Star. — London, England, 1823-02-14 00:00:00

his Lordship in 'making the .. servants drink draughts PARLIAMIINtAR Y PROCEEDINGS. which ho made up for them, WO= the death of the 110' Lady Portsmouth, and :ifincei.never informed HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY 13. her Ladyship of the conduct of bii , Lordship ; the /gr. Maw, from the Directors of the East India Company. : witness thought that there was no occasion for presented the Annual Account of Pensions, Allowances, and Su- so doing ; the witness afehrted Lord Portsmouth in perannuations, granted by the Company since last Sessioti of these ac ts whenever lee '4loquire.d him; heard from Parliament ; also the Proceedings of the Court of Merton- on the subject of. Allowances to certain Ship Owners.-.-Laid on . Lord Portsmouth, thallArd Byron and a Mr. Buck the sa worth accompanied his Lordship to Church when he ble. Mr. firast, from the Commissioners for the Reduction of the was married,lo . the present Lady PortsmOuth ; be. National Debt, presented an Account of the sums applied to lieves Mr. Buckworth is a friend of Mr. Hanson's; that object since last year. Lord HO LA N D presented a Petition from the Bankers, when Lord Portsmouth read die Church Service, he Merchants, Traders, and Inhabitants of the Town and County did not always do so decorously; that depended upon of Nottingham, praying for a repeal of the Insolvent Debtors' the temper his Lordship was in; read all the prayers Act. Ilis Lordship observed that the signatuies were hi gh l y very fast; cannot say that LittlyPortsmouth was pre respectable.—The Noble Lord also presented a Petition from sent when Lord Portsmouth followed up the morn the 'Merchants, Traders, and other Inhabitants of Gainsborough, in the County of Lincoln, against the Insolvent Debtors' Act. in g service b y readin g the evenin g service : the ser- Both Petitions were read , and laid on the table. vants were present ; is sure Josiah Fisher was there, Lord COLCHESTER presented a Petition from the Clergy he is alive and hem ; thinks Lord Portsmouth has at of.Colchester, praying for a repeal of the 3larriage act.—The times attended Turnpike Meetings, but does not know House adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. whether he attended Vestry Meetings; never heard The Snares took the Chair and proceeded to count the of any other Gentleman lining bells. Mouse at the usual hour ; when there being only thirty-six Nlern- Re-examined by Mr. WETHERELL.—Never saw bets present, he adjourned the House until to-tsms-- Lord Byron with Lord Portsmouth before the mar riage; believes Mr. Hanson is Lord Byron's attor ney ; never heard Lord Portsmouth say so ; has seen Lord Byron at Mr. Hanson's; Mr. Buckworth was between twenty and thirty : years of age ; instead of the medicine made up by his• Lordship, witness used to scrape chalk in a little beer, that his Lordship might think he had mixed some jalap ; Lord Ports-. mouth told him to hold one of the arms of his ser-, vants when he gave them the medicine. By the Jury.—Lord Portstnouth frequently worked with his servants in the fields: he then used to wear a jean dress, and almost always assisted in carting the hay ; he sometimes worked and sometimes would play; he would drive, but not load, the manure- , carts ; his Lordship used to frank the letters during the first part of the witness's service, and her Lady ship afterwards used to do so. By the COMMISSIONEES.—Was discharged by Mr., M'Kean, the house-steward, because lie had aria& en affiJavit in a former attempt to establish' a Coro. mission of Lunacy ; Lord Portsnoouth ussil frequently to discharge the servants, but they were dot actually discharged ; the servants did not resist the flogging ? they submitted to it quietly, and got over it as soon as they could.' •. Josiah fiiher examined by Mr. Patis.