The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-09-21 00:00:00

THE Lel MARQUIS TOWNSUEND AND
EARL uP BELL4MO!VT.

( From (.hsrueters.)

The dispute betw, en these taro Noblemen (Lords
Towsishend And Bellamont) occasioned much noise
st clip time, and the, whole breathes the spirit of
ancient chivalry.
On Lord Townshend's return from his go•ern-

meet in Irvlia..l, Lori Belrimunt repaired to Eng-
land, and employed the late E4rl of Charlcmnnt to
wait on the Ex-Vicaroy with Lie following Paper,
explanatory of the nature of the offence given at the
Castle of Dublin, in February. lild ;
•• wait upon your Lo Ay desire of Lord

Beilaatont, first, to return your Lord:hip his thanks

for the recommendations to the King with which
you honoured him, and for which it was his iaten-
ton to have thanked you in person, it you had done
hint the favour to receive him the last time that he
attended. by your Lordship's appointment. for a
private audience.

lam further to ecqu lint your Lordship, that
Lird Bella:pout thought it his duty not to break in
%loan your Lordship upon an earlier day, lest be
interrupt you in giving an account of your
high.commissias to the King, or in taking an ac-
count of your own important affairs. But as your
Lordship has now been twelve days in town, he con-
ceives that he may, with propriety, remind your
Lordship of the disrespra thrown upon him by the
message deli►ered to him from your L .rdship, by
your Aid-deXamp, of which Lord Bellamont
snakes uo doubt thatsoar Lordship retains a perfeCi
recollatioa I it having been of that force as to have
obliged him to resign his employment in the army,
in order that he might be at liberty to call upon
your I.ordship for an adequate apology, wit:rout in-
curring the King's displeasure. But lest your Lord-
ship should not have a minute recollection of that
trans.aation at this distance of time, Lord Bella
mont has stated it as follows:

.4 When Lord Bellamont, after several repeated
at teudances, by afpointment„ on all occasions he had
been put off witlnnit teeing your Lordship, did
ugAirt wait upon your Lordship by appointment,
the Aid-d. Camp in waiting, having gone down to
your Lordsbip and returned, addressed Lord Bella-
mint in an audible voice, and acquainted him,
• th.o he need not wait Any 1 .nger, for that your
Lordship sanad 0.. t be at leisure to see hiss that day;
**A At the same time. turning to several ether per-
sons of d.ff-r,... • • • •Ic. And professions, be told him,
44 that your Lordship reel.' s•ed they would wait, as
beur Lora.nip wet& see Om however late it might
be •,re piu could finish with them," or words to
eat effe.. Lard Bellamont replied to the Aid-
de-Camp, 4. tits Excellency will be pleased to as-
certain at what time be will see me. 1 have Alreaoy
waived several times, by appoinlment. and have
been sent Away each time !" To which the Aid-
de-Camp lar‘ught back the tollowing message to
Lord Bellamont His Excellency commands
to inform your Lordship, that he usually does military
business on Wednesdays, and any other business on
Thursdays; that if your Lordship comes on either
of those days, and that his Excellency shall be at
leisure, be will see you among others in your turn "
To winch Lord Bellantoni replied, 4. Sir, you will
be so good as to inform his Excellency, that as a
Peer of :he Realm, I have a right to an audience ;•
but if its Excellency does not kw :w what be owes to
me, I know what 1 owe to myself, anal therefore
will not wait upon him here or elsewhere; I will
write &letter to his Excellency. stating my business,
to which I expea he wilt chew Attent;on, as it
neatly concerns a respeltable corps of Officers."—
This, nay Lord, is, as Lord Bellamont conceives, an
exail state of the reciprocal messages which passed
between your. Lordship and Lord Bellamont ; but
as lie did not take them down in writing, he cannot
positively aver each syllable. This, however, he
can positively wiirm, that such was the matter of
the message, and the terms in which it was con-
ceived, though manifestly softened by the Aid-de-
Camp, that the idea which it conveyed to every
pouts present, was that of an intentional iadignity,
wamenly cast on my Lord Belluncnt by your Lord-
ship.

