The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-16 00:00:00

THE DUNDONALD PEERAGE.

The hearing of this remarkable case was resumed
yesterday in the House of Lords, and occupied the
Committee of Privilege the entire day. The facts
are these: The present Earl of Dundonald presented
a petition to their lordships' hotpe, praying that it
might be declared that he was entitled to vote for
representative peers of Scotland, and that he was
the lawful so❑ of the late earl, the petitioner's
brother, Captain the Hon. L. Cochrane, of her Ma-
jesty's ship the Warrior, claimed the peerage as the
eldest son born after the marriage of his father and
mother. Captain Cochrane afterwards withdrew'
the petition he presented. The claim of the present
earl was heard before their lordships on Tuesday
last, and reported in the k:un. Yesterday, Sir F.
Kelly continued his arguments in favour of the
claimant, the present earl. The learned counsel
stated that no further information could be obtained,
or he, on the part of the present earl, would have
produced it. The fact was, Lord Cochrane, when
he returned from South America, and being pos-
sessed of considerable wealth, when in Scotland be
met with a gentleman who had become possessed of
the ancient estates of his family, at Culross, near
Clackmannan. He had promised to leave these
estates to his lordship—estates before possessed by
his ancestors, and at the same time insisted that Lora
Cochrane should go through an ecclesiastical mar-
riage ; and he did so to please this gentleman. On
this point Lady Dundonald had been examined, and
she gave their lordships all the information she
could. Sir Robert Preston, of Valleyfield, near
Clackmannan, the gentleman in question, who had
induced Lord Dundonald to enter into this second
marriage, was now dead, and every one else who
could have told the story was also dead. Lord
Dundonald, was also dead; the clergyman who
performed the ceremony was also dead ; the gen-
tleman in whose house the marriage took place was
also dead. Their lordships would know that shortly
before this second marriage was performed Lord
Cochrane was going to a Roman Catholic country,
a country that required something more than a
Scotch marriage—some ecclesiastical ceremony, and
therefore he accounted in this way for the second
marriage. An action for declaritor in Scotland
would not have prevented the present Captain Coch-
rane from disputing the claim the present earl had
instituted in their lordships' house. Sir Fitzroy
then went on to say that it was impossible to ex-
press to their lordships in adequate terms the
intense pain that this unfortunate lady, the aged
Countess of Dundonald, had undergone; indeed,
their eyes must be shut and their hearts closed

against such considerations. They had a duty to
perform to their country and to their Queen ; but
still he would ask them not to delay their decision

for one hour, on account of the painful anxiety
of the claimant and all the family. There was
not, he contended, a stigma of any kind
on the memory of Lord Dundonald, or on the
present Countess, who had answered most
freely all questions put to her. Sir Fitzroy
then called their lordships' attention to the certi
ficate of birth of the present earl, who, in such cer-
tificate, was called the son of Lord Cochrane and
Catharine Corbet Barnes, but he contended that the
entry had been made by an old Scotch servant, and
this was the way a Scotch marriage would be en-
tered in the registers in Scotland. Sir Thomas
Cochrane, and all the members of the family, bad
from the earliest period called the children " he
Hon." He contended that Jackson's evidence was
unworthy of belief. Was it to be believed that a
lady of the position and great age of the Countess
of Dundonald, on the verge of the grave, was likely
to be a forger and a perjurer, and these foul charges
brought against her by her own son.
The Attorney-General, on behalf of the Crown/
said that he had no desire to delay this important
case. The question was, did the marriage take
place at Annan between Lord Dundonald and the
present countess in 1812 ? On this fact the peti-
tioner rested his case, and no wonder, although
two other marriages had taken place; in support of
that fact, there was the evidence of the Countess of
Dundonald, in support of that marriage. With re.
gard to the journey to Annan in that short time
mentioned in the evidence, there was no impossibi-
lity in that. The handwriting of Moxon, who was
a witness to the marriage lines, has been proved—
but there was no evidence of the handwriting of the
other witness, Carter. The Attorney-General said
that he firmly believed the evidence given by
Lady Dundonald. If their lordships believed
the evidence of the man Jackson, which
would be in the recollection of their lordships,
then they could not believe Lady Dundonald, wbich
was directly contradicted by her ladyship. The
motive for concealing the marriage at Annan was
clear. If Lord Cochrane had married anyone but
a lady of property and fortune, Mr. Basil Cochrane
would disinherit him.

