The town continues to be in a very disturbed state, and we have deemed it necessary to send to Leeds for another troop of the Hussars. The people are so riotous, that they assailed the magistrates and guardians (on their leaving the court-house) with mud and stones, so that all were obliged to take shelter. The Lord John Russell, &c. &c. &c. Sir, Nottingham, 23rd November, 1837. MAJOR PHILIPPS, of the 15th Hussars, having, in a letter of yesterday's date, reported that Bradford continued in an undisturbed state, and that the magistrates had dispensed with the increased force of cavalry brought in support of the troop stationed there by direction of the Secretary of State, I have directed the two companies of infantry and troop of cavalry, that also moved upon Keighley for the same object, to return to their ordinary station at Burnley. I beg to recommend through you, sir, that accommodation be provided by the magistracy at Bradford for a picquet, to enable the cavalry, now unavoidably dispersed through the town in billets, to keep a small guard to ensure their assembly in case of alarm during the period of their service. LORD JOHN RUSSELL having learnt from the general officer commanding the district that riots have occurred at Bradford, and that the military were called out in aid of the civil power to restore tranquillity, I am directed by his Lordship to request that you will transmit to him a full and particular account of all that has taken place in respect to the riots above alluded to. I have, &c. (Signed) S. M. PHILLIPPS. The Magistrates acling for the Division of Bradford. Gentlemen, Whitehall, 23rd November, 1837. Ir having been represented to Lord John Russell by the Major-General commanding the northern district, that it is desirable that accommodation should be provided for a cavalry-picquet at Bradford, in order to ensure the assembly of the cavalry now unavoidably dispersed in billets through the town, I am directed by his Lordship to acquaint yon that he thinks this proposal may be satisfactory to the magistrates, as it will place at their service a detachment of cavalry ready to turn out immediately on the requisition of the magistrates, in case of necessity; and herefore Lord John Russell requests that you will take steps for providing temporary accommodation for a cavalry-picquet in the town of Bradford. His Lordship will be prepared to recommend to the Treasury the payment of any reasonable expenses that may arise for rent, &c. At the same time, as this accommodation will only be required for a short period, Lord John Russell trusts that no difficulty will be experienced in procuring suitable premises at a moderate rent. Lord John Russell requests the magistrates will communicate with the officer commanding the troops, on the subject of the strength of the picquet for which the accommodation is to be provided. I have, &c., (Signed) S. M. PHILLIPPS. The Magistrates acting for the Division of Bradford. P.S. Lord John Russell desires me to thank you for nication of the 20th instant. your commu Gentlemen, Whitehall, 25th November, 1837. LORD JOHN RUSSELL having been informed that a meeting of the guardians of the poor is intended to be held at Bradford, on the 4th of next month, and that it is probable some resistance may be offered to their proceedings, I am directed by his Lordship to call your attention to the subject, and to suggest to you the propriety of taking precaution previous to that day for the preservation of the public peace, by having at your disposal such a military force, consisting of infantry as well as cavalry, as will enable you to repress, at once, any attempts that may be made to disturb the public peace; and Lord John Russell recommends that you should communicate with Sir Richard Jackson, the MajorGeneral commanding the district, respecting the military arrangements to be made. I have, &c., (Signed) S. M. PHILLIPPS. J. G. Paley, Esq., and Matthew Thompson, Esq., Bradford. Sir, Whitehall, 25th November, 1837. I HAVE laid before Lord John Russell your letter to me of the 23rd instant, reporting the improved state of the town of Bradford, and the consequent removal of the troops from Keighley to their former quarters, and recommending that accommodation for a picquet of cavalry should be provided at Bradford, for the reasons you have stated. Lord John Russell directs me to thank you for your communication, and to inform you that, as a temporary arrangement, his Lordship has authorised the magistrates to hire premises for the reception of a picquet of cavalry; and his Lordship requests you will immediately direct the officer commanding the troops in the district of Bradford to communicate with the magistrates, and to state to them the number of men of which this small guard is to consist, in order to enable the magistrates to judge of the extent of the accommodation to be provided. I am further directed to inform you that a meeting of the guardians will be held on the 4th of December, at Bradford, and his Lordship desires that every arrangement should be made for affording prompt and efficient military aid, consisting of both cavalry and infantry, to the P civil authorities, should such be required for the preservation of the public peace. I have, &c. (Signed) S. M. PHILLIPPS. Major-Gen. Sir Richard Jackson, &c. &c. &c. Sir, Nottingham, 29th November, 1837. I HAVE the honour to inform you that, in compliance with an urgent application from Mr. Thompson, in the behalf of the magistracy acting for the district of Bradford, dated yesterday, and received this morning, I have directed the two companies of the 97th Regiment, intended for Keighley, to proceed forthwith to Bradford. Major Philipps, of the 15th Hussars, has received directions to place