The National Register. — London, England, 1811-06-23 00:00:00

Out ihina, enaitution, anti Latvg, `- .~ ..;,~. N° 182. THE NATION 4t, REGISTER PRICE 961. SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 811 . POLITICAL DISQUISITION. No. 168. MR. FINNERTY. FINNERTY. A Petition was presented to the House of Com mons, on Friday night, by Mr. WHITBREAD, in behalf of Mr. FINNERTY, by whom it was written. It complained, not of the sentence under which he is confined, but of the 44 great harshness and capri cious severity" with which, it stated, he had been treated ; the particulars of which it minutely de- scribed, and was attended with medical affidavits, certifying that his health had been injured by the mode of his confinement. If, among the privations which 1w represents himself as having endured, Mr. FissiTry has not experienced that of feeling; and gratitude, it is impossible that he should contem plate Lord C.ASTLEREACHIPS conduct on the occa sion, without the most poignant regret at the viru lent attempts he lately made to blast that Noble- man's character. At the hands of one, whom he pursued with the most rancorous hatred ; whose good fame he endeavoured to stab, even at the ex pence of his own liberty, he has found not only mercy, but protection. No sooner did his Lordship hear of the Petition, than, said Mr. RYDER, who agreed to present it to the PRINCE REGENT after he should have ascertained the truth of its contents, " he privately gave his strongest recommendation that no severity might be used in the imprisonment." - As the absence of the Sheriff, to whom Mr. RYDER had applied for information, prevented his receiving any answer until the night previous to the introduc tion of the business into the House of Commons, the Patriots were alarmed and fancied the delay in applying to the Prince proceeded from ill-will. The subject was therefore hurried before Parlia ment, where a satisfactory explanation was given. It appeared from the reply returned by the Sheriff to Mr. RYDER, that Mr. FINNERTY had incurred some of those privations of which he complained, "in consequence of irregular and indecorous con. duct on his part." Notwithstanding which, the Hon. Secretary assured the House, that 41 he should recommend that the Petitioner should be allowed what air and exercise was necessary, under such re strictions as would prevent the circumstances he alluded to." I'ol. IV. CLXXXIL Lord CASTLEREAGH, not sat'sfied with the private recommendation which he had given in behalf of the prisoner, took this opportunity, by the public expression of his forgiving benevolence towards him, to sanction the object of his Petition. He declared, 44 that as soon as lie heard it stated that undue severity had been used to the Petitioner, he had interposed his best requests that the imprison ment should be marked with as much indulgence as was possible. In the prosecution of the Petitioner, he had discharged what he considered as a most painful public duty. He believed the House knew pretty well that he was not disposed to he very querulous about animadversions cast upon the Go. vernrnent of which he had formed a part ; but the libel of which he 'had thought it his duty to com plain, was so gross an attack upon him in his public station, that he would have conceived it a breach of public duty to have passed it by. If he had not considered it in this light, it would have been much more agreeable to his private feelings to havepassed it by; or not to have called for the judgment of the Court. As to tvhat the Petitioner now solicited, he considered that it was due to hi in as a matter of right, and he hoped that it would be generally granted. He conceived that he was strictly jus tifiable in appealing to that House, or to the PRINCE REGENT ; and he hoped that this reasonable request would be granted. In other respects, neither the panegyric. which the Hon. Gentlemen (Mr. HUTCH INSON) had pronounced on the Petitioner, nor the insinuations which he had thrown out against him self; should provoke him at the present time to go into the policy of the former Government of Ire land. He should, however, say generally, that he was ready and anxious to meet such a discussion. If any Hon. Gentleman thought it for the public good, to bring it on in a regular shape. He was prepared to defend, not the acts of indivi 'uals, many of which he knew were utterly indefensible, but he should be at all times prepared to defend the conduct of the Irish Government." Supported by the authority of his prosecutor, whom he wished to Tepresent as a monster of ini quity and as guilty of thy. grossest oppression to wards him, Mr. FINNERTY may now expect that his request will be granted. This is the most magna as well-as the most convincing reply ‘which •dshig could mak . e to the libellous charges .unence • . nirnous, .f Lori • '2 91 . s I t o wi t va, , • N 4 "%.1.5. li‘k*