his Lordship laid it down as a principle, that unless there had been some base misconduct on the part of the public servant, it became the duty of the House to extend its protection to such servants, and defend them from public or private malignity. His Lordship then moved an Address to the Prince Regent, declaring their abhorrence of the atrocious act committed within the walls of Parliament, and expressing their willingness to make the required provision.

Mr. Ponsonby was anxious to second the motion, and expressed his entire concurrence in the sentiments of the Noble Lord. He bore testimony to the numerous virtues of the late Mr. Perceval, for whose person he entertained a warm affection.

Mr. Whitbread sincerely deplored the loss of the Right Hon. Gentleman, whose liberal and unceasing controul of temper he particularly admired.

Sir R. Wigram suggested a public funeral, which Lord Castlereagh said would be distressing to the family.

Messrs. Canning, and W. Wynne, also shortly spoke.

May 13.

Sir F. Burdett, in a short speech, expressed his detestation of the assassination of Mr. Perceval, and his concurrence in the proceedings of the House.

In a Committee on the Prince Regent's Message, relating to the provision for Mr. Perceval's family, Lord Castlereagh moved, that an annuity of 2000. should be granted to Mrs. Perceval, and the sum of 50,000l. to be vested in trustees, for the benefit and use of the 12 children of the late Mr. Perceval. His Lordship said that scarcely any property was left behind,, and that only arising out of the fortune the widow was entitled to at her marriage.

Messrs. Herbert and H. Sumner thought the grant wholly inadequate; and the latter proposed that 70007, should be appropriated to each child.

Messrs. Wilberforce, Whitbread, Wynne, and Bankes, urged the propriety of unanimity; the sum proposed by the Noble Lord had the sanction of the family, and it would be better to vote it unanimously, than a larger sum with opposition. The grant of 50,000%. without fee or deduction to the children was then voted unanimously; but on the motion of Mr. H. Sumner, carried on a division by 136 to 23, the annuity of 2000l. to Mrs. Perceval is to descend, on her decease, to the next heir male of the late Mr. Perceval.

went up with the Address. After the Regent's Answer had been read, the House went into a Committee on the Resolutions for providing for the family of the late Mr. Perceval, when Mr. H. Sumner's Resolution was opposed by Mr. Whitbread.

Mr. Lushington, in advocating the Resolution, said, "I saw Lord Arden, the brother of Mr. Perceval, overwhelmed with grief, and his hand placed upon his body, near the part where the fatal wound was inflicted. 'My brother!' he exclaimed, you are gone, gone to Heaven! but your children "His

children,' replied an Hon. Member standing by, are his Country's!' He hoped the declaration would be verified.-The Resolution was ordered to be re-committed to-morrow.

In the Commons, the same day, Lord Jocelyn stated that the Prince Regent would give orders for the erection of a monument to the memory of Mr. Perceval.

On the report of the Committee for making provision for the family of Mr. Perceval being brought up, Mr. Whitbread and Sir F. Burdett opposed the grant, because they thought Mr. Perceval had no claims, in his public capacity, upon the country: Sir F. Burdett suggested that a private subscription would have been a preferable mode.

Sir J. Nicholl thought that the liberality of Parliament would have the effect of making future Ministers zealous in the discharge of their public duties, by shewing that their families were, in the event of their decease, adopted by the Country.

Mr. H. Sumner contended, that the family were entitled to 30001, a year, as the House had come to a resolution lately, providing that sum for the benefit of any Minister after five years service; and Mr. Perceval had been Minister that time. On a division, the grant was carried by 171 to 16.

May

May 21.

Mr. S. Wortley, after observing that an Administration was now upon the eve of being formed, which no disinterested man thought adequate to meet the exigencies of the times, said, he meant merely to call upon that House to address his Royal Highness, praying him to form an efficient Administration, thereby implying that the persons to be continued in power did not possess the confidence of the Country. He had no hostility to Ministers, with whom he had been in the habit of voting; but if they were not strong while the late Mr. Perceval was at their head, they were worse than weak without the aid of his great talents. He thought every thing had not been done to form a popular and efficient Administration; for the offers made to a Noble Marquis and a Right Hon. Gentleman (Marquis Wellesley and Mr. Canning) were so inadmissible, that it was impossible they could have been acceded to. He then concluded with moving the Address, which was seconded by Lord Milton.

