The Daily Cincinnati Republican, And Commercial Register

DISTURBANCES AT MONTREAL

Montreal has been the scene of riot and contempt
of all civil authority, for several successive nights
preceding the latest dates. They originated as it
appears from the accounts in the Montreal Daily
Advertiser of the 17th instant, (the organ of the
'liberals or reformers') with certain members of the
'conservative' or loyal and church and state party.
and were confined entirely to them; and it is to the
forbearance of the liberals under circumstances of
the greatest excitement and provocation, that the
Advertiser attributes the fact that the consequences
were not more serious.

The only pretext for violence on the part of the
conservatives, appears to have been the reinforce-
ment of the regular watch stationed opposite one
of their places of resort; where they had collected
on the night of the 12th inst. in great numbers and
threatened the peace of the city. Taking offence
at this movement of civil authority. they sallied out
and being armed, they easily drove the watch before
them, and on retiring attacked the houses of several
obnoxious individuals.

On Thursday the polls were closed in conse-
quence of their being thronged with men armed
with clubs. That night passed off quietly, though
not without having resort to an increase of the watch
from 60 to more than 500.

On Friday, some of the conservatives, among oth-
er inflammatory proceedings, attempted to give the
excitement a direction against the offices of the
leading liberal papers, by violent harangues and by
burning copies of the Vindicator and Advertiser, in
presence of the persons collected about their com-
mittee rooms. This appeal, however, had not the
effect intended. The mob contented themselves
with a repetition of their attacks on the watch from
one of the "open houses," which it appears the con-
servatives, and they only, had put in requisition on
the occasion. They succeeded in driving the watch
before them, attacking in their course, the same
houses as before. That of Mr. Papineau, a liberal
and a member elect to the house of Assembly of L.
C. was the particular object of the attack. Stones
were thrown through the outer blinds and windows,
with such force as to reach the opposite side of the
rooms. Fortunately, the inmates had left it, upon
an intimation that the house would be attacked at
a specified hour (10 o'clock)—the precise time, it
appears, when the attack was made. But for the
prompt interference of the magistrates, it is suppos-
ed it would have been levelled with the ground.—
The dwelling of the other liberal candidate was
also attacked by a small party, who retired after
some trifling damage. " At no period in 1832,"
says the Advertiser, "was there any such a riot as
this; yet the people were fired upon. Then a lib-
eral mob acted by daylight—but this was a conserv-
ative mob—a church and state mob—a loyal mob
acting after nightfall."

On Saturday, the mob had the complete contro
of the city. The returning officer, considering his
life in danger, did not open the poll. A body of a-
bout 100 men paraded the streets, with clubs and
fire arms, drums and banners, yelling, groaning, and
shaking their clubs before the houses of prominent
individuals of the liberal party. At night it was
deemed unsafe to send out the watch, and the riot-
ers proceeded undisturbed, attacking dwelling hous
e s, breaking windows, &c. The Montreal Daily
Advertiser, from which we gather these facts, con-
cludes its account as follows:

"Had the other party [the liberals] made similar
demonstrations at the same time, the consequences
may well be conceived; and the magistrates could
not know they would not. We now feel that at
such a pass have things arrived in this town, that
no liberal deemed of the least importance to his
party, can say his life is his own—nor would any
such have been safe, had he fallen in with any one
of these mobs. The other night we were three
times notified by men we knew not, to take care of
ourselves; and one said, "for God's sake go away,
or you will be murdered if you are met." Never-
theless we shall continue to record and comment
on such proceedings, as our duty to the public de-
mands."