The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-12-12 00:00:00

I No II EARRING'. T a WARD Mi.:KT/NG, held Ist CHRIST Ali. Cl 4 URC H, NE WG AT R-STREF.T, before the Right hero. the 1.0140 M YOfts in risnaellaelsee of a Requisition sign I by it number of Inhabitants, Roe the payee of in bit urling their Cosninrish 'ate Id Illie Court Common Council, to he :ield no WEnNESUAY neat, for the original Motion, tarred on the sth of Deremberbist, It nos Retilved Unai bumpily—That the I.4te unwise and disostriu. Expedition., in which hit Majesty's Armies have. been uniappily engaged, have inflicted upon the Country an accumolvion of disgrace nod calamity. and most stringly eviocei the imbecility, incuiracit), nod distraction, die national Councils. Resolved Connimmisly —That we highly approve of the proceedings of the Conn of Common Council on Tuesday. tne sth iit.t. for petitioning his Majesty for a full and Alpe. lust inciniry into the cause of throe Calaiuitie. and he* deprecate all attempts to rrUltratC or rescind th e said pro ceedings. iitgilling In the Rritish notion, derogatory in the Rights of Encli 4 lnnen, and as tending to degrade the deli beente proceedings of the tint Corporate Body in the ' kingdom. Resuisald Unanimously—That our Representatives be in strutted to ntsesid the t nurt M Cuissoon Conned un Wednes day next, the lath iost. to support the proceedings of the last Court. gawp/mg llapaimmisly—That the Tharlis of this Mali% he given to our worthy Deatriy, pi Roberts, Leigh, Wootilik igheiri anti (eight of the thieve who voted). fur their eoridact ni sapp?rtisg the original Motion, at the last Court of Conmion Conned. Resoloid Un inimously—That the Thanks of title he given t. 6 tie Right Him. the Lard Mayor Aldendini ake : l4 3 tilt, Ward), for his firm, manly, and iiidependeat coodnet at the last Court of Common Council, for the handsome and polite manner with 'which tic acceded to the Requisition Rot calling this Meeting. and for hi• imparsinl conduct lists nay. Resolved Unanimoosly—Thnt the foregoing Resnintions he signed by the Ward Clerk, and insetted in the Isla S 4 rATSS• NAN, Public Ledger, The Times, Morning. Herald, Um.. iog poet, Morniug Advertiser, Toe Day, County Chromic* and Courier. j(11-Ut WARiIt.EN, Ward Clerk. COLONEL WARDLE and Mrs. CLARKE: COURT OF KING'S BENCH, 1.01'411.4Y, DIG. 11. VIE KING V. !RANCH WKIGNT, likRY ANSI etitalic, AND DANIEL WNIGIIT. At an early hour the Court was crowded, and all the ',owes to it thronged, to hear this mosfs important cause, which was to determine, Whether or not the verdict obtained by Mr. Wright, the I upholsterer, against Mr. Wardle, fur furnishing Mrs. Clarke's house in Westhnurne.place, was or was not the efect of a Conspiracy. At nine o'clock the list of Special .urors wss called over by the .Clerk of Nisi Prior, and re. peatecl by the Usher, at the dour, and each Ju. TyttLin cam.: in as he answered to his name, and stone other was allowed to enter, there being no coons for half of those who bad aetnal business Ind they all come in together. When Lord El. lenberough took his seat upon the Bench, their ! Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York, Kent, and Gieucester, and the Earl of Moira, were seated ois his left hand ; the Right Honourable George Tierney . , and two other Gentlemen of distinction, whose names we could nil collect, on the right. The fo!lowing were the Gctitlem,nt sworn on the Jury : Charles Rich, Esq. William Palmer, Etc Matthew Stnody, Esq, John Jack-on, Usq. Heal Charriagtaa, Esq. Wellimm Dorton, Esq. John Harahan, Esq. George Randall. Thomas Lanatrotom, Eaq. Jaw, Pattie, Esq. Ralph Penton, Raq. I Robert Dover, Esq. Mr. AKANIN, jun. Counsel for Cul. IVardle, stated to the Jury, that this was an indictment for a conspiracy, which indictment recited that the alentlatit, Francis Wright, having sold zer. tain silkier, of hous,•hold furniture to Mrs. Clarke, the Defendants conspired together to charge .; w i Ilym Lloyd Wardle with the price of them ; and in pursuance of ant conspiracy, Francis Wright brought an action against Mr. Wardle, which coming on to be tiled, the other Defendants, Mary Arum Clarke an.l Daniei Wright, appeared as witnesses iu the catise.