—Went into Lord kordinooth's 'service in 1807, as postillion — used to attend during the reading of prayers by his Lordship; recollects his saying at one time—" I may as Well' read the evening service, now I'm about it. " Witness left the room, because he could not help. laughing. Lord Portsmouth used to frequent the stable, and regularly asked witness if he knew of any black job, meaning a funeral—once his Lordship, being out of temper, shut the gate of the yard, and said he should flat go out ; witness then told him of A buck and l Lordrortsmouth then went away 'for the day. He would sometimes say witness starved the bores, and then s` eve them three or four feeds at Once. Lord Portsmouth was not a bad whip; as to his condUct id driving, he had no conduct at all the carrifgegot.arpoos several. others, he would throw the:reins clown upon uitness's knees, and say, "You MAY drive now,'( don'ttike these coaches." He used 4C,FraLLY Su Rog the horse most that dre w best. rots-eaannoed by WWII Lua—His Lordship was *Ways fOttd of driving; made an affidavit in 1814. .11tOstas Mills examined by Mr. Papp:maw-4s in Lord r oftsinOuth's service now; has lived with him, As otter, for thirteen . years ;. his Lor dship, frequently cantle into the field when the men were at work ; he used to drive the horses to the different cocks of hay, while'the men were pitching it into the cart, he would . whip diem ; was often angry, could not tell why ; lie used to eat. with the men, and joke with them, throwing beer over them; he used to say— "give me- a.liorn"- . 7 .it was table-beer ; his Lordship used to put it to his lips, and suddedly throw it in .witnesss faCe;`isked Witness if his Wife tickled him ? on witness 'S replying in the affirmative, Lord Ports mouth said, " and so has mine, till she almost tickled me out of bed." Lord Portsmouth asked him once if his•wife had any pups? and added, .that he-capld not get afiy pups.; his Lordship wanted to give him physic in the beer, but fhey•used to make him t`hink they drank medicine, when in fact it was only chtilk; Used to ring at the Church with his ,Lordship,' who ,always expected to be paid his . share, which he never refused ihis" Lordship used Oftentri *send tti the house for beet , sonietimerhe would have his hornwith the ; • 7 - '1 • ! • • • • rest ; reco ll ects a grey horse belonging to Lor d Ports mouth ; his Lordship once flogged him ; the horse ran after,hisLordshipt wit*: _stopped ; Lord Portsmouth came to witness one day when be was at plougp,.and said, "Eve so . t another wife; wit, ness asked " *lto?' LOrd Tortsmouth said, "s Mrs ,Hapion; that s he was 'obligated to marry her; Mr. Hanson told him, that if he did not marry his dPughter, Mr. Newton Rettowei would take him into Devonshire, and lock him up r his Lordship used to give the servants orders, but they did not obey him, beeause they had orders to the contrary ; they were .to obey Abe bailiff; LadlGrate told them so: eross-examined Mr: - ,§eirjeiat ret,t.Atade.sin affidavit in 18.1.4 • .did mention at that time the con versation with L ord Portsmouth, which he had just' related; told Mr. 'Shanird, thesolicitor, at that time, all he has now said upon that subject. By the Comm furor; r.na--iCannot read.—CThe affi davit was read to him by Mr. Shararda Mr. Baotronata submitted'tbat the nature of the examination of this witness entitled him to call for the production of the affidavit, this was ruled as point of law on the lite Queen's trial, and the Learned: Counsel contended that the witness and the Ctetat' were entitled to hear that docUment read. • Serjeant PELL presumed that they were, in -as course of this inquiry,'M be pitied by the common' usage nI awns of Lewin general. The Learned Sed leant eoteiiii Into n long and eloquent eulogy upon the tranicendint talents of Mr. Brougham, and con chided with saying,. *that . nniwithstanding he was a Mighty foe, he would always find him (Serjeant Pell) ready to meet him at any point. (This strong language, for it was emphatically de. livered, was in reply to a remark made by Mr.' BiononAss, " that the Learned Serjeant was the only - Connsel at the Bar, who not Only understood what Was said, but alio knew what Was going to be said`"); 'The Court thought the affidavit should be Ow duced and reed to the witness. - * • Scrjeant PELL observed that ho never had any Mr. LORD PORTSMOUTH'S CASE. EXAMINATION UNDIEL Till KING'S COMMISSION. TOURTII DAT, THUILSDAY, TIMILUAST 13. The Jury assembled at Freemasons' Hall at ten o'clock this morning, and 'the Court immediately proceeded to business Joseph Head—Examination resumed by Mr. WE-. TIIERELL).