The National Register.
London, England, 1809-02-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

con.:uct of tlie Royal Duke. It would appcar that a Alt% Clinr-
man, vi ho was private Secretar to a Noble Lord now in office,
was employed to nei,ociate an annuity with his Royal highness
the Duke of York, who was•to have the sutn of 70.0001. ad-
vanced for tijat purpose to him; that the immediate sent was
a permin of the name of Kennett, a man who had been twice a
bankrupt; that the terms of the annuity were to grant it at the
rate of 10 per cent. ; that to save insurance, two lives were to
be nominated, but that his Royal Iligline3sshould have the power
of re-purchase at the expiration of three years, giving the usual
notice, or paving a quarter's annuity in advance. it will appear
that the negociation went on (Jr sometime, and that there was
a concurrent negociaiion for Mr. Kennett, to provide him with
a situation under Government.

Mr. Archibald Dud was then interrogated by Lord FOLK
sToN E.—lie stated, that he Was a solicitor to Ketmett's second
bankruptcy ; that it took place in the Near l'SO3 ; that in his
capacity of solicitor he got possession of these papers, which he
then produced.
Interrogated by, Mr.. WiLso:s.—Q. What was 'Keunett? A.
An upholsterer it) Bond-street; and a tooth-ache-curer in the
neig!iltouraooll of Lincoln's Inn.—Q. DO he pass his.examina-
tion as a bankrupt.? A. Yes, after numerous meeting.—Q. Dirt
he °main hi-. certikate.? A. No.—Q. W hat became of hint ?
A. 1 don't exactly know, 1 saw htmabout a month
Did any thing particular occur to him since 143 bankruptcy ? A.
)le was prosecuted by °pier of the Lord Chancellor, by the-At-
torney General, fora conspiracy respectintr his bankruptcy, he
was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, and to stand in.the
pillory, which sentence was executed.
The number of letters and papers delivered in was 21 in all.

' The first was a paper in the'inind-writing of Kennett. This
was the draft of the proposals sent to the Duke of York for ad-
♦ancing 70,0001.
This ser►es of correspondence is completely unimportant. The
Duke of York never obta•ned the proposed loan. Mr. Pitt
refused to give any kind of promotion to time party applying ;
and Kennet, who designed nothiog so much as to take in all
parties, was duteously detected and exposed.
Lieut. Col. Taylor interrogated by Cal. WARDLE.—Q The
Witile6S is desired to state what he knows of this trans•tction.
A. He received a note from Kennett, signifying that he had
something to communicate which would he advantageous to the
Duke of York, and desiring an interview ; in which he men-
tioned, that he could procure a loan of 30,0001. or 10,0001. for
his Royal Highness; that was all that passed time first day I saw
him, and this I communicated to the Mike. Th^ witness then
stated, that, by order of the Duke, Kennett was referred to Mr.
Adam. That the loan was first proposed ; that the negotiation
for the place was subsequent to the proposal for the town Tile
loan was not completed, as far as he knew, hut he was not in
the habit of conducting any money transactions for his Roy al
Highness. That Kennett had called on him several times t that
lie at last complained of delays that prevailed, and said, that he
believed the Duke was become iuditl•erent about the loan,.as he
was so often tout off about it.---Q. «' hat does witness i.oow re-
specting the steps taken to procure a place for Kennett ? A.
think, to the best of my recollection, Sir Horace Mann wrote to
Air. Long in his favour, which letter was forwarded to Mr.
Long.---Q. Was Kennett's letter to Lieut.-Colonel Taylor shewn
by him to the Duke ? A. I certainly think time substance of it
was.---Q. Did Kennett ever get a place in consequence of these
his several applications ? A. 1 rather think that he did not.

