The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-07 00:00:00

ALLOWANCE OF COUNSEL TO FELONS.

31r. iI7I4AM 13 gave notice that ha should move on Thrrsesv,
the 2.5 th of April teat, for leave to bring in a Bill to allow to pr,-
goners tried for felony to defend then...elves by Counsel.
POSTPONEAIENr op NoTipps OF monoN.

1111 r. ill; ill.: said, in the absence of his Hon. Friend, )Ir.
berlr. he had to postpone two notices made hr him which souse
the books; the one relating to the repeal of the Assessed' lase.,
which his Hon. Friend wished to put off till after &safer, and the
other respecting Exchequer biltt, which he was desirous of post.
mining to Vriday nest. The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hume) was
also anxious to put elf the motion of which he had given no ice for
a iSelect Committee to inquire into sineenres and offices pertormed
by &play ; also pensions now paid in every department, ftom to-
Intwort till after Easter, in consequence of the Bank Charter
Amendment Bill being to come on to-morrow.
CO3l M IT3I ENTS FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT.
Mr. IiC3IE gave notice that he should more to-morrow for a
retort.) of the number of persons committed to the Fleet and other
prisons for contempt of Court, in Great Britain and Ireland, for
the last three years.
EAST INDIA JURY BILL.

On the motion of Mr. W. WYNN the East istliaJury Bill
was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time flux day
sett:light.

GOURLAY.

31r. I11:511:1 said he had a petition to present to the House
to which he vas desirous of cailmg the attention of the Secretary
of State for the Home Department. It was from the inhabitants
of the parish of Lungalth, in the county of Fife, on behalf of Mr.
flourlay. The pititioners stated that they had beard with the et_
most regret that to.it individual had been detained in the custody o.
the Marshal of the King's Bench foe the space of nineteen months
without trial or examination, a circumstance which they thought
savoured more of oppression than of those sacred principles of lus-
tice which the British constitution warranted. The petitiooers
therefore requested that the House would interfere, in order that
justice might be done to that individual, who was a native of the
county of Fife. He (Mr. Hume)could only with that some state-
ment might be made as to what was the intention of the Right Ho-
nourable Dendemen (Mr. Peel) with regard to that individual
The petition was very numerously signed and most respectfully
worded. _

Mr, Secretary PEEL begged to state, that Mr. Gourley was not
detained in custody by the Secretary f State tor the Home De-
partment any mote than by any other individual of his Majestir's
Government. Mr. Gourley was not detained for aey offence coin.
tnitted against Government. not of the House of Cormirions, but it
was in consequence of his having assaulted an individual under
circumstances which created strong suspicion of his sanity, and
which made it necessary to call upon him to gist security for his
future good behaviour ; and it was only because he did net tind his
recognicitices to keep the peace that his detention had continued.
If the Hon. Member himself (Mr. Home) would consent to
enter hit° a recognizance that Mr. Gourlay should keep the
peace towards all his Majesty's subjects, that individual would not
be kept a moment longer in detention. (Laughter.) lithe Ho.
nourable Member would so far accede to drat request, be (Mr.
Gourlay, wouhl only have to come before a Magistrate, Who would
take their recognizance in the usual legal manner. and the detainee
would be immediately annulled. As far as he (31r.•Peel) was eon-
cerned, he had done all he could to render the confinement of Mr.
Gourley as comfortable as possible; but he was much afraid, sci
long as Mr. Gourley refused to give the reoognizance* required.
that nothing more could be done for him ; rind, when the letters
which had been written by that individual on the subject of his de.
tention were taken into consideration, he (Mr. Peel) was almeat
afraid that the suspicion of his sanity had been confirmed. Under
all these circumstances, he thought the House would see that the
confinement of Mr. Gourley was merely in the ordinary execution
of the law. He most heartily wished that the frierula el Mr. Gour-
ley would come forward and certify that he was sane, by complying
with the law of the country in giving the recognizences required;
Mr. would take this opportunity (denying that he would
have no objection, as far as he was concerned, to enter into the re-.
cognizance required (hear, hear) ; but Mr. Gourley would not a-,
low him to do so until an examination had taken plane, because ,1w
conceived it would be admitting that he was insane. That we g the
ground upon which Mr. Gout y retused to give the sse.di is
mantled. He (Mr. Hume) had no hesitation in ',tying o:st he
would do what the Right Hon. Gentleman (11e, f slag.
gested with great pleasure, if this objection on. 'the pa of Mr.
Gourley were removed.
Mr. Secretary PEEL observed that the letters publish ea by Mr.
Gourley in vindication of his own conduct, al ,1 the r ,foinunlea-
firms received from hint created great (louts, of bis • ,fanny : and
his persisting in not permitting the Hon. Ow' .tientanther ° Humes
ctoionenentertmitiaminiedtheon that recognize
Peel) h ad groat doubt
whether the House could do better than to allow the ,
sr
proceed en in the ordinary execution of the
subject.iie demanded,(mr reog see the mini.
dlr. HUME said, although Mr- tius clay migh tat the dun Ito
committed the assault, newer to be in • Wate of in avail, the ques-
tion was whether as southwest to be fif , op to the lam gsgsmot.

.1111 e