The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-26 00:00:00

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY, MARCII 25.
The following papers were presented at the
bar, viz.—certain accounts, pursuant to act of
Parliament, from the Treasury ; Irish Grand'
Jury Presentments and Commitments, from the
Office of the Chief Secretary for Ireland ; An-
nual Returns of the Trade and Navigation of the.
United Kingdom ; and. an Account of the -But-
ter and Cheese imported into Great, Britain from
the Customs; the Eighth Report on the Bridges
and Roads in the Highlands of Scotland, from
the Commissioners.—The Malt Duty Bill was
read a second time.

The Earl of, BLESINTON, in moving the se,
cond reading of the Bill for Registering Irish
Deeds, said a few words in explanation of► its
object, which appeared still to be misunderstood.
lie observed, that it made no alteration in the
law on the subject, as had erroneously been sup-
posed ; and that the objections which had been
made to it in Ireland, on account of its clashing
with the acts of the 6th and Bth of _Queen Ann,
were not well founded. He should have' some
amendments to propose in the Committee, when
he understood that a Noble and Learned Lord
(we believe Lord Redesdale) who disapproved
of the measure would be present.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, in the absence of his
Noble and Learned Friend, stated that he un-
derstood it to be his opinion that a short Bill, to
amend the ACt Of the Bth of Queen Ann, would
be sufficient, without creating any of the offices
contemplated by the present Bill.—The Bill
was then read a second time, and 'ordered to be
committed on' Friday.—Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
WAREHOUSED CORN.

Mr. WILSON held in his hand a Petition from certain Mer-;
chants trading in Foreign Corn.
The SPEAKER inquired if the Petition was public or
private ?
Mr. WILSON said, it was the petition of private individuals.
He then proceeded 'to describe its object, but that object ap-
pearing to be connected with a public measure,, he• was induc-
ed to decline going into it at that moment. After some rou.
tine business had been disposed of, he again called the atten-
tion of the House to the subject. The Petitioners, who were
traders of great respectability, represented that they had im-
ported large quantities of grain under the present Corn Laws,
which had been bonded and warehoused, and prayed that their
peculiar hardships might be considered in any discussions that
might take place on the laws respecting imported grain.—Or-
dered to be printed.
CRIMINAL CODE.

Mr.,WARRE presented a petition from certain inhabitarits
of Taunton, in favour of the revision of the Criminal Code.
The petition he stated to be signed by persons of great respec-
tability, and persons of all persuasions concurred in its prayer.
Ordered to be printed.

Friend had stated a week ago to the Hon. Gentleman opposite
(Mr. Lushington) that it was his intention to submit such a
motion to the House.
• After a few words from Mr. WYNN,
Mr. WILLIAMS replied, but the previous question having
been withdrawn, the motion was agreed to without a division.
Mr. HEATHCOTE presented a Petition from the Occu-
piers and Owners of Land. of Spilsby, in Lincolnshire., com-
plaining of Agricultural Distress, and praying for a Remission
of Taxation and Parliamentary Reform.
CAPTAIN ROMEO.

