The Sun. — London, England, 1816-04-23 00:00:00

(Signed) i . :let erwinell its :by rerusril ; and I positively de. vlare, that 1 meld to make no reply to question* t h,ir ,bull be put to me at , to the escape (.4 M. de Lrf v deter, anti the 'pretended part I have taken in it. After several reiterated summonses, the accused Laving constantly retused to answer flit( questions which we put to him, we closed the pvebent inter i'sgatory ; adding at the same time, as to the de mand of General Wilson claiming all the honours and attentions due tro his rank, that these could - uot be refused to him, because' he was not declared guilty. w The above being read, the accused signified MA adherence to it, and signe:t with us and the clerk but, before signing, he demanded that there, he inserted at the close of this interrogatory the claim which he formally makes, that this interrogatory, end all those which preceded it, he communicated to the linglish ambassador s and he signed with us . anti the clerk alter this addition was read., - ROBLItT WILSON. IWPVY, and D4ROSTE. (It commenced with asking the name, &C. of • 'the prisoner, to which the .sainiansv•cr . was given P as before.) Q: Were y i v i t i t N a T cq l : R ia ll i ° nt G e A d T :v ß it l l; "-- 14 j a:le 9 t 4 t . e before he *as brOught to trial Before replying to iiny question, 1 demand the annexation to the proi:a.verbat of the paper which I now give in, and which'eoutains my solemn protest against a Mode of , proceeding of, which I cannot acknow• ledge the legality. 1 dennind that this document he signed and parafeed, ne varietur, , by' M. the Judge of Instruction and the clerk here present. Anti having immediately proceeded to read the said protest, written on the first three pages of a sheet of letter-paper, we' acknowledged to the said Siiltr Wilson the receipt and deposit of the said paper ; and immediately, in his presence, signed and parafeed each page of the paper.- We then repeated our first question. Were you acquainted with Nei, before he was brought . to trial ?—A. No,„ Q. Have, you known him since ; and did' you sae bins in prison /—A. I never saw him in pri son. Q. Did you know, long before the Bth instant, that Lavalette was still in Paris ?....A; I have not -fttaitted the recollection of the date; Gut I think had no knowledge of his being in Paris till the 3d or 4th of January, and i had it merely from 14(41rsay, Q. Was it not then proposed to you to enter into a plan of which the execution had'for its oh.. ject to facilitate his escape from the kingdom ? 77 -- A. I was spoken to with that wish. Q. Who was the person who thus spoke to yon was born and bred in a country where social duty is respected like public,duty, and thus my memory is not framed for betrayiuglrlends4ip and contidence. 9. On Sunday, .the 7th inst. did you not go to Captain HutchinsOn's, rue du Helder, No. 3 ; and were you not there in company LANNl lette I—A. As I fiave already said, I have not retained the recollection of slates ; 2'i, in regard to Captain lintchinstin, I refer to my preceding answer ; 3d, I was in no company Where I heard the name of Lavalette. Q. In that company did you not at least see an individual whose name might not have been pro• nounced before you, hut whose person was un known to you, and who, from the air of mystery whiCh prevailed at the Captain's, yon might have reason to suspects had arrived there with intention to coin. eat himself ?—A. I never said that I had , passed the evening with Mr. IltnehinsOn; and I apply here the foregoing reflections. ' Q. On Monday, the 8111 instant, did yOu not go in the morning to the house of the Captain did yin mint ali4lit there in order to mount a buggy (boguet) which happened, to be in the street in film( of the outer-gate; and did you, not con duct along with you a man whoin you found in the, captain's apartment ?—A. As, other persons besides myself are implicated in these interroga.. miles, I Shall keep on the defensive, and observe silence. Do you then admit that you assisted Laia !etre in escaping from Paris, then from France, by conduct►n'g him along with you under the dress of an English .officer ?