publishers, and authors of the _Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser_ and
the _Middlesex Journal, or Chronicle of Liberty_. The printers went into
hiding, and a reward of L50 was offered for their apprehension. Shortly
afterward, this raid was extended to the printers of the _Morning
Chronicle_, _St. James's Chronicle_, _General Post_, _London Evening
Post_, _Whitehall Evening Post_, and _London Packet_. Some of these
appeared at the bar of the House, and actually _made their submission on
their knees_. Miller, of the _London Evening Post_, declined to
surrender, and was, after some difficulty, arrested under a warrant from
the speaker. He was taken before the lord mayor, who was a member of the
House of Commons. The city's chief magistrate--let his name, Brass
Crosby, be remembered with honor--declared the warrant illegal,
discharged Miller, and committed the speaker's messenger for assault.
The same thing was done in the case of Wheble, of the _Middlesex
Journal_, who was taken before John Wilkes, then sitting as alderman at
Guildhall; and in that of Thompson, of the _Gazetteer_, who was taken
before Alderman Oliver. The ground for their discharge was that the
speaker's warrant had no force within the boundaries of the city,
without being countersigned by a magistrate of the corporation. The
House of Commons became furious, and ordered the attendance of Crosby
and Oliver, but, taught by old experience, did not in the first instance
think it desirable to meddle with Wilkes. The civic magistrates stood
their ground manfully, and produced their charters. The House retorted
by looking up the resolutions passed on various occasions against the
publication of the debates. Meanwhile a mob assembled outside, and
abused and hustled the members on their way to the House. After a fierce
debate, Oliver was committed to the Tower. The attendance of Wilkes was
then ordered for the 8th of April, but, in the mean time, the House,
like Fear as represented by Collins in his Ode to the Passions,

'back recoiled...
Even at the sound himself had made;'

and accordingly got out of the difficulty by adjourning over the day for
which the redoubtable Wilkes had been summoned. On the 27th of April,
however, the lord mayor was sent to the Tower. The whole country rang
with indignation; but, nevertheless, the city magistrates remained
incarcerated until the 23d of July, when the Parliament was prorogued,
and, its power of imprisonme