•' Lord Belhunont conceives that an Aid-de-Camp
is the authentic messenger of his superior, and,
therefore. that the message delivered by the one, is
es the litera ierifrie of the othet. Iprd Bellamont
considers your Lordship alone responsible to him,
at‘d your Lordship the only person with whom he
is to account. l'he it jury is of public notoriety,
and therefore an affront upon record, which does
nut admit of any negociation."
Lord 'fownshend having asked what apology
Lord 13ellamont required 1 Lord Chariemont read
the following ankle a_ _

" The °di apology which the nature of the of.
fen:e will admit of, is that of asking Lord Bella.
atones pardon. Lord Rellamont does not mean to
hurry your Lordship in any thing, but eapeas your
I.ordsarp's answer in a reasonable time, at all events
one day at least before your Lordship leaves town."
Lord Townsheni made answer: 0. I cannot
ask pardon, as it would be an acknowledgment of
an atm.. I never intended."

lord CharLemont replied—•• I are not at liberty to
take back any other k n.wer t. Lord Bella:nova, than
tl.at your Lordship asks his pardon, or desires to
'Ake rime to consider of asking it. I therefore en-
treat your Lordship will reset before you lay me
.1.1J.r the nerewity of delivering another message
to your Lordship, which Lard Bellament sends with
the utmow regrets and which I shall deliver with
sop al r e!u&ancy."

Lord Townsliendhavinlusersisted in his refund.
Lord Charlem read Ard fownshend the fol-
lowing message :
aiirenjoioed by Lord Bellamont to tell your
Lorristiiii, from him, that be considers Ton divested
of every principle that constitutes the cbarader of a
Ot 1.011011:.

Oa Saturday , the 26th. et half an hear after
eleven o'clock. Lord Bellatnont received the follow-
ing letter from Lord Ligonier
" Dec. 26. 1772.
_ _ _

" MT Loao—l have a message to deliver to
your Lordship from Lord Townshend, and beg to
know when I may be allowed to wait on you.
"4 I have the hoopoe to be, My Lord,
" Your Lordship's most obedient,
" Most humble servant.
"TY the Eerl of Bellaitoru." 0 LIGONIER."
To which Lord Bellamont sent the folk:will
answer:—

" hiv Loso—l this moment received the honour
of your 'Lordship's letter, communicating to me
that you have a message to deliver to me from
Lord Townshend, and desiring to know when I
shall be at home to receive your Lard4lip I shall
not go abroad tomorrow, but will wait at home to
have the honour of receiving your Lordship, and
any commands you may have for me.
6' I have the honour to be, ticc.
"

r. Lord Viscount Ligonier."
Noter,-.on Sunday morning, at eleven o'clock,
Lord Ligonier waited on Lord Bellaniont, who an-
ticipating Lord Ligonier, said, Before I receive
the message your Lordship has to deliver to me, I
must beg leave to call in Lord Charlemont, in or-
der h .t. as Colonel Frazer was present at the de-
livery of my message to Lord Townshend, Lord
Charlemont may be present at the delivery of Lord
Townshend's message to me ;" to which Lord Li-
gonier immediately consented.
Lord Charlemont being called in, Lord Bellamon
said, the transaiaion had, he suppose been related
to Lord Ligonier on the part of Lod Townshend.
;le wished it siiiiu;d he elated by Lord Charles
moot, on the part of himself, for he should he con-
cerned to be misconceived by Lord Ligonier, for
whom lie had a high respeet ; and the moment Lord
Ligonier should have delivered my Lord Town-
shend's message, he did not thick it proper fur him-
self or friend to speak another word ; of which Lord
Ligonier having expressed his' approbation. Lord
Charlet:tont read the paper to Lord Ligonier, which
he bad. by Lord Dellarnant's desire, read to Lot d
Townshend. Lord Ligonier then addressing Lord
Hellamant. said, 4* What will your Lordship say,
when, notwithstanding the force of this message, I
tell you I am authonses! by Lord Townshend to.
assure your Lordship he never meant to offend you,?"
Lord Hellaroont. alter a little pause. replied...
Confess, my Lord, this is more than I especial ; hat
since then Lord Vownshend's first care is to justify
hes intentions towards me, eves under his present
situation, let him do it 111 such a manner as to jus-
tify me in releasing him hoar that ion. The
apology your Lordship has sow delivered to me, is
not yet entirely sufficient."

Lord Ligonier desired leave to go back to my
Lord Townshend, and shcrtly returned with the
following message " Lord Tewnshend hes already
assured your Lordship he never meant to offend
you. He further assures you he is sorry for the af•
fair." Lord Bellamont then said. " Before I proceed
ar.y further. I must desire that Lord Ancrare be
sent for, as he has this morning accepted the office
of bring my friend in the field, it' I should be called
upon." Lord Ancram being arrived, and inhumed
by Lords Charlemont and Ligonier of what had
passed, the Lords Charlemont and Ancram declared
that nothing more could be demanded ; and these.
wi.h Lord Ligonier, said, that Lord Bellantoni
could not surely require that Lord Townshend
should ask his pardon for an offence which he had
now, in the most satisfaitery manlier, declared he
hadnever commiued. Lord Bellamont made answer.
my Lords, I. feel as you do, that every thing is implied
in this apology. but it is necessary that it be fully
expressed ; and having desired leave to retire into
another room, to consider the minor more clearly,
he returned with the following written paper, which
he gave to Lord Ligonier, telling him at the same
time, that he did not tie him down to the letter,
but that was the purport of the only repaiation he
could receive. via. " Lord Townshend does adroit,
that the message delivered to Lord Behaniont by
his Aid-de-Camp, was highly offensive ; he there-
fore disavows it as such, and declares it was not
his intention to give Lord Bellantoni any offence,
and that he is very much concerned tor the nos..
take."

