The Sun.
London, England, 1823-02-19 00:00:00

FREEMASONS' HALL, TOESDAY, Pane 18--Et GUTH DAY.
The Court opened at ten o'clock this morning,
and immediately proceeded to business.
Mr. ADAM trusted, that as he had s columniation to snakes
to the Commissioners that interested Lord Portsmouth person.
ally, they would give him an opportunity of so doing ;it was
of such a nature, that he had strong reasons for not wishing the
subject of his communication to be Made: public; and yet that
,the Gentlemen of the Jury should be acquainted therewith.
Under these ciecumstances he trusteed the Commissioners
would afford him such an opportunity as would rally answer
the purpose of the present appliation! It would se recollected,
that the Commissioners had kindly pintnised to' give Serjeant
Pell due notice of the intrOductiou of Lord Portsmouth to the
Gentlemen of the Jury, and as it was net until eleven o'clock'
last night, that through the courtesy of the Ootionon Serjeant
(Mr. Dentrtsh), his Lordship's Counaelepeee ramie aetreairttell..
with the intended examination of his Lordship this day, it was
then too late last night for the Learned Serjeant to wait upon
the Noble Earl, and this morning it was scarcely possible for
that object to have been accomplished before ten o'clock, the
hour for the resumption of the inquiry ; he therefore entreated
that in justice to his Lordship, he might not be called upon
this day, but that the Commissioners would be pleased now to
fix the time of his Lordship's appearance, that the Learned
Serjeant might have the desired and promised opportunity of
apprising los Lordship of the near approach of the period fixed
upon for his examination.
Mr. Weer else Le, in reply, contended, that it was not ab-
solutely necessary that the unfortunate Nobleman, who was the
subject of the present important investigation, should be ap.
' prised of his approaching investigation--he submitted that the
Commissioners had a right to call upon those in whose custody
the Noble Earl was, to produce his Lordship at any period of
the investigation they ought think advisable,—he further con-
tended, that it would be most prejudicial to the justice of the
present Inquiry to say in almost as many words to his Lord-
ship—es. You are to be examined to-day (or et any other given
time) ; ,I therefore come to advise you to prepare for exnuiin.
ation ;11_ for as it was notorious that the most confirmed lunatic
had occasional gleams of reason or of cunning, a notice of such
a nature might possibly militate most materially against the
impartial proceedings of the present Commission.
Mr. Serjeant IIueLOCK thought the Learned Counsel (Mr.
Adam) strained un observation of his Learned Friend and co.
adjutor (Mr. Trower) to an unfair extent ; it never could have
been intended or anticipated that his Lordship's mind was to
be thrown into a continued state of irritation by a communica-
tion of the nature of'that contemplated.
The. Chief Commissioner, Mr. Tnow 11, coincided with his
Learned Friend, midetbserved, that it would be moat impolitic,
and approaching to cruelty, to give the Noble Earl an intimee
tion that would agitate and disturb his mindfor the whole day,
and the succeeding night immediately preceding the appointed
period of his examination.—(Cries of as liens, hear, hear !"
from the Gentlemen of the Jury.)
Sir THOMAS BARING thought the Noble Earl would find
two hours' notice amply sufficient.
It was at length underetood that an immediate communica-
tion was to he made to Serjeant Pell, that his Lordship's at.
tendance would be required at two o'clock.
Dr. Sutherland examined by Mr. POWELL—First saw Lord
Portsmouth in August. last; had not seenlitt Lordship since
the 10th inst. ; had frequent intertiews and conversations with
hie Lordship in that interval ; spoke to witness of his journee
to Edinburgh ; said that he was taken there against his will ;
that Lady Portsmouth being with-child, told lira she would
swear it was his . finding him in a very ill humour one day,
witness talked to him of bleeding felt his pulse ; restored Idm
to a better tone-of humour,. he said he would at. any. time
rather give up her Ladyship than his lances ; that Newton
Hanson had once tied up his arm in the presence of Lady
Portsmouth and Laura .Hanson; said he had been very ill•
treated by a person named Alder, who was introduced to
him as .t medical man ; Alder was accustomed to visit her
Ladyship when she was faint, and that he frequently got into
bed to her ; had frequently been obliged to sign blank cheeks
and deeds ; wished he could have a 'divorce before the meeting;
of Parliament, as he wanted to be married to a Lady of Stam-
ford-hill ; on the 19th of January his Lordship repeated to
witness, most accurately, the conversations of previous inter-
views ; had attended here during the whole time of the pro.
ceedings under the present investigation ; thinks his Lordship
of perfectly unsound mind, and totally incompetent to manage
his own affairs ; has no doubt of the disease being of long
standing ; 'nor of his Lordship's having been unsound of mind
in the year 18011.
