The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-30 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.-(THIS DAY.)

MISS TURNER'S DIVORCE BILL.
The second reading of the above Bill having been
fixed for this morning, and it being generally known
that both Miss Turner and E. G. Wakefield were to
appear at their Lordships' bar, crowds assembled at
an early hour and completely filled-all the avenues to
the House of Lords. Indeed, so little satiated was
public curiosity, that several attempts were made to
force the outer entrance which was guarded by a
party of constables. The strictest directions had
been given that none should be admitted
without Peers' orders. Miss Turner, accom-
panied by several friends, was in attendance
in one of the private rooms of the House.
At half-past ten o'clock Counsel were called in, and
Wakefield, who had been brought from Newgate in
the custody of the Deputy Warden of the Prison,
made his appearance, and took his station near Mr.
Adams. Mr. Sergeant Cross and Mr. William
Brougham were the Counsel in support of the Bill.
Wakefield was dressed in a blue frock coat, black
trowsers, and wore a black silk neckcloth. He ap-
peared in excellent spirits, and was taking copious
notes during the address of Mr. Adams.
The number of Peers present was unusually
great. The Dukes of Sussex, Gloucester, and De-
vonshire, were seated close to the Bar, and paid
particular attention to the whole proceedings.
The LORD CHANCRLLOR having intimated to
Counsel that their Lordships were prepared to
hear them.
Mr. ADAMS advanced to the Bar, and spoke
nearly as follows :
May it please your Lordships,—l appear before
you as the Counsel for Wm. Turner, who asks
not less of your justice than your humanity, that
you should afford relief to his unfortunate daughter;
and restore her to that station in society which she
has been hurled from, by the extraordinary guilt of
Edward Gibbon Wakefield. In searching your
Lordships' Journals, and in examining the Re-
cords of the Ecclesiastical Court, we have
not succeeded in finding
,a precedent for the
present Bill. We have in vain looked for a
parallel case; but in point of atrocity it would have
been impossible to find any case parallel to that
which I shall have the honour to submit. 'We have,
however, found cases, which I have no doubt will
appear to justify in granting the relief which Mr.
Turner asks, and that, my Lords, is the crime which
we impute to this 'Wakefield, it is that of having
carried off-by fraud, and also force the daughter of
a gentleman of large fortune, of having carried away
a young lady, with whose person lie was unacquaint-
ed,—whom he had, in fact, never seen, and of whose
name he was almost ignorant, placed by her father
at an establishment, situated 111 one of the most
populous towns in the country. My Lords, the
means by which the scheme was carried into effect,
were as skilfully contrived as they were atrocious,
and I am quite sure your Lordships will agree
that the only thing that could equal the au-
dacity of the plan, was the guilt of the indi-
vidual. My Lords, I state distinctly that
Edward Gibbon Wakefield could have no other
Motive than the most sordid and dastardly—the mo-
tive of possessing himself of the fortune of Miss
Turner when the moment arrived at which she her-
aielf, by nature, could become possessed of it. It
was an act of the basest nature, and proceeding from
a sordid feeling—it was executed by every species
of fraud which the most skilful person, by possibility,
could think of. My Lords, I am aware that I am
making use of the strongest expressions; but they
are not more strong than the nature of the case jus-
tifies ; and, if I prove them, as I am sure to do, I
apprehend your Lordships will not hesitate to say,
upon the extraordinary nature of this case,
that we are entitled to ask what we now pray
of your Lordships. Your Lordships have been
made familiar in a degree with this transaction,
through what has already taken place in this House.
