第53章

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£

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节