Cross-examined by Mr. C. WiLeteats-Thinlcs the ill.
treatment his Lordship has experienced may. have tended to
aggravate the disease of the mind under which he isthmus ;
thinks it might be somewhat mitigated by a series of kind
treatment ; thinks unsoundness of the mind more a defect than
a disease—a weak mind may be deranged by continued ill.treat.
meet ; if there be a natural debility, it is very problematical
whether any subsequent measures could remove the inherent
disease ; thinks the distaste of long mending.
By theJuty-eA strong memory is not unfrequently found
connected with a diseased and unsound state of mind ; witness
has often experienced this in the course of an extensive practice.;
conceives his Lordship's mindto have been naturally and ori-
ginally unsound, not merely weak.
Mr. DEN Stax wished to make one observation to the Court.
Mi. Skirrow, in his examination of yesterday, had stated, that
whatever letters ids Lordship had put into his hands, he had
'forwarded to the,places of their destination ; be had to correct
this statement by the production of two letters written by his
Lordship to a young laxly, but be begged that the name of that
lady *might be inappreised.
`Phis being acceeded to by the Commissioners, the name was
expurreed, and the letters put in (to be read after the examina-
tion orthe witness in the box,)
Sir George Tuthill examined by Mr. 'WEI nr.n Eta..—Was
introduced to bard Portsmouth on the 15th of July last, as a
friend of Mr. Skirrow ; his Lordship stated that he had been
niarried to his Present wife about eight years ; previous to his
marriage ha called upon Mr. Hanson one Seturday, and expresse
ed his wish to be married agein ; Mr. Hanson told him that he
would never consent to 'his marriage unless it wax to one of
his (Mr. }L's) daughters ; Lordship then went into the
drawing-room, and offered himself to Miss Hanson ;•. he was
told that he should have an answer on the Monday following;
on the Monday his .Lordship went again to Mr. Hanson'`
for the answer, when Hanson .told tutu that only on one
condition would he consent to the marriage, and that was, that
they should 'be married that morning; his Lordship cone
seated, and they were married accorctingY his leardship
aims
that about four year, ago a Mr., Alder was introduced to
as medical attendant upon LodwYmPloartetsmociounttsh juithouvrer:Niliiir.
Alder had gradually usurped p
Lordship, and acted as if he was the master of his Ler&
ship's house e. he was convinced he was a medieel man, be.
cause he was frequently called up in the night to attend her
Ladyship ; that on such occasions he came in his shirt only And
laid down on the bed ; his Lordship had been frequently sent
to fetch Alder;; had been frequently-driven out of the bed-room
by Alder and Lady P., on which occasion he slept on a sofa; he
further stated, thathe had been frecluentlY whipped, and cruelly
ill-treated by Alder, the Countess, her sister, and brothers; when
his Lordship was thriven from his bed, he was told that it was tee
punish him for what he had done wrong; his Lordship suffered
even now from the drat' of the whippings and ill-treatment he
had received. his Lordship did not know where he was going
to when he was taken to Edinburgh ; there the ill usage of Alder
.and Lady P. was continued; his Lordship had frequently been
obliged to put his name to deeds and papers of various descrip.
Lions, with the contents of which ,he was not suffered to be ec-
quainted ; his Lordship stated that he had never hien able to have
any sexual linen:ollSe ; during the conversation in which his
Lordship acknowledged his impotency, he expressed his wish to
marry, as his third wife, a voungisdY residing at Stamferd.hill;
witness was introduced to rand V. under the name of Williams,
not as &medical gintlemanewith a view of obtaieirig it more corn.
pleteknowledge of the state of his Lordships Mind ; as the friend
of 111 r. Bittrrow mit Lordship gave every information to witness
with the greatest willingness; et subsequeul interviews his Lord-
ship always told the semesters.: he_Pol.l"ete_d_lllll,, lancets and tape,
01111144 that when they were used to Preeeetest considerAhk,ex..