—A. I repeat, that never did any one appear before me under the name of La valette. It is very true, that at the time. of which you speak, or near about it, I conducted from France an, individual dressed in a uniform great coat of a description not at all confined to the army, but of a kind that every,one can legally wear; and did not observe that tinder this surtout he wore a uniform dress. Q. Under %vhat name was this individual intro duced to you.-41. As this individual had, pro bably, reasons for concealing his name, Ido not - think myself authorized in disclosing it. Q. It you did not know it, what motive could induce you to undertake so long and so expensive s journey to accompany him to the frontier ? , A. Aoly motives are not actions ; and on this ac intit I feel anthorized to give no account of them but I should be ashunetl of myself, if friendship, or even the desire 4'n:uttering a trifling service to any °flu whom I believed in a situation to require i!, were not suit - Went to determine me 'to under• t,die a journey mita longer and more troubli aome. Then, while you passed by Valenciennes, Ann wklied to obtair4 a passport, did you declare your real name It is trim I passed by Valen pienues, and, I believe, 1 told my tine name ; btst at all events, anti even supposing 1 had disguised it, the safety of the person who 'accompanied me (mad have justified this precaution, if I had thought it useful. On my return to France, I never concealed my name ; and under my real' it tine I passed! the frontier and the fortified places. Q. Do you recognise the pass which 1 mention as having been delivered by yon'at Valenciennes for yourself and the person whom you accompa nied ?--A. 1 donor reniethber Q. When you arrived at Compeigne, where you slept, were you received, together. with your mivelting companion, hy an Englishman or by a Prencinuttn I neither can nor do I-Wish to sity any thing of *what is not personal to myself; at the same time I ought in truth to declare upon toy honour, that no Frenchman of any class, as At A I. uOW, lAA engaged in this affair since I entered into it. This 'declaration applies as well -to Paris as to other points of the journey. Q. Were you led by your own inblination, or at the sugge%tiou of another, to undertake the journey lit que.stiou,?—A. I.,,was . told that this journey was necessary for the Interests of the in dividual. :I never yet requirathe efforts or the persuasion of another to lead me to the.per forinance of an action that I regarded as honour able, and that my conscience approved : honour able, because it %sag more than' disinterested : ap proved by my conscience, because I am persuaded that every honourable man, and particularly my countrymen, from the highest to the lowest rank of society, will approve of it in their hearts. The evidence being read to the accused., be said that it contaittetl his true answers';• that he ad-, hared to its declarations ; that be had ()Wang CO change in it, or add to it ; that he sig ned with us and the eetk, e as well the present deposition as the pass mentioned in it, and the protest en tered into by ( s►g:ra ) WILSON, DEPUY, and DEILOSTE. ,SIXTII INTERROGM'ORY.—Fen. 9, Q DII you recognise dee basket which 1 here nresebt to you, tivd up, and sealed Witt) the seen .of the Prefecture of, Police p—A. No, Sir; but, before answeritig - to any kind of qustions, 1 Ile , wand that at the kept! 01 the proee.,s-verhal there may be allixed the prQtetit, that .; formally renew, 011 the right which is as , uMed of ineStiotiim;•me. 1 declare, in con4Nittenee, my dila vowal of every thing ,that !)as .tor iss object to estahlk!) apnist myself, ,4efure my trial, etcher proofs tir pre.sutup. it lotus resniting from this ingnisi«)rial system. breakinl , the seal.fixe4 to the ends of,th'e' string, we, presented to him all the pipets eon, tained in the parcel. We then formed of these pa tiers five brlndtes. : ' The first of these contained 12 pieces addressed to Lnly The second contained IR . pieces, CompO,e4 I,,em.)rial addressed to Lord CostlerCar,h by General iutention,a recalling to Ins-recollePtit4. , •11 1 , , he rice* performed by the latter in the . 