§ Sir F. Burdett presented a Petition from James Philip Inglis; setting forth,
§ "That the petitioner was appointed, on the 31st March 1812, to the command of the government colonial brig Emine, and ordered to proceed to New South Wales; and that the petitioner had used every exertion for the equipment of his vessel, and was on the point of sailing to his place of destination, when, on Thursday the 23d of July last, about six in the evening, a press galley belonging to the receiving ship off the Tower came alongside the Emine, commanded by Mr. Peachy, with four of his ship's company, to whom he had given permission to go on shore, but the midshipman not being in naval uniform, the petitioner did not suppose him to be a naval officer, although every respect was shewn him; Mr. Peachy demanded a sight of the ship's protection, which was instantly complied with, and, after looking it over, returned it in a most disrespectful manner to the petitioner, and said it was good for nothing, although it was an official document from the lords of the Admiralty protecting the crew of the said vessel; that the petitioner desired the men to go quietly in the galley, and that he would make immediate application for their release; that the petitioner immediately quitted the deck, supposing the men to have proceeded to the Tower, but was informed, whilst below, that part of the ship's company had gone into the jolly-boat, shoved off to rescue their shipmates, and returned with them on board; and that the petitioner begs to state to the House, that on the next day, Mr. Gatty, from the Thames Police Office, came on board with a warrant from Mr. Herriot for his apprehension; he immediately submitted himself, and underwent an examination before Mr. Herriot the same day, who ordered the petitioner to be committed to Clerkenwell Prison; he was then locked up in a place at the Thames 339 Police office, the most horrible to be conceived, till about eight in the evening, when he was taken out and handcuffed to a person of supposed despicable character, and in that state was conveyed to Clerkenwell Prison; and that, upon the 25th, the petitioner was brought down handcuffed, and underwent a similar examination as on the preceding day before Mr. Herriot, and remanded back to jail, handcuffed in the same manner as he was brought up, to remain till the 31st; and that the petitioner begs to state, that, during the time of his confinement in Clerkenwell Prison, he was locked up with every description of people, and obliged to submit to the indignity of taking half a bed with a man in irons, much injurious to his health, and most repugnant to his feelings; and that the petitioner was again ordered down on the 31st of the same month, before Mr. Herriot, when, upon examination of the surgeon of the receiving ship, he was admitted to bail, in consequence of the man belonging to the press-galley, who had been wounded in the scuffle, being considered out of danger, and for which the petitioner had been committed to Clerkenwell Prison; and that the petitioner, anxious to be brought to trial at the then impending assizes for the county of Kent, desired his attorney, Mr. Armam, to remonstrate against any delay in his trial, as the assizes were so near at hand, and the consequences of delay so ruinous to the petitioner; and that the solicitor for the Admiralty, Mr. Bicknell, would not acquiesce to his wishes, although the petitioner was willing to have remained in prison in order to expedite his trial; and that the petitioner bags leave to call the attention of the House to his extreme hard case, in being denied taking his trial at a time when he could have received the benefit of his witnesses, who are now absent from this country on their voyage to New South Wales, and who would have given every satisfactory evidence on his behalf, if his trial had been permitted to have come on at the last assizes; and that the petitioner humbly represents, that he has been subject to a very heavy expence in furnishing himself with the necessary articles for the intended service, and which, with incidental charges, amounts to upwards of 1,100l. added to which, he has a wife and two children, one of whom is completely dumb, and for whose education he is at a great expence; and that 340 the petitioner begs to say, that his remaining property is in tile East India Company's Funds at Madras, which is a circumstance that subjects him to great inconvenience in being so long detained in this country, and praying, that the House will take his case into their immediate consideration, and afford him such relief as they may judge proper."
§ Ordered to lie upon the table.