The National Register. — London, England, 1809-02-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. con.:uct of tlie Royal Duke. It would appcar that a Alt% Clinr man, vi ho was private Secretar to a Noble Lord now in office, was employed to ne i ,ociate an annuity with his Royal highness the Duke of York, who was•to have the sutn of 70.0001. ad vanced for tijat purpose to him; that the immediate sent was a permin of the name of Kennett, a man who had been twice a bankrupt; that the terms of the annuity were to grant it at the rate of 10 per cent. ; that to save insurance, two lives were to be nominated, but that his Royal Iligline3sshould have the power of re-purchase at the expiration of three years, giving the usual notice, or paving a quarter's annuity in advance. it will appear that the negociation went on (Jr sometime, and that there was a concurrent negociaiion for Mr. Kennett, to provide him with a situation under Government. Mr. Archibald Dud was then interrogated by Lord FOLK sToN E.—lie stated, that he Was a solicitor to Ketmett's second bankruptcy ; that it took place in the Near l'SO3 ; that in his capacity of solicitor he got possession of these papers, which he then produced. Interrogated by , Mr.. WiLso:s.—Q. What was 'Keunett? A. An upholsterer it) Bond-street; and a tooth-ache-curer in the neig!iltouraooll of Lincoln's Inn.—Q. DO he pass his.examina tion as a bankrupt.? A. Yes, after numerous meeting.—Q. Dirt he °main hi-. certikate.? A. No.—Q. W hat became of hint ? A. 1 don't exactly know, 1 saw htmabout a month Did any thing particular occur to him since 143 bankruptcy ? A. )le was prosecuted by °pier of the Lord Chancellor, by the-At torney General, fora conspiracy respectintr his bankruptcy, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, and to stand in.the pillory, which sentence was executed. The number of letters and papers delivered in was 21 in all. ' The first was a paper in the'inind-writing of Kennett. This was the draft of the proposals sent to the Duke of York for ad ♦ancing 70,0001. This ser►es of correspondence is completely unimportant. The Duke of York never obta•ned the proposed loan. Mr. Pitt refused to give any kind of promotion to time party applying ; and Kennet, who designed nothiog so much as to take in all parties, was duteously detected and exposed. Lieut. Col. Taylor interrogated by Cal. WARDLE.—Q The Witile6S is desired to state what he knows of this trans•tction. A. He received a note from Kennett, signifying that he had something to communicate which would he advantageous to the Duke of York, and desiring an interview ; in which he men tioned, that he could procure a loan of 30,0001. or 10,0001. for his Royal Highness; that was all that passed time first day I saw him, and this I communicated to the Mike. Th^ witness then stated, that, by order of the Duke, Kennett was referred to Mr. Adam. That the loan was first proposed ; that the negotiation for the place was subsequent to the proposal for the town Tile loan was not completed, as far as he knew, hut he was not in the habit of conducting any money transactions for his Roy al Highness. That Kennett had called on him several times t that lie at last complained of delays that prevailed, and said, that he believed the Duke was become i u ditl•erent about the loan,.as he was so often tout off about it.---Q. «' hat does witness i.oow re specting the steps taken to procure a place for Kennett ? A. think, to the best of my recollection, Sir Horace Mann wrote to Air. Long in his favour, which letter was forwarded to Mr. Long.---Q. Was Kennett's letter to Lieut.-Colonel Taylor shewn by him to the Duke ? A. I certainly think time substance of it was.---Q. Did Kennett ever get a place in consequence of these his several applications ? A. 1 rather think that he did not. •• - •• .G.;•••.411111 . 6•• ..• • ••••••...*:. •119 • voa ,a-ke eiv;rat •••e r ;•r-ft t,. iding the transaction you have related ? A.. I did not; he was known to me only in consequence of toe recommendationbf Sir Horace Mann.---Q. Did you learn any thing of flint there? A. tor. Kennett had come to the /torso Guards thtee or four times, and in the course of one Of these visits, a Gentleman asked me whether I knew him ? answered no, but that he was recom mended to me by Sir Horace Mann. The Gentleman then toll me that he had been a stock-broker and failed, and that some • circumstances were connected with his failure which were not to his credit, and •he therefore cautioned me against Did you communicate this to the Duke of York ? A. I did---Q. What passed in consequence? A. His Royal Highness ordered me to drop all further applications in his favour. • • 6. Mr. W lavt.r. produced the letters which - he had taken from Mrs. Clarke, purporting to be recoinmendatory letters of Subal- • tern ()dicers for promotion. - . • Mr. Apa MS said, that as he did not understand the circumstan ces of the annuity which was granted to Mrs. Clarke, he •Wished to ask a few questions respecting it, of an Hon. and Learned Member (Mr. Adam.)