The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-11-10 00:00:00

THE GREAT DIVORCE SCANDAL.

The gossips and scandal-mongers all over the country
are just now in • state of fluttering ezitement at the
prospect of • Divorce Cent revelation which involved
the moral reputation of no less • personage than the
Prime Minister of England. The firat hint that the
cause cilitere was In legal Lands was commuoioated to
the world by the A/emigre Star, in terms so mysterious
that for several days.. certain Royal Duke was generally
spoken of oath. delinquent ; and many of then smart
people who know, or win you to believe they know, all
the secrets of fashionable society, shook their wise
heads, and 0 were not surprised." It turned out, how.
ever, that the saddle had been put on the wrong horse.
The Duke had nothing to do with the ease, and the
Meriting Star consequently has something to answer
for in exciting the curiosity of the g abler, and then, by
• wellstudied reticence, I. acing them to fix the scandal
on whom they pleased. The subsequent allusions to the
case, however, even before the solicitor to the petitioner
had published his letter denying that • compromise had
been effected, lef t no doubt as to who was mune "The
first natuman in England," "a gentleman who has
been before the public as a politician during nearly the
whole of the present century," and the "co-respondent
has just entered his eightieth year," are phrases which
could only apply to one person—that person being no
other than Lord Palmerston. The Star still continues
to reserve the name, but it has taken pains to make it
perfectly clear that the Premier is the object of its first
mysterious announeement. All the other London papers
are silent. The scandal is the talk of all the clubs and
of all circles, but the metropolitan press has heard
nothing of it, at least we may euppose so, if we judge by
the cazefol exclusion of every rumour touching the
wetter from their columns. It is mere affectation, how-
ever, to pretend that we do not hen what the whole
country is talking about. and toilet our eras and refuse
to see the letter of "Thomas Well., solicitor for the
petitioner." The hesitation of the London peen togive
notoriety to the cue has not been shown by some of our
Irish contemporaries, and one of them has come out
I with the names in fall, " O'Kene r. O'Kane and lord
I Palmerston," and with details • hich strip off all the
mystery with which the Star had surrounded the case.
Acoording to this Irish authority the petitionerdeseribes
himself as a gentlemen formerly of Brorepton, but now
of Commercial-road, London. The petition alleges
various acts of infidelity said to have been committed at
Piccadilly, in the summer of lest year; and, in order
that the jury may be enabled to estimate the personal
attractions of the lady whose marriage it is sought to
dissolve, her carte de visite is appended to the petition.
These are, in brief, the facts as it is said they will
acme before the new judge of the Divorce Court about
July next, and they certainly supply abundant materials
for scandal in the meantime. The rumour that an
officii inquiry was not likely to come off in consequence
of a comproinise having been authoritatively contradicted
by Mr. solicitor makes it probable that the ,
case will be investigated on its merits, and we can
hardly imagine a more negational trial than it is likely
to prove. It is a matter of the deepest importenee to
Lord Palmerston's reputation that there should be •
full inquiry now that the disgraceful charge has been
made. To seek by money to effect • compromise is to
admit the guilt, and not to escape Its c yerequences ,•
whereas to have • fair, open hearing before the world
may prove that the charge is • false one. as we believe
it will do. At any rate, since the ease has gone so far,
it is the interest, and we believe it will be the desire of
Lord Palmerston, to court the fullest publicity. We
need Wily say that the cause will create the most
extraordinary interest, and may entail the most impor-
tant political consequences. The Prime Minister of
England has to meet at the Cabaret Councila the highest
personage in theme realms—a lady distinguished for
every womanly virtu —and Lord Palmerston conse-
quently owes it to the Queen and to the nation, as well
as to himself, to meet openly, and answer the damaging
sectuation. He Influences the gift of three woke
bishoprics, t inner( our belopries, thirty-eight
deaneries, forty-six prebends, and more than • thousand
church livings. The maker of bishops should not him-
self be • violater of the sanctity of maniege vows—a
despoiler of the chastity of married women. The
country would not tolerate such • scandal for • moment.
A Prime Minister who is made the co-respondent in •
divorce ease is bound to clear himself if he can do so,
He must do this for the satisfaction of the nation which
entrusts him with • Prime Minister's powers. Com-
promise is condemnation, and proved guilt would lead
to consequences which it would be premature to discuss.
It is met the practice of the English public, however, to
condemn • men unhand, and, whatever publietraducers
or private slanderers may say, the Rood sense of the
nation will deer judgment in • cue of such momentous
importance till all parties have bad an opportunity of
being heard. It should be remembered that the
detailed and immure statements that have bees
published up to the present time are ilex parte, and of
questionable origin. We should be very rueful in
placing much reliance on the allegations that have been
made against Lord Paltuenton, but, since they have
been made, we are all interested In having the matter
cleared up. Our legislators are no more models of
virtue than any other clam, and it is notorious that the
private affairs of some of them will not bear • very don
ezamination. A Prime Minister, however, occupies
• somewhat different position to that of an ordinary
member of either House of Parliament. He is the
chosen representative of the political life of the time,. and
is endowed with pewees which the nation would hesitate
to entrust to a social outlaw. Perhaps the sneezes'
reason for believing that inns mint be some mistake
is the great age of the co-respondent. Personally,
Lord Palmerston is hale and hearty ; but, at his years,
the passions, as Hamlet says, wit upon the judgment.
k mil in his eightieth year is not like • youth of
twenty. He has the 'turnout, the earnings, of • long
life to guide him, and if with all these he plays the pert
of the gen it is more than surprising. In any can,
whether the allegations of Mr. o•Kane are true or
°therein, whether there is to be a compromise or an
pen trial, the subject is likely to surpass in interestl'll others now before the public.A Prime Minister in
the Divorce Court u so-respondent Is not ordinary
event, and we may be sure that an
stage in a cause In
china bishop maker has to defend his moral character
will awaken an haterest which has never been equalled
sines the Divorce Court was established. The name of
Lord Palmerstoo has beeu cloudy identified with nearly
every event of political importance during the lad
forty years, ,
at elghty ytoesuitaof
watjribein
the
Divorce
steiars,

