THE LONDON RIOTS.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1805, 10 March 1886, Page 2

THE LONDON RIOTS.

Ten thousand mechanics held a mass meeting on Bth February in Trafalgar Square, London. Barns, the Socialist, was conspicuous, and ascended the pedestal of the Nelson column to address the assemblage. The police removed him, and the immense orowd commenced to howl. Burns, emboldened by the cries of the crowd, re-ascended the pedestal with several other Socialists and finished bis address, waving a red flag in defiance of the police. He read a fiercely-worded resolution, which denounced the authors of the present distress in England, and demanded that Parliament should start public works to give employment and bread to the tens of thousands of deserving men who were out of work through no fault of their own but because of misgovernment, and declared it was the duty of Government to afford every facility for the employment of British capital at home for the profit of the British people ; to give British interests advantage over foreign ; and asserted that the time had arrived for Parliament to legislate earnestly for the relief of the depression in the English agricultural district*. He also declared that the people had assembled to summon Parliament to relieve at onoe the distress of the British working man; that the people wanted fbe question settled at once—peaceably if possible—otherwise a revolution was inevitable. All this aggravated the excitement of the huge mass, so that the police re-formed with an increased force and made another assault. They ordered Burns aud bis colleagues to come down, which refusing to do they were dragged down by force, The crowd, beyond hooting the police and smothering them with flour, &0., did not show fight. Burns and his colleagues then went to tne Carlton Club steps aud delivered fiery speeches, and the crowd being worked up into fury rushed through the streets hooting and howling aud venting their ill-will against the clubs, attacking the shops, sacking saloons, getting drunk and smashing windows. The police were simply brushed out of the way. The destruction of properly and wrecking of bouses were terrible to behold. A carriage which bad been pressed up against the kerb by the passing procession and abandoned by its frightened occupants, was seized in an instant and broken up, its wheels spokes, shafts, and other good pieces beiug carried away for clubs.

At Hyde Park, when the mob had all collected, Burns again addressed them, andwas followed by several other Socialistic speakers, all of whom did ail in their power to stir up strife. When the speaking was over tbe mob broke up into parties. The main party went back east along Oxford street again. Tbe affrighted residents on this thoroughfare bud not yet recovered from the panic, add the mob had the street to themselves They smashed every sound window they noticed, and the wine shops were broken into aud their contents distributed freely to whosoever wished to drink. Beer saloons were similarly treated. Tailors’ shops were broken into, nud clothes and rolls of cloth were thrown out into the streets to be taken by the strongest in the fights which resulted. Every person met who looked like a forsigner was stoned or beaten (rum the street. Scores id times the policemen attempted to save the assailed property and to make arrests, but they were every time beaten and compelled o surrender their prisoners. In (he mean

lime several thousand rowdies remained in TrafalgarSquare,occupy!:grb»- t mein daring the police “to come on,' 1 and in making rushes at the constable: and at other obnoxous persons. In one of these rushes the mob overthrew two heavy granite columns. ; the fell across Charing Cross and blocked the traffic to and from the Charing Cross railway station: Some time after dark the mob gradually left Trafalgar b'quare. Feats were entertasined that the second day woald see a repetition of the scones, bat althongh a crowd 8000 strong congregated in Trafalgar square, chiefly loafers, the police dispursed them. On the third day there was a dense fog ■which favored the rioters. In the afternoon the Deptford mob, largely composed of thieves axd ruffians, passed through New Kent Boad and Newington Causeway. The small shops were sacked along the way. 'I he rioters stopped at the mammoth estabelishment of William Tam A Co. This im* mense establishment is devoted to trade inlinen, silk, men and women’s clothes, boots and shoes, carpets, ironware, bedding and furniture. The building was under police protection, but the mob overran the officers and sacked the store. When they retired, the building was badly wrecked. There have been disturbances elsewhere. The boisety operatives of Leicester out on strike were parading the streets on the 11th, smashing windows in the factories. Placards were posted in Birmingham on llth February, calling a meeting of unemployed workmen for the 15th. The posters were headed “ Come in thousands ; why starve amid plenty ? Justice to the starving poor.”