The Sun.
London, England, 1812-05-12 00:00:00

JAI P.L1:1_11, P.,III!LIAIIIEN2,

HOUSE OF PEERS.

MONDAY, MAY I.

ASSASSINATION OF THE'PREMIER.
In consecietnce of an event or superlative and

ital importance, involving- a circumstance of the
most malign and demoniacal atrocity upon record,
we decline stating some judicial and routine busi-
ness which was transacted in the early part of the

evening. ,
About a quarter af'er four o'clock a sort of con-
fused alarm reached the Hollse generally, that some
person bad just bf-en shot in the lobby of :be House
of Commons ; and .in consequeace several Peers,
and many of the strangers below the bar, repaired
thiilae-r, when, alas! the circumstance Charaelerised

in our present head was soon ascertained to-have
taken place. Of course, as might naturally be ex-
peaed, the feel,ngs of grief, horror, and indigna-
tion, which pervaded every individual of this illus-
ttious assembly, precluded the immediate trans-
action of any of the business which stood for the
evening. At length, as soon as these strong sensa-
tions would permit.
The LORD 'CHANCELLOR, -quitted the Woolsack
and; under strong impressions of grief and agitation,
addressed the House neatly as follows
I am conscious, my Lords, that in what I am
about to propose, I am trespassing upon your Lord-
ships' orders; but there are occasions, my Lords,
in whch I trust it may be deemed no offence to be
d:sorderly. I have, ere many moments, received
certain information of a most melancholy and atro-
cious circumstance which has taken place in the
lobby of the other House of Parliament. I hope,
under such circumstances, your Lordships will al-
low me to request that all the Officers belonging to
this House shall take care that no person shall quit
the inside of these walls, or that no one, under any
pretence, be suffered to quit this House of Parlia-
ment until a thorough examination shall take
place, with a,view, as far as possible, to the pre-
vention of the immediate commission, of further
mischief."

The proposal seeming to meet the entire sense
of all the Peera present, the doors of the House,
and of the avenues immediately leading to it, were
accordingly closed, and secured by the prover
officers.

After a short interval, his Royal Highness' the
Duke of CUMBERLAND rose and said—" My Lords,
it is with the most heartfelt concern thatl regard
the occasion which induces me thus to address you;
but having seen my Right Hon. Friend, Mr. Pea-
CEVAL, rwounded and dead! I feel it my duty to
state the fact to the House, leaving it to the judg-
ment of your Lordships to decide what is most pro-
per to be done on such an occasion."
Lord ELLENBOROUGH..--" Will his Royal High-
Less have the goodness to inform the House where
it was he saw that u hich he has stated
The Duke of CUMBERLAND.—" I saw Mr. PER'.
CEVAL in the Speaker's Chamber, and in the long
gallery near it : he was sitting in a chair, attended
by a Surgeon 'and other persons."
Lord HOLLAND and Lord ELLENBOROUGH seem-
ed of opinion thlt some regular evidence should be
adduced at the Bar, of the fad.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL was rather of a contrary
sentiment. He thought it would be 'more proper
to let the fa&, as coming to their Lordships know-
ledge;stand upon the word of a Peer, titan to prove
it by external evidence at the Bar.
Lord Eut.ErrsoaouGH expressed his decided opi•
nion that an examination at the Bar, as to the
faa, wouli be the most proper and regular course.
The faa would be thea before the House in
evidence.

A,cordingly, Mr. RictrAßD TAYLOR, Senior
Door-keei.er of the House of Commons, was
shortly after introduced to the bar ; and to 4 the in-
terrogatories put by the LORD CHANCELLOR, stated
as follows :

I am an Officer attending the House of Com-
mons--I was at the door at the time—l saw the
pistol---I saw it fired, and I saw Mr. PERCEVAL fall
in the lobby—l heard the pistol go off, and saw Mr.
PEIICEVAL fall immediately after."
Their Lordships being of opinion this was a suf-
ficient verification of the faa, the witness was de-
,
sired to retire from the bar. And
The Earl of RADNOR, after a very few words,
moved an Address to his Royal Highness the
PRINCE REGENT, on the melancholy and affiiaing
occasion, the purport of which, (as we could col-
lea) was to express the feeling of regret and ab-
horrence entertained by the House at the melan-
choly circumstance attending the death of the
Right Honourable SPENCER PERCEVAL, one of his
Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. Re-
questing that information might be laid before the
House recpeaing the same ; and praying that mea-
sures may be taken by his Royal Highness for'bring-