ijJiii
nrsnifhoewpreseLriansti"htid. cdceontht,urystand.".Theilabit
meat b.".o.imewbowerver,aow.
believe that the future of Lord Palmerstoe's
position will depend upon die ammeter of the owner
which he is able to give to the 'maned mien isenelann
himself so deeply wonted.— Weston Dal, Prigh
The following loiter from the saint* it 414 no
'pendent is published in the Standard f—lita,-;-fileving
just read the " sensational" leaders us your ~fag
edition of to-day, and in the Swans, Hier it
under the above beading, I am compelled tahnek-dlenee
by declaring, as the Winnr for the reapnailits% that I
believe th 3 " whole" of the statements in lion pls.t.
be untrue, as my client solemnly declares tintli be.
As to the noble co-respoadeutr be lain hitrigis=
hands, who are quite able to take care of
honour; and I should not Imre thought it nesseeiryto
say a word on behalf of the respondent Inn fee So
manner in which the case has been 1110 bi
mitivassed on the faith of the mere filing of • 1•10066.1
which not one word has been or(as I believe' "isa new
proved to be true. I have been always taught WM
common justice demanded an almetee of comment cm •
ease until "after" the trial. Row has it bon Amend
in "this" Inatome? Now sir, in rafereeoe to rine
leader of to-day, I would beg to ask you whether yen
can in any way justify non mimeses to the so-
respondent us" the hoary defendant r 'The very weeds
...en, to assume guilt on his pert. mess yon sey "•
'respectable firm' of nolicitors wood that the pending
suit in the Divorce Court will raider no eirsolosteases
compromised.'" Now, first, who moths vespostable
firm of solicitors' Are you aware, sir, thee les. at. J.
otherwise the attorney to the petitioner, is " the "
Wells who daily advertises relief "to the eistarramed•
by means of the Court, in connection with • Mr. Weetwa,
who, I believe, is an accountant at the is.. addromt
Mr. Wells advertise" that he will obtain " protedioa
'from' £l3, payable by installments," and " wilbamb ' pub-
licity I' " Also, that 'divorce men are 'eonfidentinly
conducted." The present ease seems oonagentaille
known to the whole world, as Mr. Wells at mice rushed
Into print to inform the public that no oompromine had
been made in the cane. Now, I should be ow to know
who set the report of • compromise dose as all Most
smaredly not the respondent, nor her solicitor Oho
emphatically denies an the allegations in the patinas;
and Mr. Wells, in his letter of denial, "might" sad
"ought" to have added that no compromise, es nom-
tion of a compromise, had come to Wan from the re-
spondent or her advisers; she will quietly await the
petitioner's exposure of " himself " when the ease eases
into Court. I have only to state, in ooseinsion, that Um
petitioner neither is • clergy man, as pined, not (to ass
your words) does he wear the robes "of the Christian
ministry;" but if lain not misinformed, he is now in the
service of the Weston alluded to in Mr. Well's daily
advertising programme.—l am, Sir, your very obedient
servant, CHARLES lionatir,solicitortothe respondent
2, Staple-inn, Nov. 4.
The Editor, in • foot note, adds :—[We publish Yr.
Horsley', letter with unfeigned satialanion. So long art
the mystery remained unsolved, and no refutation or
explanation was given of reports which were in coarse
of circulation to the grave prejudice of many innocent
persons, • real public injury was Slone. The monneets
we felt ourselves constrained to-make, haven least semi
to place the matter in in true light, and to mitigate
what was really becoming a national scandal. None will
rejoice more than ourselves at the investigation of tbei
affair to its primary source, and the confusion and
punishment of the parties to the diabolical conspirsey, if
the petition be found to be of the character ascribed to
It by the respondent's solicitor.]

"TUE OFFENCE 18 RANK."
Would you sce • dirty seemdal
(Scouted by each honest heart)
Seised us providental handle
To revenge • patron's smart.
Would you see how spite internal
Clutches foulest mud to ling,
Bay the London Yankee Journal—
Morning Star they call the thing. —Asada.