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Great disturbances happened about this time among the weavers in Spitalfields. Numbers of them assembled together in a tumultuous manner, and refused working, unless their masters would augment their wages. In order to obtain support while they had thus thrown themselves out of employment, they formed a refolution to levy a certain tax on their more industrious brethren, for every loom; and if this imposition was not complied with, they destroyed their looms and cut their work to pieces, whence they were distinguished by the name of Cutters.

These riotous proceedings had continued for some time, and the destructive consequences arising from them were too considerable to pass longer unnoticed by those in whose power it was to repel such pernicious outrages. On the 30th of September two justices of the peace in the Tower Hamlets, with peace officers and a party of the guards, went in the evening to the Dolphin alehouse, where a large body of Cutters were then assembled. On their entering the house, the weavers, who were supplied with arms, began the attack, by firing at the soldiers, one of whom was killed. The soldiers finding them thus desperate, then loaded their pieces, and returning the fire, killed two of the rioters. The rest being intimidated endeavoured to make their escape, which most of them effected from the top of the house, leaving their weapons behind them: four, however, were apprehended and committed to prison, and a reward of 107. was offered to any of them who would discover their accomplices.

Two of the rioters, John Doyle and John Valline, were tried at the Old Bailey sessions in the month of October; and being capitally convicted, the recorder passed sentence on them in the common form, that they should be hanged at the usual place of execution.

On the 9th of November the sheriffs received a warrant from the recorder to execute these criminals on the 15th, " at the most convenient place near Bethnal Green church." This strange deviation from the sentence pronounced in the

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Old

Old Bailey, greatly alarmed the sheriffs, who doubting how far they might be justified in complying with this order, referred the state of the case to the opinion of Serjeant Glynn. The serjeant acknowledged he knew not any authority that could justify an alteration in the sentence of a court of justice, but as he could not positively determine on the materiality of the alteration, he advised them to represent their doubts to his majesty. In consequence of this advice the sheriffs wrote a letter to Lord Weymouth, secretary of state, in which was inclosed a petition directed to his majesty, requesting him to respite the execution of the criminals. The letter and paper contained in it were as follow: "To Lord Weymouth.

66 MY LORD,

"The inclosed will inform your lordship of the difficulty we are under respecting the execution of Doyle and Valline, two convicts now under sentence of death in Newgate. We propose to wait on his majesty to-morrow morning to deliver a like paper into his hands, of which we think it proper previously to transmit you this copy, that his majesty may be apprized of it.

"We are, my lord,

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(Inclosed Copy.)

"To the King's Most Excellent Majesty.

MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN,

"The recorder of London having signified to us, the sheriffs of the county of Middlesex, that it is your majesty's pleasure that the two convicts, John Doyle and John Valline, now under sentence of death in Newgate, who at the last sessions of gaol delivery holden for the city of London and county of Middlesex, were sentenced to be hanged at the usual place of execution, should, notwithstanding, be executed in the most convenient place near Bethnal Green

church;

church; we humbly conceive it our duty to lay before your majesty our doubts, whether we can lawfully comply with this your majesty's pleasure, to which, upon all occasions, it is our most earnest wish to be able to conform.

"On the most mature deliberation and enquiry, which the time has permitted, we are advised, that the sentence pronounced by the court is our warrant for execution, to which we must look; and that we shall not be justifiable in departing from it.

"We therefore humbly pray that your majesty will be graciously pleased to respite the said execution, that the same may be re-considered; and to give us such farther directions as may satisfy our doubts.

"JAMES TOWNSEND, "JOHN SAWBRIDGE.”

The same evening Lord Weymouth sent an answer to the sheriffs, in which he told them he was ready to receive and lay before his majesty, in a proper manner, any doubts they might entertain with regard to the discharge of their duty.

