The National Register.
London, England, 1812-05-24 00:00:00

LORD LE VESON -GOWER.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM LORD GRANVILLE LEVESON GOWERI
TO VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH, MAY 17, 18W.
Stanhope-street, May 17, 1811
My Lord—!t appears upon the trial of John Bellingham for the mur-
der of Mr. Perceval, that the pri,oner in his defence endeavoured to
justify that atrocious act on the ground of his Majesty's Government
having refused to compensate him for the injuries and oppression he
states himself to have suffered in Russia, during the time I had the ho-
nour of representing his Majesty in that country. Pie complained par-
ticularly of my conduct, and that of Sir Stephen Shairp, his Majesty's
Consul General, as having sanctioned, by our silence and neglect to in-
terfere in his behalf, the unjust treatment, as he considered it, of the
Russian Government.
I was subprenaed by the prisoner to attend the trial ; I did attend, and
expected anxiously to be called upon, to state, upon oath, all I could re-
collect of the circumstances of his case in Russia. In this expectation,
however, I was disappointed ; my testimony was not called for ; and
after having heard the most serious accusations of gross neglect of duty
and want of common humanity. brought forward by the prisoner, against
myself and Sir Stephen Shairp, I had not the opportunity afforded me
of publicly refuting those charges. Although lam perfectly aware that
the assertions of a man, standing in the situation of Bellingham, can,
unsupported by any other testimony, have no weight whatever with the
sober and reflecting part of the public, yet I should be wanting, I think,
to the interests and honour of the Government of this country, as well
as to my own character and reputation, if I did not endeavour to do
away any possible misapprehension upon this subject, by as ample a
statement of the circumstances, as my memory of the transactions
which passed some years ago will allow me to furnish.
As you, my Lord, are at the head of that department under which I
was employed, I conceive it to be my duty to address this statement to
your Lordship.
In 1805, I remember receiving a letter front John Bellingham,
complaining of his being detained in prison at Archangel, and claiming
my protection, against what he conceived to be the injustice of the con-
stituted authorities of that port; I remember that immediately upon
the receipt of this letter I consulted with Sir Stephen Shairp, who
agreed not only to write a letter to the Governor General, requiring all
expianati:m of the circumstances of which Bellingham comilained,
also to, his own mercantile correspondents, British Itesielents at eN rchan-
gel, for their opinion of the conduct of the RUSSialli Government towards
the complainant.
It appeared from these inquiries, that Bellingham having been et,-
gaged in commercial business with the house of Durbecker acd Co. pe-
cuniary claims were made by each party against the other, and that
thfr e claims had been by the Gov' ritor-General referred for decision 10.
four merchants, two British merchants being appointed on the part of
Bellingham, and two other persons on the part of Dorbecker. By the
award of those arbitrators, Bellingham was declared to be iudrbttd to
the assignees of Durbecker, the sum of two thousand roubles. 'his
sum Bellingham, notwithstanding this decision, refused to pay.
It also appeared from the cormnunications received from Archangel,
that a criminal suit had been instituted against Bellingham, hy.the
fawners of a Russian ship which had been lost in the White Sea. _they
accused him of having written an anonymous letter that had been re-
ceived by the Underwriters in London, in which letter it was stated
that the insurancc of that ship was a fraudulent transaction; and pa}•