The National Register. — London, England, 1809-03-12 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Colonel Gordon. He next called the attention of the Gen tlemen to the mysterious note which had been the subject of such lengthened V and minute discussion. It was, however, viewed, in whatever way considered, that kind of testimony which, in a court of law, where life, liberty, and character of any person were under consideration, would be treated with in difference. It was, in reality, no ground for guiding decision in a court of justice. The note was then read by the Honourable Member :-- have received your note. Tonyn's business must remain as it is. God bless you." He asked after the perusal of this note, whether the language of it could be perverted by any impartial man into a charge of undue influence against his Royal Highness? He had no doubt that Gentlemen would recollect, as a most important fact, that when Captain Sandon received that note, it was inclosed in an envelope, the post:nark of which, was dated five days after the promotion of Capt. Tonyn. The only remaining charge was that which had its rise in the case of Samuel Carter. Ile sincerely wished, for the honour and feelings of the House, that the charge bad not been brought forward. The young man, whose pro ;notion from a low situation, had been so strongly in sisted upon by those Gentlemen who had considered it as the just ground of accusation against his Royal High ness, was not the offspring of base and unworthy parents, but the offipring of a veteran Officer who had of course such natural interest in his welfare, as to recommend him for ap pointment whenever a vacancy might present itself. It appeared that the recommendation had been made in 1801, three years before Mrs. Clarke was acquainted or connected with his Royal Highness. The name of Samuel Carter was entered in the hooks 'carding to the usual routine and custom, to be noticed when rver a vacancy should occur. A vacancy had long afterwards occurred, and the young man was appointed at the express re commendation, and in consequence of the renewed applications of his friends. His Royal Highness would, in reality, ap pear more entitled to commendation than censure and rebuke. Air. Burton here entered into a series of general observations on the education received by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of "York, which he conceived would he found to be a very con siderable extenuation of inattention and imprudence, in the ma nagement of their financial concerns. He nad conversed on that subject go far back as thirty years ago, with the Gentleman who bad been selected to instil into their minds theelements and rudi ments of knowledge, and was explicitly informed that they were instructed in every useful and relined branch of knowledge, but the mere practical art of turning money ro their profit. Of the usual means of converting money into sources of their own bene fit they were kept in complete ignorance. The practical know ledge was neither suited to the views before them, nor the dig nified and proud feelings of the country to which they belonged. There was also a circumstance of peculiar weight in favour of his Royal Highness's innocence, Levi that circumstance was so satisfactory, and carried %vitt, it suc:i impressive conviction, as to defy the most minute scrutiny, and to silence ever' doubt. alluded to the line of couditet pursued by his Roval High- Less is emp;o)ing r. Lowten, to take every possible pains of tam i n io g into the system of living adopted by Mrs. Clarke. Exclusively of the deprivations under which he laboured (Mr. urtGO has been long deprived of sight), he was rapidly going down the hill of life, and looked to the other side of the grave. In ;it lug his opinion of the charges he could conscientiously eeci,ltc. that his judgment was solely guided by the pure princi ples of jugice, and was strictly conformable to the impression which had been made upon his mind by the testitnony before the touse. Mr. CCIlw EN wag averse to members making a profession of %he purity of their motives, which was a practice that had crept in or late years, and was unknown in , the better days of the . ..Howe of Commons. He would make no profession of the purity a his motives, but 1:e would state, as a plain man, the reasons which would induce him to give his vote contrary to the Hon. Gentleman who spoke before him, The lion. Member then proceeded to recapitulaie various parts of the evidence, and con fended, that if absolute corruption had not been proved against puke of York, lie hail been convicted of orgligent remiss %msg. and therefore was unfit to ike continsted in L!ie command of ttl'e army. The ;:ft tycw,ort of the Excirtr.Qtirtt rose nearly at the bouts of ;2 o'clock. He said, that although he %I:kited to deliver aleskentiments at an early hour, he felt it due to the years, the ,txperiencv, arid the acknowledged worth of