Lord Ligonier accordingly waited on my Lord
Townshend with the said paper, and brought back
to Lord Beaumont an apology, consonant to the
Lull and entire purport of it, conceived in the most
satisfaSory terms. Lord Bellamont immediately
requested Lord Ligonier would assure Lord Tots n-
shend, that as Lord Tovrnsileni had by that last
apology done away the foundation of the message
delivered from him to Lord Townshend by Lord
Chail.:mont. he had very great pleasure in declar-
ing it cancelled and annulled.
(L.S.) CHARLEMONT•
(L.S.) Aticaass.
'AI cannot refuse signing the paper delivered to
me this morning without assigning my reasons for
it, and titter myself the motive of my declining it
will justify mm to the world.

assent to the faits and progressions as stated,
bot 1 was misunderstood if what I said relative to
Lord Townshend wa► considered as a message horn
him. It certainly was not Lord Townshend's in-
tention it should be so, though I was authorised to
say it from Lord Townshend to Lord liellamont,
which distmaion I did net make to Lord Bella-
ntoni.

" As I wished, from motives of humanity, to
bring the affair to an honourable conclusion, without
coming to extremities, I proposed returning to Lord
lownsitend ; my view in so doing was that of pro-
moting as accommodation honourable to both.
It I conveyed any other idea to the Lords on
my return f. orn Lord l'ownshend, than a confirm.
ation that his Lon;Lhip had intended no affront or
injury to Lord Bellamont, and that he disapproved
the manner of the Aid-de-Camp. I have to regret
that I had not the good fortune to explain myself
according to my own ideas and those of Lord
fownshend.

" In justiee to my Lord Townshend, I must beg
leave to observe, that whatever expressions of con-
cern he might make ■k of on this misuoJerstand-
ing, arose from the reafee every man of honour

fence. This is what I understand from Lord
Townshend. and what I meant to convey.
I cannot but persevere in declining to sign the
paper, as I find, upon consideration, that what I
thought an explanation equally honourable to both,
may be eonsttued into a submissive aprrllgy which
must appear humiliating to my Lurd Tow•nshend
What impressions may have been received from any
expressions of mine in the many private conversa-
tions I have had on this painful event, I will not
presume to determine ; but I declare, upon my ho-
nour, I have had no other view than to terminate this
affair to the honour of all parties; au.d shall lament,
if my endeavours should be frustrated.
(L.S.) " Ltnomasa.
" Jan. 49, 1773."

Thii ii a true copy of the original, in the hands
of Lord Bellamont. " CHARLESIOIIT.
Al4CltAbl."

On Sunday morning, Lord Ligonier waited on
Lord Bellamont, and the explanation alluded to
above took place; but owing to some unfortunate
misconception, the affair was not made up. fie-
cordirg to agreement, therefore, the parties met on
the afternoon of February 2, 1773, between fonr
and five, in Mary-la-bonne-fields, and alter the
usual ceremonies had taken place, Lord rownshend
fired first, and wounded Lord Bellamont, with a
ball, in the right side of his belly, near the groin,
while the latter discharged his pistol without effect.
Their Lordships behaved to each other in the field
with a politeness denoting the most refined gallantry.
Each was armed with a case of pistols and a small
sword, but it was determined to use the former
first. When they had taken their ground, Lord Bel-
lantoni pulled off his hat ; the salute was immedi-
ately marred by Lord Townshend ; who asked his
antagonist which of them he would wish to fire first ?
On this he desired Lord Townshend, who instantly
complied. Mr. Bromfield sweated the ball, and
his Lodship not only recovered, but lived to a good
old age.
The seconds were, for Lord Bellantoni, the Hon.
Mr. Dillon ; and for Lord Townshend, Lord Li-
gonier.

Upon Lord C►arlemont', &livery of this last
Smugly. Lord Townshra.l he7ged his permission
to call in ■ friend so be wi'ness of it. Colonel
Fraser having cotne in. L'rd i'nonshend requested
that Laid Charlemont would again read this last
Incesage. Lord Chatlemons read the entire paper
a second time. and being rcqieged by Lo►d 1 own-
ahead to carry track an 2ilWer so Lord Be!Lamont,
Charlernont, eoaformaul•: to his private in-
-I:melons from Lard Be replied, that any
'"r've Lore Totenshend mteht have to send. might