Mr. Eyre thought it unconstitutional for that House to interfere with the nomination of Ministers by the Sovereign, and moved the other orders of the day.

Sir F. Burdett said, that no change of men could be beneficial without a thorough change of measures. All the late Administrations had disappointed the hopes of the Country; he thought that the Address should request the Prince to name an Administration who would pledge themselves to conciliate the Catholicks, alleviate the burthens of the people, and support a Parliamentary Reform.

Mr. Wilberforce objected to the motion, that it interfered with the prerogative of the Crown, and trenched on the Constitution. The Hon. Baronet's suggestion he likewise deemed unconstitutional. He would recommend waiting till the Admi nistration was formed, when they might be able to judge of its measures. He would support any Administration of whose measures he approved; and recommended that when the Country was in danger, all parties should unite in its defence.

The Hon. Mr. Ward said, that the motion was strictly constitutional, though not to be had recourse to ou light grounds: he stigmatised the present as the reign of favouritism.

Mr. Ryder said, that the overtures to a Noble Marquis and a Right Hon. Gentleman were made in the spirit of conciliation, and that Ministers regretted exremely that they could not be brought to strengthen their Administration. As to the Noble Lord now at the head of Administration (Castlereagh), it was the opision of the late Mr Pitt, that there was

not a man in the ranks of Opposition (the late Mr. Fox excepted) better qualified for the management of affairs than that Noble Lord.

Mr. Canning stated that his rejection of the overtures to join the present Administration arose from their determination not to entertain the subject of the Catholic Claims; had he acceded, and afterwards drawn the attention of his colleagues to the subject, he would probably have been beaten in the Cabinet, and he therefore chose to make the motion in that House.

Lord Castlereagh defended the conduct of the Servants of the Crown in not deserting their posts, and suffering an assassin to throw the system of policy which had received the sanction of the Country into confusion. He regretted that the offers made by the Crown had not been accepted; and was convinced that the refusal was dictated by conscientious motives. An efficient Administration, comprising all the talents of the Country, was peculiarly necessary, and he had tendered his resignation that he might be no obstacle to its formation; he regretted that the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Canning) had not stated what proposition regarding the Catholicks he would recommend.

Sir J. Newport, and Mr. Martin (of Galway) spoke in support of the motion, after which the House divided: for the previous question 170, against it, 174. Majority against Ministers 4.

The motion of Mr. Wortley for the Address was then carried without a division.

A second division then took place on the proposition that the Address should be presented by such Members of the House as were Privy Councillors, which was lost by 176 to 174.

Mr. Whitbread animadverted in strong terms on this proceeding, which rendered a resolution carried by a majority of the House, in which there were present 350 Members, a dead letter. He should inquire of the Speaker how they should proceed.

The Speaker replied, there were only two modes, one that the Address should be presented by such Members of the House as are of the Privy Council, the other by the whole House.

Mr. W. Wynne mentioned another, and moved that the Address be presented by the mover and seconder thereof (Mr. Wortley and Lord Milton), which was carried without a division.

May 22.

Mr. Stuart Wortley appeared at the Bar, and said, he had waited on the Prince Regent that day with the Address of the House, to which his Royal Highness had returned this most gracious An

swer:

feet) to prosecute that plan. I therefore bore up and steered parallel to them at the distance of about two cables' length, and opened the broadside on them, which was returned by a very animated and welldirected fire of round, grape, and other descriptions of shot, supported by three batteries, for the space of twenty-one minutes, and was very destructive to our sails and rigging. My object, during that time, was to prevent their hauling outside the dry rock, named Le Graul; but in steering sufficiently close to it to leave them no room to pass between me and it, and at the same time to avoid running on it myself, the utmost difficulty and anxiety was produced by the cloud of smoke which drifted ahead of the ship, and totally obscured it. However, by the care and attention of Mr. Hugh Stewart, the Master, the ship was carried within the distance of her own length on the South-west side, in quarter less seven fathoms, and the Enemy were in consequence obliged, as their only alternative, to attempt passing within it, where there was not water enough, and they all grounded, under every sail, on the rocks between it and the shore.

