e six points of the Charter might become law.
It was signed by 1,280,000 persons. A long debate ensued, and Mr.
Attwood's proposition was negatived.

When the news arrived, on Saturday, the Chartists were furious, and a
large and noisy meeting was held at Holloway Head in the evening, but
no active disturbance took place either on that or the following day.

On Monday, the 15th, some of the leaders who had been arrested were
brought before the magistrates at the Public Office. A Carlisle man,
named Harvey, and two others named Lovett and Collins, were committed
for trial by a very full Bench, there having been present the Mayor,
Messrs. Thomas Clark, W. Chance, C. Shaw, P.H. Muntz, S. Beale, and
J. Walker. The crowd, which had assembled in Moor Street and the Bull
Ring, upon hearing the result, quietly dispersed, and for a few
hours the town appeared to be in a perfectly tranquil condition. The
soldiers retired to the barracks; the police remained at the Public
Office, with instructions from the magistrates not to act without
direct magisterial orders. The Mayor went to dinner, and the
magistrates, without exception, left the Public Office, and went home.

Unfortunately, this was only the lull before the coming storm, for
that night was such as few can remember now without a shudder.

About two hours after the magistrates had left the Public Office, the
Bull Ring was very full, but nearly all who were there seemed present
from motives of curiosity only. They were so orderly that no attempt
was made to disperse them. The crowd became so dense that the shops
were closed in apprehension that the windows might be accidentally
broken by the pressure. About eight o'clock, however, a cry was
raised, and an organised gang, many hundreds in number, armed with
bludgeons, bars of iron, and other formidable weapons, came marching
up Digbeth. They turned down Moor Street, and without any parley, made
an attack upon the Public Office, demolishing in a few seconds every
window in the front of the building. There was a strong body of police
inside, but they were powerless, for they had received definite orders
not to interfere without fresh magisterial directions, and all the
magistrates had left. The mob soon started back towards the Bull Ring,
where they fell upon a respectable solicitor named Bond, who happened
to be passing, and him they nearly killed. He was removed in
an insensible and very dangerous condition to the George Ho