—The testinioey they gave was then set out iti the meet. the material parts of which were, that Cul. Wardle had undertaken to pay for those goods, by means of which false testimony the Defeoulant, Francis Wright, obtained a verdict against the prosecution. Mr. A er.ite then proceeded to open the cue on behalf of the prosecution, and lamented that so immense a weight as the conduct of such a pro secution as this fell spot' shoulders so unequal to ehe task of supporting it with propriety, more as:pecially when he reflected upset the oiliest,' strength to which he and his Learned Friend who assisted him, were opposed, that of his Majesty's Attorney-General and Mr. Garrow, and their able assistants behind thc bar. The reboot' fur Ids coming to take the lead on this mementoes occasion was, from the accident of Mr. Serjcant Beet, who oonductcd the cease on a former occa sion, and but of which this cue arose, being taken away from his character of Advocate of thc Bar, and compelled to appear in the chime. ter of a witness ; but such a measure .had been deemed essential to the interests of justice in this case. Ile had, therefore, to intreat the favour. able audience of the Jury, that of his Lordship he knew he should have without intreating it, for such was the habitual urbanity of that Noble and Learned Jodgc, that junior Barristers found in him a kind protector and instructor when difficul ties occurred to them. Ile then proceeded to ex plain to the Jury the.true nature of a conspiracy as bid down by that great oracle of the law, Lord Coke himself ; the substance of which was, that it was not su much the act as the manner of ob taining the object of those engaged in it, oonstitu led the essence of *conspiracy, for there might be conspiracy to do a lawful thing by unlawful means, and when the combiiiation was prorLd to have been formed ; the act of we conspirator might be' • though they might be an hundred miles asunder at the time of doing the act, and the parties might all be convicted, even although they might not accom plish their object, for the crime was somplitte in the combination, and the attempt to carry the ob ject into effect. Anti s great deal of good sense there was the rule by which this doctrine was laid down ; because the object of the law was to prevent the mischief, and also to punish the indi. viduals who attempted to produce it at one and the same time. Such was the law, and that was coin mon sense as well as common law ; for common law, after all, was nothing more than the perfec. lion of common sense. He then entered upon the general subject which was now before the Court, observed upon the publication of Co lonel Wardle's Address to the People of the United Kingdom, after the trial in which a ver dict had been obtained against him, wherein he pl ed himself to preset that such a verdtet was by perjury, and his client was now keeping has word, and redeeming his pledge with the public, by bringing forward this pro r.ecuticni. It might be asked, as it had been asked, why, if he was so confident he should be able to prove perjury, he did not indict the par ties for that crime, instead of bringing forward a charge of a conspiracy against these parties ? au.l it had been insinuated that this was not keep ing up his promise fairly, because he had pledged himself to prosecute the parties for perjury.— That was a false construction put upon the pledge given by Colette' IVardle to the public, fur he had only undertaken to prove to the satisfaction of the people of the United Kingdom, that the ver. diet obtained against him was obtained by means of perjury, aced that he might do, and was n•w doing, by a prosecutioe fur a conspiracy. Nur wars it the fault of Colonel Wardle that this mode of prosecution was adopted, for it was done by advice of his Counsel, upon constiltatiot;.— Here Mr. Alloy felt it his ditty to say, that if there was any blame attached to that, Colonel Wardle was entirely free from it, fur it was the act of his legal advisers, and he, as one of them, had no hesitation in avowing that he hail his share in recommending that course to be taken, and for which he was ready to receive censure s if any could be cast upon him, fur his advice. Col. Wardle was, upon that subject, as free from blame, as, by his public conduct, he was inerito. riuus. He had serval his country and his King, in quelling a furious rebellion, and be had taken an uncommon, and a glorious share, in exposing the corruption that was gnawing the state in its vitals. Ile was a soldier of intrepid courage, sail a senator of proud, erect, and independent spirit, bent upon undertaking the Herculean task of cleansing the Atigeati stable ; he had done much in that most useful and arduous service, which drew upon him the hatred of the friends of corruption, while it naturally excited the at. tackment and ailmiratiust of the people, of which his having had voted to him the freedom of se many a the corporate bodies of the kingdom were great and honourable: pritofs.