The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-05 00:00:00

THE GARDNER PEERAGE.

Several medical men were examined in this case to-day,
whose evidence went only to prove.several instances of pro-
tracted gestation: Some 'discussions arose as to the admissi-
bility of women to give evidence on this point.
The Earl, of DA RLlNwrox said, that .as the opinions of
physiCians were entirely founded on the statements made to
them by women, if women themselves were admitted, the evi-
dence of the physicians ought to be struck out. .
The Loan CHANCELLOR said, that.when a ph;:s. c al gave.
his opinion, the Boma might ask the grounds of it; and if
they doubted the statements of women, they might then exa-
mine them. Suppose a woman, conscious that the child she
bore was not her husband's, took) means to acelerate the_birth,
by driving over stones, like the opponent's mother, and; fail-
ing toeffect it, might be unwilling to tell the truth to a physi-
cian, would it not be dangerous to admit the evidence of a
physician in such a case, and ought not the woman herself to
be examined?.

,After. n.....tex :word s.
,f/orn Lord LA DE RD A LE,
Mrs. Parker WaS examined.--She stated -that she was now
eleven months gone with child, according to her own calcu-
lation ; she had- had children before, and could not be mis-
taken..

. .
• , .
, .
Four other women were examined, who Rye evidence of
having
.heen. pregnant from:10 to 11 calendar months. The
:further consideration was adjourned to Wednesday next.

APPEALS- • •
• o't!Tc.ir.. v. FITZGERALD,
The LOII CrraNr6zr.t.On'taid, that this was an appeal from
hammary proceedings adopted -by the 'Court of Exchequer in
Ireland, against the.Accountant-General of that Court: It ap-
pertred-that some money had been wrongfully transferred from
one suit to another, and the Court had decreed that the Ac-
countant-General waa answerable for At amount. • He doubted
.very 'MI6 that the• House could interfere in this case. If tile
thurt of -Exchequer had jurisdiction 'to proceed in that sum-
nia", way Against one, of their own officers, he thought the
House could not interfere, but still he thought that the Court
had,rie jurisdiction. He therefore thought it better to let it
s Session, giving O'Neil liberty to reqUest
titiael oven
Exchequer. to reverse that order; or if not, to
silky that it'had

........ .. . I
Lord REDESDA LE said that it was impossible that theii.Lord-
tihips could hare ituistlic!ion in this case, there being' no record
aS to 'make himself responsible to suitors,
before'thern• The question was, if an officer. had exercised his
of Ireland frt-i'm the responsibility. It
question of pro-
dartuatiessoSroeliiireveegiithlr
itrik
vwdarstai.fit
risit,ttbritecdtiftiorci..ielta diustlianrctnaicatnionPer%ititbetiinliggr,t
then
coppe.
by ,
way of aft:appeal - netorePtheit Lordships; but asi it was; he
.thought they could. take.luimprf potice of. it thata.& the Court.
of Exchequer had proceeded against one of its officers for von-
tempt. Under these circumstances, he thought the proper
manner to treat it would be as the Lord Chancellor proposed.—
It was accordingly agreed to.

