The Sun.
London, England, 1818-04-28 00:00:00

lONIAN ISLANDS

Mr. BENNET wished to call the attention of the.
House to a petition from a Foreigner, 'Count
Adand, complaining of the conduct of Lieut.-
General .Campbell, while. Commander in the
lonian- Islands. It stated that the petitioner bad
been a suitor to Government for three years, and
could get no redress for the Oppression and injus-
tice lie had been 'subjected to, having been re-
ferred back to the country from which he came ;
but the Lieut.-General, he, stated, could not be
tried by any tribunal there, as he had put himself
above the law. Ile assumed a right of repealing
the existing laws, and setting up the most offen-
sive punishment, that of the pillory, to which he
exposed the inhabitants ; he also thought 0 to
flogrhis own-soldiers as well as the inhabitants,'
and had actually had one mao put to death
Whether these accusations were true,rhe (Mr. B).
could not say ; but the petitioner, though offering
to adduce the most positive proofs of them, could
get no inquiry instituted. Even Sir 'I% Maitland'
bad injured his feelings, by consideriiig hint as an
adventurer, but he (Mr. B.) had positive proof of
his rank being what he stated, and also that ,he
was appointed Ambassador to Russia. lie prayed
the House to institute an inquiry into the treat-
ment he had received.

The petition being brought up and read.,
Mr. GOULBURN said, is must be clear, that
whatever might be the merits of Count Adari-d,
or however true the statements in the Yeti-.
lion, the House could. not interfere in the
subject. He hail imputed certain criminal ac-
tions .to a high Officer of Government, one of
which was neither more nor less than his having
murdered an individual. Nov lie would ask
whether that House was -if proper tribunal to in-
terfere on such a subject ?' He must say, that if-
there had been any obstacle"tohis obtaining jos-,
lice in his case, the faith lay more with him than
with -the Government. • He had said he had the..
power to prove those charges: -It might be so 5'
but there were other tribunals than that House to
take cognitanee of soch.crimes. He had given a
list of 100 witness residing in the lonian Islands,
and When reference had been -inatie.to them, "lie
said it was of no tuse to refer to them, as he could.
.not obtain justice there. But •he (ME. G.) would
deny that be had any ,hadow of complaint against
his Majesty's high Office's ; and as to Sir Thomas
Maitland, his character stood too high to he be-
.nefitti d by any thing he (Mr. G.). could sgy of it.
The gallant General had professed himself most
ready To go into the charges there, and to give
.him that redress which those tribunals were most
proper to afford. The Petitioner had therufore
been told that •he Was at perfect liberty to pro-
ceed there, and substantiate his charges respect-
ing the property he had been deprived of. At.all
events, the House was not the proper tribunal to
apply

Sir C. MoNcK wondered at the course the
Honourable Gentleman had adopted, in saying
that the petitioner could obtain justice in the
Islands-, when the person against whottche com-
plained was no logger there.
Mr. GOULBURN was obliged to interrupt the

Hon. Baronet. He had not said so. One of the
charges was against General Campbell, who is
now, in this:Country, and he had intimated that
the legal tribunals here were the proper places for
redreis. The charges relative to the privation of
property ought to be discussed in the Islands,
where his witnesses were, and where the trans-
action complained of had taken place.
Sir C. Motvcx resumed. The petitioner. had

said that General Campbell interposed, and pre-
veritCd'him from obtaining his rights: Surely the
Hun. Gentleman did not mean to say, that if he
was prevented' by military authority from obtain-
ing his rights in those islands, he had his right of
action in the Courts of this Country. Every body

knew there was no remedy for him here, and he
had found that it' was in vain for him to go there;
as Sir T. Maitland had interfered to prevent him
from obtaining justice, by representing him as an
adventurer, assuming a title to which -he.had no
claim. He would refer only to the Constitution
u►edcr which those islands were governed,wherein
it would be found there was no remedy against
any interference on the part of the High Com-‘
missioner. The petitioner,- therefore, came to
the House as his dernier resort, and he hoped the

House would agree to his petition lying on the
table.

JOHN NEWPORT. argued that there was no
remedy but in the Courts at, borne for the'op-
pressions compLiined of by the petitioner.
Mr. BENNET admitted that the_Courts of Law
,woe'4pen to the iititioner, and so• was. the Lou-
don 'Tavern. But fits, was reduced in foittineo-and
Inc. want of property preven.ed hint from availing.
himself of
,the remedy they offered. Was it to be
'aid that GoVernmCnt had no control over their
Officers ; - that, redress for injuries were: only to
be obtained by law-suits.; and that .those Officers
had full imnnnity to act towards ilnlividuals as
they thought fit. 1-1 e should certainly take some,
steps upon this Petition, having no doubt that
it would be perinitted to lie on the table.
Mr. GOULBURN explained. .He denied that his
observations were liable to such'a construction as
the Hon: Gentleman had put upon them.
Mr. F'. Donor...as. expressed his anxicty that
Government would' not attempt to obtain more
power in the lonian Islands than was given them
by, the Treaty of Par 4.
Sir C. MONCK • wished to know how it was
that there was-n 4 general or• regularintercOnrse
bet Ween this country and the .lonian Islands ?
Sonic letters had been received within these few
days ; but none had arrived before for a long
time ; sometimes communications did not arrive
for three or four montils, and Gentlemen here had
been as long as eight or nine months without
hearing from their friends and Cori espOnde tits.
Mr. GOULBURN said, that the regularity,of the
intercourse had been interropted7by the appear-
ance 'Of the plagne iu sonic parts. of Northern
Africa, and, in cbn...rtptence,. vessels coming
from the Levant Were obligrd .to perform a long
and rigorous tin:amid:le at Ancona.
The l'etition- was then ordered to lie on the
table.

Sir S. RomILLY said a few Words expressive of
a wish to have the do( hntents relative to the Co►►-
duct of Huggins exit-Pined by a Commi!tee. The
result of his remarks was not ascertained.