Although，aswehavesaid，theGovernment，oritsrepresentatives，grew
rathermorelenienttowardstheendoftheproceedingsatSalisbury，itwas
evidentlythoughtessentialtoproducesomecrimedeservingactualdeath。
TheculpritinthiscasewasPeterWithers，ayoungmanoftwenty-three，
marriedandwithfivechildren。Hischaractertillthetimeoftheriots
wasexemplary。Hewascommittedonachargeofriot，andbriefedalawyer
todefendhimforthismisdemeanour。Justbeforethetrialcameonthecharge
waschanged，apparentlybytheAttorney-General，tothecapitalchargeof
assaultingOliverCalleyCodringtonwithahammer。Hiscounselwasofcourse
unpreparedtodefendhimonthischarge，and，asheexplainedafterwards，
’itwasonlybythehumanekindnessoftheAttorney-Generalwhoallowedhim
tolookathisbriefthathewasawareofallthefactstobeallegedagainst
hisclient。’Withershimselfseemedequallyunprepared；whenaskedforhis
defencehesaidthathewouldleaveittohiscounsel，asofcoursehehad
arrangedtodowhenthechargewasoneofmisdemeanouronly。
TheincidentoccurredinanaffrayatRockleynearMarlborough。Mr。Baskerville，
J。P。，rodeupwithsomespecialconstablestoamoboffortyorfiftymen，
Withersamongstthem，andbadethemgohome。Theyrefused，declaringthat
theydidnotcareadamnforthemagistrates。Mr。BaskervilleorderedMr。
Codrington，whowasaspecialconstable，toarrestWithers。Ageneralmê；lé；e
ensued，blowsweregivenandreceived，andCodringtonwashitbyahammer
thrownbyWithers。Withers’ownversionoftheaffairwasthatCodrington
attackedhimwithoutprovocationinaferociousmannerwithahuntingwhip，
loadedwithironattheend。Baskervillealsostruckhim。Heaimedhishammer
atCodringtonanditmissed。Codrington’shorsethencrushedhimagainst
thewall，andhethrewhishammerasecondtimewithbetteraim。Therewas
nothingintheevidenceoftheprosecutiontodiscreditthisversion，and
bothBaskervilleandCodringtonadmittedthattheymighthavestruckhim。
Codrington’sinjurieswereapparentlymoreseriousthanBinghamBaring’s；
itwasstatedthathehadbeenconfinedtobedfortwoorthreedays，and
tothehousefromTuesdaytoSaturday，andthathehadascarofoneand
ahalfinchesontherightsideofhisnose。Nosurgeon，however，appeared
asawitness，andthehammerWaSnotproducedincourt。Witherswasfound
guiltyandreserved，togetherwithLush，forexecution。
ThespecialcorrespondentoftheTimeswhohadbeenpresentat
WinchestermadeaninterestingcomparisonbetweentheHampshireandtheWiltshire
labourersontrial(8thJanuary1831)。TheWiltshirelabourershedescribed
asmoreathleticinappearanceandmorehardyinmanner。’Theprisonershere
turntothewitnessesagainstthemwithaboldandconfidentair：cross-examine
them，andcontradicttheiranswers，withaconfidenceandawantofcommon
courtesy，intermsofwhichcomparativelyfewinstancesoccurredintheneighbouring
county。’Inthisbehaviourthecorrespondentdetectedthesignsofavery
lowstateofmoralintelligence。
Whenthetimecameforthelastsceneincourttherewasnotraceofthe
bolddemeanourwhichhadimpressedtheTimescorrespondentduring
theconductofthetrials。ForthepeopleofWiltshire，likethepeopleof
Hampshire，werestunnedbythecrashandruinofthiscatastrophicvengeance。
Thetwomensentencedtodeathwerereprieved，butonehundredandfifty-four
menandboysweresentencedtotransportation，thirty-threeofthemforlife，
therestforsevenorfourteenyears，withnoprospectofeverreturning
totheirhomes。AndAldersonandhisbrotherjudgesinsopunishingthis
wildflingoffolly，orhope，ordespair，werenotpassingsentenceonly
onthemenandboysbeforethem：theywerepronouncingadoomnotlessterrible
onwivesandmothersandchildrenandbabesinarmsineveryvillageonthe
WiltshireDowns。Onemanbeggedtobeallowedtotakehischild，eightmonths
old，intoexile，foritsmotherhaddiedinchildbirth，anditwouldbeleft
withoutkithorkin。Hewastoldbythejudgethatheshouldhaveremembered
thisearlier。Thesentenceoffinalseparationonallthesefamiliesand
homeswasreceivedwithafrenzyofconsternationandgrief，andthejudges
themselveswereaffectedbythespectacleofthesebrokencreaturesinthe
