The National Register. — 1812-05-24 (London, England)

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 murder 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 honour of representing his Majesty in that country. Pie complained particularly of my conduct, and that of Sir Stephen Shairp, his Majesty's Consul General, as having sanctioned, by our silence and neglect to interfere 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 recollect 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 constituted 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 rchangel, 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. pecuniary 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 received by the Underwriters in London, in which letter it was stated that the insurancc of that ship was a fraudulent transaction; and pa}•