§ Mr. Denmanrose to present a petition, which he had received by that day's post, from a person who was perfectly unknown to him. The petitioner, whose name was W. M'Dougall, stated that he was detained a prisoner at Ghent, by the foreign authorities upon a charge of forging: a letter of credit in the name of a bank in Scotland, and obtaining money thereon in France. The petitioner denied the charge, and stated that, by being detained a prisoner at Ghent, he was deprived of the means of proving his innocence. He thought the subject worth the attention of the authorities at home, and entitled to immediate inquiry.
§ Mr. Goulburnasked, whether the petitioner had applied to the British authorities abroad?
§ Mr. Denmanstated, that applications had been ineffectually made to lord Clancarty and lord Castlereagh.
563 The petition was then read. It set forth, that the petitioner was a British subject, who had resided for some time on the continent—that he had resided for nearly twelve months in Paris, and had left that city with regular passports in last July to recruit his health at the Spa of Aix-la-Chapelle, from which place he repaired at a subsequent time to Brussels, where he had resided, become acquainted with several English persons, and had a running horse at the races. The petitioner further stated, that he was arrested at Ghent by the local authorities upon a charge transmitted by the police of Paris, of having raised money in that city upon a forged letter of credit of a bank in Scotland. Me also stated that he had ineffectually sought redress through lord Clancarty, who informed the petitioner's wife, in reply to his application, that the local authorities detained him on the charge already mentioned. The petitioner, as a British subject, sought the interposition of his own government.
§ Mr. Denmansaid, he was quite aware that the full extent of the prayer of the petition could not be complied with. He thought, however, the case ought to be looked into.
§ Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.