dockandroundthecourt，abandonedtotheuncheckedparoxysmsofdespair。(30*)
’Suchatotalprostrationofthementalfacultiesbyfear，’wrotetheTimescorrespondent，’andsuchaterribleexhibitionofanguishanddespair，I
neverbeforewitnessedinaCourtofJustice。’’Immediatelyontheconclusion
ofthissentenceanumberofwomen，whowereseatedincourtbehindtheprisoners，
setupadreadfulshriekoflamentation。Someofthemrushedforwardtoshake
handswiththeprisoners，andmorethanonevoicewasheardtoexclaim，“Farewell，
Ishallneverseeyoumore。”’
’Thewholeproceedingsofthisdayincourtwereofthemostafflicting
anddistressingnature。Butthelacerationofthefeelingsdidnotendwith
theproceedingsincourt。Thecarfortheremovaloftheprisonerswasat
thebackentrancetothecourt-houseandwassurroundedbyacrowdofmothers，
wives，sistersandchildren，anxiouslywaitingforaglanceoftheircondemned
relatives。Theweepingandwailingofthedifferentparties，astheypressed
thehandsoftheconvictsastheysteppedintothecar，wastrulyheartrending。
Weneversawsodistressingaspectaclebefore，andtrustthattherestored
tranquillityofthecountrywillpreventusfromeverseeinganythinglike
itagain。’
Thehistorianmayregretthatthesemendonotpassoutbeforehimin
acoldandsplendiddefiance。Theirblindblowhadbeenstruckandithad
beenanswered；theyhaddreamtthattheirlotmightbemadelessintolerable，
andthegoverningclasshadcrushedthatdaringfancyforeverwithbanishment
andthebreakingoftheirhomes；itonlyremainedforthemtoaccepttheir
fatewithalookofstoneupontheirfacesandacurseoffireintheirhearts。
SohadMuirandPalmerandmanyapoliticalprisoner，victimsofthetyrannies
ofPittandDundas，ofCastlereaghandSidmouth，gonetotheirbarbarous
doom。SohadtheLantenacsandtheGauvainsalikegonetotheguillotine。
Historylikestomatchsuchcalmandunshakenbearingagainstthedistempered
justiceofpower。Heresheischeatedofherspectacle。Outwardlyitmight
seemaworsefateformenofeducationtobeflungtothehulkswiththe
coarsestoffelons：formenwhoseliveshadbeencomfortabletobethrust
intothedirtanddisorderofprisons。Butpoliticalprisonersaremartyrs，
andmartyrsarenotthestuffforpity。Howeverbittertheirsufferings，
theydonotsufferalone：theyaresustainedbyaHerculeancomradeshipof
hopesandofideas。ThedarkestcageislightedbyarayfromParadiseto
menorwomenwhobelievethatthenightoftheirsufferingswillbringa
dawnlesscoldandsombretomankindthanthecoldandsombredawnofyesterday。
Butwhatideasbefriendedtheploughboyortheshepherdtornfromhisrude
home？Whatvisionhadheofanoblerfutureforhumanity？Towhatdawndid
heleavehiswifeorhismother，hischild，hishome，hisfriends，orhis
trampledrace？Whatrobeofdreamandhopeandfancywasthrownoverhis
exileortheirhunger，hispoignanthourofseparation，ortheirceaseless
acheofpovertyandcold’tocomfortthehumanwant。
Fromthebosomofmagicalskies’？
ThethreejudgeswhohadrestoredrespectforlawandorderinWiltshire
andHampshirenextproceededtoDorchester，whereaSpecialCommissionto
trytheDorsetshirerioterswas。Therisinghadbeenlessseriousinopened
on11thJanuaryDorsetthaninthetwoothercounties，andtherewereonly
somefiftyprisonersawaitingtrialonchargesofmachine-breaking，extorting
moneyandriot。TheGovernmenttooknopartintheprosecutions；for，as
itwasexplainedinalettertoDenman，’thestateofthingsisquitealtered；
greateffecthasbeenproduced：thelawhasbeenclearlyexplained，andprosecutions
goonwithouttheleastdifficulty。’(31*)BaronVaughanandMr。JusticeParke
hadgiventhechargesatWinchesterandSalisbury：itwasnowtheturnof
Mr。JusticeAlderson，andinhisopeningsurveyofthesocialconditions
ofthetimehecoveredawidefield。Totheusualdissertationontheeconomics
ofmachineryheaddedaspecialhomilyonthedutiesincumbentonthegentry，
whowerebiddentodiscourageanddiscountenance，andifnecessarytoprosecute，
thedangerouspublicationsthatweredoingsuchharminruraldistricts。
Buttheirdutiesdidnotendhere，andtheywereurgedtogohomeandto