—Mr. Alley seat en. owed upon the particulars of the ease now before the Jury, in which he maintained that it was a foul conspiracy, not only to rob Colonel War. tile of WWI. in money, for the debt and costs of the action amounted to that sum, but to de spoil him of that which was moat dearer to him than any consideration, his fair fame and chit ' racter, which stood so high with all who thou heard of his name ; a mow which had indeed been justly spread far and wide. Ile thanked these persons for thus affording him an opportunity of appearing before the public in this mintier. It was what afforded real avid cordial satisfaction, for Mr. Wardle felt conscious that he was an honest man, and that this cause would increase, Gaut diminish his fame. He knew that things had 'been insinuated to his prejudice, but he dared his caltonniators to come forward, and try what they would do, as well as insinuate. He maintained, and he should prove as well as make lain, that the goods with which Mrs. Clarke't house was furnished, had been furnished by Francis Wright for Mrs. Clarke, and her alone; that Colonel Wardle neither directly nor indi. reedy undertook or promised to pay for any part of them ; that Mrs. Clarke and Daniel Wright had contradicted each other, in the trvi dente which they gave at the trial, of which be had a copy, with which a short hand writer had furnished him ; and that Wine' Wright had said, that goods had been scat in uo hire, which were afterwards brought to the account of Colo. nel Wardle by sale to him. This would have made the whale of the pretended undertaking of Colonel Wardle void, by the provision of s wholesome statute, passed in the reign of Charles fib Ild. called the Statute of Fravds, which pro vide % that all engagements of one person to pay .the debt of another, shall be void, unless they are in writing. This Daniel Wright was nut acute enough to know, but Mrs. Clarke was ; therefore, to obviate the effects of it, she swore that none of the pods sent un hire to her house were afterwards put to the account of goods sold and delivered on account of Colonel Wardle, for that would bring the case directly within the pro. vision of the Statute of Frauds. He maintained that it would appear in evidence, that many elf the goods in questiuu, belonging to Mrs. Clarke, had been sent into this house long before she ever saw Col. Wardle, which was not moil the 18th of Nov. in the Int year ; although she pretended at one time to say, that she became acquainted with his is the autumn of that year, but whitalt dandy al she saw danger in persisting in the false hood. The truth was, and it would appear, that the whole of this charge upon Colonel Wardle was a maile.up story, to cheat him out of the whole of the money ; this, he trusted, would be manifested by the evidence of Col. Wardle him. self. Major Dodd, who was present with him in the only two instances in which he went to the, shop uf Wright, for he had never undertakes for the payment of one farthing's worth ; so very fat s from it was the real fact, that Mrs. Clarke had repeatedly, over and over, and over again, reqnired that Colonel Wardle should assist het in a pecuniary way, and he hail peremptorily and positively refused. She at last came with tears is her eyes, saying she must be absolutely ruined if' he could not help Iher, and iii this critical can. juncture In came Mr. Daniel Wright, who sup. ported her suppli.ations to Colonel Wardle, by stating that she was deeply in his brother's debt, and that he could nut afford to be any longer without his money. This was a mere juggle be. tween the Wrights and Mrs. Clarke, to gut some. thing oat of Colonel Wardle, by throwing out a hint, that unless he would contrive some supplies for her assistance, he should lose the benefit of her testimony, fur that she must he cart boo poi. sen for debt; upon which Colonel Wardle spoke to his friend, Major Dodd, to accom. plish something for this purpose; and he 9oke to his friend, Mr. Illingoorth, of Pall-Mall, who agreed to accept tt bill at three months, for 5001. to Francis Wright, while Ma. jOr Dodd took a counter-bill of Mrs. Clarke, and, to guarantee Mr. Illitigworth, Col. Wardle and Major Dodd engaged to put Mr. Illingworth in cash four days before his hill became doe, appre. bending that the bill which Major Dodd held of Mrs. Clarke would be honoured when due, and Which they honourably paid according to their M. gagement in two stints of '2501. each. Ti .: ante most honourable int their part ; a step by which Wright sev accommodated, and by which the threatened iticonveitiencieto the inquiry, then go. ing forward relative to abuse, in the Office of the Commander in Chief, was obeigted, should Mrs. Clarke be hurried away to prison. But there was 'no pretence for calling this a payment of the debt of Mrs. Clarke, nor for using as an instrument uf proof that Col. Wardle had become