§ MR. GRANTLEY BERKELEYbogged to call the attention of the Under Secretary for the Colonies to a transaction which he had seen described in a Berbice paper, and which seemed to call for some notice on the part of the Government. The facts of the case, as stated in the Berbice Gazette of the 10th of December last, were shortly these:— 246
The Rev. Mr. Bell, the Presbyterian chaplain to the gaol, and the Rev. Mr. Johnstone, attended an African convict under sentence of death, named Panzo; these rev. gentlemen having failed to make any religious impression, a Catholic priest, the Rev. Mr. Kelly, was solicited to try if his attendance would avail the man in his last moments for the preparation of death. On the morning appointed for the execution, Mr. Kelly had access to the man, and succeeded in eliciting from him a desire to receive the ceremony of baptism. The wish of the criminal being communicated by Mr. Kelly to the gaoler, Van Cooten, Van Cooten refused to permit Mr. Kelly to officiate without an order from Mr. Bell, the chaplain of the gaol. A message was sent to Mr. Bell, who immediately repaired to the spot, and rudely and unceremoniously refused to permit Mr. Kelly to fulfil the sacred office, or to permit any other minister to do so, at Mr. Kelly's entreaty; Mr. Bell pleading as a reason for his refusal, that Mr. Kelly had come 'too late.' Mr. Kelly then hastened to Mr. Sheriff Winfield's residence, the execution not having then taken place, who also refused to interfere, because Mr. Kelly was 'late in his application;' and although there was ample time to have administered some of the comforts of religion to the dying man; and though Mr. Kelly urged that it was not too late, even at the eleventh hour, to officiate, the mandate of the law was put in force, and the consolation of religion denied to this victim of sectarian jealousy.He regretted that he had too much reason to believe in the truth of the report; and therefore he begged to know whether Her Majesty's Government were cognizant of the circumstance, or if not cognizant of it, if they would institute an inquiry?
§ MR. HAWESstated, that no information relative to the circumstance described by the hon. Member had been received by the Government.