So much familiar with the circumstances, as to relieve
me in part from the necessity of stating all that
will be best stated by the witnesses themselves. I trust,
therefore, that a very short detail will suffice;
of this Tam quite satisfied that every step now taken
in the detail will point out the propriety of our
proceeding, not only with reference to the feelings
of the family whom I represent—not only with re-
ference to the individual herself, but with re-
ference also to public justice. My Lords,
we submit, that this which is called a marriage,
is absolutely void. We submit that though
a ceremony was performed—a ceremony unsanctioned
by any religious performance, performed by a per-
son who stating himself to have been a travelling
pedlar—that that which so took place is entirely
null and void. My Lords, I will not trouble
your Lordships with much of a legal argument. I
apprehend that marriage is a contract, and like all
contracts, binding on the parties. But, if the party
entering into it, has been deluded, if she has
been intimidated and frightened into her consent,
then I submit that there is wanting that which is
necessary in every contract to make it valid, namely
the free and willing consent of the party. It will
be for your Lordships to say whether I am
not justified in stating, with respect to Miss
Turner, that though she gave a formal and
verbal consent to become the wife of Edward
Gibbon Wakefield, she was under that influence
of fraud and intimidation which reduced her to
a situation in which the exercise of free will was
annihilated. My Lords, previous to the month of
March, 1826, Edward Gibbon Wakefield resided
with his family, and in that month came to Maccles-
field. Macclesfield is in the immediate vicinity of
Mr. Turner's residence. Shrigley Park is the
seat of Mr. Turner. After Wakefield arrived
at Macclesfield, he occupied himself for some time
in riding about the country to ascertain the situa-
tion and state of Mr. Turner's property. He ascer-
tained too that Mr. Turner was about to come to
town, which he did within a few days after
Wakefield's arrival. He ascertained also, that Mr.
Grimsditch, the confidential attorney of Mr. Turner,
was about to leave his home for a time. Wakefield
assumed the name of Capt. 'Wilson. On the morning
of the 7th March, he set out in a green carriage, to-
wards the place where Miss Turner was to be found.
Miss Turner resided with Miss Daulby, who kept a
school at Liverpool. On Wakefield's arrival at Li-
verpool, he left the carriage and a servant, pro-
ceeded to Miss Daulby's with the carriage, conveying
a letter to that lady, of which I will put your Lord-
ships into possession. At this time Mrs. Turner
laboured under severe indisposition, which your
Lordships will find was well known, and Mr.
Turner had recently completed a new house
into which he was about to remove. I men-
tion these circumstances for the purpose of
showing the skill with which the letter I allude
to was written—that letter was signed by John
Ainsworth, M.D. No such person was known
to Mr. Turner. The letter was dated " Monday,
night half-past twelve o'clock."—[This letter has
already been before the public; it states Mrs. Tur-
ner's ill-health, with a request that Miss Daulby would
send off Miss Turner in the carriage ; and by the
servant who conveyed the letter, without loss of
time.] Now, your Lordships see the extreme address
with which this letter was written. All the circum-
stances which really did exist in Mr. Turner's family
are dwelt upon inn this letter. The illness of Mrs.
Turner, the removal of the family into a new house,
the absence of Mr. 'huller from home, are all
pointed out, as if to throw an air of proba-
bility on the transaction. My Lords, we are net
in a condition to prove who was the writer
of that letter, of course a much less skilful person
than Wakefield could not have written it. The let-
ter was delivered, INlies Turner was told that her
mother was in an ill state of health, and she was
accordingly entrusted to the servant, who stated
that he had been recently hired, and at the
same time added, that he had been formerly
in the service of a family in the neighbour-
hood of Mr. Turner, whom Miss Turner knew.
She went off, but had hardly entered the
carriage, before she had ascertained that it
WAS Mt her father'er4le tertellt then tiA4l it WA,

Dr. Ainsworth's; so armed was he to carry his in'
instructions into complete effect. She proceeded to
Manchester with this servant, where she was handed
over to Wakefield. She arrived there about half-past
12 o'clock. About two o'clock, after Miss T. had bees !
there for an hour and a half, Wakefield arrived, and
immediately introduced himself to Miss Turner.
