manner, and have been guilty of many acts of treafon and rebellion, having made an affault on the gaol of Newgate, fet loofe the prifoners confined therein, and fet fire to and destroyed the faid prifon : And whereas houfes are now pulling down in feveral parts of our cities of London and Weftminiter, and liberties thereof, and fires kindled for confuming the materials and furniture of the fame, whereby it is become` abfolutely neceffary to use the most efectual means to quiet fuch difturbances, to preferve the lives and properties of individuals, and to reltore the peace of the country: We, therefore, taking the fame into our moft ferious confideration, have thought fit, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to iffue this our royal Proclamation, hereby ftrictly. charging and exhorting all our loving fubjects to preferve the peace, and to keep themfelves, their fervants and apprentices, quietly within their refpective dwellings, to the end that all well-difpofed perfons may avoid thofe mifchiefs which the continuance of fuch riotous proceedings may bring upon the guilty: And as it is neceffary, from the circumstances beforementioned, to employ the military force, with which we are by law entruded for the immediate fupprefion of fuch rebellious and traiterous attempts, now making against the peace and dignity of our Crown, and the fafety of the lives and properties of our fubjects, We have therefore iffued the most direct and effectual orders. to all our officers, by an imme diate exertion of their utmost force, to reprefs the fame, of which all perfons are to take notice. Given at our Court at St. James's, the feventh day of June, one thousand feven hundred and eighty, in the twentieth year of our reign. God fave the King. On the fame day the following general orders were iffued to the officers and commanders of all his anajesty's forces in Great-Britain. GENERAL ORDERS. Adjutant-general's office, "In obedience to an order of the king in council, the military to act without waiting for directions from the civil magistrates, and to ufe force for difperfing the illegal and tumultuous affemblies of the people. WM. AMHERST, Adjutant-gen." Several inhabitants of the city of London having proposed to arm themselves for their common prefervation, the following letters pafed on that fubject. Whitehall, 12th June, 1780., SIR, I HAVE received the favour of your letter of this date, with the feveral papers inclofed. If in the printed paper, with the lod mayor's name annexed, firelocks are meant by the words, "with Lieut. Col. Twifleton. Whitehall, June 14, 1780. I HAVE had the honour to receive your letter of this day's date, |