—Q. Was you consulted whether the an nuity should or should not continue to be paid? A. I did not know of its having ceased to be paid.—Q. Then I am to under stand that you did not advise that it should not he paid ? A. Certainly I did not.—Q. Was it knoivir to you that the Duke of York refused ta pay it? A. I know it in no other way but by the communication I had with the Duke of York, at the time I received the letters from Mrs. Clarke, widen are now upon the table.—Q. Do you know this reason af his Roval Highnef*:s re fusal to pay it ? A. I do not know the specific facts whictreausell the discontinuance of payment, tint 1 know in general that the annuity was discontinued from au impression on his Royal High- • ness's mind, that the conduct of Mrs. Clarke was not such as to fall within the condition on which the annuity was emoted. I - beg Gentlemen not to misunderstand me as on a former evening. That part of his Royal Highness's income which he appropriates to the support of his family, and improvement of his estate, is not ' within the province of my trust or knowledge. That part of his income whereof I have the management, is the sunk whith. his Royal highness allots annually to pay the interest of,' and liqui date the principal of his debts. • • Mrs. Clarke was then examined. by Mr. LocKnaft.T.---Q. Look at these letters, and state- whether they are thelettera .• hich you had from Mr. Donovan, and svhich you said yoa de- • livered to Alr. Wardle to facilitate a negociatioai A. Yes, - these are all the letters.—Q. When did you deliver them to Mr. Wardle? A. Soon after I receised them. froatiMr. Donovan? ---Q. When did you receive them from Mr. Donovan A. I • don't recollect. —Q . They are all. dated n (het beginning of WS, - had you them from that time till lots gavu.them to iilr. Wardle? A. I can't e ‘actir sag .--Q. Those letters purport to be certili cates of Field ()dicers, did you give tam to Field Otheers, - or Members a Parfiament, as additional rceommendations, wait- • out your knowing. whose recommendation Lae. first were? A. Donovan told me that they were all correct, and General Cla66 vering, to whom I gave one of them, took the precaution of en quiring at Mr. Greenwood's office, and seeing th..t it was right. . By Mr. linsmssoN.---Q, Why did you give the letterr+ to Mr. Wardle to facilitate the fic , ociatioa? A. Mr...Wardle told • me that he would get theta signed by Nieimbera.of which would facilitate the -promotion of the officers. ---Q. Did- Mr. Wardle tell You so ? Ye*, and that he *auld at plish it ; but I dare sayhe never tried it, Out wanted ~nay to get the letters, and to discover the secrets of Donovan anti myself. Mr.. Lot: k AAT then asked Mr. Wardle whether he had, di-, rectly or imiireetiy, promised to facilitate the.tiegociation afar Mrs. 'Clarke ? A. I. did not; but as I was anxious to get posses sion of the letters, I might have used language and geStutetashi..k. induced her to think I promised. r ; . . , ... • Tr r.w ~' . ..t • SUPPRESSioII Mr. !Inners AI. Oiled the attention or ttbe Ctinnislitee. to nu important fact that had tome to his knnwledgeaeo days ttgor . ' Nether he ought or ought not'to have withbeldit salting, the fault he acknowledged, if there wasitny, was - it - Wry tti, fur • qv' his Royal Highness had left hitn.at perfect liberty to take his own • • time, and to exercise his :own discretion, In tottking trite Comets nication. It related to the care of Mitjortonya, who tatt tree stated to have lodgettthe s(ipulated sum of meat.) in Mr. Duna.. van's hands till he should be Gazetted. It would 1)e recollected • that Captain Sandon had suited in evidence, that •Plinjoe Tony* • became impatie'llt, and expret9ed a "If that. the money should be withdrawn on account of the deluyeoftlit ibritnietiati. • tape tans Iluzley &union was ou this occasion introduced to him, t _;.<;_ . ; • 't EXAMINATION OF MR. GREENWO.OI). Lord FOLKSTONS asked, Do you recollect Mr. Kennett coming to your Office about a proposed loan to the Duke of York? A. I do, but I did- not like this wild proposal.----.Q. What was it ? A. He was to procure a very large loan, for which only personal security was to be given, to the best of my recollection.---Q. Ilow much ? A. 1 think 30,000!. but am not clear---Q. Did Kennett state that he watued any tiling else than personal security ? A. I understood that his object was to obtain some appointment for a friend.---Q. Was it await pointmeut under Government ? A. I understood so, and I belieVe it was in the West Indies.--Q. Did you state that conversation to the Duke of York ? 'A. Tlie substance of it 1 did.---Q. What did he say ? A. I do not think that he gave much attention to it, but he desired it to he enquired into.---Q. Was it enquired into ? A. I think Mr. Adam or Colonel Taylor had orderSlo enquire into. it.---Q. Did you hear any more of it? A. Q. Did you ever see Kennett after? A. Yes, he repeated his offers, bnt.l paid no attention to them. • - • .: Colonel Taylor re-examined by 111r.Iluss1ssos.--Q. Did FEB., 19. r.' . U I II I‘4 , I MI = •! ■ I