16 ASSASSINATION OF PERCEVAL. [1812. 



through it, near the centre, so that death must have 

 been almost instantaneous. Bellingham made no 

 attempt to escape, but at once stepped forward, and 

 declared that he had fired the fatal shot. He was 

 committed by Michael Angelo Taylor, a Middlesex 

 magistrate, who happened to be present. The House 

 immediately adjourned. 



Next day an attempt was made to make us sus- 

 pend the inquiry, in consequence of this most lamen- 

 table event, but we positively refused. Indeed, the 

 suspension of all other business which necessarily 

 ensued, enabled us to make a rapid progress with our 

 evidence, of which a great body was produced during 

 the next four weeks. The natural anxiety to let no 

 interruption be given by what had happened, was 

 increased by the desire to disconnect it as much as 

 possible with the inquiry. A Liverpool man having 

 been the assassin was quite sufficient to raise reports ; 

 and Stephen's feelings of grief for the fate of one he 

 had so much loved, were his excuse when he threw 

 out insinuations of the same kind, even levelled at us 

 who were conducting the inquiry. But he soon re- 

 gained his presence of mind, and continued, as we did, 

 to discharge his duty. I thought it right to see 

 Castlereagh. He urged me to suspend the proceedings 

 for a week or two, until the Government was better 

 established. To this I of course could not consent, 

 nor indeed could I be sure that I had the power. But 

 I pressed him to abandon quietly the commercial 

 policy of his predecessor, and distinctly pledged my- 

 self to abstain from all party triumph, and affirmed 

 that I could give the same undertaking for my friends, 

 and the supporters of our proceedings generally. He 



