The National Register.
London, England, 1813-03-21 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER..

on the other—a termination might be put to this most unpleasant bu-
mess ; lie had, however, been informed by Sir John Douglas, that
from the 13th of February to the sth of March, that persun and his
wife, whom the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) characterized as perjured
and degraded witnesses, had been examined as witnesses against that
Personage, on whose credit there was no serious imputation ; he had
likewise touud that investigation was at the present time carrryine
nit by the Lbrd Chancellor, under the directions of the Solicitor fur
the Treasury ; that in every paltry quarter, where the 'ost trifling
and insignificanttransaction of private life had passed, the strictest
search was making to try what could by these means be picked tip ; •
and that every grovelling corner of the metropolis, and other places,
fad been ransacked, in order to discover and bring forward those who
would stare, what they might—or might not know. He wished to
know if all these proceedings were going on without thu N aDit Loid's
knowledge. Mr. Whitbread then adverted to the d!):.usting dep. si
tions which had been plblished by twoMinistetialP,per ;, the Morning
Herald and the Morning Post, with a view of traducing Princess,
notwithstanding her declared innocence, and argued that it had been
published with the saiction of Glvernnier.t ;he then w-ant over at
great length the grounds of accusation against her Rov.i. Highness ;
condemned the harsh and unjust way in which she lL d been ttea•ed ;
and reprobated the unfair manner in which Mis. Lisle ha been exa-
mined by the tour Nohle Commissioners, in 1806. The Holt. Gent
snail reverted to the proceedings in that House (on Mr. C. johnstonc's
motion), and Said that he was so delighted with the result of them,
that with a v!es.v of bringing this unhappy aff:tir to a crisis, he had
recommended to the Princess a dignified act of submission to the R:..-
gc-nt, I!er hustymd, submitting to such restrictions as his Royal High-
ness t&ght think it necessary to impose, but throwing herself upon his
compassion, not to impose any restraints which tended to abridge the
greatest, and the olVy pleasure she could enjoy, the society of her
daughter. A- later to this effect, Mr. W. acknowledged he had
sketched and ad4ised, and he had learned that her Royal Highness had
tonally o o;iied it"; when being informed that Sir John Douglas was
again examined. the idea was necessarily abantiobed. .Mr. Whitbread

• The following is a copy of the letter a:luded to.
" once more approach your Royal. Highness, and can
venture to a,sure you, Sir, that if you will deign to read my letter
volt w ill not be dissatisfied with its contents. _ _

." The report made by certain Members of his Majesty's Privy
Council, was communicated to me by Lord Sidmouth, and its con-
tents appeart.d to those, upon whose advice I rely, to be such a 4 to
require on my part a public assertion of my innocence, and a de-
mand of investigation. It cannot he unknown to your Royal High-
ness that I addressed a letter to the Lord Chancellor, anda duplicate
of that letter to the Speaker. of the House of Commons, for the pur-
pose of its !whip: communicate&to the Houses of Parliament.
" The Lord Chancellor twice returned my letter, and did not com-
municate its contents to the Howie of Lords.

41 The Speaker of the House of' Commons thought it his duty to
announce the receipt of my letter, and it was read from the Chair.
To my inexpressible gratification I have been informed, that, ai-
*hough no proceeding was institnted according to my request, cer-
tain discussions which. took place in that Honourable House, have
resulted in the completP, and unequivocal, and universal acknowledg-
ment of my entire. innocency, to the ratisfiction of the world.
.1 Allow me, Sir, to flay to your R..yal Highne-;,, th;.: I address
7..0u now. relieved from a load of distress which has pressed upon
Luc foi many years. •
" I was always conscious that I was free from reproach. lam
now known to be so, and worthy to bear the exalted title of Princess
of Wales.

