“WHEREAS numbers of persons have been in the habit of assembling and
holding meetings on Sundays in Hyde Park, and the other parks in the
metropolis, for the purpose of delivering and hearing speeches, and for
the public discussion of popular and exciting topics; and, whereas such
meetings are inconsistent with the purposes for which the parks are
thrown open to, and used by the public; and the excitement occasioned by
such discussions at such meetings has frequently led to tumults and
disorder, so as to endanger the public peace; and on last Sunday and the
Sunday before, large numbers assembled in Hyde Park, for the purposes
aforesaid, and, when so assembled, conducted themselves in a disorderly
and riotous manner, so as to endanger the public peace; and, by the use
of sticks, and throwing stones and other missiles, committed many
violent assaults upon persons quietly passing along the Park, and
interrupted the thoroughfares; and, whereas it is necessary to prevent
such illegal proceedings in future:
“Notice is hereby given, that no such meeting, or assemblage of persons,
for any of the purposes aforesaid, will be allowed, hereafter, to take
place in any of the parks in the metropolis; and all well-disposed
persons are hereby cautioned and requested to abstain from joining, or
attending any such meeting or assemblage.
“And notice is further given, that all necessary measures will be
adopted to prevent any such meeting, or assemblage, and effectually to
preserve the public peace, and to suppress any attempt at the
disturbance thereof.
“RICHARD MAYNE,
“The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
“October 9.”
The appearance of about 800 policemen in the Park, and a pitiless rain
in the afternoon of the 12th October, probably prevented a repetition of
the scene of the 5th, as a sufficient number of suspicious characters
were there, but did not stop long. There was an attempt, in Ireland, to
get up a subscription for the injured Irish, but I cannot find that it
met with any success.
For three or four years the Park was not troubled with noisy demagogues,
until there arose an association called “The Reform League,” of whom a
Mr. Edmond Beales, a barrister, was a prime mover. This association gave
out publicly that they would hold a meeting in Hyde Park on Monday,
July 23rd, 1866, and Sir Richard Mayne, in consequence, issued the
following notice on July 17th:--
“WHEREAS information has been received, and it has been publicly
announced in various printed notices, that it is the intention of
certain persons to assemble in the open air at several places in various
parts of the metropolis on the evening of Monday, July 23rd, and to walk
from thence through the streets in procession, with banners, and
preceded by bands of music, to Hyde Park, to hold a meeting there for
the purposes of political demonstration and discussion:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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