There are disturbances at Manchester, which look rather serious.


_May 7._

Nothing in the House.

The meeting respecting the statue to the Duke of Wellington seems to have
finished in detestable taste. Hunt proposing a vote of thanks to Lord
Anglesey and O'Connell, and _Lord Darnley!_ speaking for it. Both these
said the Catholic Bill arose out of Lord Anglesey's Government. Lord
Darnley repeated the same thing to me to-day in the House. I told him the
contrary was the fact. That Lord Anglesey had placed the carrying of the
question in peril--that without his recall it could hardly have been
carried.

There have been serious disturbances at Manchester. The bakers' shops have
been broken open and robbed, and money extorted by fear. This arises out of
real distress; but it seems, as might be expected, that notorious thieves
lead on the mobs.


_May 8._

The disturbances at Manchester have more the character of robbery than of
riot. Baker's shops have been broken open and pillaged, and money has been
extorted.

At Rochdale an attack was made on the military. They behaved with extreme