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

310

immassmsor
sensation of the case to the various Departments of his Majesty's Go-
vernment, and in January last I applied for redress, by Petition, to his
Royal flighnetss the Prince Regent, who was graciously pleased to refer
the .fin ro Majesty's Illtn,ourable Privy Council—[See let •
ter N.,. ' —The Council declined to act in the business, upon which
I reqift e 1 an official copy of their Lordships' decision, and was an-
swerefti 'fit' the Clerk of the Council, it could not be complied with ;
in
come*. slue, I renewed my application to his Royal Highness the
Prince Regent, accompanied by a Petition to the House of Commons,
praying his Royal Highness, that as the affair is purely national, he
would be graciously pleased to direct my complaint to be brought
before parliament; to which Petition I received the answer [No.
s-of
Havioe borne the weight of this unhappy affair abroad, for a serie
years, a manifold way, on my return home I had the mortification
to fir..,+ tx affairs going .to ruin, may propertysold off, my family dis—
traete t, fzul suffering in the most severe manner by the inevitable ruin-
Inv.; cocsofquences of my detention ; and for.t.he nrageding two years they
had font keen able to ascertain whether I of.x. alive or dead. Since
my rei I have not only been bereaved of 4,4 further property (be-
queathed- in my absence) to make good the consequence of this busi-
ness, hut am now considerably involved--so fatal has it proved.—Thus
circemstanced, I trust I shall be pardoned in addressing the House of
Commons individually, in the hope that on the behalf of material jus-
tice, some Member will do me the favour to bring forward my said
jnat Petition—as common justice is all that I solicit, and what every
one will agree I ought to have, more especially as my sufferings for the
last eight years have been almost too great for human nature to sustain.
In soliciting your kind aid, I beg to be understood, that it. is far from
my intention, by this address, to complain of any party whatever,
being coovinced, that in no country upon earth is justice so purely
adirinisk.-ed as in this ; and justice I am sure I shall have, so soon as
die atfairis known to the Tribunal where alone it can be taken proper
dognizgact of.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your very humble and obedient •lervant,
JOHN BELLINGHAM.
No. 9, New Millman-street, March 12, 1812.
(The memorial contained in 0:15 letter contains an account of the
private occurrences which befel this unfortunate man in consequence
of his irregularity or violence in Rll.4ia. He went to that count, y, •iz.
to Archangel, in 1804, and on the 15th of November in the same
year, when setting out for St. Petershurgh, was thrown into prison
upon an affidavit of debt made, by one Solomon Van Brienen. After
various applications to Sir S. Shairpe and Lord Granville Leveson
Gower, who took tip his case, till they ascertained that the pro-
ceedings against Hill had been correct, he at length obtained his
liberty, and arrived at Tetersburgh, where he impeached the Military
Governor of Arcl,angel. This frivolous prosecution led him into other
difficulties from which he was at last extricated, and on his return to
r ngland, eiesiegechhe public offices with applications for redress of what
he ,-.!lotte to call a public and national grievance. Being disappointed in all
these ai.plications, he at length determined to bring his case before Par
liameet, and enclosed the inemorial, of which this is an abstract, to a
great number of Members, in the preceding letter.)
No. I.
Whitehall, February 18, 1812.
Sir—l am directed by Mr. Secretary Ryder to acquaint you that
your Pctition to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent has been re-
ferred, by the command of his Royal Highness, for the consideration
of the Lords of his Maje yst's most Honoueable Privy Council.
I am, Sir, your most obedient eervant,
J. BECKETT.

_Jotm Bellingham, En.