" TWIGGELI.
" Take care of yourself, my love. Adieu!
" To Miss Cole, Mrs. Pring's, C,oleshill."
Unhappily this lady was deceived by these professions of affec-
tion, and surrendered her virtue to the importunities of her
lover. Little. did she think that the defendant, whom she had
loved, and in whom she had trusted, would abandon her to in.
famy and sorrow. If the most profligate libertine would feel
some relentings on the seduction of an unprotected orphan,
how little could her utter abantionient be suspected in a man
who was qualifying himself for the holy office of a minister !
She became a mother,. and Mr. Twigger's hive was at an end—,
she was no longer his "dearest Eliza ;" his vows and pro-
testations • were over.;. he hid himself, and was found with the
utmost difficulty ' • and when found, was the husband of ano-
ther woman. So destitute was this young ladY's condition, that
she must have gone to tho workhouse but for the humanity of
Captain Peers, who had married the defendant's mother. He
opened his house to receive her, and there she remained ten
weeks, and was delivered of a child. Indeed, the conduct of this
gentleman was most honourable through the whole of this me-
lancholy transaction. Mrs.. Peers, on the other hand, had taken
part with her son, which might he excused to a mother; but
she had also acted towards the plaintiff in a way which she had
little reason to expect. Under these circumstances—her health
destroyed—her character blasted L-pressed down by a complica-
tion of misery—she sought redress at the hands of the jury
against one who would one day be well able to pay damages,
and who, if not at present independent, still deserved not the
less to suffer for the injury which he had inflicted.
Mrs. Pring, a widow lady of Cotentin', was then sworn. She
stated that Miss Cole came to reside at her house on the 24th
of June, 1823, as a boarder, being then about 23 or 24 years of
age. The defendant resided at that time with his mother,
who had married Capt. Peers. She knew Mr. and Mrs. Peers,
and was on visiting terms with them. There were only two or
three houses between their residence and her own. The de-
fendant visited the plaintiff, anti paid her much attention; her
manners were ladylike and genteel. Miss Cole was confined
at the house of Mrs. Peers, and remained there afterwards for
12 or 13 weeks. Mr. Twigger was between 21) and 30 years of
age; he was perhaps 23 when he first became acquainted with
Miss Cole.

On cross-examination by Mr. SCAALETT, the witness said,
that when, Miss Cole caftie. to her house she was 23 or 24 years
of age, and she had no previous acquaintance with her. She
was brought by Mr. Charles Dickins,- a young and single man,
who lived about three miles from Coleshill. Ile occasionally
visited the plaintiff. for ,about two months. She never found
him in Miss Cole's bed-rooni;,-nor - remonstrated with her
on finding_ him there; but she did remember their quar-
relling, and told Miss Cole she had, better be friendly with
him; or-give -up his acquaintance ; upon which she replied,
that the would do as the'llked, and please-herself." Letters
had passed between them Which were given • up two or three
months after. "Illiss Cole came as a lodger. Mr. Dickins had
nothing to do with the arrangements for her board ; he merely
brought her; she was a stranger, and Mr. Dickins came to in-
quire if she could be acconmodated with board and lodging.
1-le was not, to the knowledge of the witness, a relative ; but
came frequently to visit her, and remained some hours. On
being pressed whether Mr. Dickins had gone to Miss Cole's
bed-room, the witness said that he was_ once going up stairs to
speak to her, but that she prevented him. They used to go out
together, but the witness did not know. that they ever walked
out alone. She remembered Mr. Dickins making an arrange-
ment to go away with- the plaintiff, but did not know where they
were to proceed. She
.did not go, though Mr. Dickins came;
and ow-this morning-She gave up her letters,-basing' wished the
witness to prevent her from going. When the witness discovered
that Miss Cole was pregnant, She desired her to quit her house.
She did not know of her condition long before she left. She
-never saw the defendant in her room but once, and that was,
on the morning. When the letters were returned to Dickins.• Mr.
Dickins called an hour after Mr. Twigger had.retired. Mr.
Twigger had requested to speak with Miss Cole, in her room,
and remained about ten minutes. ;bout an hour after he went.
rned
out, Mr. Dickins cameiax
r iiobnc,
tare
shoslie,ilgtrtd:e,
ctrers;;,.
he returned none. She was brought to bed on the 10th of Sep-
tember, 1n24, and continued. at Coleshill. The witness turned
leer out of the house about a fortnight before her confinement,
suspectingher condition.
On•re-examination, the -Witness said, that she inquired into
the character and .connexions of the- plaiii:ffilzb,Deiwfootiarnrseienvagselrite;o-sirainsws7
re-
ceivedher, and' believed her to be of a respectable
.She.
was abnut 14 'months in the witness's house,
dane6vliri,npartiodprsie2onieell
Cole's residenCein.liCr house, she
her
she had sent a constable to
iZlPidin•iiredpipnieloyttythoile)aai-:4restphiollchittifi-li.:lSsi!y'eSitt!sast'ittt'erdlr ithhe witness said
Kingston-upon-Hull to bring up the defendant in order to
filiate the child, but did hear that she had scut after him. •
Rev. John Parker, a clergyman, who was an associate of the