" On the subject of the confirmation of the Princess Charlotte,
I bow, as brComes me, and with implicit deference to the opinicn
expressed by his Majesty, now that I have been made acqulnited
with it. His Majesty's decision I must always regard as saried.
" To such restrictions as your Royal Highness shall think proper
to impose upon tl:c intercourse between the Prince-s Cilarlotte and
ai :Irish'.'
out Of L the eknowled,Ted exercise nlyour Pa-
rental and Voyal,
Authority, I submit without observation ;.but
throw myself upon the compassion of your Royal Higlmess, not to
abridge more !non may be necessary my greatest, indeed, my only
pleasure.
" Your Royal llighmss may be assured, that if the selection of
"snciety for the Prince:4s Charlotte, when on her visits to roc, were
Irft to my dis.cretion, it would be, as it always has been, uneNeep-
tionalAe fur rank and character. If your 1t02.-al Highness y..euld
condescend, Sir, to name the society yourself, your injunctions should
be strictly adhered to.
" I will not detain your Royal. Highness--T throw niycelf again
on your Royal jnstice and compassion, and I subscribe myself,
pciftet sincerity, and in the happy It clings of ktstitied
roar Royal &c.".

• ••
•

then compared the situation of her Rovai Highness to th ,1 of her il.
lustrious, but unfortunate aunt, Caroline Matilda, Queen of Den-
mark, who tell ultimately a sacrifice to a faction in that cottntry, aid
desired the enemies of the Princess to take warning by that event.
After using many other arguments, the Hon. Gentleman concluded
with stating, that as the original object of the prosecution of the
Douglasses could not be attained for want of legal proof, he should
move—
Toat an humble Address be presented to his Royal Highness the
Ptinee Repent, expressive of the sleep ccncern and indignation with
whiLli the House wai penetrated, at reading publications so insulting
t,, the lonour and dignity of his Illustrious Family. and offensive to
the public ; and that the. House should litinthly request his
Rtyal Highness to ,girder 'he ;.raper measures to he taken, tor di.cn-
verhi,: and bringing to justice the persons concerned publishing
I.e same. _

Lord Casrt.r.REAGH said, the Hon. Gentleman appeared to him.
under the in.,sk of defeEding the Princess, to have nude a most
he thought; tinpaliany•nary alltaLk uputt
the per sorall character of his Raval Highness the Prince Regent.
A warm altercation ensued on this ex prcs,ion of Lord Castlereagh.
which ended in Mr. Whitbread declaring that he WAS entirely inno—
cent of any design of atr:,cking the Suveteign of the Country. or tite
private eharixter of the Regent.
I.ord C ASTI. ER LING H then replied to the arguments of Mr. White
bread, an:! salt!, •4s a Nlin;ster the Crown, he. should not 211614'i
questions ot what he me.ott to do ti a Ministtr, or what Ministers
were doing. He ctlincided racist entirely with d limner Cabinet. that
it was not expedient that tl-,ere bhould be any further procertlit.gs
against tl.e Princess of Wales ; and it' she was not to be proceeded
against, he thought that she had a right to be received at Court. and
kept no longer in suspense.
After some further debate, Mr. Wn I Tillt F. A D withdrew his motion,
to !rake room for one proposed by Mr. TlEbti:EY the obje, tof
was to call the Proprietors of the Morning Post and the Morning Herald •
to the Bar of the Holve, for the purpose of asking from whom they
received the documents in question.—This motion wi* negatived
without a division.

THURSDAY' MARCH 18.
Two Committees were balloted for, to try the Seaford and Heisted
Elect icn Petitions.
Mr. COCHRANE JOHNSTONE gave notice, that on Wednesday next
he should call the attention of the House to the Petiticit of Sir John
and Lady Douglas.

FRIDAY, MAECII 19.
The Election• Committee reported that Lord Viscount Kirkwall was
duly elected for Denbiyh, and that the Petition wis not frivolous or
vexatious. After some routine business which did nut ►ast an hour.
the House adjourned to Monday next.