Three Accounts of Peterloo Part 3

Mr. JUSTICE HOLROYD: You mean to the left, looking from the house, then?--From the house.

Mr. SERJEANT BLACKBURNE: Where did the Cheshire Yeomanry take up their position when they came on the ground?--They took up their position in the rear of the hustings, rather in advance, I think, of some mounds of earth.

Do you know Windmill Street?--I know no street.

You don't know its name?--I know no name.

You say near a rising ground?--There is a sort of little elevated bank or ground.

Had the mult.i.tude from that part been dispersed?--The mult.i.tude in the rear were pretty much as they had been at first. I think they were dispersing, but not so rapidly.

Do you mean in the rear of the cavalry?--In the rear of the hustings.

The Cheshire Yeomanry's position was in the rear of the hustings?--Part near amongst these people.

What other troops beside the Cheshire Yeomanry did you see come on to the ground?--Soon after the Cheshire Yeomanry had come in and taken their position, a troop of Dragoons, I think the 15th, came in under the windows of Mr. Buxton's house.

You say you think they were the 15th Hussars?--They were called the 15th Dragoons; they had Waterloo medals.

Where did they take up their position?--

Mr. JUSTICE HOLROYD: "Near Mr. Buxton's house," he said.

Mr. SERJEANT BLACKBURNE: Did they continue there?--They halted or paused for a moment or so, a little to the left of Mr. Buxton's house, a very little to the left, almost in front, inclining to the left.

What others did you see come on the ground, besides them and the Cheshire Yeomanry?--At the close of the business I saw some artillery driving through the place.

Was there any other besides those that you saw take up any position on the ground?--None, on the ground.

At this time, was the whole of the mult.i.tude dispersed?--It was dispersing most rapidly; I may say dispersed, except in partial spots.

After leaving the hustings, to which part of the field did the Manchester Yeomanry go?--To all parts. I think more behind the hustings, and on the right; they did not come back to me so much.

Do you know the Quakers' meeting-house?--I have heard where it is since; then I did not know.

Was it that way that they went?--If you could point out, in a plan, the Quakers' meeting-house, I could tell you if they went that road.

There is the Quakers' meeting-house, you will see written on the plan?--Some went that way.

Some of the people, too, dispersed in that direction, did they?--The people dispersed in every direction.

I am not sure whether I asked you before, whether from your situation in this window, if any stones, or brickbats, or sticks, had been raised against the cavalry, on their way to the hustings, you must have seen it?--I think I must have seen it.

Cross-examined by Mr. SERJEANT HULLOCK:

Will you venture to swear, Mr. Stanley, that no stones nor brickbats would be thrown during the advance of the cavalry towards the hustings, without your perceiving it?--I can only venture to say that I saw none.

I believe you have favoured the public with an account of this transaction?--No, I have not.

You printed or wrote something?--It was in circulation among my friends. I wrote something which was never published.

There was a doc.u.ment, written by you, circulated among your friends?--Among my friends.

Before that time, had you seen yourself and read any publication, either in ma.n.u.script or print, on this subject?--I had read the reports in some papers, naturally, after that time, and I might have seen a pamphlet printed at Manchester.

Then you had seen several accounts which had been given to the world before you wrote?--Yes, I saw the reports of the papers immediately after the meeting.

Whose account did you see, besides the reports in the paper?--A Mr.

Phillips's.

You, it seemed, entertained a different view of the transactions that had taken place upon this day from those which had been given to the world before that time?--I do not know; I should say a different view from some, perhaps, and coinciding with the views of others.

Coinciding with the views of some, and differing from the views of others?--Respecting stones.

No matter what. You are a magistrate, I understand?--I am not.

Of neither Cheshire nor Lancashire?--No.

I beg your pardon. You, however, were in the magistrates' room, I think you said, at Mr. Buxton's?--I was.

Of course you had an acquaintance with the gentlemen who were there a.s.sembled, as acting magistrates of the committee for the counties of Chester and Lancaster?--With two or three I had.

Probably upon terms of intimacy with one of them?--Certainly.

Was that gentleman there at that time?--He was.

Did it occur to your mind at the time that the cavalry were sent for (because you went back to a window, and saw the messenger crossing the field, for the purpose of bringing them to the place, and were told or heard there was a rumour in the room above, that the cavalry had been sent for) did it occur (attend to my question) to you, at the time, from the observations which you had made on the subject, that that step was improper or premature?--I don't think it occurred to me either one way or the other.

Am I to understand from that then that you exercised no judgment upon the subject at that time?--I certainly did exercise some judgment, some opinion on it, at that time.

Having exercised some judgment upon the subject, I ask you whether, in your judgment, such as you exercised upon that point, the step was either improper or premature?--I saw no necessity for it.

Then you deemed it premature?--I saw no necessity for it.

It struck you then as an unnecessary act?--Certainly.

Then you would go down, of course, immediately and speak to your friend upon the subject?--No.

Nor ever expressed to that friend or to any other, at the time, your opinion with respect to the impropriety of the step?--I had no other friend to speak to.

Did you speak to him?--I did not go down into the room again.

Probably you might, being a gentleman of considerable acquaintance, meet with some friend on going home, and might ride home with some gentleman, at least part of the road?--Part of the road I did.

Mr Markland, I presume?--I overtook Mr. Markland.

Did you express any opinion to Mr. Markland upon these proceedings?--Probably I did; but I have not the most distant recollection.