The Lord Advocate of Scotland, on the part of
the Crown, agreed with what the Attorney-General
had stated to their lordships, and stated that he had
no evidence against the claim.

The Lord Chancellor said that the case was a
most distressing one. He believed that Lady Dun-
donald had spoken the truth, and that the mar-
riage at Annan had taken place. She had frankly
explained the marriage at Annan. She had no
motive to make her eldest son the heir.
Lord Brougham quite agreed with what the Lord
Chancellor had stated. He considered that the
Countess of Dundonald had clearly and distinctly
given evidence on all the important facts connected
with the marriage at Annan in 1812. Minor details
she might not remember. That noble person left
their lordships' house without the slightest tarnish
o❑ her name. The late Lord Dundonald had told
him that this noble lady—and she was worthy of
being called noble—had stood on the deck of his
lordship's ships in the most deadly fights Le had
been engaged in.

Lord Crunworth considered that Lady Dundonald
was in his opinion a witness of truth. He had
noticed that the water-mark, faint as it was, on the
marriage lines, was 1811, and he did not believe
that Lord Cochrane or her ladyship could be guilty
of fraud, forgery, and perjury.
Lord Chelmsford said, one or two circumstances
had not been properly accounted for; but what his
noble friend had said about the paper marks was
most important. He had examined the paper, but
he had not noticed it till mentioned by his noble
friend. His lordship concluded by stating that,
when persons bega❑ with Scottish marriages there
was no knowing when they might stop. They might
take place over and over again, in England, in Scot-
land, and in L eland, to make them perfect, and then
be disputed in their lordships' house.
The Chairman then put the question, and their
lordships declared that the Earl of Dundonald, the
petitioner, had made good higi claim to the peerage.

Yr ONE Y MARKET

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.
Continued activity is apparent in discount circles,
and the demand to-day has been increased by the
completion of the account in foreign stocks and
railway shares. Four per cent., however, is the
minimum quotation in the open market as well as
at the Bank of England.
A further sum of £4,000 in gold was taken into
the Bank yesterday.
The subscription list of the Venezuelan Loan will
close to-morrow.
The operations in the Foreign and Colonial Pro-
duce markets during the last few days have been of
a very restricted character. The dealings in tea
have been deferred until the public sales, which
take place to-day. Suger has slightly receded in
value, while coffee, rice, and fruit have remained at
almost previous rates. The tallow market has been
dull, and prices have shown a downward movement
for both present and forward delivery.

Two O'CLOCK.

At Paris this morning, according to Mr. Reuter's
telegram, the French 3 per Cent. Rentes were
68f. 90c., ex Coupon—heavy.
At the yearly meeting of the South Australian
Banking Company, Mr. Devett in the chair,
the report of which an extract has already been
published in The Sun, Was unanimously adopted.
The chairman stated that the new premises had been
acquired for £4,000, and that they had thereby
considerably improved their establishment. The
directors would, with the approval of the share-
holders, still further increase the reserve fund which
now reached £lOO,OOO. The balance from the
year's account was £52,856 after the necessary
deductions had been made, and a dividend of 10
per cent. free of income-tax, was declared.
Speculation in the market for the English Funds
continues quiet, but the quotations are steadily
maintained, Consols being 92 k for transfer, and
921 8 for the account. The Foreign market is the
only department of the house which now presents
an active appearance. Dealings have taken place
in the New Threesand Reduced Annuities at 91t I
92 ; Bank Stock at 2321 ; the March Exchequer
Bills 2s. dis., and the June ditto 2s. prem ; and
Indian 5 per Cents. 1071-, to Bk.