educatetheirpoorerneighboursandtoimprovetheirconditions。Theimprovement
tobeaimedat，however，wasnotmaterialbutmoral。’Poverty，’saidMr。
JusticeAlderson，’isindeed，Ifear，inseparablefromthestateofthehuman
race，butpovertyitselfandthemiseryattendantonit，wouldnodoubtbe
greatlymitigatedifaspiritofprudenceweremoregenerallydiffusedamong
thepeople，andiftheyunderstoodmorefullyandpractisedbettertheir
civil，moralandreligiousduties。’
TheDorsetshirelabourershadunfortunatelyarrivedattheprecipitate
conclusionthataspiritofprudencewouldnottransform7s。aweekinto
areasonablelivelihood。Theyusednoviolencebeyondbreakingupthethreshing
machines。’Wedon’tintendtohurtthefarmer，’theytoldtheownerofone
machine，’butwearedeterminedthatthelandshallcomedown，andthetithes，
andwewillhavemorewages。’Whenmoneywastakenitseemstohavebeen
demandedandreceivedinanamicablespirit。Thesumsaskedforwereoften
verysmall。Sentenceofdeathwaspronouncedontwomen，JosephSheppard
andGeorgeLegg，fortaking2s。fromFarmerChristopherMoreyatBuckland
Newton。Themobaskedformoney，andthefarmerofferedthem1s。：theyreplied
thattheywanted1s。6d。，andthefarmergavethem2s。Sheppard’scharacter
wasverygood，anditcameoutthatheandtheprosecutorhadhadadispute
aboutmoneysomeyearsbefore。Hewastransported，butnotforlife。Legg
wasdeclaredbytheprosecutortohavebeen’saucyandimpudent，’andto
have’talkedroughandbobbish。’Hischaracter，however，wasstatedbymany
witnesses，includingtheclergyman，tobeexemplary。Hehadfivechildren
whomhesupportedwithoutparishhelpon7s。aweek：acottagewasgiven
himbutnofuel。BaronVaughanwassomuchimpressedbythisevidencethat
hedeclaredthathehadneverheardbettertestimonytocharacter，andthat
hewouldrecommendalessseverepenaltythantransportation。ButLeggshowed
alamentablewantofdiscretion，forheinterruptedthejudgewiththese
words：’IwouldratherthatyourLordshipwouldputtwenty-oneyears’transportation
uponmethanbeplacedintheconditionoftheprosecutor。Ineversaida
wordtohim，thatIdeclare。’BaronVaughansardonicallyremarkedthathe
hadnotbenefitedhimselfbythisobservation。
Thetendencytogivelessseverepunishment，noticedintheclosingtrials
atSalisbury，wasmoremarkedatDorchester。Ninemenwereletoffonrecognisances
andtenwerenotproceededagainst：inthecaseofsixofthesetentheprosecutor，
oneRobertBullen，whohadbeenrobbedof4s。and2s。6d。，refusedtocome
forward。Butenoughsharpsentencesweregiventokeepthelabourersinsubmission
forthefuture。Onemanwastransportedforlifeandelevenforsevenyears：
fifteenweresentencedtovarioustermsofimprisonment；sevenwereacquitted。
ItwasnotsurprisingthatthespecialcorrespondentoftheTimescomplained
thatsuchmeagreresultsscarcelyjustifiedthepompandexpenseofaSpecial
Commission。IntheneighbouringcountyofGloucester，wherethecountrygentlemen
carriedouttheworkofretributionwithouthelpfromheadquarters，seven
menweretransportedforfourteenyears，twentyforsevenyears，andtwenty-five
weresentencedtotermsofimprisonmentrangingfromsixmonthstothree
years。Allofthesesentenceswereforbreakingthreshingmachines。
ThedisturbancesinBerksandBuckshadbeenconsideredseriousenough
todemandaSpecialCommission，andSirJamesAlanPark，SirWilliamBolland
andSirJohnPattesonwerethejudgesappointed。ThefirstofthetwoBerkshire
CommissionsopenedatReadingon27thDecember。TheEarlofAbingdon，Lord-Lieutenant
oftheCounty，andMr。CharlesDundaswerethetwolocalcommissioners。Mr。
DundashasfiguredalreadyinthesepagesaschairmanofthemeetingatSpeenhamland。
Onehundredandthirty-eightprisonerswereawaitingtrialatReading：they
weremostofthemyoung，onlyeighteenbeingfortyorover。Therest，with
fewexceptions，variedfromseventeentothirty-fiveinage，andmusthave
livedalltheirlivesundertheSpeenhamlandsystem。
ItisimpossibletocomparetheaccountsoftheSpecialCommissionsin
BerksandBuckswiththoseinHampshireandWiltshirewithoutnoticinga
differenceinthetreatmentoftherioters。Therisingshadbeenalmostsimultaneous，