Your Lordships may be surprised how Miss Turner
could have thought proper to have staid so long 13
Manchester, seeing she had relations there,
without going to them. My Lords, she did,
propose to go to them, but the servant told
her it was not fit that she should, because, her
father was expected there, and if he did arrive,
it would not be agreeable to him to find that
she was not at the place appointed. After Wake-
field's introduction, he told her her father could not
come; he told her it was not true that her mother
was so ill, but that the reason for that statement
was, to conceal from all parties, the real state of he
father's circumstances. He stated that her fa'
ther had become entberrassed in his circum-
stances ; that he was instructed to take her to
another place, where she would see her father,
who would himself explain the nature of his I
circumstances. At this time the brother of Edward
Gibbon Wakefield was first introduced to her, end
trusting to the statement 'Wakefield had made, she
set out with them to Huddersfield. They said if thef
did not meet herfather there, they would receive letters
from him : on stopping at Huddersfield, Wakefield
left Miss Turner, but soon returned, saying that eh"'
cumstences had prevented her father meeting them,
that therefore they must go on to lialifta"
At Halifax a similar statement was made;
and that they must go farther on, tunnel',
to Kendal. They then set out for Kendal,
where
they arrived at about five or six o'clock next morn`
ing, having travelled all night. Miss Turner take'
Wakefield how long she was to be detained at "
Kendal, who replied that that would entirely
depend on Mr. Turner, for he was to meet
them there. At this period Mr. Turner vol.
in London, occupied with other business, and
altogether unsuspicious of what was going forward-
At Kendal, Wakefield found it necessary to wake
some other statement to Miss Turner, and there
practised a deceit, extremely likely to effect the Inif"
pose intended. The two Wakefield* read t°f
gether a letter, without communicating the contents,
a letter purporting to be written by Mr. Gritas-
ditch. Miss Turner asked when she could see het
father, and was told that she could not see hini
there, because his circumstances had become worse;
he had been obliged to cross the Scotch border, and
that she would have to cross it also before she could
see him. He thought it necessary, too, to explain theal-
leged circumstances of her father more fully; he conse-
quently stated, that her father had sustained a severe,
loss to the amount of 60,000/. by the breaking °`
a Bank, but he added, that an uncle of his own,
rich banker at Kendal, had come forward to
assist him ; that that assistance had operate'
as a temporary relief, but that at this time Of
ther failure of a bank at Blackburn had ro6u•
the thing worse. He said that his uncle,' lur.
Wakefield, had insisted on security, and that the
only security to be given was Shrigley Park, the
residence of her father. He said also, that the onlYc
means by which a proper security could be madei°,
Shrigley Park was by her marrying himself. P',."
added, it was necessary that her husband should Le,
a man of honour, and that it had been suggested,
Mr. Grirnsditch, that he was the person best clue"'
lated for her husband. Your Lordships will not be
surprised to hear that there was no such p.
as an uncle of Wakefield's residing at Kendall,
There was, indeed, a person of the name :(:)h
Wakefield, who kept a Bank there, ^'h se
afforded some colour to the story,—but he w
no relation to this Edward Gibbon wake,
geld ; nor had he lent Mr. Turner 60,0001 c
The reply Miss Turner gave, was, that she COll
give no answer till she saw her father. It therefore
became more important for Wakefield to reed-
tice some further fraud. He consequently react
to Miss Turner something purporting to
an extract of a letter from Mr. . Orirne.
ditch, which hoped that Miss Turner would exhi°'„
;
the same fortitude as her excellent parents %lode'
their distresses. This extract was read, after' ir
distinct statement on the part of Miss Toile
that she could give no answer till she had seen het
father. My Lords, the parties then again see
out and arrived at Carlisle. On their arrival the ti•
the two Wakefields left the carriage at the door oe.
an inn, and also Miss Turner at the inn. The)" r a
turned in about half an hour, and one of them stated
that he had just seen her father, who was concealed
in a back room at the inn; that he et'
twice attempted to cross the borders; that he
shoves" Wm. Wakefield out of the room, for fee,
that his being there would occasion a detection;
and that her father had sent a mess,
there by him, that if she valued her •
ther's happiness, if she had any affection for hnt/10
or regard for her own interest, she would consent. on
the marriage ; because if she hesitated, an exeent,le
would instantly be put into Shrigley Hall, and t"
would all be ruined. She asked if there were ainy
elf
other way by which the relief could be
gi„n to ,
father. Wakefield answered, there was 11°1),1,;
but that if they went, and brought back Is.
