theoffenceswereofthesamecharacter，andtheCommissionssatatthesame
time。Thedifferencewasapparentfromthefirst，andon1stJanuarytheTimespublishedaleadingarticlepleadingforuniformity，andpointing
outthattheBerkshireCommissionwas’amercifulcontrast’tothatatWinchester。
Thecauseisprobablytobefoundinthedispositionsandcharactersofthe
authoritiesresponsibleinthetwocases。ThecountrygentlemenofBerkshire，
representedbyamanlikeMr。Dundas，weremorehumanethanthecountrygentlemen
ofHampshire，representedbymenlikethedukeofWellingtonandtheBarings；
Mr。Gurney，thepublicprosecutoratReading，wasmorelenientthanSirThomas
Denman，andtheReadingjudgesweremorekindlyandconsideratethanthe
judgesatWinchester。Further，therehadbeeninBerkshirelittleofthe
wildpanicthatsweptoverthecountryhousesinHampshireandWiltshire。
ThejudgesatReadingoccasionallyinterjectedquestionsontheprisoners，
behalf，andinmanycasestheydidnotconcealtheirsatisfactionatanacquittal。
Further，theyhadamoredelicatesensefortheproprieties。Contraryto
custom，theyaskedneithertheGrandJurynorthemagistratestodinneron
thefirstday，beinganxious，wearetold，tofreetheadministrationof
justice’fromtheslightestappearanceofpartialityintheeyesofthelower
classes。’TheLordChancellorandLordMelbournehadbeenconsultedandhad
approved。
ItmustnotbesupposedthatMr。JusticePark’stheoriesoflifeandsocial
relationshipsdifferedfromthoseofhisbrothersatWinchester。Inhisaddress
totheGrandJuryherepudiatedwithindignationthe’impudentandbaseslander……
thattheupperranksofsocietycarelittleforthewantsandprivations
ofthepoor。Idenythispositively，uponaveryextensivemeansofknowledge
uponsubjectsofthisnature。Buteverymancandenyitwholooksabouthim
andseesthevastinstitutionsineverypartofthekingdomfortherelief
oftheyoungandtheold，thedeafandthelame，theblind，thewidow，the
orphan——andeverychildofwretchednessandwoe。Thereisnotacalamity
ordistressincidenttohumanity，eitherofbodyorofmind，thatisnot
humblyendeavouredtobemitigatedorrelieved，bythepowerfulandtheaffluent，
eitherofhighormiddlingrank，inthisourhappyland，whichforitsbenevolence，
charity，andboundlesshumanity，hasbeentheadmirationoftheworld。’The
theorythattherichkeptthepoorinastateofstarvationandthatthis
wasthecauseofthedisturbances，hedeclaredlatertobeentirelydisproved
bytheconductofoneofthemobsindestroyingathreshingmachinebelonging
toWilliamMount，Esq。，atWasing，’Mr。Mounthavinggivenaway£；100
nolongeragothanlastwintertoassistthelowerordersduringthatinclement
season。’
AfeatureoftheReadingCommissionwasthedifficultyoffindingjurymen。
Allfarmerswerechallengedonbehalfoftheprisoners，andmatterswere
atadeadlockuntilthejudgesorderedthebystanderstobeimpannelled。
TheearliercaseswereconnectedwiththeriotsinHungerford。Property
inanironfoundryhadbeendestroyed，andfifteenmenwerefoundguilty
onthiscapitalcharge。OneofthefifteenwasWilliamOakley，whonowpaid
thepenaltyforhis£；5andstronglanguage。Butwhenthefirstcases
wereover，Mr。Gurneybegantodropthecapitalcharge，andtocontenthimself，
asarule，withconvictionsforbreakingthreshingmachines。Onecaserevealed
seriousperjuryononesideortheother。ThomasGoodfellowandCornelius
BennettwerechargedwithbreakingathreshingmachineatMatthewBatten’s
farm。Theprisonersproducedfourwitnesses，twolabourers，awomanwhose
husbandwasinprisonfortheriots，andJohnGaiter，whodescribedhimself
as’notquiteamasterbricklayer，’toprovethatMatthewBattenhadencouraged
theriots。ThefirstthreewitnessesdeclaredthatBattenhadaskedtherioters
tocomeandbreakhismachineinordertoserveouthislandlordandMr。
Ward，andhadpromisedthemvictualsand£；1。Battenandhisson，on