The sails and rigging of the Northumberland were so much damaged, that I was obliged to leave the Enemy to the effects of the falling tide, it being only one quarter ebb, while I repaired the rigging and shifted the foret op-sail, which was rendered entirely useless; working to windward during that time under what sail I could set, to prevent falling to leer ward; in which interval, at five o'clock, the Growler joined and fired on the Enemy occasionally. At 28 minutes after five, I anchored the Northumberland in six and a half fathoms water, Point de Pierre Laye bearing N. W. half N. the citadel of Port Louis E. three quarters N. and the rock named Le Grand N. half E. two cables length distant, with her broadside bearing on the Enemy's two frigates and brig, at point blank range, all of them having fallen over on their sides next the shore as the tide left them, and exposed their copper to us, and the main-masts of one frigate and the brig were gone; and from 34 minutes after five till 49 minutes past six (which was near the time of low water) a deliberate and careful fire was kept up on them; at which time, believing I had fully effected the object of my endeavours, the crews having quitted their vessels, all their bottoms being pierced by very many of our shot, so low down as to ensure their filling on the rising tide, and the leading frigate being completely in flames, communicated to the hull from a fire which broke out in her foretop, I got under sail. Three batteries fired at the ship during the whole time she was at anchor; and although the position was so far well chosen

that she was out of the range of two of them, the other (to which the Enemy's vessels were nearest) reached her, and did as much execution in the hull as all the fire she had been exposed to before.-I directed the Commander of the Growler to stand in and fire, to prevent the Enemy from returning to their vessels after I had ceased.

At five minutes before eight, the frigate on fire blew up with an awful explosion, leaving no remains of her visible. At the close of day 1 anchored for the night, out of the reach of the batteries on both sides, Point Taleet bearing N. N. W. half W. S. E. point of Groa S. S. S. half W. the enemy's vessels N. by E. At ten, the other frigate appeared to be on fire also (some smoke having been seen on board her from the time the firing ceased), and at half past eleven, the flames burst forth from her ports and every part with unextinguishable fury, which unlooked-for event leaving me nothing more to attempt in the morning, the brig being quite on her beam ends, and very much damaged by our shot in every part of her bottom, even very near her keel, I weighed anchor at midnight, with a very light air from the northward, with the Growler in company, profiting by the brightness of the moon to get to sea; but it was so near calm that I made very little progress, and therefore saw the frigate burning from head to stern all night, and explode at 35 minutes after two in the morning of yesterday, leaving a portion of her after-part still burning till it was entirely consumed; and in the course of the day I had the satisfaction to see, from off the N. W. point of Groa, a third fire and explosion in the same spot, which could have been no other than the brig

During the time of firing on the Enemy's vessels, a seaman, who states himself to be a native of Portugal, captured in the ship Harmony, of Lisbon, by the frigates, on the 22d of February, swam from oue of them to the Northumberland, by whom I am informed their names were L'Arianne and L'Andromache, of forty-four guns and four hundred and fifty men each, and the Mameluke brig, of eighteen guns and one hundred and fifty men; that they sailed from the Loire in the month of January, had been cruizing in various parts of the Atlantic, and had destroyed thirty-six vessels of different nations (Americans, Spaniards, Portuguese, and English), taking the most valuable parts of their cargoes on board the frigates (and they appeared very deep for ships so long at sea), and one vessel they sent as a cartel to England, with about two hundred prisoners.-[The remainder of the letter bears testimony to the creditable conduct of every officer and man engaged on this occasion, especially of the senior lieutenant, Mr. Johu Banks,

Mr.