marriage certificate, that that would ssl
Under these circumstances she consented, 1-cii
under this fraud the ceremony took place,
-Wakefield insists is a marriage. When your Lortoe
ships hear the evidence to be given, it will
cis,then
for you to say, whether I have over-stated the 0l
cumstancee, and if I have not over-stated thetej
then, whether she can be said to have °cot
as a willing agent, or whether she in na
not be taken to have acted under the fraud ato
fear that if she did not consent her father ff°,l,o
be ruined. I ask, whether tinder this threat :ow
was not made to believe that, if she did rot i.,ye
at
tf
ibfGaebamroia.
sent to the marriage she would not herself Paler
been the del-traction of her father, and then,
that does not take away the free willing consentlithat
My Lords, I am prepared to submit, not onlY e;op
this amounts to fraud, but that in every construci',o
of law it amounts to force. I am not to suPr_ie
your Lordships will compel me to make out a e.:101
of legal or constructive force, to entitle me to the
I pray to have passed, but yet I am PrePu to
to do so. There was fraud practised, enong"o,ll
take away the free willing consent of the part'', °tit
a case of force, I have established enough to °not
therefore if I have not established enough to Inakeboe
that this was not a legal ceremony, and did net all'
marriage.
My Lords,
Turner, under the intisuelercl
Lords, the marriage took P cc
raoi anGgsented to become the wife of E'l‘lllf.
Having done so, they °ore'
diately set out on their return, she under the af`
pension that she was to meet her father. 1114 got
turned to Carlisle, and there, by some Illean.'pen'
;atinrcWakefield.
rid of the carriage. They then proceeded £0 re to
ryth, where they passed the night, he taking.C.'„oof
provide separate apartments. It is distinctlyin,too
that she locked the door of her apartment, and tnt:iifigs
one had access to her that night. The next nr by the
Wakefield proposed that they should proceed ,0 vies
mail, which they did. On the road, he said 'ed tei
sorry they had made the arrangement to Pr°s he
Shrigley Park. When they arrived at Lr, _e,l
d 0;1014
stated that they had better proceed to ,?,,reha'
where her father, lie said, would be, in 'l.-oat;
bility, as soon as they themselves could get. atiO.
—At Barnard they took a post-ehtna's° bete
for half an hour, before lie said they it: woo/
to Calais to see her father. They Instant'
iod at
proceeded to London. They were 00'tiet
set off for Calais, where they arrived, and rextd
an hotel there, until two of her uncles 4i they
Grimsaitch also got there. On their Bahl' re idol.
insisted on seeing Miss Turner, and 41ethero'
troduced to her. She was left alone
V
—They stated to her the deception,
_frorteec:
sed on her, and the instant she -was frreed
of it, and that Wakefield, so far from beinf!,%r_ she,
to her father, had been -her atrocious dec
declared she had been foully deceived, threi;to
into the arms of beg VrICICS? Wll9 brought ber

and gave her to her father. My Lords, it is ne-
cessary that I should put your Lordships into
possession of some letters which Wakefield thought
fit to write to Mr. Turner, because you will
there see a proof of her vast affection for her father.
You will see that there never had been a more con-
fiding child; you will see that, if any one thing
more than another ever took possession of her
mind, it was her affection for her parents,
particularly for her father; and you will see
therefore how skilfully and powerfully Wakefield
worked upon the weakest part of her mind—if I do
not use an improper expression, in calling it the
weakest part of her mind, and how likely it was
that a statement such as Wakefield made, should
operate on her mind.
My Lords, the first letter with which I shall trouble
Your; Lordships is addressed to Mr. Turner, and
dated March 13, 1827.
