GENERAL HISTORY. 



[7^ 



CHAPTER IX. 



Assassination of Mr. Perceval, and Parliamentary Proceedings 



thereupon. 



THE public business was at 

 this time interrupted by a 

 very extraordinary and tragical 

 event, the assassination of the prime 

 minister. As Mr, Perceval, on 

 May 11th, was entering the lobby 

 of the House of Commons at a 

 quarter past five o'clock, a person 

 of the name of Bellingham, who 

 had placed himself at the side of 

 the door for that purpose, fired a 

 pistol at him, the ball of which 

 entered his left breast. Mr. Per- 

 ceval immediately staggered and 

 fell. He was taken up by Mr. W. 

 Smith, and with the assistance of 

 other members was conveyed to 

 the Speaker's apartments ; but 

 before he reached them, all signs 

 of life were gone. The assassin 

 had taken so sure an aim, that the 

 ball passed through his heart at 

 the center. 



• As soon as the horror occasioned 

 by this catastrophe had somewhat 

 subsided, a person exclaimed, 

 " Where is the villain who fired ?" 

 Bellinghamsteptforward and cool- 

 ly replied, «« I am the unfortunate 

 man." He made no attempt to 

 escape ; and being interrogated as 

 to his motive for the deed, he said, 

 " My name is Bellingham ; it is a 

 private injury — I know what I have 

 done— it was a denial of justice on 

 the part of government," He was 

 then Bearched, and carried to the 



bar of the house, which had been 

 sitting in committee on the orders 

 in council. The Speaker resum- 

 ing the chair, General Gascoyne 

 said, •• I think I know the villain," 

 and on stepping up, called him by 

 his name. The Speaker then pro- 

 posed that he should be committed 

 to the prison-room, not leading 

 him back through the lobby, lest 

 a rescue should be attempted by 

 accomplices ; for the first idea na- 

 turally seems to have been that the 

 murder was perpetrated on a public 

 ground, and in consequence of a. 

 conspiracy. All proper precau- 

 tions being taken, both to prevent 

 injury to others, and that the cri- 

 minal might not destroy himself, 

 and a committee being appointed to 

 examine and give evidence on the 

 facts, the house adjourned. 



In the House of Lords, as soon 

 as the rumour of the event arrived, 

 the greatest agitation was manifest- 

 ed. At length, their lordships re- 

 suming their seats, the Lord Chan- 

 cellor addressing them, said that 

 he felt it his duty to apprise their 

 lordships that he should take care 

 to give orders that none should go 

 out of the doors of this house till 

 their lordships were fully satisfied 

 that they had not the means of 

 doing further mischief. This was 

 understood as a determination that 

 all below the bar should be searched 



to 