the lion. Member sikoice last but et:e in the debate (Mr, Liurto::), to give way MARCH 19. and repress his desire. The speech delivered by that Gentle man was in every point of view as able, important, and im pressive as any one ever addressed in his recollection to that House. It was his intention to propose, when the debate was resumed, as a resolution, Ist, That charges having been exhibited against his Royal Highness thy; Duke of York, of corruption is the disposal of army promotions, &c. or corrupt connivance in the disposal thereof, it is the bounden duty of the House to pronounce a decided judgment upon those charges. That, after an attentive examination of s itliest•es, and a rigor ous investigation of documents, there appeared to the House no ground to suspect his Royal Highness to be guilty of any per sonal corruption, or any personal connivance in the abuses which had been proved to exist in other quarters. If these resolutions were carried, the Right Hon. Oentleman said, he should then move an Address to his Majesty, carrying to the foot of the throne the resolution of acquittal. That the House of Commoaq, in consequence of serious charg es having been made against his Royal Highness the Command er in Chief, had gone into a mi nute investigation of those charges and most distinctly acquitted his Royal Highness of all knowledge of, or participation in, any abuses of military patronage. To express to his Majesty the satisfaction they had derived from the many useful regulations which had been carried into effect under the auspices of the Duke of York in the Commander in Chief's o.:tice, and-the high state of discipline to which he had raised the army ; but that'at • the same time, they could not but learn with concern, that a connection had ever been Carried on, which had exposed his Royal Highness to so much suspicion and obloquy, and that they learnt with the sincerest pleasure, that his Royal Highness had dissolved it, and was resolved for the future to imitate that bright example of virtue which his Majesty so long had set to all ranks •of his people. On the Motion of Mr. Whitbread, the debate was then post poned. and the Ilouse adjourned at half.past three o'clock. Thursda,y, March S. The Indemnity Bill was read a third time and passed. On the motion of the Lord Advocate for Scotland, the Chtld • Murder Prevention Bill was read a third time and passed. DUKE OF YORK. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose, and expressed himself nearly as follows :—Sir, from the tenor of a part of Mrs. Clarke's evidence, it appeated as if she wished it to be under-. stood that she ptoeured for Co!. French the appointment which he holds in the West Indies. But so far from this, the situation he now holds is pritcisely the same as he held before the levy, not any office given him to compensate for his disap pointment. The Honourable Mover of these charges says, that the levy would immediately have been put a stop to but for the influence of Mrs. Clarke, and that, owing to that influence, two months elapsed, after the most grievous complaints had been made against the officers employed on that levy, before a stop was pa s t to it. But this was partly owing to circumstances in cidental to nil the great public offices, and partly from a desire. to see w Let her, as very large sums of motley had been expended, this levy could not in the end be rendered efficient. The expense of the men actually raised, which was estimated at 150/. a man, wris very easily accounted. for. The next case to which I call the attention of the Douse, is that of Col. Shaw. Mrs. Clarke's evidence, if it could Le believed, undoubtedly confirmed the statement of the Ilon,:Gentleman who brought forward these charges, that through her influence he had been put. upon half pay. The letter of Col. Shaw contradicted the evidence of Mrs.. Clarke. It appeared from the documents presented by Col. Gordon, that he owed the appointment to the zealous inter ference of General Sir :Harry Isurrard, who was an old friend of his father's, and that if he obtained the appointment of Deputy Barrack-Master-General at the Cape, he was to be put on half pay. Upon what plea then can it be said, that it was Mrs. Clarke's influence which procured Col. Shaw to be pit upon half-pay ? In regard to Dowlees case, I may observe, that it rests entirely upon the testimony of Mrs. Clarke and Dow kr himself, and is unsupported by any corroborating evidence. Whether or not Mrs. Clarke received a 1000/. from Dowier we have no means of knowing, except, from themselves; but we have had evidence. enough to prove that Dow ler was her favour ite paramour. It appears, however, from _the evidence given by an lion. Alderman (Cotnbe) that Dossier, at the time Ie received his aepointmeat, stated to him that he had obtained it through the interest of Sir . Brook Watson. There can be no doubt that Kennet wa,e a great swindler, yet I canne‘ 168 L i