The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-28 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

_CARL OF LINCOLN'S DIVORCE
BILL.
HOUSE OF LORDS.—(THIS DAY.)
The second reading of the Earl of Lincoln's Divorce
Bill was fixed for three o'clock this afternoon. It
naturally drew an unusually large number of strangers to
the bar of their Lordships' House, and considerable in-
tereeiseemed to be manifested in the proceedings, but
still few persons were admitted into the House. Lord
Langdale occupied the chair.
Mr. Robinson appeared as counsel for the Noble Earl,
but her Ladyship was not represented by counsel.
Lord BROUGHAM moved the order of the day for
the second reading of the Bill.
Mr. ROBINSON said he bad the honour to appear in
support of the Bill. In 1832 the Earl of Lincoln was
married to Susan Harriet, the daughter of the Duke of
Hamilton, and they lived together as man and
wife down to the summer of 1848. During that
period they became the parents of five children.
On the 2d day of August, 1848, her Ladyship lett this
country and repaired to Baden, and ultimately to Ems,
where her Ladyship met with Lord Walpole, the son of
the Earl of Orford, who, their Lordships were aware,
was named in the Bill. From Ems her Ladyship
went with Lord Walpole to Geneva, to Rome,
to Naples, and ultimately to Ems and Vienna,
where they lived together on terms of the closest inti-
macy. la the course ut time her Ladyship's appearance
so altered as to leave no boubt that she was pregnant.
This change was first perceptible at Naples; but her
Let ship afterwards quitted Naples and re-
paired to Rome, where it was presumed her
Ladyship was confined. After her confine-
ment, her Ladyship, accompanied by Lord Wal-
pole, went to Verona and the Valle Manchini,
where they passed as Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence.
The Learned Counsel they proceeded to detail
the facts that were afterwards disclosed in
evidence, and concluded by stating that from
the time her Ladyship had left Eagland, in 1848,
up to the present moment, she had me& been seen, nor
had she had intercourse with the Noble Lord, her pre-
seat husband.
The first witness called was Mr. Frederick Jarrett,
who stated that he was a clerk in the office of the
solicitor to the Bill, and he had served a copy of it on
her Ladyship's solicitor.
Mr. Rankin was next called. He stated that he was
a solicitor, and was present at the marriage of Lord
• Lincoln with the daughter of the Duke of Hamilton. It
was in November, 1832. The marriage was solemnized
according to the customs of Scotland, and was after-
wards ratified in the Church of England. He had re-
cectly had a communication with her Ladyship on the
'abject of this Bill, and she had authorised him to ap-
pear for her.
Mr. Lenard, the confidential solicitor of Lord Wal-
pole, and of his tether, the Earl of Orford, stated that
L wit Walpole left this country about ten years ago, and
had not since returred.
Mr. Rankin was recalled, to state that her Ladyship
had been absent since August, 1848, and as far as he
knew, she had never been in this country since.
Mr. J. Merritt stated that he was the porter of the
family mansion of the Duke of Hamilton, and on the
2nd August, 1848, he saw her at his Grace's house. She
left there alone in a cab in the afternoon of that day, and
he had never seen her since. His Grace lived in Port-
land-.square.
A letter was here put iu which her Ladyship had
written to her Lord from Baden on the 911 of August,
to prove that her Ladyship was there about that period.
It bore the Baden post-mark, and was proved to be in
her Ladyship's handwriting.
Noel Pardriek stated that he had been in the ser-
vice of Lord Walpole. In July, 1848, he lett this
country for Germany in company with his Lordship.
They went to Ems, where he saw Lady Lincoln
with his Lordship. They lived at separate hotels, but
they were in the habit of driving out together, and his
Lordship visited her Ladyship at all hours. From
.131. d ;n they went to Wieibaden, and ultimately, travelling
through the country, they arrived at Genoa, where they
stayed during the winter. Ono day, in the month of
November, he was sent out by his Lordship for
a newspaper, and on his return with it to his
Lordship's room, which he entered without knock-
ing, he surprised his Lordship and Lady Lin-
coln lying together on a sad. In November his
Lordship accompanied Lady Lincoln to Rome, where
they remained till April, when he observed that her
Ladyship became somewhat stout. From Rome they
went to Frascati, where his Lordship took a private resi-
dence, and they lived together. At Ems he had occasion
to go into one of Lady Lincoln's rooms, where he saw
some packages of her Ladyship's, marked with the name
" Mrs. Lawrence."
By Lord BROUGHAM—Was any one else in the room '
when you surprised her Ladyship and your master on
the sofa? Witness—No, my Lord.
Mr. Gladstone, M.P., stated that he had been on
terms of intimacy with both Lord Lincoln and her
Ladyship. Her Ladyship was of a very delicate
constitution, and of a peculiar nervous temperament.
Oa the 2d of August, 1848, he dined with his Lordship in
Whitehall-place, the day on which her Ladyship left this
country; and from that day up to the end of lest year,
he knew as a fact, that Lord Lincoln was in this country.
