Virginia Argus

London, March 5.

Tumult in Southwark.--Tuesday being the day appointed for the chairing of Mr. Barclay, the new member for Southwark, it was publicly announced that he and his friends would dine together at the Horns at Kennington, after the ceremony of chairing should have taken place. At 12 o'clock Mr. Barclay arrived attended by a number of his friends, at the town hall, preparatory, as customary on such occasions, to their proceeding to parade the boundaries of the borough, not entertaining the most distant idea of the interruption they were destined to experience in their progress--an interruption of the most unpleasant nature, and which, it appeared arose from a report having gone abroad that Mr. Barclay had voted in favor of the resolutions now before the House of Commons relative to the corn law. The procession, however, consisting of several carriages belonging to Mr. Barclay's friends, and a number of horsemen, set out from St. Margaret's Hill, and proceeded towards Stone's End, and thence to the Obelisk, in St. George's fields, without interruption, but when arrived at the Obelisk, it was encountered by a mob, consisting of several thousand of the lower orders of people, who shewed strong symptoms of their inclination to interrupt the harmony of the day, and who commenced their operations by cries of "no corn laws"--no Barclay, &c. These symptoms of discontent were at first disregarded, till the mob collecting strength as it went along, proceeded to acts of more determined hostility, and showers of mud, stones, and other missiles, were poured upon Mr. Barclay and his friends, who in consequence, were under the necessity of quickening their pace; but still the mob kept pace with them til they came into Blackman street where they were joined by a body of the Poissardes of the borough who had apparently prepared themselves for the reception of the successful Candidate in that quarter. A number of them immediately commenced their attack upon Mr. Barclay, whose carriage and person were in a few minutes covered with filth of the most offensive description. Several of his friends were unhorsed, and the windows of those who were known to be in his interest were demolished. Finding it would be impossible to proceed with any degree of safety Mr. Barclay determined to give up the attempt, and to proceed as quick as possible to the Horns at Kennington. On his arrival there, he found that the mob had got the start of him. Himself, his brother, Mr. Young, Mr. Moulden, and several of his friends suffered most severely in their progress and in their passage from the carriage to the house. The mob still continuing to increase in numbers proceeded to more serious acts of violence. Completely setting at defiance the civil power which was in attendance, they commenced a regular attack on the windows of the Horns tavern; information of these outrages were transmitted to the magistrates of the Union Hall; and Mr. Bernie, being there at the time, and finding the civil power insufficient to maintain the peace, immediately sent to the Secretary of State to require the aid of the military, and two troops of horse were accordingly sent. These were drawn up in front of the house, and order was at length restored. A number of persons who were taken up on Tuesday night at Kennington, charged with riotous behavior have been examined at Union Hall. Several were remanded for further examination, others admitted to bail, and some, whose conduct appeared to be the effect of inadvertence rather than of design, were, on expressing their contrition, discharged.