ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1477, 9 March 1886, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

The s.s. Alameda, from San Francisco, arrived at Auckland at 8 o'clock on Sunday morning. She left San Francisco on February 14th. She had a detention at Honolulu of 19| hours, and at Tutila 7 hours. The Alameda sailed for Sydney at midnight. Cardinal Moran and Bishop Murray were passengers. The Rotorua with the. Southern San Francisco mails sailed at tour the same afternoon.

GENERAL BUMMART.

(Dates from Europe up to Feb. 13th.) Michael Davitt delivered a speech in Flint, Wales, on Feb 11th, in which he said Parnell was ready to help the Welsh farmers against the landlords, and that unless the Government granted Home Rule to Ireland, Parnell would retaliate by presenting in Parliament thirty Bills dealing solely with England, Wales, and Scotland.

Mr Gladstone is preparing a Bill proriding for appropriation in Ireland by means of State funds. The Bill will precede the other Irish measures which the Government intend to present to Parliament.

The report of the London Trade Commission, which was published on February Bth, says the weight ot evidence shows that the failing trade of Great Britain is due chiefly to the American and other foreign tariffs. Despatches of February 4th say the principal landlords in Wales have combined to resist the demand of the Farmers' League for a reduction of 25 per cent in farm rents. Thay regret the Farmers' League has adopted the false assumption that there iB natural antagonism between landlords and their tenants, and while they are willing to|reduce individual rents, according to the exigencies of each particular case, they are determined absolutely to decline to recognise the League. The appointment of Mr Broadhurst as Under Home Secretary has caused a sensation in political circles, that gentleman being the first working man who has •ver risen to the Ministry. Mr Gladstone has had great difficulty in filling the Peeresses place in the Queen's household. The Duchesses of Bedford and Westminster have refused the appointments, and others will follow their example. The hosiery operatives at Leicester were out on strike on the 11th parading the streets and smashing windows of factories. The police charged upon them, but were unable to disperse them. Rioting was resumed on the 12th at midnight. The mob was very stubborn and refused to obey the police. After considerable fighting they were dispersed. Trouble recommenced on the 13th, when several places were sacked, and there was much uneasiness as to the probable outcome. Placards were posted in Birmingham on February 12th calling a meeting of the unemployed workmen for the 14th. Posters were headed " Come thousands. Why starve amidst plenty? Justice to the starving poor."

RIOTS IN LONDON. The starving mechanics in London held a mass meeting on February Bth in Trafalgar square, around the Nelson monument, which resulted in a riot. The proceedings opened with the assemblage of 10,000 persons. The police, who were prooont in l&rga numbora, at once Saw that the Socialistic element of London greatly predominated in the crowd, which was also managed by a well-known Socialist. They used extraordinary vigilance to preserve peace at all hazards. Conspicuous among the leaders of the multitude was Burns, who ran as Socialistic candidate in Nottingham in the recent election. He sneered at the police, and acted generally as if he wished to bring about a conflict between the police and the people. Finally, he ascended the pedestal of the Nelson column for the purpose of delivering his harrangue. The police charged, and managed to remove him from his vantage ground, but the mob proved too strong, and he once more mounted the pedestal and harrangued those present in most excited terms. 1 few resolutions having been passed, the police again charged, an* this time were successful in getting him away from the column. The police were pelted with garbage and filth of all kinds, flour, etc., but they behaved admirably. In one of his speeches Burns denounced the present House of Commons as a body of landlords ' and captitiliste, for whom hanging was too good. He also declared that the people had assembled to summon Parliament to relieve the distress of the British working men ; that the people wanted the question settled at once, peacably if possible, otherwise a revolution was inevitable. A move was then made to the National Gallery but Burns finding his eloquence 'wasted there marched to the Carlton Club, where the socialist leaders repeated their tactics. By this time the mob was tremendous in numbers, and verging on desperation. Stories of what the police had said and done at the Nelson column h*d been circulated from mouth to month, and exaggerated at every reiteratipn, until the crowd was convinced that the authorities had actually dared them to ponflict. Such fire was ready for ignition, and within touching distance, and was inflamed by speeches delivered on the Carlton Club steps. The mob was split up into divisions, by being forced down different streets by the police fropp Trafalgar Square in endeavoring to get nearer the occupants of the Cl«F>ftoese steps, and the various divisions. Btarted off, howling and challenging the J authorities. The streets were at once abandoned to the rioters, who, finding themselves no longer opposed vented their ill-will against the well-housed paople and against the Clubs, by stoning j;he dwellipp and, Clubhouses along tjie •pay. *" Xt Y ' pro. "all that part of the city in the neighborhood of the National Gallery, Garltoji Club, and Reform Club, was .in possession of the mob. Several faction fights had already taken place among the rioters, A furious mob at p.rn, parphed through St. James' street and Piccadilly, on its way to Hyde Park to hold a meeting. The mob, cursing the authorities, attacked the shops, sacking saloons, getting drunk, and emafthiog windows on its way to the Park Tho front of the mob made an fiffort to enter the War Office, but turned aWay when the sentinels at the entrance confronted the intruders with bayonets. Conspicuous among the buildings attacked were ppoupied by the Devonthiro Club, and that occupied as a resi-