responsible Fur the payment of any demands which might be made upon Mrs. Clarke by Mr. Wright fur for. Wore, with which he hail from time to time slip. plied her. The truth was, that Mrs. Clarke and Mr. Wright understood each other very well, anal abet stmlerstanding many honest people knew to their cost. The course was this—Wright looked oat houses for Mrs. Clarke from time to time and whenever he gut one he then sent in furni ture, and charged about ten times the 'elite as the price, making it part of the stock in trade for Mn. Clarke ti carry to market, by which she en enabled to give a certain degree of splen. dour to her prostitution, and by which she fasci. meted the young and wheedled the aged, for she had id her net silly people of• all ages. It was thus that she had originally got in debt to Wright ; and it was urged as a reason upon the former trial, and Mrs. Clarke hail sworn it, nut the more likely on that accuunt, that when Cul. Wardle was at ‘VrOit's situp she was then in Wright's debt upwards of 5001. and that he would nut trust her any further. The truth was, that he trusted her the sooner on tllet account, because he knew that to be the only mode lie could take to secure to himself a chance of being repaid : for if he did Oct hold her head 'shave water, she must become a wretched street.walking prostitute, and he should never get . a guinea from her. lleiece it appeared, that he was continually looking out fur houses (or her, and having gut her into one, he was supplying her with ferititure of the most splendid kin 4, Ind taking his chance of getting ten times its value, If any foul should happen to fall in the clutches of Mr.. Clarke ; fur this purpose, he twat this course, to furnish every thing to Mrs. Clarke, uf the gayest kind, of the most geweiw sort, which enabled her to figure away in high style, and to get unbounded credit upon the strength of her appearance; but he also euntiived privately to enter it in the name of I Mrs. Farquhar, her mother, by which he secured all the goods against Mrs.• Clarke herself ; fur she had ter fir/minion over any uf it, as none of it was in her name. Over Mrs. Farquhar . Mr. Wright hail absolute dominion, so that if she did not deliver up 'the goods, to prison she went un the instant. Then as to the personal Ireedom of Mrs. Clarke, that Mr. Wright took care ef, by balling her in the first instance, in which by the way his brother Daniel had joined him, and they passed on that occasion ns partners, although on the last trial amid Wright had found it c.mre. nient to his brother's case to swear that he was not his brother's partner. Then agate when any of these numerous actions occurred In which Wright bailed Mrs. Clarke, she beitsg" a mar.' vied woman, her cuverture answered those; s o that by this trick, all those who trusted Mrs. Clarke, wen t en ti re ly w ithout remedy. It was in this manner that Mr. Wright had acted towards a, respectable person of the name of, bull, of whom he took a house for Mrs. Clark.., ant fitted it out for her, pretending that she was a chaste and virteous woman, but soon after she had gut tow the house, Mr. Bull discovered that she au a strumpet, and therefore got her utit. On this ye. easion the house was Oaten in the name of ftamehat, and Wright had said, that she was so Seed a character, that if he hid fifty houses see Being °listed from the houle of Mr. Bull, Mr. Wright pet Mrs. Clarke into a house of his in Bedford.street. Rustellagriare, a house he had let to a lady who . did not intend to occupy for some months after -wards. He here supplied her with furniture, and then took another house fur her of a Mr. Curt, to whom hu introduced Mrs. Clarke, saying, she was a woman of large fortune, anti Mr. Curt Pet to her his house. He was pleased with the aN 'tearer' ce of things in the house in Bedford-street, Russell-square, and observed, that the carpets would fit the new-house, which happened to tie of the same size; but Mrs. Clarke said, that the furniture was too old fashioned fur her ; she Mould not take any ef it but the beds and drawers, that Mr. Wright should supply her with' elegant fur. iiiture. It was agreed that Mrs. Clarke should take a lease of this house, and fur that purpoie the parties all met at the house of Mr. Stokes, the attorney, for these Defendants. Mr. Curt said, he had 11U objection to granting a lease, but he hid paid 1061. for fixtures and he must hare that sum before he could allow any body to take . pos. session of that dwelling. Mrs. Clarke said, if he would only give her 12 months credit, she would tiny the house of him. No, that would not do ; 1061. in hard money he must hare, or possession should not be given; upon which, Mr. Francis