The Sun.
London, England, 1814-07-20 00:00:00

•
•
protetik4l ltc would lief;leave to read to the Hdtise
a lett.efi he 'had received from Lord Cdchrane. It
" •
was to the.followitig.pprport •
- jien , alrj 17.
Mr tonn.z.—Altjidrikh I claim no rit:a to interfite with
the Parliiitnentar, &induct of any MeMber, or to inquire into
the motives for any motion he' play thitili proper to Make, yet
-I owes it 0-Myst-VW protest against that motion of which your
Lordshili has given notice, as I conceive that it has a tendency
tu bringidown upon me greater grief than. Ishotildotherwise
experience; as I did not expect to be treated by youi Lord-
ship on any ground that- bears reference to my past services.
flowerer erroneous rosy be the esththite of a late transaction
in the minds of mibiyMenibers,--1 cannot consent that any
service of -mine slimild he prostitnted to protect me froni liu-
Aishment. If guilty," I deserve the punishment to which the,
law has sentenced Inc ; if innocent, no part of the sentence
ought to he inflicted. If, therefore, your Lordship still 'per-
sists ih the motion of which you have given mince, I hope and
trust you will do me the justice of reading this letter to the
House."

Lord EBRINGTON then proceeded to declare
what he thought Might now be deemed superfluous,
namely, that he had had no communication, di.
reedy or indirently, with Lord Cochrane ; and if
he were to comply with the wishes of that Noble
Lord, he should not now proceed with his mo-
tion.. But feelings that the sense of the country
was against the infliction of the penalty,'he could
not. but. believe that the prosecution of his motion
would be leSs injurious to the Noble Lord than
the punishment, which its object
.was to avert.
For himself, he could have wished that the sub-
ject had been taken tip hysome person more com-
ps tent to the task ; he .coithr have wished that it
had originated on the other side of the House; it
would have been gratifying to him totind it taken
trp by. his Majesty's Ministers, or rather, that
those tisterss by a Particular.interference, had
rendered it unnecessary. In what he intended to
says_ he should abstain from any discussion, of the
circuntstance,s which had caused a, debate on a
former occasion. However erroneous he might
think the decision on
.that occasion—whether any
doubt existed, of the guilt of Lord Cochrane,-he
did not feel that the House ought on this occasion
tos.make any reference to those opinions. He
therefore should not call on them to respirer ally
opinion as to the Noble Lord's guilt or innocence_
101 l he wished was, that they should hearstesti-.
moray: to the great merits and eminent professional
services, of the Noble Lord. With respect to the
severity of the punishMent that has beenspro-
nounced; he should not connect this topic with
the present • subject.; but he could not help say-
ing, that the punishment of the • pillory in ge-
neral was one which was a disgrace to •the
enlightened times and country in which we live,
because it-renders the populace both the judge and
executioner of the culprit, and•according to their
blind caprice, affords either a scene of Mockery
and degradation, or in some instances, leads to a
cruel death.. Those who recollected the scenes
which had passed in the City no longer ago than
last year, and they need not be reminded for what
the wretches. were thus punished, would surely be.
of opinion, that it was wrong.to inflict such a penalty
in s case& where it was only intended as punish-
Tent,: and not as disgrace. On looking over
different sentences, in three years front 1812, there
appeared to
,be only three persons who had stood
in the pillory for crimes of the above description;
-and he would ask, whether a man who has done
such services as Lord Cochrane has performed,
ought to receive a puniShment'of•so.ignominious
a kind. Why should- the law he strained to its
utmost severity towards a man who has certainly
contributed as much as' any individual of his rank
to the public benefit ? The services of Lord COch-.
ranc were so well known; that it was needless
recapitulate them ; but he could not help, on the
present occasion, recalling the attention of the:A
House to one of
.his most genera exploits. He
alluded to the capture of the El Gelto, a Spanish
dispatch vessel, 6f,thirty-three guns, by the ship
which • his Lordship .commanded, carrying only
fourteen guns and fifty-tour men ; and did not
think ,that any action more gallant could be found
upon out' records. Ile would desire to be. read
the Vote of Thanks on this ocesasion, which
was given by, the House to Lord Gambier and Ads.
mire! Stopford, on the 1t:111 of January 1.8.10.
