Folios 186-189. Letter dated at Newcastle from Mr J Ridley to the Earl of Northumberland...

Folios 186-189. Letter dated at Newcastle from Mr J Ridley to the Earl of Northumberland that he thinks the memorial delivered by Mr Waters 'left one material point unexplained, that of not proceeding on the Act of the 20th [?regnal year] of the late king, it is very natural to occur to every person who has any share in administration, that the laws in force ought to have first been put in execution, before any extraordinary exertion and power be used, wherefore the reason of not proceeding on that Act ought to be set forth which perhaps is not fully done as I am informed'. He then gives his reasons at length. There is now a threat by the men of six [Sunderland] collieries to destroy 'tomorrow' all the engines, gins etcetera belonging to all the collieries on the River Wear. He writes that this 'is an affair of most serious consequence to the public, the persons in the coal trade stand clear of any imputation of blame I am fully persuaded, so the whole now turns on this single point, whether the pitmen are to be at liberty to set the die on the whole kingdom that has occasion to buy coals'. He ends 'in truth something more than the powers vested in the hands of the magistrates of the three counties appears most absolutely necessary for the sake of the whole community'.