Riot Act felt uncertain of their power to take action to stop the riots without a reading of the Riot Act. After the riots, Lord Mansfield observed that the Riot Act did not take away the pre-existing power of the authorities to use force to stop a violent riot; it only created the additional offence of failing to disperse after a reading of the Riot Act. The Riot Act was read prior to the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, as well as prior to the Bristol Riots at Queen's Square in 1831. Both are held to be related to the Unreformed House of
Proposed flag of North West England West of England. Tony Wilson stated: "It's not about succession [sic], it's saying that there's this referendum about devolution", it was believed to highlight the issue of devolution in terms of regional identity by recalling the Manchester Peterloo Massacre in which the army charged a large political gathering and seized its flags. Following a no vote in the North East of England for a regional assembly, a referendum vote for the North West, which was due to take place in October 2004, did not take place. Proposed flag of North West England The Proposed Flag of North West England is