The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-07-02 00:00:00

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.11apenditure. was a departure frost the principles of politi-
cal ocencoy, the Resolutions wet, pet sad agreed to.
PETITION OF NR. BEDINGFIELD.
. Lord Alosesett said he rose, in pursuance of
notice, to presents Petra's front Mr. John Beding-
field, of the Navy Pay 01Ice. The Petitioner was
a Gentleman of &a.m./acid and honourable family.
and wished the .alteistiou of the Reuse to he called
to his ine:ituritiee conduct in the year 1795. At
. that period gmat dlosatisfoetion existed is the anode
of the lower orders of the people, but he intent not .
to allude to that diesetisfection, or to the cause of
it, fprthrr titan was absolutely necessary. In the
..collmilb of October, in the' year, his Majesty. when
putialeding to Parliament, wes treated in n manner
that could not be too much nor too severely repre-

tended. It was only necessary to • look to -the
'. Proclamation issued at the time, to prove the
classtence of the principal facts alleged in the
Petition. The Proclamation set forth, " That
on the.sth of October, 1795, certain evil.disposed
persons assembled together in different parts of
Westminster, and committed divers unlawful acts,
. which were dangerous to our Royal Person,
and teased an interruption of our Royal duty."
• This proved the *notelet and unruly conduct
of the populace .ill the list instance. But it
dill not end there. After his Majesty's retain to
St. Jams'', he proceeded in Ins private coach to-
wards Buckingham-house. Ha was observed, and
The same violenc• and the same expressions of die-
loyalty with which he beet been previously assailed,
were renewed. He woold out himself state what
luipoesied, but read a few lines from ilre work of a
coistemporary author, which would place the.cir-
"curastaseces in their wooer light. The extract, in
41w first instance, deecebed the outrageous conduct .
of the populace, and the danger in which hislia.
„play was placed. and proceeded to state, that " at
.thi. momenta Gentlennin of the name of Biding-
'field tuierfered. aid endeavnered to repress the fury
of the snob. He resoled his Sovereign Cons their
power. and conveyed him in safety to the Palace."
He (Lord Morpetti) would not dwell on this noble
act. Hr would roily my, that, when a Gentle-
man exposed himself to the violence of the mob,
especially on such an 0, casino, his ' services
ought not to be forgotten.—//fear, hear, hear.)—
in the evidence which was ofterwiarris given, with
respect to this outrage. the following statement of
an eye-witness would be found : " J was on the
spot. The guards were absent. I saw Mr. Beding-
field, with a stirk in his hand. oppose the. mob.
Ile placed himself near the carriage. The fury of
' the mob was so great, that, but fur the exertions of
• "Mr. Beilingfield. I believe they would have dragged
his Majesty from the carriage." It would be
asked, was not this important service recognized at
the time? It was recognised, by his Majesty him.
Pelf, who, at the next levee, while speaking to Mr.
''• Bedingfirld, made use of these very few, but very
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. . emphatic words—" You carne just in time."—
( Hear, hear.)—These words stamped the mature
lif the service, as one of importance.—/Hear,
hear. j— To a gentleman witnessing all ample for-
tune, such words. eionld undoubtedly be an ample
"'valid. But though. as he .hod already stated,
Mr. Beditigtield was connected with an ancient and
honourable family. be was not in au devoted
. at !Genitive .condition or life—and therefore
it was not w ful that lie should wish fur
4 more sobstlntl mark of approbation than
' bed been bestowed on him. ll' he had desist-
ed from making an application to that,House, at
nn twilit period, it was because he was without in-
ference. Applicatioa had however been made else.
where, in. more than one instance, and in more tluni
art form ; but, be was surly to state, they had
' • been hitherto unsuccessful. It was not his wish to
. dissect or analyse the history of those names that
. graced the pension lid of this country. Many of
those names were associated with the brightest glo-
ries of the British empire—there were others would
not bear an equal scrutiny. He was not going to
complain that Mr. Bedingfield'a name was not
placed on that list, but he thought that some por-
tion of the bounty which ought to Bow from the
• throne in royal muisificence on those who had served
the country, would not have been misapplied had it
been conferred on this gentleman.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Bedingfield did not solicit any distinct reward
—he did not ask for any pecuniary consideration.
Of course, if he requested the latter, he Mist, in
the first instance, have obtained the consent of the
Crown, with which unfortunately lie was not fur-
nished, He merely submitted his case to the cast-
dour and consideration of Parliament, in the hope
11tot they world suffer his Petition to stand on their
...lensrliale, as the testimony and memorial of a ser-
vice which. however unrequited, was yet performed
with ardent and sealous loyalty.—(!fear, hear.)
. The Clues:y.l.Bst of the EXCHEQUER expressed
' his surprise that. after a lapse of four-and-twenty
ears, an application should now, fur the first time,
'. e be made to 'Parliament by the Petitioner. He
could hardly thigh that the Minister who, four-and.
'twenty years vigni-mmi-mt the head of the Govern-
ment of this coaatey. umsekl hoe suffered Mr. Be-
dingfield's condoctlreAsnio pawed unnoticed and
. isorewarded, had a proper beplicition been made,
cad his services oppeared to call for remuneration.
'lle culled upon the flotise not to judge so harshly
of the conduct of the Government at that time, es
to suppose that they would neglect claims of such
a nature as had been described. He only wished
to -reed the House ,Igainst receiving a hasty im-
. preenum that any injustice had been done in this
Case, sod to reserve himself to adopt thakcourse
which might appear most exitiedient one ay future
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'dccaaion.
Mr. Serjoaat Ounces!, mid, he could not concur
in the pnociple. that, because twenty-four yenta
lead elapsed since an litoportant service was perform-
ed„-therefore the Muse ought not to interfere. He
recollected the period when the outrage was com-
mitted. Mr. Sedingfield's conduct was then she
iighject of general observation, and it was allowed
. -'- Wy all persons to have•beenanoet meritorious. From
t: time to this he never heard that his services
been rewarded—andoherefore he entreated the
*waists of the Home to his Petition.—f Hear.)
lard IVlsmitTli said, that various applications
•had been mode oy Mr. *Bedingfield, not indeed to
Parlisniesit, but they were all unsuccessful.
, . - Mr. BARMAN said, a few days since a grant of
.", 110001. had bees voted to Geueral Boyd, for • ser.
a ... mope rendered at an equally, if not more distant
\Ate. than that ativhich Mr. Bedingfield signalised
himself. ,Ha :thought, therefore, that the lapse of

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