The Learned Counsel here read part of a letter
Which acknowledged Wakefield's unpardonable guilt
in carrying off Miss Turner, stated that they were
14t Calais, and that her happiness would be complete
if she only saw her father.
My Lords, your Lordships cannot have a greater
proof than this that the predominant feeling of her
mind was affection for her father, nor can you have it
fume better authority. When Mr. Orimsditch and
ll'. Turner's two brothers arrived at Calais, they-
had a conversation with Wakefield, and there your
Lordships will find he took the earliest opportunity
(if assuring Mr. Grimsditch, that Miss Turner
had received no contamination whatever from the course that had been taken. I
will stat to
Your Lordships the terms in which he expressed him
self on that occasion, and I do that the more:, that
he is now disposed to withdraw from that statement
--a statement consistent with the truth, and which
no allegation on his part now can at all outweigh.
The statement he then made was, " Mr. Grims-
Turh, I assure you, , upon my honour, Miss
Turner is the same Miss Turner that she was,
When I took her away—there has been no
consummation of the marriage." He afterwards
writes a letter addressed to Mr. Robert Turner, in
'''illieli he ledges himself, in the most solemn man-
ner,
to the same effect. Afterwards he wrote an- °ther letter, dated the 17th, which likewise corro-
borated this statement. This letter was addressed to
have
father, and stated that whatever effect it might
4`;'e on the question respecting the validity of his
marringe
Tan yet that hie intercourse with Miss
beentaken the the most delicate nature, that he had not
towthe slightest liberty with her person, that
ard e been most carefully guarded in his conduct
his her, and
in all respects treated her as
of sister, (The Learned Counsel here read a part
7 this letter.)
Atettter, it w My Lords, consistent with this
ill be for Wakefield to make out a pe-
t.' ion at this. bar, and endeavour to oppose the
121stthat
progress of this Bill. In this letter he states,
!eif it be necessary, an Act of Parliament should
assed for annulling the marriage, and Mr. Tur-
,.,e,r,,should decide on the
daughter never being his
'lle, that he will be the first person to afford his ut-
most. assistance to thepassing of such a Bill. He states
itrja it would be then seen that he was not a sneak-
"g., eowartl; and I cannot but wish that the un-
di:laded affection he boasts of having had for his
ettifhter, had governed him in the attempt he
into e to rob Mr. Turner of his child, and to sink
for the deepest distress the feelings of this family
;at ever. After all this had taken place,
ater Wakefield had made this communication to
t 'a Turner, and she had been re-conveyed to
:4144 your Lordships will find that Wakefield
z-°eieded to address his brother William, the per-
and Who Who had assisted him in this transaction,
'lls I will read to your Lordships the very lan-
II"? he makes use of. to his fellow conspirator.—
bete letter is dated Calais, Thursday, signedE. G.W.
,"a",„addressed to William Wakefield.—[The Learn
TVCounsei here read a part of the letter, which also
i, tared that Miss Turner was uncontaminated.]--
he letter, my Lords, is most important, because it
NI" genuine statement of Wakefield, of the facts
(1 t took place, made to his brother and confi-
dential correspondent ; he could have had no motive
to a .
saeeeive his brother; and he states himself, in a
ne_
e,„ssr that must be taken as conclusive evidence,
qr"efrora the moment at which they were at Gretna
tittrn till he had delivered up Miss Turner, they
to:Jived together as brother and sister. Your
ieurtm,4,ip will observe here, too, the affection she
the ' have had for her father ; for it is of
th utmost importance to prove that there were
tin }(:!e rnaterials on which Wakefield could work, and
th 'eh, by being so skilfully applied, would produce
tee ,garery end at which he aimed. Besides this, my
ke, it appears Miss T. was in a state of delusion
f' error until her uncles arrived at Calais, and that
.c°l that moment her mind was made up to
gssa'l.don Wakefield, to abandon a person who had
e,j'ee'ved her in the most scandalous manner—a per-
t ti ho, on his own admission, had forged a let-
iier "a person who, upon his own representation,
, sSle had ascertained the fact, she must have
4ed as the most despicable of mankind, which
• 'la lie begs may be concealed from her, because,
if t the, nature of the circumstances was made known
et her he considered that those circumstances must
1 k4ip him in her view as the Most worthless profligate.
eti'anot state any tiling so strong or powerful, as the
Orvations 'Wakefield himself has made; nor can
wirie any difficulty in supposing that your Lordships
I - ei°lne to the conclusion we pray of the House..
