The officers in charge appealed to the mob to disperse, warning of the consequences if they did not. In Duckworth's own words: Suppression and aftermath The riots ended after local magistrates swore in a large number of special constables to arrest about 20 of the ringleaders "in the dead of night". During the course of the rioting more than 1000 power looms were destroyed. A number of manufacturers subsequently agreed to pay a standard rate to the weavers, but on their own admission it was a "starvation" wage. The manufacturers who stuck to the agreement found it difficult to compete with those who did not, and could therefore undercut them, prompting an appeal to William Huskisson, the President of the Board of Trade, to introduce a legally binding minimum wage. Huskisson's response was dismissive, expressing his view that to introduce such a measure would be "a vain and hazardous attempt to impose the authority of the law between the labourer and his employer in regulating the demand for labour and the price to be paid for it". References Citations Bibliography History of Lancashire 1826 riots 19th century in Lancashire 1826 in England April 1826 events 1820s in Lancashire