§ SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOTasked the Secretary of State for the 160 Home Department, Whether he has received any further intelligence as to the disturbances in Lancashire; and, whether any arrests have been made?
MR. ASSHETON CROSSI have received a letter written last night by the Chairman of Quarter Sessions, a man of great competence, whose word is in every way to be trusted, in which he says—
From all I can learn this evening all is quiet. Some shots have no doubt been fired—those, I think, must be the shots alluded to in the telegram which I read to the House last night—by a gentleman and some police officers at Oswaldtwistle, in defence of his home, which was being attacked by a riotous mob. Any further intelligence which reaches me I will let you know.I have not heard anything further this morning; but I have heard from the Mayor of Blackburn, who informs me that several arrests have been made in that town for breaches of the peace and assaults on the police. Some have been dealt with summarily, some remanded, and one released. The house belonging to Colonel Jackson, which was unfortunately burned down, is not within the jurisdiction of the Mayor, but in the county; and I am informed that the reason why no arrests were made for complicity in that proceeding is, that all the county constabulary were on one side of the borough, expecting the mob would come that way, but ascertaining that gentlemen who lived on the other side were coming home by train, they immediately changed their purpose, and anticipating the action of the police they got there before them, and when the police did arrive the mob had been dispersed. The county officers, however, inform me that a description of the ringleaders is in their possession, and they entertain no doubt that the offenders will be brought to justice. It is quite true that last night a very large mob came out at Preston, and that the military were called out, but there was no disturbance, and it was not found necessary to read the Riot Act, or to put into requisition the services of the troops; and the telegrams I have received from that place to-day are much more satisfactory than those of last night. I observe there is a telegram down stairs which speaks of a mill having been 161 burned down this morning at Blackburn; but as in the communication I have received from the Mayor of the town, the subject is not mentioned, I cannot think the information is correct. I entirely agree with what fell from a noble Lord in "another place" last night. I cannot think those outrages have been committed by the better class of operatives. I know them too well to think that they would be guilty of offences of this kind. I have no doubt there are a great number of rough, idle people loafing about in the neighbourhood of these towns, and, taking advantage of the excited passions of the operatives, they instigate these disturbances.