,leaarornit upon the whole of this case, it was quite
,oi that there never was a consent—a willing
,o that
on the part of Miss Turner to become t ie
(:-, of 'Wakefild. I submit she gave that apparent
tip eat under the influence of fraud, fear, and i.-
la'-;44tion, and under that which is known in
1,4 e to be force. It does not require actual vio-
lein" to constitute force ; the force is upon the
pse,; and if any individual does that which corn-
-4; another to do an act under the influence exerted
ter r the mind, I submit that that is violence. On a
irle er
ferre'peeasion a Noble Lord in this House re-
tort," 0 the law of burglary, as explisna-
tro4l°l the law of violence. Now I will
burg e Your Lordships with a definition of the word
iretten . Y, and the book to which I shall direct your
ee tliti°ll is the book of Sir Edward East, his treatise
e ct the 0n
He states that it is a breaking into
onlywOing-house • and in order to constitute it, not
. . P
in •b 18 it necessary to have the individual let
dwell t,
from the nature of it, the breaking of a
states, gill,4°,uilsie must be constituted of violence. He
atiolnei; have bbeeeenn
',how to you instances in which per-
ceoxne;iuicut
ajiaccompanied by terectidi and on which convictions
'ir Edward states that theforlreocm°
mmitting a burglary,
beginning to end.
'll.litted either by construction oe must, be a breach corn.:
vo.r.ce. He says, though
tip be breaking,
the everyien'atw, or by actual
4th'!. that is not sufficient, for the 1
ilj,s entrance must be obtained. either by fraud, con-
,, ,
tta7q, threat, or force, and that this may Le Mil s-
-0 ,t,ed by different examples. So that in this very
by
of burglary which consists of force, Sir
44 test states that it may be accomplished by ere" or conspiracy. The instances he gives
theAort, and I will trouble your Lordships with
se' lie states, that thieves having intended to
to thraised the hue and cry, and brought a constable
tot e.house the owner opened the door, they all
rolCrnission, the thieves bcund the constable, and
4 ed the owner ; and that was held to be but.
as itlY, So again, if a per Son takes lodgings with
't tratletent to rob the owner, and does that, the en-
AIN'. is obtained by fraud—and that too is bur-
le Ili, .10 also in the case of Smart, which was tried
111'04,18; the prisoner knocked at the door, the
ire
r„.l-;,toropened it; the prisoner pushed himself
colitti7b d the house, and that too was burglary
hitt 'lted of fraud.
.I submit, therefore, to
that . Lordships, that I have clearly made out
tog
rece:tequires nothing but fraud, fear, or conspi-
;AS caalistitute force, and which
.ean be
olTillinittea
he
without actual violence. But 1
I 4
%eo, able to state to your Lordships,
where there hre imll Marriage* ;Annulled

on grounds less strong than the present. A
Noble Lord in the course of the discussion
that has taken place in this case, called the attention
of the House to a case in the 2d vol. of Mr. Hut-
chinson's book of Allan v. Young, which took
place in 1783, and where the marriage was declared
void. The child was about 12 years of age, and under
Allan's care as a teacher : in that case -no consum-
mation of the marriage had taken place; the
facts went to prove that • there rSight be
the influence and control that a schoolmaster
had over the mind of his pupil ; but the ground
on which that marriage was set aside by the
Courts of Scotland was, that it had been brought
about by fraud and undue influence. Now I
beg your Lordships to consider, in what situa-
tion Wakefield placed himself; he told Miss Tur-
ner at Manchester that he came from her father;
he told her he came there to take her to her father ;
he assured her be had her father's authority for
having her care and conduct in the course of
the journey. At one place he left her and returned
to her with a pretended message from Mr.