The next morning the sheriffs waited on Lord Weymouth, and delivered into his hands a petition to his majesty, which was a copy of the same they had inclosed in their letter to his lordship; and in the evening of the same day they received a letter from Lord Weymouth, containing the king's authority to respite the execution for seven days. In the mean time they were ordered to transmit the council's opinion on the case, that his majesty might be better enabled to give such farther directions as might satisfy their doubts.

On the 15th the sheriffs sent another letter to Lord Wermouth, containing a minute examination into the merits of the case, with Serjeant Glynn's opinion thereon. In conse quence of which Lord Weymouth sent a letter to the recorder, containing his majesty's command that the two criminals should be respited a fortnight longer.

The lord chancellor on the 23d informed the sheriffs, that he had that morning referred the consideration of the case to the twelve judges, who would return their answer as soon as they had considered and formed their opinion on the same. On the

30th Lord Weymouth sent a letter to the sheriffs, informing them that the judges had given their opinion as follows— "that the time and place of execution are in law no part of the judgment: and that the recorder's warrant was a lawful authority to the sheriffs as to the time and place of execution."

In return to this the sheriffs sent a letter to the lord chancellor, in which they acknowledged their doubts to be overruled, but intimated that they were far from being satisfied. They added-" If we have had our doubts, and have been mistaken in our opinion, we hope your lordship will excuse us, when you consider, that even the recorder, so conversant in these matters, and whose warrant is for the future to be our authority, was himself uncertain: for when he directed us in court to the usual place of execution, he must either have supposed it a part of the sentence, or that he was exercising a discretion in that particular vested in himself. His subsequent warrant contradicted both these suppositions.

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Supposing the place to be no part of the sentence, how could we avoid being startled, when we saw,

"First, a discretion exercised by the recorder, directing us to the usual place of execution.

"Secondly, a discretion exercised by the crown, setting aside the recorder's discretion.

"Thirdly, this discretion of the crown not signified to us by writ or sign manual, but by warrant from the recorder, whose discretion is over-ruled. And,

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Lastly, a discretion left to ourselves to execute, not in, but as near to a church as we should judge convenient."

On the 6th of December a letter was sent to the sheriffs by authority, informing them, that the opinion of the judges had been laid before the king, and that it was his majesty's pleasure there should be no farther respite for the two convicts, as the sheriffs warrant was lawful both as to time and place of execution. Accordingly, on the 8th of December, the criminals were executed at Bethnal Green, attended only by the sheriffs and their peace officers, amidst

an innumerable concourse of spectators. When they arrived at the place of execution the mob grew exceedingly outrageous, and the sheriffs being fearful of the consequences, ordered the unhappy sufferers to be turned off before the usual time allowed on such occasions.-This example produced the wished-for effect; the misguided returned to their work, and tranquillity and industry were happily restored.

Mr. Beckford entered upon the duties of the supreme civic magistracy, with a dignity and independance, peculiar to his character, as a most respectable merchant, an unbiassed senator, and an uncorrupted patriot; and he had very soon an opportunity of calling forth the jealous independence of his office in contradiction to exercises of arbitrary power, and the insults of the lesser demagogues in command.

It should be recollected here that formerly the military had no business in any concerns of the city, the magistrates of which considered their internal authority sufficient for internal police, and on several occasions had resisted every military innovation. However, in the case of the Cutters, the soldiery had been permitted to pass through the metropolis in their way to Spitalfields. The commanding officer, encouraged by such licence, which he imagined constituted a right, presumed to order the drum and fife to be used, and sounded a march before his men through all the public streets, by the Mansion House, &c.

The magistracy so insulted, and the citizens so alarmed, urged the following correspondence:

To the Right Honourable Lord Barrington, Secretary at War.

"C MY LORD,

"Mansion House, Dec. 18, 1769.

"On Saturday, December the 16th, a relieved detachment of soldiers from Spitalfields, (without any previous notice given to the lord mayor) marched, on their return, before the Mansion House, and through the heart of the city, with drums beating and fifes playing, and made a very

warlike

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