dence by Mr Arnold Morley. The police along the route to the Park were crushed out of the way by the rioters as so many merestrawp, and many officers were terribly whipped for interfering. That part of the Trafalgar square mob which went to Hyde Park was composed of the hordes which had filled up Oockspur street, Pall Mall, and St. James' street. When the Carlton Club was attacked, this longdrawn out throng bent at Regent street, which begins at Pall Mall, about half way between Nelson'fl Monument and St. James' street, and moved northward through Regent street and Piccadilly, a quarter of a mile away. Passing around Regent's Circus it went north again through Regent street, half a mile to Oxford Circus, turned here to the left, and weDt down Oxford street to Hyde Park, a distanea of three quarters of a mile. This was undoubtedly chosen for the purpose of keeping the crowd on safe ground, as they would be on the north side of the park. If the mob had gone along St, James' street to Piccadilly and thence to Park Lane, it might have run too near the barracks on the south side of the Park. It was that part of the mob which was drawn east through St. James street to Regent street that attempted to enter the War Office. Mr Arnold Morley's residence is in Piccadilly, the house being formerly occupied by Mr John Bright, and was well known to the mob. When the rioters approached the house Mr Morley was in. He loudly called for help. A number of policemen for a moment Btood in the way of the men. Finally they were pushed aside like chaff. A host of desperate men rußhed up Mr Morley's steps. He had locked and barricaded the door, but it was burst open and the house overrun. When the invaders went away they left scarcely a sound pane of glass in the building. A great number of other privato houses along their route fared much worse, including Mr John Bright's old house, and tha Devonshire Club's house, which had been previously attacked, in St. James's Street. The attack upon this building took place at the beginning of the riot. Hatchett's Hotel, a well-known hotel at 67 and 68 Piccadilly, was attacked when the mob passed this locality. Many of the rank and file, being hungry, made a rush for the hotel. They had it in their possession in a moment, and sacked it of all food and drink, and left the building badly wrecked. As the men were leaving they saw a carriage, which had been pressed up against the kerb by a passing procession, and abandoned by its frightened occupants. This was seized in an iostant and broken up. The Turf Clubhouse, being in Piccadilly, presented a temptation to the rioters as they went by. They smashed all the front doors and windows. Along Regent and Oxford Btreets, between Piccadilly and Hyde Park, the houses were attacked indiscriminately, and their windows smashed. After Burns had been driven away from the Nelson monument by the police, and had spoken from the National Gallery and Carlton Club steps, a savage fight took place between his adherents, the Socialists, and the Anti-Socialists. The battle raged for some time, but the Socialists proved victorious, T if ted Burns to their shoulders, and bore him aloft to Regent street, where with him they succeeded in heading the crowd towards Hyde Paark, Burns leading the whole way. At Hyde Park, when the mob had all collected, Burns again addressed them. His speech wai t»veu. more violent than before. The affrighted residents on the thoroughfares had not yet recovered the panic, and the mob had the streets to themselves. They smashed every sound window they noticed, and tbe wine shops were broken into, and their contents distributed freely to whoever wished to drink. The beer saloons were similarly treated. Tailors' shops were broken into and clothes and rolls of cloth were thrown out in the streets to be taken by those who were strongest. In the fight which resulted every person met who looked like a foreigner was beaten from the street. Scores of the London policemen attempted to save the assailed property and make arrests, but they were every time beaten and compelled to surrender their prisoners. In the meantime several thousand rowdies remained at the Trafalgar Square, occupying the time in daring the police to come on, and making rushes at constables and other obnoxious persons. In one of these rushes the mob overthrew two heavy granite columns. These fell across Charing Qrosg and blocked the traffic to and from the Charing Cross railway station. The police made several most desperate exertions to clear away the obstructions, but were easily resisted every time by the mob. The mob held their ground well at Trafalgar square until they voluntarily abandoned the scene. The entire powers of the police proved insufficient to clear a way to one of the most important railway stations in the world, large enough to permit even a single carriage line to pass to or from the depot. Some time after dark the mob gradually left Trafalgar Square. They went away satisfied that, without actually colliding with the police, they had won the day. The mob dispersed in sections, and made havoc in the streets until dwindled, Every street they entered surrendered to them. At midnight the police reports concurred in stating that never before in the present generation had such a disturbance occurred in London with so little loss of blood, Some officials declared that upwards of 50,000 men, must have been rioting for at least six hours, with absolute possession' of every thoroughfare they chose t° invade, yet no loss of life wag reported. Had the pplice been strong enough to have attacked the mob at any point there have been a terrible record. At midnight everything was pretty much as it was during the day, and the whole thing appears to have been a sort of nightmare while it lasted. The city was thoroughly excited, but the mob was essentially English, It made a frightful I demonstration, was not resisted, and went to bed at the usual time.

