76] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1512. 



to see that they had no weapons ; 

 but the alarm of conspiracy havincr 

 now probably subsided, this resolu- 

 tion was not persisted in. The 

 fact of Mr. Perceval's death, and 

 the adjournment of the commons 

 being then ascertained, the Earl 

 of Radnor moved, " That an hum- 

 ble address be presented to his 

 Royal Highness the Prince Regent, 

 stating, that the house had heard 

 with horror of the attack made 

 upon, and the assassination of, the 

 Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, one 

 of his Majesty's most honourable 

 privy council, and praying that his 

 Royal Highness would be gracious- 

 ly pleased to direct such steps to be 

 taken as he should deem expedient 

 for the apprehension of the offender 

 or offenders." 



This motion was agreed to nem. 

 diss, and the house adjourned. 



The Prince Regent sent a cor- 

 respondent answer to this address ; 

 and on the following day a message 

 was received from him by both 

 houses, recommending a provision 

 for the numerous and afflicted 

 family of Mr. Perceval. Lord 

 Castlereagh opened the business in 

 the House of Commons, and paid 

 a v?ry feeling tribute to the virtues 

 and merits of the deceased minister. 

 Amidst his distress on this occasion 

 he was, however, happy to men- 

 tion, that as far as they had been 

 enabled to investigate the subject, 

 government were of opinion that 

 this was an insulated act, and con- 

 fined to the individual by whom it 

 was perpetrated. With respect to 

 the extent of the provision, he 

 doubted not that the house would 

 be anxious to protect all who bore 

 the name of his lamented friend 

 from the danger of poverty. In 

 conclusion, he moved an humble 



address to the Prince Regent, ex- 

 pressing their participation in the 

 severe loss sustained by his Royal 

 Highness and the public, and their 

 abhorrence of the crime committed, 

 and assuring him of their ready 

 compliance with his recommen- 

 dation . 



The motion was seconded by 

 Mr. Ponsonby ; who said, that 

 although no one thought Mr. 

 Perceval's political opinions more 

 erroneous than he had done, yet 

 he always entertained the highest 

 idea of his honour, and the greatest 

 affection for his person. He had 

 known him in early life, and had 

 never known a man of greater 

 worth, or more exemplary in the 

 domestic relations of life. 



Mr. Canning and Mr. Whit- 

 bread joined in the same senti- 

 ments, and the address was agreed 

 to nem. con. and ordered to be car- 

 ried up by the whole house. On 

 the suggestion of Lord Castlereagh, 

 a committee of the whole house 

 was ordered for the morrow, to 

 consider the message ; and it was 

 determined that the house should 

 be adjourned from day to day. 



After the house had delivered its 

 address to the Regent on May 1-3, 

 it was resolved into a committee 

 for considering the provision to be 

 made for Mr. Perceval's family. 

 Lord Castlereagh stated that the 

 right honourable gentleman, be- 

 sides a widow, had left twelve 

 children to the protection of the 

 public, and that the property he 

 had left was so moderate as to 

 afford no possibility of their living 

 in a style suited to their rank. 

 With respect to the nature of the 

 grant, he thought it would be 

 most eligible to vote a substantive 

 sum of money in the first instance 

 ' for 



