“To their Worships, the Police Magistrates of the Public Office in
Bow-street.
“Sirs,—I much regret its being my lot to have to apply to your worships under most peculiar and novel circumstances.—For the particulars of the case, I refer to the enclosed letter of Mr. Secretary Ryder, the notification from Mr. Perceval, and my petition to parliament, together with the printed papers herewith. The affair requires no further remark, than that I consider his majesty’s government to have completely endeavoured to close the door of justice, in declining to have, or even to permit, my grievances to be brought before parliament, for redress, which privilege is the birthright of every individual. The purport of the present is, therefore, once more to solicit his majesty’s ministers, through your medium, to let what is right and proper be done in my instance, which is all I require. Should this reasonable request be finally denied, I shall then feel justified in executing justice myself—in which case I shall be ready to argue the merits of so reluctant a measure with his majesty’s attorney-general, wherever and whenever I may be called upon so to do in the hopes of averting so abhorrent, but compulsive an alternative, I have the honour to be, Sirs, your very humble and obedient servant,
“John Bellingham.”
“No. 9, New Millman-street, March 23, 1812.”
This letter was at once conveyed to the members of the government, but it was treated by them as a mere threat, and no further notice was taken of it, than on Mr. Bellingham’s again presenting himself, by a fresh refusal being given to him by Mr. Read. Once more he applied to the Treasury, and again he was told that he had nothing to expect; and according to his statement, Mr. Hill, whom he now saw, told him that he might “resort to whatever measures he thought fit.” This he declared he considered “a carte blanche to take justice into his own hands,” and he accordingly determined to take such measures of revenge as he madly supposed would effectually secure that attention and consideration for his case, which he deemed it had not received, and to which it was in his opinion fully entitled.
This unhappy determination being made, he began to make the necessary preparations for the foul deed which he contemplated. His first step was to make himself acquainted with the persons of those ministers who had seats in the House of Commons, and for this purpose he nightly visited the House and there usually took his seat in the gallery appropriated to strangers; and having obtained a general knowledge of their persons, he afterwards posted himself in the lobby of the House, in order to be able to identify them. He then purchased a pair of pistols, with powder and ball, and had an additional pocket made in his coat for carrying them the more conveniently.
On the evening of the 11th of May, 1812, he took his station behind the folding-doors leading into the body of the House, and at five o’clock, as Mr. Perceval advanced up the lobby, he presented one of his pistols and fired. His aim was true, and the ball entered the left breast of his victim and passed through his heart. Mr. Perceval reeled a short distance, and exclaiming “Murder!” in a low tone of voice, he fell to the ground. He was instantly picked up by Mr. Smith, the member for Norwich, and another gentleman, and carried into the office of the speaker’s secretary, where he expired almost immediately. Loud cries of “Shut the door—let no one out,” were heard immediately after the shot was fired, and several persons exclaimed, “Where’s the murderer?” Bellingham, who still held the pistol in his hand, answered, “I am the unfortunate man,” and he was immediately seized and searched. Mr. V. G. Dowling was among the first who went up to him; and on his examining his person, he found in his left-hand trousers pocket a pistol loaded with ball and primed. There were also found upon him an opera-glass, with which he had been accustomed to examine the persons of the members of the House while sitting in the gallery, and a number of papers. Upon his being interrogated as to his motives for committing such an act, he replied, “Want of redress, and denial of justice.”
During the momentary confusion which followed the firing of the pistol, he made no attempt to escape; and though when taken into custody he betrayed some agitation, he soon recovered his self-possession, and with great calmness answered every question put to him.
During his examination before the magistrates up-stairs in the House of Commons, he still retained his self-possession, and even corrected a witness as to an omission in his evidence. He persisted in denying any personal enmity to Mr. Perceval, for whose death he expressed the greatest sorrow, separating, by a confusion of ideas, the man from the minister; and seemed to think he had not injured the individual, though he had taken away the life of the chancellor of the exchequer.
This event excited the greatest sensation in the country. A cabinet council was called, and the mails were stopped, until instructions were