The National Register. — London, England, 1812-05-17 00:00:00

TIE NATIONAL REGISTER. ,02 LUPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. r MONDAY, MAY 11. Their Lordships proceeded to the reading of several Bills on the Table; when on a sudden a tumultuous noise was heard in the lobby of' the House of Commons, and several voices were heard distinctly crying out, " He is shot, he is shot, and murdered !" and instantly the awful and melancholy tidings were spread through the House, that a murder was perpetrated. and that "Mr. Perceval, the Prime Minister of the Country, was assassinated." A simultaneous horror was visible on the face of every person, and after a pause of some time it was agreed upon by their Lordships, that immediately the House should take pulqie. notice of the trans , .ctiou, and a c cordingly his Royal Highne ss the: Duke of Cu sa atilt r.AN in his place, stated, that he had just returned from the Speaker's Chamber of the House of Commons, and there beheld the body of the late Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, upon a chair supported by assistants, lying dead from the eff.-cts of a wound. A general murmur and conversation ran through the House; but their Lordships after a few observat,ons front Lord ELLENBOROUGII, agreed as to the necessity of having legal evidence before them that the,wounds were inflicted by violence. On this suggestion their Lordships sent for a witness to prove the fact, and Mr. Taylor, chief door-keeper to the House of Commons, was produced at the bar of the House, and being sworn, testified as follows, viz.—" •I'h.it at about ten minutes past five o'clock. he was in the execution of his duty, he saw Mr. Perceval enter the lobby, and proceeding on his way into the House, when a man pre •sented a pistol ; he saw the fire, and heard the report, and instantly be held Mr. Perceval fall on the ground, crying out, " I am murdered! I ant murdered !"—The witness was ordered to withdraw. The Earl of Loma pool. then moved, that an humble Address be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acquainting his Highness of the horrible assassination and murder of the late Right Ploti.Spencer Perceval, Chancellor of the Exchequer, this even ing; and praying that his Ro y al Hi g hness would graciously please to order such steps to be taken as would bring the perpetrator or perpetra tors thereof to condign punishment. On the question bring put, Earl GREY, hi language deeply expressive of his sorrow for the fatal event, and of lamentations for the loss of so valuable and good a man; seconded the motion; adding, that he was certain that be only echoed the 5, use of the whole House in saying that it was a motion that would p.t, ! inanintously:—The motion was then put and carried nentine dissent l / 2 ±e. The Earl of LivraPOOL thtll 1110veti that the said Address should he forthwith pr.:sewed to his Rt.% e.l I I clines,, which was also carried. He then moved that the fo!i...).wiz , g Pcvr.i do present the same, viz. the Earl of Radnor, Earl Bathurst, E.,;rl Ciimlen, Earl Grey, the Earl of C' iiehe , ter, the Earl of Westrmi et. And, the . Earl of Rosslyn, "the Earl of Lauderdale, and Lord Mult.,rive; And on the motion of Lord Ellen borough, :!:e Earl of Livervool lu Iseliw:is also added. Their Lordships then instantly proceeded to Carlton house.—Adjourncd. MAY 17 promptitude in complying with his recommendation to atfoi <l assistance to the widow and family of Mr. Perceval, was ordered to be printed and published.--Adjourned. •••• "MIDAS?, MAY 15. No business of Importance, and the House adjourned till WednesdAy, HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, MAY 11. Lord G. L. GOWZIt presented a petition from several Journeymen Potters in Staffordshire against the Orders ht Council. The House then resolved itself into a Committee, and proceeded to the examination of witnesses respecting the Orders in Council, whin the business was interrupted by the alarm of Mr. Perceval being assas sinated, the particulars of which dreadful event we have given in an other part of our Paper. TUESDAY, MAY 12. At four o'clock there were between four and five hundred Members present. At half-past four Lord Castlereagh appeared at the Bar, and delivered the following message from the Prince Regent : GEORGE. P. R. The Prince Regent, deeply impressed with the severe loss his Royal Highness mid the Country have sustained in consequence of the murder of the Rt. Hon. S. Perceval, and being desirous of marking his sera: a the public and private virtues of Mr. Perceval, and of affording . relief and assistance to his numerous and afflicted family, recommends to the House of Commons to enable his Royal Highness, in the name an.l on the behalf of his Majesty, to make such provision for the widow and family of the Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, as to the justice and liberal ity of Parliament may seem proper. The message was re eived with unanimous cries of Hear, hear ! As soon as it had been read from the Chair, Lord CAS rLzr Eno' rose, and in a low tone, and in great agitation said, that it might easily he conceived a more painful duty could not fall to the lot of any man to discharge ; that the feelings of his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Ryder, we suppose,) were so totally overpowered as to prevent him from do ing that which he was himself about to perforin • that the present was an insulated act, and could n ot be a stain on ;he national character, Government having no reason to suppose any other person was impli cated ; that the horrible f ite which his lamented friend had met web, had fallen upon him in consequence of the conscientious discharge of his duty, in refusing to allow a demand upon the public, which (lid not appear to be founded in justice.