Wright gave • check upon his banker fur this eery mousey ; and this was the man who it was said woulti not trust Mrs. Clarke a shilling fet es, than this 5001. This was on the 11th of No -ember. This bu,iness being settled, and the money paid by Mr. Francis Wright, the lease of the house was executed, nut to Mrs. Clarke, bat to Mrs. Farquhar, because if the lease wets to Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Wright felt that he could not be protected against her extravagance, as she could plead her coverturd against him as well as against others. Now, that was not hit - object, he wanted to have the dominion over the househiruself, which be obtained by having the miserable mother of this misereble strumpet as ,the apparent lessor of the holm; • !or she being a widosr, had no co. vcrterc to pitfall. These facts would be all proved if, the cum - se-of the present trial, and what Cul. W.trdlu %until swear about his nut having under. taken, in any degree, to be liable when he went with Mrs. Clarke to the warehouse of Wright, would be supported by the oath of Major Dodd, who had received a hint,'that if Ito gave evi. denco in this cause, he should lose his of. lice under government, with about 30001. a.year. Nuteithatending that pregnant hint, he did go before the Grand Jury, gave his esti. cence, and lost his place immediately. " 0 Shame ! where is thy blush ?" An Englishman deprived of his atitireeee and comfort, because he has the honesty of going before a G. - and Jury of kis countrymen to tell them the (kith, as he owes it I to his God and the country, in following the canto of justice! But he had his reward in a quiet coin. !science, and, like another Cincinnatus, would be content with honest obseuriti in preference to opulence and (guilt. Major &lenity pursued the same Course, and he lot an employment that was worth about 17s. a-day. • These things spirits for themselves. Another most glaring thing was, that which would appear from the evidence Of ' Sir Richard Phillir,•with whom Mrs. Clarke had 1 negotiated about Ireeilaotik;' for which he Jgrocti to give her 5,0001. but s% afterwards said that she wanted 1,0001. to pay to Wright, her upholsterer. She must have 7,0001. fur it ; upon which Sir Richard Phillips said he would have nothing to do with her ; and after that, Lord Chichester gave her 10,0001. for her infamous book, Which was a prnuf only of her ingratitude towards that Illustrious Prince, muter whose protection she hail been fostered and cherished. Butt she was like the viper that but the hand which•saved her from perishing in the slow : 10,000 i. for the despicable trash of a strumpet, and fifteen guineas for Milton's divine Paradise Lost. Thus scandalous abuse, scurrility, and contemptible nonsense, were repaid, whilst the works of the brightest genius were neglected. What was to he expected from a nation in which such scenes were exhibited? Vice and Folly living in splen. dour--Virtue and Genius starving in the streets. This actually surpassed the inventive genius of our immortal Shakespeare, for he had suppoioil, hat when one man stole away the name of ano ther, it did nut enrich the purloiner ; for he had said, Who steals my polar steals trash—"rwas mime 'tis his, r has been slave to thootaads 4 • • the that Medea (Tee me my good name, • . me of that which ern enriches him, • Wakes me poor Indeed. Thus It appears, that even Shakespeare himself, with his inventive genius, could not foresee that one perton could get rich by filching front ano ther his good name, for it appeared that Mrs. Clarke, by her endeavours, only filched from her benefactors their good name, and procured wealth enenglt to 'become afflactit. These were matters highly discreditable to the taste of the pet et ea day. He then expatiated -Areat length agpinst the evils of corruption, and . mbintained that t( was owing to the general itre/inatiort - to4ive waz to corrupt practices that all the misalacts which had happened to Europe arose ; b t e which as obscure .iridividual, born in a little cuitemptible 4'441 in the Mediterranean, had risen up and beciume the terror of legitimatimonarehe, and find ticihrOned • them at Will. e • a Lord Eeezenomovan observed; Bat if eke Learned Gentleman really 'thought that piing over the hiiro y of Donal arte end the present state of Europe had a bearing upon this haite; he should ..... _ .. ... ' • . " ~..,,................. .......... o " mirr. "it . ormilio...,:ama.,....airishars , .* +it Lai. 4. 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U, 13D'A given in evidence against ennther conspirator, al. ! she, with her characteristic acuteness, shifted in. 1 shoald hire her choice of there. Sting wilted 6.- min.--