11W war b. I and R,tssia, and the doeinnenti in support oft!,;., Tile third bundle contained four original tette'', eetvrring liiievtist to tile Nlemorial announced ire the second. fourth contained pieces coniposcd of notes and otever 7 Tations . made (hiring. an czeuisiou of the Genelril into Nlinar and to Mount Ida. The fifth and the WM cor,titirted sixty-forkr pircry . compoint of diverc receipts and account's of expence, limit its French and Ettgl6h. We likewise fOund in the saute pocket, 1 3 t, letter addressed to ,Miss. Rhodes, coming front Triginnd, Hint written it. the English Lingtinge - ; and General Wilson - has declared U) hat' this lady is the companion of his wife. 2il, A letter signed 11r . tnie, ‘vithout aftdresvand without date. 'General Wilson Jiaviiig Junked at this letter, point , .'d out to es that it conkd not be addressed to biln ; that it WO: easy to attain conviction pn this stibject by the expressions bo r d e ri ng on pro found ropeet contained in it, Ind which weie not coitsistent with the intimacy that had subsisted for some years between Mr. Bruce and him ; and' that, consequently, it was rely by accidental mis take that this letter was tound among his papers, This being dont!, w t affixed nut seal and thet of General Wilson to the two ends of the suing tying each of the bundle*; we hare, likewise marked all the pit ces cont a i ne d i n them, as well as the letters which do not compose part ,of them. The reading of the present deposition being on e , thrwigh, General Wilson signed it along with us and the amanuensis. (Signed) yi'LLSON, DUPUY, and MOSTE. SEVENTH -INTERROGATORY.—Fr.n. Q. Was it entirely from Sentiments of,genernsi , ty, its you have mentioned in your 'first ihterro, gatory, that you lent assistance iu the•eseape of. valette, or was it not rather with political views, and in consequence of a marked opposition to the acts of the Government i—A. I begin by renew. ing my former protest against thii inquisitorial system, and passing then to your question, I an. ewer, that 1 have not named Lavaiette as the in dividual that I accOmpanied to thle frontiers ; but at all events I Agree, that, when it was proposed to me to save Laerdette, polities had not for' a mu. meat any influence upon my decision ; and my conduct has' been directed by an irresistible senti ment. of humanity, which would have compelled me to save an enemy in the same circumstances. Q. You will agree, nevertheless, that the in difference wilily's' you ought tio feel .towards a man Who WAS noknown to you, and the proftmod aver sion which you are at' no pains to colleen, towards the Government, naturally inspired the beliefthat this • lamer sentiment alone could regnlitte your conduct in this Affair ?—A. I have answered as to facts, Ido not reckon it spy duty to enter into possibilities with regard to the profound aversion which is so gratuitously imputed to 'me towards the rrecnh Government. I declare that Inver interfered with an act of this Government' in .whieb the honour and the good faith of my nation were not interested, and never 'assumed• the rights as an Englishman to criticise it. • Q. Why, then, in the affeir of Lavelette—an affair foreign to your Government-6414140n exert yourself to cast odium upon persist's whose duty prescribed to them the prosecution of the charges against him ? Why did you treat them as perse cutors who multiplied their efforts to assure their bloody triemplr? 'Why did you add that tiny' had discovered the footsteps of their prey, and that the escape oC Lavalette had produced no ‘, other effect but , to render these Monsters snore furious ?—A. Upou the first article or this inter rogatory, I answer, that the affair of Lavalette (abstracted from the part .1 took in it) was not foreign to an Englishman. There existed a con vention, signed by an English General, and re tified by the English Government ; a n d the trial of Lavalette was a manifest violation of that,con vention. I do not deny that I employed the words which you have repeated, hut yotr must furnish me with the proofs of the facts. Itt ad dition I may say, that I wished to avoid nil poll tical discussion : as you have begun it, Ido not refuse to answer, • Q. The proof which you demand results from th e letter with which I now relent you ; do riu nowac knowledge it, and do you consent to sign it, land to mark it (parnpher), that it may be identified In denouncing great et Imes, by which the French Government have obtained possession of e. !Med , letter addressed to a Peer of the Parliament of England, and I acknowledge it, and am ready to sign it, and to subscribe it with a ne rarieltor. (Iviare that in object is accomplished. The silence which I have persevered in; and which has ' been imputed to toe as a reProach, had no other cause but to put the French Government under the necessity to unveil its, &wit shame and culpa bility in producing the intercepted letter, of the interception of which I had long been aware. Q. It would appear that the honour of, your country could not he the only erinsideration to, which you Must have yielded in this conjuncture, since Yon Yourself advance for itirjnstific a tion the calamity of Lavalette, which you look upon as a dishouour to the cause of liberty and humanity.