—When Lord Portsmouth went out on the Monday morning, he did not give witness any directions about clothes; believes he did not pack any up himself; does not think he had put on a clean shirt ; said he was going to breakfast at Mr. Han son's, in 13loomsiviry-square ; at this time General Norton and Mr. Fletcher Norton were in the house in Lincoln's Inn-fields ; there were no preparations for the marriage going forward in Lord Portsmouth's house. At about twelve on the same day, Mr.. Ne wton Hanson brought witness a note in Lord Ports.: mouth's hand-writing ; did not preserve the note; believes it is lost; the purport of it was, that witness, was to take clean clothes the next day (Tuesday) to Bloomsbury-square; took the clothes accordingly; Lord Portsmouth then told witness he had been to Salt-hill ; none or the servants went with Urn ; did riot leave the house between the time Lot torts mouth ss ent out and the arrival of the note ; did not know he went out to be married; did not go the next day to St. George's, Bloomsbury-square; it , was about six o'clock in the evening when he went to Mr. Hanson's ; Lord Portsmouth blgan the conversa tion ; he said lie thought he had nicked us all by his getting married ; don't recollect that he said to whom he was married ; remained with him till he was dressed ; his Lordship's carriage was not out on the Monday ; no orders were given about it by Lord Portsmouth ; his Lordship said to witness on the Tuesday, that when he returned from Salt-hill he was married ; that he did not think of being married when he left home on Monday morning ; did not shave when he went out on the Monday ; slept at Mr. Hanson 's on Tuesday, where he continued Wed nesday and Thursday ; returned with Lord Ports mouth when he went into Hampshire ; frequently while there, he told witness that Lady Portsmouth ill-treated him, by horsewhipping and threatening him; said the late Lady Portsmouth had behaved very kindly to him; in the late Lady Portsmouth's life-time witness often went out with Lord Ports mouth 'in his phaeton, both in town and country; they frequently passed a funeral, when his Lordship would sometimes hit at the coachmen driving the, tuourning-coaches or hearse, and would call them Anthony and Joe ; he often ordered his phaeton to , fellow In the proceision, and when it artived at the burial-ground, he generally accompanied the corpse into the church and to the ground ; witness was !re-. quently at the church at Hurtsbourne when the bells; Were being rung, and his Lordship always rung one this was very often ; sometimes his Lordship woulcE log the ringers with the rope; witness once divided a sum of money among the ringers, which the Clerki brought him, his Lordship's share was fifteen-pence which he took : don't recollect his Lordship poying4, but he often received his share; once he said to did ringers, he hoped that their hands were sore s when( people were ill, Lord Portsmouth would very fre4 quently inquire how they were, and orders always were given to the Clerk to let him know when they died, that his Lordship might toll the- church bell— knows that his Lordship frequently left the house, When so informed, for the purpose of ringing the bell ; the Clerk used to tome to the house for his Lordship, who accompanied him back to the church; has been in the church when his Lordship was there at a 'funeral—he usually gave out the psalms—he did not dress for the occasion, but wore coloured clothes; in the funeral processions his Lordship usually walked before the mourners ; don't recollect seeing l:im in the Clerk's seat; he joined in 'singing the psalms. The Rev. Mr. Williams was the Clergy man that time; has heard that he is dead. Fre-. quently applied to his Lordship to frank a letter : he. would not do so.if you asked it as .a favour; the ser vants always said it was for the purpose of getting into disgrace—to get them flogged or reprimanded' by their friends—his Lordship then always gave the. frank. His Lordship frequently read the morning set vice at Hursbourne, and immediately afterwards he would read the evening service. Cross-examined by Serjeant PELL.—Tias left Lord : Portsmouth's service; believes he has met Mr. New- 1 ton Fellowes since the year 1814 ; it was not purely accidental ; called at his house ; does not recollect . having called on him at his house more than once; cannot say how long ago that is ; it may be threed j e . four years ago. Mr. Fellowes.Offered witness the a tuation of butler; Wrote to witness, making the offal: made an affidavit in support of the former Cons-,' mission in 1814, which failed. Quring the time those' proceedings were going on, witness frequently saw Mr. Newton Fellowes; was living at Bramley, near Guildford,' when Mr. Fellowes sent to him ; he was.in, business there as a shoemaker, mealman, and pork aran. At the meeting with Mrs Fellowes, witness asked. hits if there would be any compensation allowed for the time lie had lost? Mr. Fellowes did not make any answer; has n'ot actually received any money; does not know that the conversation with Mr. Fel lowes respected Lord