Lord J. RUSSELL had a Petition to present on behalf of
Captain Francis Roineo. The Noble Lord then went 'into a
detail- of the circumstances connected with the case, as they
have been already brought before the public.' It appeared,
that in 1811, Captain Romeo had undertaken a service of a
very delicate and important nature. The Queen a Sicily had
wished to overturn the English interest in that island, and to
throw it into the hands of the Emperor Napoleon. From the
certificates given 'to Captain Romeo by sbveral British Offi-
cers, it appeared that on this occasion be had rendered im-
portant-services. In 1816 he had been. arrested with the Bri-
tish uniform on his back, and without any form of trial trans-
ported to Alexandria in Egypt. To this treatment he con-
ceived himself to have 'been subjected by his known attach-
ment to England, which had exposed him to the resentment
of the Neapolitan Government: This he (Lord .1. Russell)
shewed to have been the opinion of Lord W. Bentinck and
Lieut. General Campbell. Ile described the sum `which Cap-
tain Bailie° had received for his services to be an inadequate
reward. The pension which he had received had been sold for
3001., and he was denied an English passport when he applied
for one, which might, have protected him from that hostility to
which he had been exposed. He hoped his case would be taken
into consideration ; and that a person who had rendered im-
portant services to the English nation would not be left to
starve in the streets of London. He then called the attention
of the House to the efforts made by this country in 1813 to ex-
cite the people of- every country in Europe to throw off the
yoke of France. Proclamations and' professions were not
spared 'in Italy. The government established by, Napoleon
there, as every where ' else, was a despotism ; but it was one
that secured considerable advantages to the' Italians, and en-
couraged and rewarded learning and talent. Blit a number
of persons opposed his because it was a' despotism,
and this produced what had been called the liberation of Italy.
At die peace of 1814, certain individuals belonging to that
country waited on a Noble Lord opposite, then acting as, Am-
bassador from this country, to obtain from him a guarantee
for the independence of the State to which they were subject.
It was said the answer had been, that though the independence
of other countries was to be established and guaranteed, they
were not to hope the boon would be extended to theirs. If this
was a misrepresentation 'the Noble Lord would do well to cor-
rect it, as it had gone abroad all over Europe that such was the
answer which he had given. What had been the consequence of
no guarantee being given for the independence of Italy? He had
seen a gentleinan who had latelyarrived frem Calabria, and had
been informed that the present masters of that country did all
in their power to repress education, and were attempting to
bring back Italy to the darkness of the middle ages. At Turin,
certain persons had been 'condemned, one for treason, and the
others tot being fanatical and notorious, on account of their
propensity for a Constitutional system. For this offence' they
had been sentenced to the eaallies fot life. On the other side of
Italy, such offenders had been punished with' ten oar twenty
years imprisonment. A Marquis, who was subject to the
Pope, had been arrested and condemned 'to death. But the
sentence had beenigraciously commuted for ten years of se-
vere imprisonment in a solitary cell, ironed, and denied the
use of pen, ink, and paper. Ile was only allowed to walk
half an hour in each day.; and the individual thus treated had
been torn from a young wife, who was near being confined,
and who was already the naother of two children. He then
called the attention of the House to the' situation of those un-
fortunate persons whose case had been Mentioned last year, and
who were now wandering through Europe without being able
to find a place" of refuge, in consequence of the ineasures of
that Alliance which they had the audacity to call holy.
The petition which set forth the treatment of which Captain
Romeo complained, and his claims to remuneration, was then
read.
Mr. WILMOT thought the Noble Lord had overlaid his
case, by indulging in a variety of observations which had no-
thing to do with the petitioner. This question had been fully
debated, and the Noble Lord would remember that it was never
pretended that Captain Romeo had rendered no services.' It
had, however, been maintained that his services were duly re-
munerated. It was to be remembered also, though Captain
Romeo might describe himself, and though the Noble Lord
might have believed him to be a principal, he was, in fact,
but a subordinate agent when employed. For what he
had done he had been rewarded by a Captain's appoint-
ment in a Calabrese corps, to consist of 700 men, which
had never been embodied. hen the war ended he had been
dismissed with a gratuity and two months' pay, as the other
officers had been, none of whom had claimed any further re-
compense. It was denied by the Neapolitan Government,
that the transportation of which Capt. Romeo complained was
the consequence of his connection with England ; and not only
-was this needed but the' causes of-that step being taken were
distinctly stated, anti a series of acts stated which it had been
thought right thus to visit. The Noble Lord stated that which
was calculated to mislead the House when lie spoke of Captain
Romeo having been arrested wearing the British uniform. If
such were the fact Captain Romeo was wearing that uniform
when he had no right to wear it. It was said that the 3001.
which Capt. Romeo had received was a very inadequate sum
to be given in lieu of 501. per annum. But it was to be borne
in mind that the 501. per annum was not granted for life, but
only for a certain period. Though he had been refused an
English passport, he had been offered one that would have
taken him to Spain or any other country in Europe, but they
had refused to give him one which should make it apr that
he had any authority from this country. He (Mr. Wilmot)
had the Wiest authority for stating Captain Romeo had not
suffered on account of his attachment to England. He did not
know that it was now stated, but if not, it had been in a
former petition, that the Captain's property had been confiscat-
ed. He was enabled to say this was not true.' No such con-
fiscation had taken place, and his property, when sold, had
been sold for his own benefit. Under all the circumstances he
should not object 'to the petition being laid on the table ; but
certainlylhe should conceive any further proceeding unneces-
sary.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH was of opinion, that if Captain Ro-
meo was but a subordinate agent in saving ,a British army
from the machinations of treacherous friends, he had a conside-
rable claim on the country. But a Noble Lord (Lord W. Ben-
tinck) had said, " During my command a very important ser-
vice was entrusted to Captain Romeo." Did this indicate that
Captain Romeo was viewed merely as a' subordinate agent ?
The expressions used by General Maitland were still more re-
markable : He said—" It was chiefly by means of Captain
Romeo that I obtained evidence of the plans of our open ene-
mies and treacherous friends against us." He called upon. the
House to say if it was acting the part of a subordinate agent to
enable General Maitland to save a British army from destruc-
tion. Other Officers had also borne testimony to the part he
had actad ; and he would ask if it became a great and gener-
ous nation to reward- such an agent with 501. per annum,
not for life, but merely for a course of years ? The pea.
•
Lion was placed in such a situation, they must make a
comparison between the declarations of British Officers and
Neapolitan Statesmen, and in such case he should give the
preference to the former. In addition to whatever loss of
property he might have sustained, he was condemned' to per-
petual exile. How would it sound to Europe that such was
the reward given by the British nation for saving a British army
from destruction ?
Mr. GOULBURN said, that Captain Romeo had received
at the hands of Government, after the most minute investiga-
tion, a certain reward amongst many other persons who had
also rendered assistance to our armies. That reward ap-
peared to the Government at the time, and he confessed he
was of the same opinion now, to be quite adequate to the ser-
vices performed. There were many other Officers in a higher
station who took a share in those services, and at the conclu-
sion of the war received rewards very moderately higher than
that granted to Captain Romeo. During the time at which he
was engaged in serving the Britislr troops in the manner de-
scribed, he was receiving pay allowed to certain persons em-
ployed to, gain information for 'the army. He was therefore
bound to perform that duty. The fifty pounds allowed at first
to Captain .Rorneo,was only intended to_suppart him until he