himself in communication with the magistrates, as to the application of the military force that will be disposable under his command, for the support of the civil authorities in that town and neighbourhood, viz.:Two companies 97th, at Bradford; Two companies 97th, prepared to move in support from Rochdale; A detachment of the 15th Hussars, now at Bradford; Reinforcements of the same regiment from Burnley and Leeds; A strong squadron of the 7th Dragoon Guards is prepared to occupy the place of the 15th Hussars that may be drawn from Leeds; And a similar force of the 4th Dragoon Guards is prepared to support the movement of the infantry from Rochdale. Major Philipps has received strong cautions as to the use of fire-arms. S. M. Phillipps, Esq. &c. &c. &c. Sir, I have, &c. (Signed) R. D. JACKSON, M.G. Manchester, 1st December, 1837. I HAVE the honour to inform you that, in compliance with instructions received last night from Major-General Sir Richard Jackson, K.C.B., I sent orders to the officer commanding at Burnley for one strong troop of the 15th Hussars to march this morning to Keighley, there to receive further orders from Major Philipps, 15th Hussars, and for two companies of the 97th Regiment to march this day to Keighley, and tomorrow, the 2nd December, to Bradford. I have directed that these companies shall be as strong as possible, completed from the 3rd company there stationed, and leaving at Burnley the sick, and such men as may not be considered fit for active service only. I have ordered one company of the 97th Regiment to march from Blackburn to Burnley this day, to remain until the return of the troops from Bradford. I am happy to add, on the authority of the boroughreeve and constables, as well as my own observation, that all is quiet here, and that the disturbances which have taken place at Bradford appear to have occasioned very little notice. (Signed) S. M. Phillipps, Esq., &c. &c. &c. I have, &c. My Lord, Bradford, Yorkshire, 2nd December, 1837. WE beg to inform your Lordship that, on the 30th ult., the constables of this place laid an information before us, under the authority of the 1 and 2 Will. IV. c. 41, to the effect that a tumult might be reasonably apprehended in this township, and that the ordinary officers were not sufficient for the preservation of the peace, &c. Acting upon this information, we caused 187 persons to be summoned in the usual mode, and have this day sworn in 148 special constables. This is a precautionary measure with reference to the meeting of the Board of Guardians to be held at the Bradford court-house, on Monday next, the 4th of December. It will be unnecessary to remind your Lordship that, at the guardians' meeting of the 13th November last, Mr. Power was pelted with missiles and very roughly used, and that, at their meeting on the 20th of that month, a serious riot occurred here. Of the persons summoned, 10 produced medical certificates of illhealth, 2 were lame, and we shall fine the 25 who disobeyed our sum APPENDIX B. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BOARD. No. I. REPORT ON KENT and EAST SUSSEX. By E. C. TUFNELL, Esq., Assistant Poor Law Commissioner. Gentlemen, Herne Bay, 28th June, 1838. THE Condition of Kent and East Sussex has been for the most part one of peculiar hardship as respects the labouring classes during the past year, arising from causes which can have but slight effect in other parts of England, and which I will endeavour briefly to explain. The greater part of the hops used in England are grown in this district, which produces, according to inquiries I have made, nearly two-thirds of the whole quantity consumed in the kingdom. The difficulties that have been felt proceed in great measure from the extensive cultivation of this crop, to explain which it is necessary to advert to the effect produced on it by the legislation of the last seven years. The passing of the Beer Bill caused, as is notorious, a vast increase in the consumption of beer; beer-shops multiplied in every parish in the kingdom, and the hop-growers, of course, materially benefited by what to other classes was the source of vice and demoralisation. The inevitable result was to increase enormously the cultivation of hops, which were planted so as much to exceed the demand for them, when the Poor Law Bill suddenly came to counteract the evil effects of the Beer Bill; in consequence, beer-shops decreased almost as quickly as they had grown up, the diminution in the malt-duty, which measures the diminution in the consumption of beer, amounted to a million last year, many of the hop-plantations have been destroyed, and the price. has fallen to a degree unparalleled for lowness, I believe, during the present century. This change has, of course, caused considerable distress among the hop-growers, and which, by unavoidable necessity, must also affect the labouring classes, whose condition naturally sympathises with that of their employers; and hence the Poor Law Bill, whatever benefit it may have conferred in this district in common with others, has incidentally occasioned considerable injury by the discouragement given to one of its staple products; an injury, however, which we ought not to lament, unless we are prepared to maintain that drunkenness and immorality ought to be encouraged for the sake of the growers of hops. The distress has been lately further aggravated by the high price of corn, which presses severely on the labourer. As Kent may be called a corn-county, I had anticipated that dearness of this article could not have materially injured the labourer, since it might have benefited his employer to such an extent as to enable him to raise wages, or at any rate by increasing his means to induce him to lay out more largely in |