Additional particulars of the inten-ded Chartist Outbreak

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 359, 10 January 1849, Page 3

Additional particulars of the inten--ded Chartist Outbreak

From the information received by the Government on Thursday, not the least doubt is now entertained that the Chartists contemplated vtalking in procession at midnight, and not merely were they determined to assassinate the police who were on duty in the event of their interference, but also to fire many of the public buildings, and to commit the most awful depredations. Had it not been for the timely information forwarded to head quarters there seems every probability that the fellows would have carried their intentions into effect. It ap) ears that when the room was hired at the Peacock, Francis-street, Westminster Road, the parties told the landlady that they wanted the room merely to hold a trade's meeting. By some means which at present has not been ascertained, the owner of the house ascertained that the parties who had hired the place were Chartists, and that they intended to come armed. The moment they came she told them she could not allow the meeting to take place in her house. Some of the parties who had then assembled cried out to their companions, "Oh, we are piped; we had better go home." Others more daring than the rest, said, " Well, if we have failed iiere, come along with us; we will take you to a place with a long passage, where we can pounce upon the police, should they attempt to attack us." Some parties immediately conveyed the intelligence to Mr. Superintendent Rutt, who without a moment's loss of time proceeded with a strong muster of men, and succeeded, under the circumstances detailed above, in apprehending the whole of the prisoners at the present time in custody. Although very little has been done during the week in the shape of meetings, yet the private clubs have been organizing for several clays by the fellows. The meetings being held in private, the only news the Government have been able to glean has been by stratagem. Very little, however, will in future transpire at these secret clubs but what will come to the knowledge of the authorities. Men in private clothes were placed iv such directions on Thursday night, that in the event of any disturbance being attempted, the intelligence could be conveyed to Whitehall in the course of a few minutes. The following is a statement of the circumstances connected with the arrest on Wednesday evening of the Chartists who were holding a secret conference at the Orange Tree public house, Orange-street, Red Lyon-square. Shortly before noon on Wednesday, a man respectably dressed, entered the bouse and asked Mrs. Hodges, the landlord's wife, if, she had a room in the house which could be hired for the purpose of a private meeting of some friends of his who wished to have a consultation. The landlord was not at home at the time, and Mis. Hodges answered in the affirmative. The man then went away, and as he did so remarked that if two young men ! called upon the same errand he should thank Mrs. Hodges to tell them that he had made it " all right," and that they were to await hi 3 return. He went back in the afternoon and found the two young men he had spoken of there. After conveising in whispers with the. young men he again went away, but returned directly with four others. One of the young men went out and brought in three. The third also went' out and returned with four, and they proceeded to the room in which they were found when the police arrived. The police, consisting of a strong' party of the F division, acting under the directions of Mr. Superintendent Pearce, were all well armed, and instantly surroun led and took entire possession of the house. Amongst, the rest the.police look into custody a man who was in possession at the suit of the landlord's brewer, but upon his producing his authority, they liberated him. The "premises were searched,, and two pistols and a, sharp-pointed file were found concealed. On the persons of those apprehended and conveyed to Bow-street, werefound papers, the precise nature of which did not transpire, hut their contents were said to be of an important character. The excitement iv the neighbourhood was M er y ( great, and in Orange-street 1 ' and Red Lion square there was an assemblage"^ some | 700 or SOO persons, and some shopkeeper*

were under the necessity of closing their shutters. It is worthy of notice that shortly after midday on Wednesday, Superintendent Pearce disguised in a very plain dress, entered a coffee house exactly opposite Hodges' house, and asked the keeper of it if she could let him a room on the first or second floor ? She replied she could not, and after well looking at all the persons in the coffee room, he went away. After the denouement had taken place in the evening, it was suspected that Mr. Fearce required this room to watch the entrance to Hodges' house, but from the fact that on the arrival of the police a body of them marched up to this coffee house, it is inferred that at first the police were not certain whether this coffee bouse or Hodges' was the place of rendezvous. Hodges' house was entirely closed to all kinds of business the f whole of Thursday, in compliance with an order to that effect issued/it was stated, by the Police Commissioner.