 In July 1819 , the town 's magistrates wrote to Lord Sidmouth warning they thought a ' general rising ' was imminent , the " deep distress of the manufacturing classes " was being worked on by the " unbounded liberty of the press " and " the harangues of a few desperate demagogues " at weekly meetings . " Possessing no power to prevent the meetings " the magistrates admitted they were at a loss as to how to stem the doctrines being disseminated . 