theotherhand，sworethatthesestatementswerefalse。Theprisonerswere
foundguilty，witharecommendationtomercywhichwasdisregarded。Goodfellow，
whowasfoundguiltyofbreakingothermachinesaswell，wassentencedto
fourteen，andCorneliusBennetttosevenyears’transportation，Thejudge
spokeoftheirscandalousattempttoblackenthecharacterofarespectable
farmer：’itpleasedGodhoweverthattheatrociousattempthadfailed。’It
wouldbeinterestingtoknowwhatweretherelationsbetweenMatthewBatten
andhislandlord。
OnthelastdayofthetrialsMr。Gurneyannouncedthattherewouldbe
nomoreprosecutionsforfelony，asenoughhadbeendoneinthewayofmaking
examples。Someinterestingcasesofriotweretried。Themostimportantriot
hadtakenplaceasearlyas19thNovember，andtheherooftheproceedings
wastheRev。EdwardCove，thevenerableVicarofBrimpton，oneofthemany
parsonmagistrates。Amobhadassembledinordertodemandanincreaseof
wages，anditwasmetbyMr。Coveandhisposseofspecialconstables。On
occasionslikethis，Mr。Gurneyremarked，webecomesensibleofthegreat
advantagesofoursocialorder。Mr。CovewithoutmoreadoreadtheRiotAct；
themobrefusedtodisperse；hisspecialconstablesthereuponattackedthem，
andageneralmê；lé；efollowedinwhichhardblowsweregiven
andtaken。NooneattemptedtostrikeMr。Covehimself，butoneofhiscompanions
receivedfromarioter，whomheidentified，ablowrivallingthatgivento
Mr。BinghamBaring，whichbeatthecrownofhishatinanddrovetherim
overhiseyes：itwasfollowedbyotherandmoreseriousblowsonhishead
andbody。Thecounselforthedefencetriedtoshowthatitwasdistress
thathadcausedtherioterstoassemble，andhequotedaremarkoftheChairman
ofQuarterSessionsthatthepoorwerestarvedalmostintoinsurrection；
butallevidenceaboutwageswasrUledout。Thecourtweredeeplyimpressed
bythisriot，andMr。JusticeParkannouncedthatithadalarmedhimand
hisfellowjudgesmore’thananythingthathadhithertotranspiredinthese
proceedings。’’Hadonelifebeenlost，’hecontinued，’thelivesofevery
individualofthemobwouldhavebeenforfeited，andthelawmusthavebeen
carriedintoeffectagainstthoseconvicted。’Asitwas，nobodywascondemned
todeathforhisshareintheaffray，thoughthemoreviolent，suchasGeorge
Williams，alias’StaffordshireJack，’a’desperatecharacter，’receivedheavier
penaltiesformachine-breakinginconsequence。
Threemenwerereservedforexecution：WilliamOakley，whowastoldthat
asacarpenterhehadnobusinesstomixhimselfupinthesetransactions；
AlfredDarling，ablacksmithbytrade，whohadbeenfoundguiltyonseveral
chargesofdemandingmoney；andWinterbourne，whohadtakenpartintheHungerford
affairinthemagistrates’room，andhadalsoactedasleaderinsomecases
whenamobaskedformoney。Inoneinstancethemobhadbeencontentwith
£；1insteadofthe£；2forwhichithadaskedforbreakingathreshing
machine，Winterbourneremarking，’wewilltakehalfpricebecausehehas
stoodlikeaman。’
PublicopinioninBerkshirewashorrifiedattheprospectoftakinglife。
PetitionsformercypouredinfromReading，includingonefromladiesto
thequeen，fromNewbury，fromHungerford，fromHenley，andfromotherplaces。
Twocountrygentlemen，Mr。J。B。MonckandMr。Wheble，madeeveryexertion
tosavethecondemnedmen。TheywaitedwithpetitionsonLordMelbourne，
whoheardthempatientlyforanhour。TheyobtainedareprieveforOakley
andforDarling，whoweretransportedforlife；Winterbournetheycouldnot
save：hewashungon11thJanuary，prayingtothelastthathiswife，who
wasdangerouslyilloftyphus，mightdiebeforesheknewofhisfate。
Fifty-sixmenweresentencedtotransportationfromReading——twenty-three
forlife，sixteenforfourteenyears，seventeenforsevenyearsthirty-six
weresenttoprisonforvariousterms。
ThesamecommissionerswentontoAbingdonwhereproceedingsopenedon