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voa ,a-ke eiv;rat •••e r ;•r-ft t,. iding
the transaction you have related? A.. I did not; he was known
to me only in consequence of toe recommendationbf Sir Horace
Mann.---Q. Did you learn any thing of flint there? A. tor.
Kennett had come to the /torso Guards thtee or four times, and
in the course of one Of these visits, a Gentleman asked me
whether I knew him ? answered no, but that he was recom-
mended to me by Sir Horace Mann. The Gentleman then toll
me that he had been a stock-broker and failed, and that some •
circumstances were connected with his failure which were not to
his credit, and •he therefore cautioned me against Did
you communicate this to the Duke of York ? A. I did---Q. What
passed in consequence? A. His Royal Highness ordered me to
drop all further applications in his favour. • • 6.
Mr. W lavt.r. produced the letters which -he had taken from
Mrs. Clarke, purporting to be recoinmendatory letters of Subal- •
tern ()dicers for promotion. - . •
Mr. Apa MS said, that as he did not understand the circumstan-
ces of the annuity which was granted to Mrs. Clarke, he •Wished
to ask a few questions respecting it, of an Hon. and Learned
Member (Mr. Adam.)—Q. Was you consulted whether the an-
nuity should or should not continue to be paid? A. I did not
know of its having ceased to be paid.—Q. Then I am to under-
stand that you did not advise that it should not he paid ? A.
Certainly I did not.—Q. Was it knoivir to you that the Duke of
York refused ta pay it? A. I know it in no other way but by
the communication I had with the Duke of York, at the time I
received the letters from Mrs. Clarke, widen are now upon the
table.—Q. Do you know this reason af his Roval Highnef*:s re-
fusal to pay it ? A. I do not know the specific facts whictreausell
the discontinuance of payment, tint 1 know in general that the
annuity was discontinued from au impression on his Royal High- •
ness's mind, that the conduct of Mrs. Clarke was not such as to
fall within the condition on which the annuity was emoted. I-
beg Gentlemen not to misunderstand me as on a former evening.
That part of his Royal Highness's income which he appropriates
to the support of his family, and improvement of his estate, is not '
within the province of my trust or knowledge. That part of his
income whereof I have the management, is the sunk whith. his
Royal highness allots annually to pay the interest of,' and liqui-
date the principal of his debts. • •
Mrs. Clarke was then examined. by Mr. LocKnaft.T.---Q.
Look at these letters, and state- whether they are thelettera .•
hich you had from Mr. Donovan, and svhich you said yoa de- •
livered to Alr. Wardle to facilitate a negociatioai A. Yes, -
these are all the letters.—Q. When did you deliver them to Mr.
Wardle? A. Soon after I receised them. froatiMr. Donovan?
---Q. When did you receive them from Mr. Donovan A. I •
don't recollect. —Q . They are all. dated n (het beginning of WS, -
had you them from that time till lots gavu.them to iilr. Wardle?
A. I can't e ‘actir sag .--Q. Those letters purport to be certili-
cates of Field ()dicers, did you give tam to Field Otheers,-or
Members a Parfiament, as additional rceommendations, wait- •
out your knowing. whose recommendation Lae. first were? A.
Donovan told me that they were all correct, and General Cla66
vering, to whom I gave one of them, took the precaution of en-
quiring at Mr. Greenwood's office, and seeing th..t it was right.
. By Mr. linsmssoN.---Q, Why did you give the letterr+to
Mr. Wardle to facilitate the fic,ociatioa? A. Mr...Wardle told •
me that he would get theta signed by Nieimbera.of
which would facilitate the -promotion of the officers. ---Q. Did-
Mr. Wardle tell You so ? Ye*, and that he *auld at
plish it ; but I dare sayhe never tried it, Out wanted ~nay to
get the letters, and to discover the secrets of Donovan anti myself.
Mr.. Lot: k AAT then asked Mr. Wardle whether he had, di-,
rectly or imiireetiy, promised to facilitate the.tiegociation
afar
Mrs. 'Clarke ? A. I. did not; but as I was anxious to get posses-
sion of the letters, I might have used language and geStutetashi..k.
induced her to think I promised.

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SUPPRESSioII
Mr. !Inners AI. Oiled the attention or ttbe Ctinnislitee. to nu
important fact that had tome to his knnwledgeaeo days ttgor.'
Nether he ought or ought not'to have withbeldit salting, the
fault he acknowledged, if there wasitny, was-it-Wry tti, fur • qv'
his Royal Highness had left hitn.at perfect liberty to take his own • •
time, and to exercise his :own discretion, In tottking trite Comets-
nication. It related to the care of Mitjortonya, who tatt tree
stated to have lodgettthe s(ipulated sum of meat.) in Mr. Duna..
van's hands till he should be Gazetted. It would 1)e recollected •
that Captain Sandon had suited in evidence, that •Plinjoe Tony* •
became impatie'llt, and expret9ed a "If that. the money should
be withdrawn on account of the deluyeoftlit ibritnietiati. • tape
tans Iluzley &union was ou this occasion introduced to him, t

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