The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-11-07 00:00:00

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had great effect nn the minds of some of their Lordships
He complained chiefly allot' speech, because it art Waled
to have hero designed. from its arrangess.etitie m o
..t un;
itlysees ill.
uce
7tllle rates of others ratter than to explain l
the Noble Lord's own opium,' upon the question; he was
-glad of the adintssi tttt of the Aoible Lord that seispiciou•
lertldence 'mold not strengthen • tivispeeted ease; he sae
ready at the same time to arzue with the Noble lanai that a
great reacurrence of rvidenre to the sante circolonstames,
even by suspected witnes.c., wag calculated to nuke. a great
ienproandoes upon their Motu& toward• a conviction of gosh.
lint titer the Noble Loud hail not made a very just Rope.
cation of I:es doctrine of cireunistaidial evidence. I% hell
nm AretilltUliiinil even of suspirinua evidence tir,t4 prOdtiCril,
till con t tg to the erstablishnielet of proof of the same
guilty act, and nll referring to one peened of tne, sold
sinountioz al'ogether :is a cooolchou of thei inpuseololoy of
the act toot he villg been romini led—this was a diurnal ease
from a number of sutpecti,l witnesses deposits to acts of
the same character corn unite tu wall/ ma times sad at lit.
&resit worts, scarcely one of them having been 'Token to
by two of those tainted witnessuce. The Noble Loud haul
quoted the case of a supposed murder, where the accused
hoot hero area with an opliftell knife tey one party, was
proud to leave been from home by another, and was lin-
able 10 account for his preience at the time to which
the deed load been committed. Bnt all the different
circumstances in Coat case referred to one act, and
were comiected with one 'Jae-Ikeda,' time, which would
render it almost inioosailde for the guili of the pre-
Boiler to be 1041 (tum the discernment of the jury. If
the different ClICIIMS1311Ce• were scattered over different •
Imre; if one man had setts the knife brandished by the
pri toner, and atwitter had proved his absence from home at
any Stine before the perpetration of the art, the prosecutors
would lie very justly shut OUt from giving any proof of such
weelevant circumstances, even though the commission of a
former art of guilt of the same nature were to he found
•omng the allegations. 'tiros these nothing, to shake their
confidence iii the character attest eircumstautial, inferential
settee of proof which had been brought forward' His
ilcirdallip pointed out I instaii!os wherein he conceived
the testt 000000 iy to be wholly tainted with the suspicion of
subornatiou and the effects of corrupt agency. Great re-
haste had been placed on the inatancts of supposed fansi•
bully and indecency proved by the permed class of wit-
nesses. Wh those charges had been met by inquiry
on the part of the defamer, they had been wholly disproved.
tale. inetareed the ease of the boatman on the lake. Theie
were other Walton, who conk', have been called, and wovild
have establosbed the accusation had it hero f dad to truth.
The Adam owl Eve story was demolished by Ike must un-
questionable testimony. He commented wills severity on
the rorrnpt agency of Itastrlli and Ittgatiti, awl the .111111
which hail been set up for the purchase of profligat► test.-
meny at Milan. He ogneal upon the right and the necessity
of 'milting upon all evidence promo" by such meaus with
an rye of suspicion. 7he cases of Cartarube, Catania, and
Baden had bees given up, even by the prosecutors. What
was to prevent suspicion from ediachiug to all the evideare
of the same character, coining through the name channel.
He was toil bed at the treatment of that evidence., even
when it was given ; there was a degree of perfumed).
in relinquishing it which he could mot account far on fair
and honest motives ; so much pains had been taken to
prove that, though they could nut twlirve Major-chi end
Sacchi, Hommel and Itahielli were not quite so had as had
Stern supposed ! How these attempt. could consist with
justice and political integrity he was at a loss to conceive.