Portsmouth ; was very much about the person of Lord Portsmouth; used to heist 'the test : knows old Gale; Oirness and Gale were going to church when Lord Portsmouth's carriage overtook, them, and his Lordship whipped them, and told them to go back ; they did so ; it was not a high rchicl, but it was a carriage mad; witness meant to have received the Sacrament that day, but Lord Portsmouth had need such expressietts, that witneaa did not feel sufficiently clear in his conscience todo se; did not receive the Sacrament; had been in Ms Lordship's service then twenty; five years; been in his employ as a woodman about fifty years; witness was once working in his shop,,when a ;ghee pot was on the fire, when his Lordship saidthire should be no fire there, and that witnetsatole - hts wood and chips ; a cart was once drawn uri to the houie to have a board tacked to it. Witness led tPe horse ; his Lordship said, that as witness bad never before led that horse he must pay forfeit, wind; I 4 did ; paid his Lordship 2s. was present when Lora Portsmouth asked another man forfeit; he said he bad only 6d.—" thea d—n you, give me that," - said his Lordship ; the man said he would not, as he wanted to buy 'bacco; kis Lordship once attempted to pull a ladder away from under witness when he was going to repair a clock. Reexamined by Mr. Aniss.—Made an affilavft in 1811 to the same purport as the evidence which he bus given this day. By the COURT.—His Lordship did not assign airy reason for attending the funeral of witness's darrghter. By the Juror.—Thinks his . Lordship a very weak man ; could not tell if witness executed his work as it should be ; he never gave witness absurd co de:s; has given him foolish orders—very foolish ones; saw his Lordship a fortnight ago.; thinks him weaker than he was ;• has lately ordered witness to be tut tied o his premises; has knowahisLordship forty-one years; always thought him weak. Charles Green examined by Mr. Dextraw —Was servant to Lord Portsmouth in 1806, left him ill 1810: when he first went to the service he was asto nished at the liberties the servants took with his Lord ship; had lived in his place only about a fortnight, when they met on the stairs, and his Lordship said. I x I must be cross with you too, Charles, as • , ell as the rest;" after this he knew the length at hit Lord -ship's foot; is a shoemaker now; used to humour him when be saw him out of temper, and g.t behind him and take hold of his queue, to make him laugh, and regain his humour; that when he ea: cross with a servant, witness would run a nay be. tween his legs, and then his Lordship is ould cease to be angry ; when Witness was on a hay cart, Lord Portsmouth told the carter to drive under a tree to sweep him off; waited behind his Lordship's chair at table, and if his Lordship saw any one looking out of window, he would Irate the shutters put to, and candles brought, even in broad day-light. On one occasion when I was walking behind Ins Lordship, I received a blow from him which knocked me down. —I was taken home, and I had some white wine whey ; I was not very ill ; however, I wished to frighten him ; so I said to him, it's not fit that Gen tlemen should knock down their servants, and in the Crown-office they would punish him; so I threat ened to put him there, and have all his estates taken from him. He was frightened at that, and cried out, " go and tell my wife of you r —Lord Ports. mouth was very fond of music ; and gave some of us suits of clothes to make a band of us. He would sometimes ask what key the music which he heard was in : I'd perhaps tell him that it was in the key dt Q or Z. Once. when his sleeve caught fire I ran up with a basin of water ; when the fire was put out, his Lordship asked me why I did not put him into the tub of water? In his mind he is like a boy of four or five years old. Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Pair..-1 am now a shoemaker ; I used to go to balls as a musician; I was once a Church of England man ; I have no* joined the Wesleyan Methodists ; I do certainly ex hort occasionally—(Laughter). At one time, in broad day-light, he ordered the shutters to be shut, and the candles to be brought ; I did not think this the act d a madman ; a madman, I believe, is a man wie would kill anybody, quite deranged in his intell one who does not know night from day. I did rft hear Justice Best yesterday say, that he, Lord Ports mouth, was like a boy in his mind. William Power examined.