(The vote was read accOrdiegly.by the Clerk).—
Such„resumed his Lordship, was the tribute paid
by the House to the services of Lord Cochrane,
for which, he belived, the. Noble Lord was-far-•
then rewarded with the Ribband and'Order of the
Bath. When after a rank. so. meritoriously ac-
quired, 'we find his name strtiA. out of the:list,
and the ribband taken from him, shall we not ad.-
mit, with :regret, that his punishment is greater
than that of Butt and Detßerengers?:These per-
sons, when the period of their confinement was
over, would return to their original 'obscurity,
atul.by changing their names; if they thought fit,
might with perfect ease regain their former sta-
tion in society. Even the sentence on a Noble
Marquis, for the crime of seducing seamen from
his Majesty's service, accompanied as' it was by a
fine, trivial in comparison with his large fortune,
Was mild, when contrasted With that of Lord
Cochrane. He was aware that the cases were
not exactly analogous. But what was the conse-
quence ? The Noble -Marquis, after the period of
hiS imprisonment, returned to his rank in society.
But if we look at Lord Cochrane, We shall find
'With regret, that he will return, deprived of all
his honours, all his rights as a citizen, all the re-
wards be has gained by his distiugUished services ;.
every thing he'possesses of. Value taken away from
him. Is this even the 'proper measure of English,
justice ? Is it even consistent with the foundation.
"4,1 all Jaw, which teaches us to make.no distincL
Lion between individuals ? He did slot think it ne-
cessary to trpursle the 'House any farther; he
trusted he had strictly adhered to the intention
which he had proposed to. himself, and the
,only
objectwas to prevent the infliction of a,
i(i.irilishment Upon the Noble Lord ; he
disgraceful o fs which
Should therefore arose —" That an humble. Ad-
dreSs be presented to the Prince Regent, praying
that he would be graciously pleas:ed to remit to
Sir Thomas Cochrane, conunOtny 'called Lord
Cochrane, the ignominious .punisliment
.of the
pillory." • •

Lord NUGENT, concurring in every thing which
had been uttered . by his -Noble Friend, should
give: I►is,.Cordial support to the motion. - Ile also
felt the propriety of abstaining from any allusion
to 'that point on which the noose had come.. to a
decision, name!y,-tlte Noble,.L►ud'S. guilt.. He
should, however, trouble the House with a few
words on tke great character of Lord Cuchraue. The

evidence td thiS eff'ect, which haft Igeen4ive-elrotio
trial, was not that poor and svhioing c
hodo'
on ordinary occasions; Of persons who oil!i
a defendant many years, and never knew 31e Ilia
against hini till the la•eSerit time. 1,-;"'' te. o°l
racter of Lord Cochrane, we were to 1001,erell'
proudest pages of the British- history, ''''.
,
stands distiogiiished in the first rail', who"
country's service. Such Was- the Mot t.otT'ir cliff'
ti plea was this night offered, and %Adios°, deutirri!
racter was now so -cruelly staioed. f°,iLtbe•-ild'
with his- Nohle Friend who, bad inove"Aols'
dress respecting the natitre of ttle•P`l4b.be)Ar
and the comparative severity of 't
what would be felt by the otherTpersdus-
ed ; and he would add, that all those loce'''
any doubts the other night as to thel',lllD-ti,eii
the Noble Lord,- were bound to vote I%)l.?•etccf`',
tion of to-night. Supirdse a soldier. Was :ectic"
in defrauding his superior Officer, in c°ltiteo:
With his Oaptaiu ; that they.would bring
to the halbert was to be expected, but li4 d,
whether they would flog the Captain. Ir
he would only say, wo
that they nI o
ll ct, Lc',
gross act of injustice. As to the riitiw.);,,tg,
punishment upon a great man becomes ''.c
and cruel torture, by exciting in the publ.,l,ool':,
every base feeling, and encouraging the
most reprehensible passions. - He wool"
the length of agreeing with what the 11'Wkit,40e'
bad said in his own vindication in toth,de,"
inculpating the elevated personage Wlo
nounced the sentence ; but when
person.' standing forward in. that 131°,1i:1'10)5
asserting that a part of the evidence. '';:vitite
suppressed, and mentioning other cireuntl ,c
which bore hardly upon him, and 'preveave- boo
possibility of his offering all that could
adVanced in his behalf when lie heard
',if,' making
,th• most solemn asseceritioq
the face of GOd and the country, that
had a proper opportunity of defenderg
arid entreating the_ House to go into a 6"11T:e.oel.0
0
he felt then, atullie felt still, that the °ll Asoot
not Justified in refusing that Committee'
the Noble Lord, he scarcely knew
many occasions in that He it l<"'
fortune to differ ,from him, ; but he t1104',1
it'Was his boldand manly feeling Which bile!'t'ry
made him stand forward there ;though c'hgt
very discreetly, and he was of
_opinion
was no man in that Houser however he 111jui `lot
fer from that Noble Lord in political 011i:11 °I;
would not put his hand on his- heart atto,l''lof:
he •regretted that part of the sentence rvbic
ed the object-of the motion. .11)411°a;
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL disclaime6
nality or prejudice towards Lord Coehrji °Pe.,
had he, any reason of any sort, Five" (,),11(l'il,'Ibit
wise, to influence him in the vote he 4°-1,
beyond his duty as a Member of Parlianlen.ol'ili
'his duty dictated to him to give his dccii,-.lbaclie.