— . A. These two words, liberty and humanity, be come the proof of my explanation. in fact, the word liberty, when well underst;iod, eNprestesre spect for the laws . and tor justice. The laws were outraged by the'vlohitioh of t to treaty, and it was Alien reasonable to regard this as the eAuCe of li berty rand humanity. The phrieies . , that I follow come in aid of the justness of this interpretation, since in them' I express the'wish that Eugland may escape the shame of participating anew in an as sassination, and that every hottest and indepen dent man in Europe may have for once an oppnr-, fonity of rejoicing in these times of moorningand ignominy. It was not necessary for me to detail the various sentiments which animated me, follow ing the order in which they presented thetoselves to my mind : I wished only to draW a getteral pic ture, and thine is a great distinction to be made too o ecu the precision which belongs essentiOlv to tt lease :iiidy , : ,,,,,l, onfideittially to 11 friend, and the oich one des tined for the public inspection ought to' possess. Q Must not the expresSions which you ern 'ploy to designate those who acted by order'of the government, and the hatred which you disclose in the manner.: of describing , the government it self, excite a, belief that the escape of Lavalette was not .your princip a l object, but simply me-aus Ih commerscement of the executioa of a,projeet very Ott of a plot kevionsly formed f ind at ranged, todestroy or, to change the government,. o r the order of succession to the throne ?—A. The expressions tvhielt I itsed were caused by the vin dictive spirit which I had remarked in the pt.rse- Cations directed' against, Marshal Neyand M. La.. valette—persecutious which always appeared to me an, outrage on die bottom* and good faith of the Engliihnation, identified with the convention of Paris. I never meant to point' out, particularly either the agents of the governmeot or any other persons .as . .cliatgeable with the persecutions at , which l revdltedi but I meant to speak generally of all those Whom a furioas, or at least excessive, zeal led try.calf out for blood, and to oppose the wish which had, to the knowledge of every body, proceeded from the Icings heart, to exercise, cle- Ineney towards DI. Lavalette. Q. flow can you escape the strong presumption which rises against you, pt . haviog wished to de stroy or chadge the Government—you who have yourself furnished Hs with this reasoning, and who, in die letter in question, do not dissemble'that the facts which you recite may render you liishle to the suspicion of conspiring clandestinely,--a stispiciott which you.. announce the Intention of preventing by communicating to the Duke What yoti have thine It has always been my avow ed and acknowledged policy to leave every nation indeperwent, ;o l d not to irstermeddle in the of their Governmeots; but I beheld with pail] the English Government oger„in sacrifice the English Constitution, in order to connect, itself with - , French polities r I should have seen with pleasure the cessation of that connexion. I never entered boo any plot Or association againit. the French ,Governtnent : 1 coatined myself to confiding to the bosom of friendship the thoughts and wishes?' with which circumstances inspired Joe ; this is a tight born with an Englishman, and which no one can deny to hint while lte,sintply exercises it, 'and does nut accompany it with any act prejudi cial to Government. The Duke who is men ',tinned in the passage that has been quoted, to me is the Duke of York,"the Prince Regent's ,bro ther, and Commander in Chief of the Vorees.