l was sent round to announce that
a meeting would be held upon Holloway Head at half-past six that
evening, and that Mr. Attwood would be there. So far as I can discover
by diligent search, neither of these statements was correct. They
were, however, made the text of violent attacks, in the Press and
in both Houses of Parliament, upon the magistrates, and upon Lord
Melbourne's Ministry, which had appointed them. The virulence of these
attacks was very remarkable even in those days, and was almost beyond
what the present generation will believe possible. One of the speakers
in the House of Lords did not hesitate to say that he held the "Palace
favourites" liable to the country for having knowingly appointed
violent demagogues and known disloyal persons to the magisterial
bench. Lord Melbourne, in a long and eloquent speech, rebutted the
charge, and read to the House a long and very able letter from Mr.
William Scholefield, the Mayor, giving a full and fair history of
the whole matter. Government, however, consented to institute a full
inquiry; and Mr. Maule, the Solicitor to the Treasury, was sent
down, and held sittings at the Hen and Chickens Hotel. His
inquiries, however, were only preliminary to the full and exhaustive
investigation made afterwards by Mr. Dundas, who, in his report to
Parliament (presented October 26, 1840), fully absolved the Mayor and
magistrates from blame.

Upwards of sixty of the rioters having been apprehended, the
magistrates had a busy week of it, and large numbers of prisoners were
committed for trial. A Special Assize was opened at Warwick, on August
2nd, before Mr. Justice Littledale. Three men, named respectively,
Howell, Roberts, and Jones, and a boy named Aston, were found guilty
of arson, and condemned to death. The jury recommended them to mercy,
but the judge told them, that as to the men, he could not support
their appeal. The Town Council, however, petitioned for remission, and
a separate petition of the inhabitants, the first signature to which
was that of Messrs. Bourne, asked for mercy to the misguided convicts.
They were ultimately transported for life. Of the many others who were
found guilty, the majority were released upon their own recognisances,
and others, to the number of about a dozen, were sentenced to various
terms of imprisonment with hard labour.

There remained the bill to be paid. Claims to the amount of L16,283
were sent in; and after a long and searching inves