—(Hear l) —That whatever differ ences of opinion there might be, still all must agree that a man falling in the cansciencious discharge of a public duty, had a well-grounded claim usual the public--(Hear !)—that Mr. Perceval bad quitted his lucrative profession so!- :y from a sense of public duty—that he hid always acted so as to soften animosities, to conciliate even his political enemies, and that he did nut believe the individual had one personal enemy in the world—(Hear, hear! from all parts.)—At present he only proposed to move an Address to the Regent, declaring the readi ness of the House to make such pro vision—the mode would be a sub jeet of future consideration; but he thought it adviseable to provide tor each of the children individually, that all might not be lest iv; placin it on the bead of one who might not live ; and to provide she suitably for the afflicted widow, whose happiness in this li fe had closed. Lordastlereagh concluded by moving— That an humble Address be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, to return his Royal Highness their grateful thanks fur his Royal Highness's most gracious Message. To assure his Royal Highness they deeply participate in the sev ere loss his Royal Highness and the country has sustained in consequence .1 the murder of the Right lion. Spencer Perceval, First Commissioner :-: his Majesty's Treasury, and Chancellor of the Excly.luer, of %silica most atrocious act, committed within the walls of Parliament , they cannot in terms sufficiently trong express their abhorrence ; and leag desirous of marking their sense of the public ar.d private virtues of Mr. Perceval, and of affording relief and assistance to his numerous and of family, they beg leave humbly to assure his Royal Highness, that they will feel it a grateful act of public duty, under the melan choly. circumstances of this afflicting case, to enable, his Royal High• ness, in the name and on behalf of his Majesty to make such provision for the Widow and Family of the Right Hon. Spencer Perceval as may be consistent with the justice and the liberality of Parliament. Mr. PON SON BY cordially concurred in the motion proposed. , Mr. CANNING expressed his enti re concurrence in the. 11 - lodate .. ~, , 1 paid a most eloquent tribute to the public and private. virtues of "Ssr. Perceval. . „ el Mr. WHITBREAD said., that having been one of the most tA.3I opponents of Mr. Percival, it might be expected that he wool , l A:L : ', t few words. He said it was un necessar y to say any thing ahuti.n.ve a miable private character of the late R i g ht Hon. Gentleinaii—i :.. were not two opinions abow. it in the country. With respect t'ot.;. public measures, he certainly differed; but t here was one rart, it l • 14 p u bli c character which he hoped Would a f f ect all pu bli e men in l ". a nd that was, the liberal and amiable controul ot teneacr whisii ht 2 . 1 sessed amidst all the warmth and violence of publ.c i a iacasers- L i- 7VESDAY , MAY 12. The Duke of YORK communicated to the Frouie the answer of his R (yal Highness the Prince Regent to the recent Address respecting the dear!, of Mr. Perceval, assuring the House of his Royal Highness's de termination to bring to condign punishruent the perietrators of the atro cious act ref, !red to in the petition. The LORD OM N C in terms • of warm and irresistible pathos, deplored the event which occupied thy atteriti(m of the House. The Earl of Livsalsoot. then rose, and in a straiti of cordial, animat ed, sublime, and heart-felt eloquence, expatiated on the vatious virtues 'of that distinguished person who h..al unhappily beconie the victim of malignant Or unfounded misapprehension. He dwelt with rapture on • the d or nestic virtues, and t)n the public purity of niiiia With which lsilr. - Verceval was eudowed,and concluded with moving. that an Ad tiress be present( d by the House to hiS Rc:.:,l I fighness the Prince Regent.---/ See Co"nons After a long c6nveraation, it was agreed that their Lordships 3houla die in This being are. d to, their Lordships adjourned. wEDNE,DAY, MAV 1:3. The Lord CliANCrt.t.oß read a letter team the Earl of Wellington, 1 returning iris acknowledgments for the vote of thank: of that House for the capture of Hatia . ioz.-0.1 the ;notion of his Lordship, the letter was ordered to Et: entered on the,j.ntrnals. Earl Cnoi.mo for. I. EY communicated to the House, that he had wait ed on the Prirwe to know when his Royal Highness unid he pleased to rcceive th.f;r Lordships' Address. rk.:ative to the family of the late Mr. Perceval; and must his Royal Highness had appointed to-morrow for that purpose.—Adjourned. TIIURS:MY., MAY 14. Their T.nrclihips %tent in pr q:.--s;(,r, to Carlton House, to present their AddreF.f, in cw , Fecinerce A the 11 . •urder ot '.lr. Percn-al.—'fhe answer of his R•iyal Highness the PI h)ce Reg.- _t, x elauk.b for thwir ■ Pow'