— The' wish which I announce of communicating to hi m wh a t 1 bad ,done, and i n or d er to b anish e ll suspicion of . a s eltintlestine conspir.cy, is the be g at proof I eanblitag of, the purity of my intentions. 0. Did not one of your friends, in au answer which he addressed to,y6ta, communicate to - you hi s doubts as to the nation being strongly disin dined to the Bourbons; and did-be not appear in consternation at ttie want of proof of discontent in this respect I—A'. This question has been dis cussed in England since the, re-establishment _of the Bourbons, and it is there discussed sail i but, you 4 mst allow me the letter of Which yon speak, in order to put it in any power to enter into greater details. . Q. The exhillition'of this letter can he Of no consequenee to you : my object at this momeot, in reminding you) of the answer,'is to point out to you the presymed or rather evident meaning Of the letter. Which had called. forth the answer, and to draw this. infereoce, pAlpable to the eyes of unprejudiced -persons, that your opinions accord ed with those of y o U r correspon d ent, although the latter were in opposition to thoSe of your Go.. vernment, those of France, and I will add, those of.every friend of the repOse'and happiness of na tions.—A,, protest against all responsibility for the letters of men born free like myself : 24, '1 deny this inductive logic : in fact, if the person wh o wrote to me bad been quite convinced attic conformity of our opinions, lie would nut have taken so much trouble to develope his own, and to make, me participate them : in fine, to differ with the politics' of his Govianment is no crime with an Englishman ; and 1 will fra n kly avow , that the, Constitution of nay country, its inde pendence and welfare, are superior, to every con sideration fur thu,satety of the - French Govern ment, and to repose established ort - tbe ruins of England. Q. What you have said respecting the freedom of opinions rests on a principle which our Govern. inent and Constitution equally respect. The law attacks no One for hii private opinions, unless they have been protnulged . with a view to disturb pabiic tranquillity; and such is the character of some singuiar expressions which I find in this letter, Nod which I s h a ll no w bring to your re. collection «Ifit is proposed to reveise the actual order of things, the fire must always be kept alive, and visible in trance and other evurt- ~n+ tries, to torm, as it were, art alarm.beacoe demand a sight of this letter before Lingle reply, both for the purpose of ascertaining writer, And judging of the motives which e have ins'teed him to make use of such express Q. There it is : do yea recognise it ?—A. The writer has authorised me to name him: tuy brother. The passage you have cited piece of reasoning-purelyspeculative and hypo tieal, without any present object; and his it tion, which" is proved by the-rest of the letter, only to establish the accuracy/of his calculi on the state of - Frattee and Beglaud. Q. The passage which precedes appears to to repel this interpretation ; and there B PI midi' less of hypothesis than of actual fear it c.XPres.s 4)11. '' There reigns in the , prov inces I 'g ree -tra»quillity that may degenerat4 inlo itire act - here:v:B to the views of the‘Sovereign, A. it is not " the, tiews of the Suvete; hot " of the Sovereigns ;" which giccs aft tirely different sense. I ati not obliwed to ten!lany brother ; he is able and ready to de his. own cause : but my brother, b e ntg a n en of the system on which the Allied Powers 1 aeted,which he thought calculated to . prod iCC evil, and no good to his country, expresset rears lest the present system should beetnnet firmed ; and, to arrive at the end he propos ed wished to see all the people of Europe l otto! themselves in their own atisirs, and teg 3 ; l what be calls their sovereignty, w hi c h is tile of the Brit C Institution. . This letter , writ ii English, 1 never publicly eircillatett, cat bo cited as au unlawful act against the French vertunent. e 'Q hl ' isl:e 11is d between cr ires-P(ln d S r 1 e • :Lie appears ea e rs a t i ( i)dnyienttioLtil st e of consolidation and identity, wilich makes unttnally respousible for your opinions ; it p re talum i l i t o e s r t e il i e tot to oil t t il y e existed go,,.e nmitnlibit;thhotofa you ai ar r real intention to effect overthrow i:it olf find an th clearly t ,if flits e l: t : it ii ie d r s n,c w t i ni rable proof in the last nrinirnis'i says, .." that he must have acti°"' ns establish his hopes ; but . it our friendl.