In the Foreign Market the settlement engages
almost exclusive attention, and there is no change of
importance. Turkish 6 per Cents., 1862, 71,4 72 ;
do. Consolides, 511 52 ; Mexican, 38 ; Greek,
394 401 ; do. Coupons, 191 ; Spanish Passive, 35 s ;
Egyptian, 1001; Italian, 73 ; the Confederate Loan,
1 dis. to par.; and the New Venezuelan Loan
prem.

In the Railway Share Market the operations
have not been very extensive ; prices, however, in
some instances have shown an upward movement.
London and Brighton have advanced about £3,
and Great Eastern, Great Western, and North
Eastern (Berwick), ss. ; London and Blackwall,
and Nor h Western, have declined ss. ; and London,
Chatham, and Dover, and South Eastern, 10s.
. _

The Foreign and Colonial lines have remained
without any material variation in prices.
joint Stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares
generally sustain firmer quotations. Alliance of
London and Liverpool realise 339 34a; Imperial
Ottoman Bank, 19: 20 ; London and Westminster,
81 ; Oriental Steam, 41, I; and New Van Dieman's
Land, 15; London Financial Shares are quoted 21
; International Financial, 6: a ; and General
Credit, 21 prem.

BRITISH FUNDS—CLOSING RACEPIS.
Bank Stock 3 4
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities 92 I 2 }
NOW 3 per Cent. Annuities 92 11
Annuities, 30 yrs, expire sth!Jan., 1880 124
Ditto for 30 yrs, expire sth April, 1885.
Ditto (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug. 1908. 21i
India Stock ...
Ditto 5 per Cent
Ditto Enfaced Paper, 4 per Cent
Ditto 5 per Cent
Ditto Debentures, 4 per Ct., Oct., 1863
Ditto ditto April, 1864
Ditto Bonds £l,OOO
Ditto under £l,000
Consols for Account, July 9 92a
March Jane.
Exchequer Bills, £l,OOO 2f per Cent 2 dis 2 pm
Ditto £5OO 2 dis 2pm
Ditto Small
FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
Brazilian 5 per Cent
Ditto 4} per Cent., 1852-58-60
Danish 4 per Cent., 1863
Equador New Consolidated, 1 per Cent l7l
Ditto, Provisonal Land Warrant 9f
' Egyptian 7 per Cent.. lOOl
Ditto, Second Issue
Greek 5 per Cent.) 1824-5, ex-Coupms 4ok
Ditto Account ..40k 40 1 391 40 391
Ditto Coupons l9l 20 191 1
Italian 5 per Cent. (Maremmana Railway) 81
Mexican 3 per Cent .
Ditto Account ..
New Granada l6l
Ditto 2 per Cent 321 1
Ditto Deferred
~.itto Land Warrants (Hectares)
Peruvian 4/ per Cent.
Ditto 41 per Cent, 1862
Ditto Account
Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1853
Ditto 3 per Cent., 1856, '7, '9, '6O, 62 491
Russian 6 per Cent., 1822, £ St 941
Ditto 41 per Cent., 1850
Ditto 3 per Cent., 1859..
Ditto 5 per Cent., 1862 • 93
Sardinian 6 per Cent
Spanish 3 per Cent
55
Ditto Passive
Ditto Account 35 1
35it i A
Spanish Cert. of Coup not funded
Ditto Account l2l 1 1 1
Turkish 6 per Cent. 1854
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1858
Ditto Account

Ditto, £lOO Bonds 72}
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1862
Ditto Account .. 72 11 A
Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cent
Venezuela, 3 per Cent
Ditto Account.. 26
Ditto 6 per Cent., 1862
Ditto Account
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Italian, 5 per Cent., 1861, Ex. 25,francs —
Ditto Account 73
THREE O' CLO CK.
Consols, Money
Ditto Account 92} 1