6thJanuary。Heretherewereonlyforty-sevenprisoners，allbuttwoofwhom
wereagriculturallabourers，mostofthemveryyoung。Thecasesresembled
thosetriedatReading，butitisclearthattheevidenceofMrs。Charlotte
Slade，whoseconductwehavealreadydescribed，andhermethodofdealing
withtherioters，madeagreatimpressiononMr。JusticeParkandhiscolleagues，
andopenedtheireyestothetrueperspectiveoftherhetoricallanguage
thathadassumedsuchterrifyingimportancetootherjudges。Oneyounglabourer，
RichardKempsterbyname，whowasfoundguiltyofbreakingathreshingmachine，
hadcarriedablack-and-redflaginthemob，andwhenarrestedhadexclaimed，
’bedamnedifIdon’twishitwasarevolution，andthatallwasafiretogether：’
itiseasytoimaginethegravehomilyonthenecessityofcuttingsucha
manoffforeverfromhiskindthatthesewordswouldhaveprovokedfrom
thejudgesatWinchester。Mr。JusticeParkandhiscolleaguessentencedKempster
totwelvemonths’imprisonment。AtAbingdononlyonemanwassentencedto
betransported；ThomasMackrell，anagriculturallabourerofforty-three。
Another，HenryWoolridge，hadsentenceofdeathcommutedtoeighteenmonths’
imprisonment。Thirty-fiveothersweresenttoprisonforvariousterms。
ThesamethreejudgesproceededtoAylesburytotrytheBuckinghamshire
rioters。Thechiefeventinthiscountyhadbeenthedestructionofpaper-making
machineryatWycombe。TheCommissionopenedon11thJanuary：thedukeof
BuckinghamandMr。MauriceSwabeywerethelocalcommissioners。Therewere
onehundredandthirty-sixprisonerstobetried，almostallyoungandilliterate：
onlyeighteenwerefortyyearsofageorover。Forty-fourmenandboyswere
foundguiltyofthecapitalchargeofdestroyingpapermachinery。Mostof
theotherprisonerswhowerechargedwithbreakingthreshingmachineswere
allowedtopleadguiltyandletoffontheirownrecognisances，orelsethe
chargewasnotpressed。Anexceptionwasmadeinacaseinwhichsomemembers
ofamobhadbeenarmedwithguns。Threemenwhohadcarriedgunsweresent
totransportationforsevenyears，andthirteenothersinvolvedweresent
toprisonfortwoyearsoreighteenmonths。Severalmenweretriedforrioting，
andthosewhohadcombinedademandforincreasedwageswitharequestfor
therestorationofparishbunsweresenttoprisonforsixweeks。Onemore
trialisworthnotice，becauseitsuggeststhateveninBuckinghamshire，
wherethegeneraltemperwasmorelenient，individualswhohadmadethemselves
obnoxiouswereSingledoutforspecialtreatment。JohnCrook，amiller，was
indictedwithfourothersforriotouslyassemblingandbreakingawinnowing
machineatMr。Fryer’satLongCrendon。AsCrookwaschargedwithamisdemeanour
hiscounselcouldaddressthejury，andwelearnfromhisspeechthatCrook
hadbeenkeptinprisonsince2ndDecember，though£；2000hadbeenoffered
inbailandmanyotherprisonershadbeenallowedout。Theexplanation，it
wasargued，wastobefoundinthefactthatCrookhadcomeintosomeproperty
whichqualifiedhimtoholdagunlicenceandtokillgame。Hewassentenced
tothreemonths’imprisonmentwithouthardlabour，andtopayafineof£；10。
Thirty-twomeninallweresenttoprisonfortheagriculturaldisturbances
inadditiontothethreesentencedtotransportation。Forty-twoofthose
concernedinthebreakingofpapermakingmachineryreceivedsentenceofdeath，
buttheirpunishmentwascommutedtolifetransportationforone，sevenyears’
transportationfortwenty-two，andimprisonmentforvarioustermsforthe
rest。Twomenwerereservedforexecution。One，ThomasBlizzard，wasthirty
yearsold，withawifeandthreechildren。Hischaracterwasexcellent。At
thetimeoftheriotshewasaroundsman，receiving1s。adayfromtheoverseer’s
and1s。6d。aweekfromafarmer。HetoldhisemployeratLittleMarlowthat
hewouldtakeaholidaytogomachine-breaking，forhewouldendureimprisonment，