-OF 4 j e o r t e tt wbarloittlitnegr; seciog but too much weaktiess," ( a nd this bittoissutil)lPant,rti were on the poi- I t o f act i o n), "or greet mass of the people bestirs itself first' el tlting that follows will be of 1)6 ere ct ': A. First, I repeat always my first protest 551 any responsibility for opinions which tit° proceed from me ; secondly, I believe, 1(1 t o • t i ..li t o: r s a i t t l i c g e re il a i s t o i t i t i s s , that my brother does "°"P paragr Iny recollection a Critique which I- had 1114(li l Perry, the Editor of the Morning Chronicle) "I' lB justiiitays e‘sv n o o ui t ntt a i n zu y ne4 f ja r a t b : s u tul aintarice France whi„ ll a fy the :•Npr - ession, out - . frds.7 'R es t s l n at ii distar from a!1 business, could or Vrould enter iptosil.i h. rd suppose he in. France. • He always recurs to the desire , w" c Wtv s his letteatn ) I) s s o :y i r s ia f t t e ii e lc c : i n a t eigect iii him, of 4e.tslrent I).le'rs'as,ei rrty l object, w should ee his f u other iiiixed as it;-. aid what com stn tit no ptrur o :et f .aawnEsd l d . t. : elpgi u ia)tl r saeysnv s i:dn e il n :li pletely proves dolt llicr conspiracy between us is, his i i iii opinions. Besi d es from which it is easy to Conclude, tha t il.( ; t cr , atz o d o c v t t o e fr m t o l l i t e i n cb better than "ch 61)36 passage, that it 'relates principally to th e sitn iall an jetri;eltestnseoeuulal.ntilectillicsntlyibout.tiftrit seet ,tnefiv, inrhtieol i tine p ich l .. ;7 ; its France. Without r i e t c s s present abl sh c n o t e n t i tl e o x f ei m onth • drawn ' of J id i?ot you st, write c i lerni i i i nu‘ . o y lact:ye s gr t: '° l b i a eldl s t lerttov resounded e sib it ito :: ,cel eal yt lY i l l - nr ) . e l ; °s ‘ Y v v ect i 'fnt u rb it o ii e ni o o n ins : gi t : ti :s it )o si - lis litit etl ii4r:rillieeP11:1:1,t114111 ral-ciy is always, in tundo."—A. It is possib i l i e l l t l i s ti t a r Y o. l : l 3 7; but do not re ti • •• • e that ' • ale of such expressions, they mos 1 13 ; not: to some nets v° a Y t msieither to "fir clear W hat is the expression Downing- str eet, wh' the scat of Government ; 114 the " I " r ` will he turned out," had pro bably au altogether foreign to lite F ren ch tiovertviast MUM. add, that I have not formed [IV 3 , i10 ,1 1 nor my opi n i ons i n your' revoititiooos: 8 ", ( both are conforntable to the. t rue vro last ,Ngtv elnber) % .E vi n si gl e i: l sit e P:tri t ot e s t . you I"a a l ett ' Q. Did not . ,oue of your fecoi•st chief ote, regret at not s ee i ng some erotoinent sa t a nd ma' in France in a situation to please? h oo ted Ric mission to which the French pe°P, Le - t z s „tish jon' so disposed ?"—A„ It is possibie tue,_ — ' , - th i s ( Mil thals gave an incontestable proQf ; i ds of • exists in one• party, and I have having I ' rec eive parties ; but I d o fiat reme mber such a letter. ° Q. Did not you say in the P re t ence perSODS. on fretiDelgt OCefiSiOtl ' S , 6111(1. (141111: m di s s itn Write to your brother Sr E idward ii Wll5 0ti15.°11.1 10 it the dethronement of the Bourbon s a G ond: able ? A. It is possibleat Yoit3 xPl: s ismd s °l7 ose d, tion tuiderstlod and antecedently e it case of a system of severity be in g Pe'he Floe framed only to estrange the heart t the from their king. ton na tl' Q. Did you not in.anaiberletie: a n hat o n er news, at once doubtful awl alerrutot') , ar t hin, increased every day in Paris; and amt . ev " e ve • bespoke the approach 'of a cris i s • m en correspond with any but my telidly: t 7 e l d int t i o l ,the 4 and it is possible I may have transllT tonarke' the impression which I thought 1 i!it jo r in Paris, which did not escaPe th'e'}"Cut;c4rli! itatists, and which at last was annoutrc the House of Commons. ". e to , conspiracy antecedently a verted , onr e.s Q. Does not this language i re . f e a r n :i a d t- o - e r s no this the fol! o;ttei„rnd s i ()n si,avvfebriecrihdecarnenso,befil.o°, t:lll,gir terminate Froposition— isltorluiecktbwatiltlbebpeeohpettierdofinE. A n t i e o r p r e i b e . 11 10...,e.,4 h th a e ye app id e rr al ays tke ds t w a 4 ,1 1 be .the made s t 0 r w 7 3 1 tri;Al Y