According to the lowest estimates 150,000 persons were engaged in the Trafali gar Square demonstration. Two-thirds of the crawd were how fide unemployed working man, the remainder being Socialists. The two sections Hot being in accord there were frequent collisions between them.

Fears were entertained that the riots of the Bth would be renewed nest day, In anticipation of Another demonstration small crowds of roughs passed into Trafalgar Square from different points of the city, and at 3 p.m. the crowds nurn--8000. None of the leaders of the previous day nia<lo their appearance. Tho West

rv.d wore a holiday appearance, and most of the shops were closed. The roughs took advantage of a heavy fog to assemble in various parts of the West End. They were hold and impudent. One ging attempted to stop the carriages of members of tkie nobility who were on their way to St. James' Palace to attend a levee given by the Prince of Wales. A force ot police drove the rongtj3 back, and they were dispersed by 3 o'clock. The crowd in Trafalgar Square was one thousand strong. The majority was composed of loafers of the worst class. During the afternoon a gorgeous equippag* was driven near the mob. Some one shouted "turn out the Lord Mayor." The rioters at once made a rush for the vehicle, seemingly to tear it to pieces and stamp the occupants to death. The police, by a vigorous charge, rescued the equippsige and its occupants, and got them to a place of safety. After a struggle and repeated charges, th* police at about 4.30 p.m. succeeded in pushing the mob into the Bide streets, and thus splitting it up. The police followed up their work, and drove e.ich fragment of the broken mob until its elements were dispersed in the city ways and by-ways. Sparling, the Socialist leader, and Hyndman, the President of the Democratic Federation, were interviewed. Both disclaimed any connection with the riots, and the former said that, while he did not approve of rioting he could not but rejoice at an event that shows society to be insecure. In regard to the stonethrowing at the Carlton Club, Sparling said that the members of that body brought the attack upon themselvea by appearing at the windows and coughing and jeering at the mob. In explanation of the rough treatment to which a lady was subjected by the rioters, he said the carriage bad been stopped because the lady was heard to order her coachman to " drive over those dogs." The mob, Sparling said, selected and attacked three shops which exhibited the royal arms. Hyndman predicts that trouble of a serious purport will ensue if the distrees existing among the working men is not soon relieved.

On the following day a great crowd of loafers assembled at the corners, and hundreds of unemployed genuine working men wandered about Trafalgar Square. In the afternoon a crowd of thieves and ruffians, marched from Deptford. On its way towards the Thames it turned through the Kent Road and Kensington Causeway. Small shops were sacked along the way. The rioters, stopped at the mammoth establishment of Wm. Tamand and Co., which they badly wrecked. The police were more active than on the preceding day and the city was quiet by midnight. The official estimate of losses by the riots amount to £30,000. On the 11th everything was quiet 300 workmen called upon the Lord Mayor to urge upon him the necessity of doing something to relieve the distress among the unemployed of London.

The better classes of London have been thoroughly aroused to the real needs of the unemployed, and over £IO,OOO was subscribed within three days for their relief, nearly all of which was contributed by metropolitan merchants and bankers. The general public has scarcely given anything to the Mansion House Fund. The Bank of England and Glyn, Miles and Curry have given £IOOO each. The engineers John Penn and Sons sent their cheque jfcr £2000: The Queen wrote a letter expressing her sympathy with the sufferers by the riots on Monday and Tuesday. Hyndman, Barns and Champion, the Socialist leaders, were arrested on February 13th for inciting the 'mob, for contempt of law, etc.

GLADSTONE'S SCHEME FOB GOVERNING IRELAND.

The Pall Mall Gazette published on February 14th what it asserts is Mr Gladstone's plan for granting Home Rule for Ireland. The plan is vague as to many important details, but it expressly provides for the establishment of a Parliament in Dublin. This is to consist of but one Chamber. Its members are to be returned by the same electorates as is now established by the latest extension of the franchise. The Irish peerage is to have no other Parliamentary (representations, either in Dublin or London, than h provided by the tweaty-five Irish representative peers now sitting in the Imperial House of Lords. The country is to be redistributed for the purpose of parlia? mentary elections in such a way that the membership of the new Parliament shall exceed the present Irish representation in the Imperial Parliament by about three to one, making the membership ifl the new body a little, over 300. The new Parliament ie to auxiliaryfin mosl respects to the Parliament at Westminster. The latter body is to retain absolute control of taxation in Ireland, and. is given power to veto any Act of the Dublin parliament. Irish representation in the Imperial Parliament is to remain universally the same ae at present, but Irish members will have a vote only on such matters as directly or indirectly affect Ireland. The Radicals bitterly denounce the plan, and the most immediate effect of its publication has been to widen the breach between the Whig and Radical wjngß of the Libearl party. Healey ridiculed the proposition in a speech delivered at Dublin on the 12th. (The remainder of the news by the mail will appear in our next.)