gative to the motion. The Noble i
li
suppOsed to be a victim to political flei.'"..
jitill'',o)
but never vas any opinion less founded` _,t
lamented more sincerely than himself, C•e%
of his noble birth; who' had perforo--ti
ploits in a profession which destroys,
'noble minds, all sordid motives ; that o'4'4
the commission of a crime so sordid es t`i-cf'
have fallen from his high rank, and ";;1i1"'.430`
himself the subject of au ;lions Poi,' vor
was much to be deplored; but he woultf%cliCe/
that he was more an object for the iittel'it:qic'tv
that
,House than any of the other delitti'incil
There was no excuse or palliation
pail of 'his Lordship for the coin"' cs $4
a fraud which, if true, combined 11„,'"rlele-
infamy. The comparison, of the ..04",-3.so'la.
who had quoted a suppositious case "(entell,l,l;
and his. Captain, in reprobation of thcii'd TA"t,',V
was most entraordinary. But why sh° _
.superior Officer be brought to ignontioi"'coilli'l,
meat, it he deserved it, as well as flit',
soldier ? Only because the military !Int (lid a'''`
admit of it. But ina case of fraud, POl;bc
;Civil Law, would any man say that the,r of
meat of the Meanest private, or the ofic,L, f,
highest rank,,ought to be,difTerent, or.'1101(1
the, former punished, the latter 51101, e
lowed to tamper with mercy ?• 011-0-
be blamed, because his situation' and errof r-`,)V.
to bare placed him above the tempted°
Miffing such a crime ; while the other
instigated by poverty or Other s ,
'wourd render' him an object of pity. Thie.
should rather operate the other waY' (.o,roo'
Noble
if merey be extended by the
Noble Lord has" no greater right 10 '.`toati"`ltbe
one of the individuals in the same ,:,„ss t°l 4(1
himself. The. Noble Lord, in his. A(```'•coe''',;t,
bileoeunsset,lll4)t zsve.tiliteliat a part of bis '11:01
to state,. that: .was was
(sout!! ittos
'Member. of Parliament, and an 01,-,clice'
11,1(1 elr.
Court, to declare, most solemnly, that
)1.01
Ih
(favoured aS. Much • ,•bJe to int` t
as possl
self on the suhjeet, by reading attentive!
the
1111(1 trallsPireil, both as evidence, and it up
:meats of the Noble Judge whnslini°l,e(ti, 11°tts ,
at'
he would d•celar‘e, before God
that if lie had been on the JilrY, Ije oth°1.61)1•
in his conscience, have returned 80'1. tbc
diet than that which was given, crel' •deaCefheii
Lord had been his brother. Tbe evl,
in his mind most clear and con vilie
he found Deßerenger traced into the h°6oo oil 14 •
Cochrane, with the coat of ilUrSitiod bill:de I
back,. going there at the chance of, 0 persiljulc
of meeting his Lordship, nothing shcluto tbe'Pccr;
him that Lord C. had not been • priv.YA to Lie
pose of his visit, and the object it
If this had not been. the case, his I.mr(ti),,
would have .been the last place it'
cot
which he would have gone With that roof t`
hack. Besides, be had been correctlY •essesl.4,
r %city oitc
Dover,
have been dressed in the very sal" drco'st
5
11!.
c.„001
or
and proved, by a series ol ay
he goes to Lord' Cochrane's. The
j,;.„ lie 1" ;,
ant fact, therefore, arose out of t,'• • r•!
He had been traced into the coach " itle't
on his back, and by mere accident
was indubitably proved ;
.st r ti
answer to the interrowatories, of crel.herel
dress a
he could not remember the
he t
son who got into his coach, Yet v., ir \OP 11,0
it
his, because hiS coat was red, V
Rere'l.- Coc
to escape detection* won't! De
if Lard
put hisizself under the protegtiun
for 'th iiirboofr,