Star.
London, England, 1812-05-23 00:00:00


11111irc _ - •
a.‘ di
BZZ
TO THE EDITOR OF IRE STAR.
Ine—l have just read,'with no little surprise, a let-
t? from Mr. Sheriff HLTGATE, in the STAR of yester-
day, respecting a report, styled---" the dying Decla-
ration" of the miserable visionary, 'who suffered on
!Monday last, as it appeared exclusively in your paPet
On that evening, and in all the morning papers of the
following day :—a The Sheriff says, " I think it'
due to the public and myself to state, that it was e.
wholly stnauthorined." I believe Mr. Sheriff HEY.
IRATE iethe first Sherif Nvho, upon such an occasion,
has presumed to talk in this tone of objection to the
public. It has been, time out of mind, the constant
-usage to impart to the public, every circumstance 11
-which cast be obtained respecting the conduct, and
particularly the last moments of great offenders,
'Without applying to any eifider, whether high or su-
,bordinate, for permission so to do. Stich publicity
participates in the spirit of the Constitution, which
enjoins that the execution of criminals adjudged to
death, shall be as public as possible, With the same
decency might the Sheriff complain of the publica-
tion, without hit astgutrity, of criminal trials occurring
within his official province.
In the report alluded to, nothing was stated which
amid be painful to the feelings of either of the She-
tiffs, is nun, or aspublic functionaries. These who !
permed die narrative must hate felt that, in both ca.
pacifies,' they had attended to their duty. Had a 1
puhlic communication of a private-conversation be-
tween Mr. HETI:MTN or Mr. Bitten, with any other
Titivate individual.' appeared, then might such com-
munication_ be deemed unauthorized, as, in my opi-
lion, it would have been unjustifiable.
But the Shetiffs, as such,. are public men—they
eveye in the discharge of a momentous public duty-the
awful and extraordinary scene was public, at which
what. passed was the property of the public, and not
like the' goods and chattles of felons convict, the right
of the Sheriff. It 'teat an occasion Ivied) convulsed
every nerve tithe ctiunu y, and it would have been un-
just to the public to have withheld even the smallest
tavoinstance which occurred.
Mr. Sheriff HETGATE has, further thought proper
to state, that the dialogue between the Sheriffs and
Bellingham was—" in some respects, not now aecnsary
io mention, likely to give an inaccurate idea of what
pasted." This very slight objection to the accuracy
Of a statement, at to an immaterial word or tWRA
added or omitted, h, however, not very power.
fully supported by whet follows :—for the Sheriff
himself, though in terms ton loose and mere' to be
'Very gratifying to public curiosity, cer.fiirns, so fitr as
he times to communicate, the very statement which
he complains of being unauthorized, and, in some re.
spects, likely to mislead. This assertion is made
after an attentive comparison of both statements. To
the truth of that which appeared in your paper of
Monday, ample testimony can be produced. •
I might ask of Mr. Slastriff-liisoare, without any
disrespect, why thinking as he does, he did not on
Tuesday or Wednesday, supply the public with till
the details of what paused from his own(as he is
pleased to think) more retentive recollection? In the
sheriff's general statement, he has omitted any allu-
sion to one and indeed a very extraordinary part of
the dying criminal's observations. Perhaps to this
cause, the Sheriff's procrastinated, superfluous, and
now almost tosauthorized” address to the public may
be traceable, though his object is not sufficiently elu-
cidated for me to charge him with such useless end un-
manly uifles ; especially as in detailing the truth,
twain?, was made public, in the statement of the
STAR, which considerate prudence, or national policy
ought to have suppressed. Concealment is always ,
suspicious, and the pahlicity of the most minute
circumstances, especially of what this extraordinary
and infatuated man said and did at the very vestibule
of eternity, could alone enable the public to form a
just coeclusion upon the whole of the horrible ante'
eventful transaction. By this' alone could the public
decide, that this miserable man, upon the subject Of
his tlisoi'dered affairs, and unredressed imaginary In-
juries, which led to the dreadful deed, was unques-
tionably deranged, but not sufficiently so to autho-
rize the administrators of the laws to consider him
snore as a lunatic than a criminal, by which unhappy
penors suffering under the most morbid infatuation
may, ind ought td be restrained, by even the terror
de the laws. The country from its centre to its extre-
mities is by this time convinced that the law of the
Judge and the verdict of the Jury were sound, and
this Mr. Sheriff Heroare will do well to reflect that
conviction could net have been effected but by a /tank,
active, 'manly, constitutional developement of every
Circumstance connected with an event so full of hor-
ror and undeserved, that the public opponents of the
victim,from the moment of his fall, were no longer
distinguishable from his private and bosom friends,
in shecidieg tears of commiseration over his sad and
awful destiny.—l am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
May 2:, 1812. . AN ENGLISHMAN.

Sorg OF it LETTER FROM LORD GRENVILLE LIDIMION
GOvniarTO VXSCOVNT (..SET/EREAGIL
pidbefore the House of Commons yesterday/ agreeably tO the
motion of Lead G. J,. Gowan )
Mr Loan—it appears upon the trial of John Bellingham, for
the murder of Mr. Percev A, that the prisoner in his defence en.
deavoured to justify that atr.iclous act on the ground of hi; Ma-
jesty's Goverr.ment having rtitised •to compensate him tor the
injuries and oppreseon he rates himsetf to have suffered in Rus-
sia, during the time I had the honour to represent his Majeaty in
that country. He. complained particularly of my conduct and
that' of fir Stephen shairp, his Nl:jetty's Consul General, as
'Rettig sanctioned, by our silence and neglect to interfere in his
bolia/f, the unjust treatment, as he considered it, of the Russian
GoVermutiv.
I was subperna'd by the prisoner to attend the trial ; I did at-
tend, and expreted anxiously to be called upon, to state, upon
oath, all I could recollect of the circumstances of his case in Rus-
sia. Ip this txpectatioN however,l was disappointed; my tes-
shooter was not called for; and after having heard tha Most serious
accusations of gross neglect of duty and want of collusion htnna-
say, brought forward by the prisoner, against myself and Sir
Stuphes Shairp, I had not the opportunity afforded nie of pub-
licly refuting those charges. Although lam perfectly aware that
the assertions of a man, standing in the situation of Bellingham,
can, onsupportedbyany other testimony, have no weiglit whatever
with the sober and reflecting part of the public, yet ishou/d be
wanting, I think, totlisrinterests and honour of the Government
• of.this country, as well as to my own char.-ter and reputation,
Kislid not endeavour to do away any possible miapprehension
mom *ls subject, 11 as ample a statement of the cireuresiat.cts,
eZling memory, et transactions which passed souse years ago, will
Ably Web) furor eh.
A. you, my Lord, are at the head of that departtnert, under
which I was employed, Leonceive It to he my duty to address

' . •