Last summer certain rumours reached this country
in reference to her Ladyship's conduct, and in conse-
quence of a resolution come to by the mutual friends of
Lord and Lady Lincoln he went abroad to seek her
Ladyship, with the view of inducing her Ladyship to
put herself in a position of security. The rumours
which had reached this country admitted of two con-
s i.tictions, and it was just possible that her Ladyship had
not fallen into absolute criminality. Hence the motive
of his going abroad. He went first t) Rome, then
to Naples, from thence to Genoa, and eventually to a
vills on the Lake of Como, where it was understood her
Ladyship was living with Lord Walpole as Mr. and Mrs.
Laurence. He made every endeavour to obtain an in-
terview with her Ladyship, but did not succeed.
On the evening or the day, however, on
which he made his last visit he saw:a, lady and gentleman
pass from the villa into a travelling-carriage, followed by
a gentleman. He was not able to say positively whether
it was Lady Lincoln, but her figure resembled that of
her Ladyship.
By Lord BROUGHAM—CouId you see whether she was
with child or not? Witness—Nu, my Lord, the lady
was wrapped up in cloaks, as if for travelling.
Lora BROUGHAM—Do you know if her Ladyship left
this country es stiiout his Lordship's knowledge or con-
sent? Witness—Yes, 1 believe she did.
Lord REDESDALE—Are you aware of any communi-
cations having afterwards passed between his Lordship
and her Ladyship? Witness—l believe there was, bat
Lord Lincoln never answered her letters.
Lord 13noniaaAN—Do you know what is the extent
of her Ladyship's property? Witness—No, my Lord.
Lord. BROUGHAM—Do you know that she had a
marriage portion of 30,0001.?
,Witness—Yes ; I believe
she had.
Mr. Jones, the butler of Lord Lincoln, stated that he
had known both his Lordship and her adyship for the
last nine years. His Lordship had five children, who
were all living with him. His Lordship did
not leave this country from August, 1848,
down to the autumn of last year. Last year,
accompanied by his Lordship's solicitor, he went to
Verona, vvluere. he saw Lady Lincoln. This was on the
20th of September. Her Ladyship was attended by a
servant or nurse, who carried a child that appeared to be
a few weeks old. He afterwards saw her Ladyship at
Nice, and subsequently at a villa on the Lake of Como.
Mr. Ratiale, a solicitor, stated that he was applied to
by the legal advisers of Lord Lincoln last year,
t,) accompany the last witness to Verona. He
24'esented to go, and when he arrived at Verona he saw
a lady, whom the last witness represented to be Lady
'Lincoln, and she was attended by a female servant and a
child, that could not be more than a few weeks old.
Iler Ladyship was going out for a drive. This was on
the 17th of September. Ile saw her again on the 20th.
ne stopped at: the same hotel in Verona, and the
landlord told him that her Ladyship passed as Mrs.
Lawrence. He
of the, birth
been endeavoured to obtain the parish re-
gisteraene d
ibaptismn
astate
of
of the child, but Verona
baving previously
political commotion,
he could not procurea copy of it. He, however, obtained
the, certificate of
baptism
t from the Roman Catholic
clergyman who baptized
lir child, which he now pro-
duced. The child ;vas baptizA llor itio William Wal-
pole, and was described
a
Harriet Lawrence. s the child of Horace and
Mr. ROBINSON here intimated that one of the witnesses
whom it was intended to call in support of the Bill was
not in attendance.
Lord BROUGHAM—What would this Witness prove?
Dar. Rubinson steied that he would s
he was in the service of Lord Walpole yatprtohvee that
on the Lake of Como, and he knew as a fact that the
lady who had resided there, and passed as Lim Law-
rence, was no other than Lady Lincoln.
Lord BROUGHAM said, as the child was not repre-
seated nor Earl been prove 4 that it was the offspring of
Lady Lincoln, their Lordships had no right to
bastardise his child. That there was evi-
dence of adultery on the part of her Ladyship
there could be no moral doubt, and he was quite con-
vinced that any jury would return a verdict to that
effect who had heard the history of the s( fe scene
spoken to by Lord Walpole's own servant. ' lie should
therefore move that the Bill be read a second time.
Lord REDESDALE fait deeply interested in this case,
and he had paid a good deal of attention to its details.
Now, let their Lordship; observe the fact, that the
husband even tat there to be examined, and
although he did not mean to impute collusion
to the parties, it was their Lordships bounden duty
to see that none had been practised. Well, then, he for
one did not think that there was sufficient evidence to
justify the second reading, inasmuch as there was nn-
thing to show what hail been the conduct of the will
before she left this, country; while it had been proved
beyond all doubt that 110 S •Ontr bad she reached Baden
than she was joined by Lord Walpole.
Lord BROUGEAm (lid net think any further evidence
ought to be culled for. and in replying to the previous
Noble Lord, he took the oi:p7,rtunity ot c„yire •e•
an
erroneous statement which lad crept into a daily paper.
It was; stated that, he intended to oppose the Bill and
resist its progress by bra wheatine. the witnesses. Now,
so fur from there being any foundation, for this
state-
ment, the fact was that, this very Bill had been intro-
duced
by himself, and it was not likely that he would be
'found opposing his own Bill.
Lord LANGDALE concurred in the opinion of his Noble
and Learned Friend, that there was no evidence of baa-
tardy on the part of the child, but there was indisputable
evidence of the adultery, and the promoters of the Bill
were therefore entitled to call upon their Lordships to
read it a second time.