“This incident over, the idler and more wanton part of the crowd amused
themselves by throwing tufts of grass and other missiles at a number of
police who had returned in front of the magazine guard-house, from
protecting the unfortunate footman. This continued for some little time,
and, at one time, looked threatening; but the policemen, who showed the
greatest forbearance under the annoyance, contrived to separate, and the
delinquents gradually became tired of the fun. Proceeding, after this,
in the direction of the Marble Arch, to a spot where a crowd had
collected, we found another orator holding forth in a style of rude
eloquence, which, both in its matter and manner, was not without its
attractions to many. He was relating the history of the appropriation of
land in this country, and, at the point when we came within reach of his
voice, he was telling how William the Conqueror parcelled out the
English territory among his followers. Another philanthropist, with a
brown-paper parcel under his arm, and somewhat advanced in life, was
advocating, in another part of the Park, the system of Communism as a
panacea for the high price of food and almost every other evil.”
Of the next meeting _The Times_ of October 29, 1855, says, “Yesterday
(Sunday) another unseemly assemblage of persons congregated in Hyde
Park, partly under the auspices, and at the bidding of a small knot of
individuals who, under the pretext of agitating for cheap bread, really
seek to disseminate political doctrines, which the people of this
country, including almost every class of them, have long since, and over
and over again, refused to endorse, and who, for the last few weeks,
have converted a place to which thousands of the inhabitants of this
metropolis, of all ranks, were accustomed to resort for agreeable and
healthy recreation, into the rendezvous of a mob. It is however,
satisfactory to be able to add, on the assurance of those persons
themselves, given yesterday, and in the course of the week, that this is
to be the last of the gatherings, as far as they are concerned.” The mob
wound up their day’s amusement by smashing windows at the West End, the
value of the glass broken in Curzon Street alone being over £150.
Of course, the promise that the meeting of 28th October was to be the
last was not kept, and another, and, if possible, more disgraceful riot
took place on Sunday, November 4. Commenting upon it, _The Times_ of
next day observes:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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