This riot was accidental and unpremeditated. We now come to the reign of King [Greek: dêmos] in the Park, and it began on Sunday, July 1, 1855, in a demonstration against Lord Robert Grosvenor’s “Sunday Trading Bill”--the following account of which is abridged from _The Times_ of July 2, 1855. “Three o’clock was the advertised time for the proceedings to begin, and, notwithstanding that Sir Richard Mayne[50] had had placards posted in the metropolis, announcing that the meeting would not be allowed to take place, long before that hour Constitution Hill, and the walks in St. James’s Park, were literally crowded by thousands, who were all wending their way towards Hyde Park. By half-past two o’clock there must have been nearly 150,000 men, women and children present. Many, judging from their dress, were of the respectable class. The proceedings began by the usual stump oratory, which continued for some time, until a cry of ‘the Police’ being raised put an abrupt termination to it. “About 30 or 40 policemen made their way towards the man, but he had decamped, and a great number of men, finding that he was not allowed to address them, commenced hissing and hooting at the police, and some cried out, ‘Down with the Crushers!’ This gave rise to an extraordinary scene of confusion. Some of the men commenced knocking the constables’ hats off, and, to protect themselves, the men were obliged to use their truncheons with considerable force. Several carriages containing company came in sight, when every one present commenced crying out, ‘Go to church,’ and ‘Take your horses out.’ The police, finding that this frightened the horses, commenced seizing those who uttered the expressions. In return, the crowd laid hold of the officers, and endeavoured to rescue their prisoners. Of course, this could not be allowed, and the police were compelled to use their staves vigorously, and with marked effect on the mob--but they kept their prisoners, and sent them off to the police-station in cabs. One man, to escape capture, plunged into the Serpentine, but had not got more than half across, when he seemed likely to sink. He was rescued by an officer of the Royal Humane Society, and duly was enrolled in the ranks of the captured. The police were heavily reinforced, and the riot was put down--but not before 104 rioters were lodged in the police cells, who were in time dealt with by the magistrate. “On the next day, Lord Robert Grosvenor withdrew the objectionable Bill; but this did not satisfy the mob, who met again in Hyde Park on the following Sunday, 8th July, but, finding no excitement there, they went into Belgravia, and took to the pleasant pastime of window smashing, the houses which suffered most being those of the Earl of Sefton, Duke of Marlborough, Lady Somers, Count Kielmansegge, and the Archbishop of York. Lord Palmerston, who was then Prime Minister, and Lord Brougham, both had a narrow escape from stoning.”