-1 am a carpenter, and live near Hurtsbourne. I remember having made coffin for a-child. When I attended the frineralN walked before the funeral and me, and at Church 1* performed the duties of a clerk, and sung all the psalms, and gave them out to the people: I haei seen his Lordship . do the same at other funerals M it t I have been. I have seen him amongst the bell. ringers ; he would flog the ringers with a rope's tad; he once put a rope round the neck of a man, aK man would have been hanged if the rope had-not . taken from his neck ; his Lordship used to receive share of the money for bell-ringing. Thomas Davis, Esq. examined by Mr. B.amfaltioas I am a wine-merchant, and she Trtistee of o'B4 Giles's Bloomsbury School. I have known too Portsmouth during the years 1809 and 1810. These are girls as well as boys of from nine to fifteen Ms" of age. I have frequently . seen Lord Portsoartatfi_ there. He would often interrupt the proceedins* the school by coming in and calling them up to wok He at one time took great interest ia the school. .Ift would join with the - boys 'and sing aloud in his kir perfect manner, which had very little reference to the tune or the time. He set the psalms to the girls, bet in such a manner as would make the girls laugh, and me turn round. He often endeavoured to have the boys flogged. On one occasion, when by some mesa or other he learned that I was not inspecting the school, he went in and insisted on one of the boys ceiving eighty lashes. sHe insisted on the' m'attai doing it, but I was sent for, and as the boy had 0,011 Mined no offence, I refused to let him be d upon which his Lordship was in a great passion, i d said he would be made .an Inspector.„ On anOt* occasion he wanted to have one of the girls of.*he school, who had laughed at him, flogged. I took his aside, and, as the girl was an old one, I toldhiM impropriety of having a girl of that.size flogrilV wanted to have her turned up and. flogged 11 e Oat After having remonstrated for some time he pet way. .Op one occasion, when be oliet a boy carsailf a pie in the street, who did not poll' off . 14, iO hrns, he came to the school and wiilaed-to.havOill flogged for hii disrespect. Be wanted to !simile, boy hE Met in the streets who did akit"prißeiltbie riff to him 'lowa At one meeting of the Board he • legion !,o4lo.lFoduction and reading ONsestdifidavit..l —4lse AWartit was wordin niy ptst. in by ,SeeieAotd )gitka.,,,and read by a iDli epic ofitbe pun ; itfOraaiarad siseatsclaration of Lord Tortienouth to witmess, tat he-was greed into the marriagebiMiss.liansoNand that .be did not know of kb.efore twelvecklock in the day on ,which that cerepipny took place. Charles. Webh,examined by Mr.TyNnar...—LEntered the service.of• Lord Portsmouth in 1808, and left in 1814 ; seldom went out without witness, who was his coachman ; his Lordship, if be saw. any brown horses on the road, would bergahr for them ; Lady Ports mouth directed him not to allow the purchase,.if , the horses were not wanted ; often went into the streets, and sent men after the situation of coachman, which witness held; his Lordship generally came into the stable in the morning„ and once, when:he had driven a horse until be was atinost dead, he told witness to take a pail full of blood from him every day ; witness did not obey him, but stuck a pin in the neck, as if be had bled him • he would come quietly behind him, when washing the carriage, and upset the water; frequently threw mops and other things at him ; and, Vhe thought he had hurt him, he wanted to bleed .him, and used to pull out his lancet for that purpose. He often went to the shops of different undertakers, and asked them if they had blackjobs—he would then come home and otder the phaeton, for the purpose of joining the procession. Whenever he overtook a funeral, he always joked at the coachmen, and struck his whip at•them. He frequently drove the phaeton between the mourning coaches. When driving in town, if he came to a coach-stand, and saw a mourn , ing coachman, he would flog him with the whip, calling him a• black-job man. his Lordship was not particular as to which s'cle of the road he drove. His Lordship frequently gave witness the whip, to . flog the footman behind the phaeton. Sometimes, when witness told him of the dangerous manner, in which he drove, his Lordship would pull up, and throw the reins upon the horses' backs. When the late Lady Portsmouth died his Lordship came into the stable to witness, and, mentioning the names of several " black-job men," said, he hoped they would be.at the funeral. He also