Ile came to the case of the put tire, where the evidence of
Bergaini having slept during a p nonage of lhirty-tive days
had bee., sit much relied oil. This and the elevation of
Bergaiiii formed the only allowable grounds fur the prosecu-
tion. He argued against the unfairness of comparing that
circumstance lo the case of a man mud woman
hang in one I 00000 ae, either going turn the other).
chamber without any reasonable cause which could be
assigned, except the iudutgence of an adulterous inter-
course. That circumstance might be fair ground of suapi.
cion, bat could Not, even with Bergami's elevation, a ques-
tion which lead been must aufairly treated, considering the
evidence which hail been given in bin favour, amount to
a proof of guilt. If the alleged public scandal were the
grounds for passing the Bill, it could not go to • second
reading. Is was plain from the evidence that Hergami's ele-
vation, when recent, had produced no armada', for be was
receNed at nil the Courts where the Milacron visited. Had
his elevation been ever so imprudent, time made a great dif-
ference in such matters; that which would be bandy allowed
•1 first, in regard to a man's elevation,might after a lapse of
time, especially if he coutinned in that elevation, admit of no
question. Bergami, as well as the Queen. had been treated
with due ceremony by the several Courts where he had been
promoted. and it was seen that he had entered and departed
some unite Solite, through which they passed with nu incon-
siderable parade. These things had taken place three years
ago. Where was the scandal lurking all the interim • g lime
Where had been the anxiety of the prosecutors to relieve
the State from the scandal during the last three years ? They
had been in possesniou of the facts. From Kreas's evidence
it was plain that they must have known all the eircumstanees
which had really taken place, immediately after the occur-
rence. He wished to reply to the argument of expediency
in the fret place, this measure had not been considered ex-
pedient, while the acts were of recent commisision. It was
tied thou ght expedient to proceed until three years after the
prosecutors were ha posression of all the evidence and
proof. It was only found expedient when the Queen arrived
iii this country. Nothing could be more unfair or uupar-
liamentary than the argument of the Noble Lord, that it
would be eapedient to pees% the Bill to a second reading—a
stage which had always been considered in legiodative policy
as the hest fitted to try the principles of a Bill, and the vali-
dity of the grounds of its alleged expediency. He protested
money against the proposal to modify the preamble and co-
Retineots in the Committee, as if a party under trial tehustld
be told, that whereas the indictment did nut •gree with the
case in evidence, that the Court, having had the case fur
the defence laid open tee them, would turn round upon the
prisoner, undertake to alter the indictment, and affix the
penalties to that cage without hearing soy thing further on
the part of the defence. If the preamble of the Bill
were nut proved to the very letter, and is its tallest
extent. no hottest man amid vote for the second read.
ing. The Bill charged a series of adulterous acts, cover-
ing • great compass of time. A single act of adultery,
unequivocally proved, would be no ground for passing
the Bill which charged a great bee of acts tend-
ing to the great scandal soil dishonour of the country.
The Noble Lord then animadverted in strong terms tin the
conduct of the prosecutors of the Bill au4l of the Milan
sits, if truth had been the rule object, would
have called those respectable witnesses who were hest ac-
quainted with the conduct of the Princess. If ibis Bill
was to be carried a, a measure of state expediency, it was
to put down public opinion. The public bad judged
of the evidence, and would judge of the conduct of
their I/lordships ; they would also look at the pro.
aerators; they would see that many of their Lordships
who were acting at Jurors, were the prosecutors. Their
Lorilthips ought to be saxhorn; to maintain intimpeached the
character of that House, and nut to weaken the public con.
fidence in their decision. If the divorce clause was thrown
out, and the degradation of the Queen persevered in,
thee, might she be loaded with the must odious epithets,
and yet she, by such a decision, still declared to be good
enough to be the wife of the King. hitch a proceeding
would be onjust to the King Bost the Stale were also par-
ties; her Maj. sty must h, considered as Queen Consort of
the realm. Haul not the State coionived at her conduct ?
Should she nut be permitted to prove that de had been per-
suaded, by reasons in which she hail no isitereat, to go
abroad Had out money been voted for her, to enable her
lit live abroad? Had she not received au Address from the
House of Commons, requesting her again to travel, offering
her the greatest inducements which could be heed out to
renew that intercourse whibli had brought so much scandal
out the country ' IVtould not all these considerations amount
to an entire, complete, mid effectual bar to a divorce, if
proved upon any oidinary case in the Erclesiostical Courts?
'Mete were facts, in the face of which their lordships were
called on to pass this Bull of Divorce. He had only one
wool mere to add. The passing of this Bill would be at.
act of injustice to the• Quern, eves on the supposition of her
.gnilt. If she bad been tried by an imperehasent, sad found
guilty of a foisdetneaner, she wodhl'isaue had ass °ppm-