mentioned the names of , some coachmen whom he ordered me to flog if they were there, and Afterwards to duck them in the horse-pond. Drove the carriage at the funeral; his Lordship's conduct was very singular ; when they ar rived at home the next day, his Lordship came into the stable, and asked witness if he had given it them (the coachmen) well; he replied, as well as he could ; his Lordship said, that as• witness had driven the hearse part of the way down, he must give his Lord ship ss. for coking, as' it was the first time of his driving a hearse; was in London when the marriage with Miss Hanson took place; did not hear of it until three o'clock in the day (Monday); heard of it from Mr. Hanson's coachman ; on Tuesday he came l to witness in the stable, and said, " Well, I've got a new wife, and a young one ; I did not know of it. till twelve o'clock ; and old Hanson had not got her in the humour to have me until twelve o'clock on ,Sunday night;" his Lordship often told the cook not to let the servants who had affronted him have any thing but water-gruel and mustard for a week; he inquired of the cook every morning if his orders had been executed, and if he learned that she hid not done as he had told her, he would gather a quantity of stinging nettles to throW iii .her face. The Learned Counsel on both sides contended upon the admissibility &this evidence. giamination continued.—Witness had seen him gather the nettles and take them into the house; as he passed witness in the stable-yard, he would ask him if he had had anything to eat ; if he said yes, he would take the nettles into the house and say, " Then I'll give it the cook well." Cross-examined by Mr. Witnc.—Remembers the previous investigation in 1814; was examined by Mr. Sbarard at that time; made an affidavit; did not know the object of the inquiry ; did not know at the time for what purpose the affidavit was to be used ; did not then state the same facts that he has ;o-day. That affidavit did not contain many of the facts stated to-day. Witness was present when Lord Portsmouth told her ladyship he wanted to buy some brown horses ; read the affidavit at the time it was made; was present when his Lordship gave the cook the, directions about the gruel and mustard; the twee of the cook was Saran Cook ; when witness left -his Lordship's service he married and went into busi ness; lives now in Holborn ; never mentioned any thing about ducking the coachman till very lately. .By the:JUßY.—Witness has frequently seen Lord Portsmouth and his late ,Lady in company together. Her Ladyship always treated his Lordship kindly; ,Lord :Portsmouth mentioned her death with the greatest lee. Witness was discharged by Mr. Han son; hedid not give any reason for such discharge. 4 Samuel Cooper examined by Mr. PowELL.—Was 'Acarter in the service of Lord Portsmouth, nine or ten years ago; has frequently seen his Lordship drive the waggon tearu; he generally flogged the horses pretty much, although they seldom wanted it; once, as they were doing up:hill, his Lordship would not let the drag chain be taken off; it - had been put on to come down the satne hill ; he turned the horses 'himself; he (Logged ihe middle horse very much ; it was a free-going horse; be threw the horse down by dogging him; remembers his Lordship flogging a brown horse; he was like to shut his wind; he did not peed the whip. Willie* Litchfield examined by Mr. WITNEUL;» —Was employed as house carpenter at Hurtsbourn. Was so in the year 178 . 1, in the lifetime of Grace, LOaly Portsmouth ; was ordered not to obey any body's orders hut her Ladyship's; sixteen years ago lost a daughter; site was ill about a fortnight before she died ; Lord Portsmouth came to the house of witness, the parish clerk was with him, and remained diere.three hours; did not speak to his Lordship; he asked witness, in the presence of Lady Portsmouth, how long his daughter would live? he answered— ," not long ;" when she died, one Richard Ford, a carpenter, at Hurtsbourn, made the co ffi n; witness did not order it; when the funeral took place, Lord Portsmouth came to meet it, and walked before it all the way to the church, which was about a mile and a hail; witness gave Ford directions what •sort ola coffin to make; witness paid for it; when Lord Portsmouth went . before the procession he wore a blue coat, and observed once to witness that they *ere late; his Lordship :walked as an undertaker would.- ' *hen they arrived at thechurcb, hegavisout the psa lms, reading the first line, and singing with