Turner, stating that if she valued his hap-
piness, she was to marry him without delay,
so that instead of having the care and protection
which the law throws over persons of her tender
years, Wakefield turned that intended protection
to her injury. He stated he had her father's
authority in calling for the marriage in the
way he suggested; and I am entitled to say that
Wakefield assumed a controttl over her from the
time at which they left Manchester. My Lords, I
have stated we have been unable to find any case
precisely in point ; but in 1691 an act was
passed fur dissolving the marriage of a Mr.
Campbell and Miss Walton, which I trust will
be considered as a clear authority for the passing of
this Bill. I submit that we are entitled to
say force was practised. In the case of Campbell
there was actual force, because Miss Walton
was seized by Mr. Campbell in coming out of
her mother's carriage, was carried by him to a
house in Westminster, and there married. The
witnesses stated she gave her consent with as much
seeming good-will as any bride had ever done.—
Now, I submit that on the facts proved in that
case, there was nothing like as strong a case
of fraud and imposition, as is made out in the facts
this day detailed. I submit that the present
is a clear case to come under the authority of
Campbell ; but at the same time, I contend it
is unnecessary to carry this case so far; because
if there were force sufficient to intimidate Miss
Turner that is enough. My Lords, I have
now stated what I think sufficient to show
the ground on which we are entitled to ask your
dissolution of this marriage—namely, that this
really never was a marriage, on the ground
that there never was a willing consent given. The
point I apprehend is clear, that if marriage be a con-
tract, there cannot be one without a consent, and
here Miss Turner was not a free agent at the time
so as to give her consent, and this is established by the
facts which took place at the time, as well as by
the conduct of the parties afterwards. Having said
thus much, I trust I have said enough to carry the
House along with me; for it would ill become me
to say more than is necessary. Wakefield is now
suffering the judgment of the law; but I do
trust that your Lordships will think, as the sole
means by which the happiness of this family
can be restored, is by the declaration of this House
that Miss Turner is not to be the wife of a man
convicted, on his showing of fraud unrivalled
in history ; a man who himself states that
lie has been guilty of such conduct, as that a wife
who knew of it must have despised him for ever—
I trust your Lordships will think this a cars in
which we are entitled to ask for your Lordship's
speedy relief, and to restore Miss Turner to that
society in which she was in the habit of mixing
before this event took place.
The first witness called was 'William Turner, Esq.
He was examined by Mr. Sergeant CROSS, and
deposed to the following effect reside at
Shrigley Park ; Ellen Turner is my only child,
she is now nearly sixteen years old. At the time
she was taken away, in March, 1826, she was fifteen
years and one month old ; she had been at Miss
Daulby's school, for four or five years. I am the
owner of an estate in the county of Chester, of
considerable value. I have also a large personal
property. When my daughter was taken away, I
had not known Edward Gibbon Wakefield. I did
not even know his name, and I am certain that he
was not acquainted with any of my family, and I
most certainly never consented to his marriage with
my daughter. I left Shrigley Park on Monday, the
6th of March, for London, and from that day to the
Friday following I was absent on my journey. The
first intimation I got of the occurrence was from
Miss Daulby, one of the ladies with whom my daugh-
ter had been placed. She arrived at Shrigley on
Monday, the 13th of March, and upon hearing of
the circumstances from her, I sent oil messengers in
every direction. I know Mr. Grimsditch, who has
been for a considerable time my confidential agent.
I do not know a person named Thera:not; a French-
man, nor was he ever in my service, nor have I ever
heard of a Dr. Ainsworth, nor am I aware that such a
person exists. When I set out for London, Mrs. Tu-
rner was ill, and Miss T. had returned to school about
a fortnight before that period. She has an uncle re-
siding in Manchester, who has no family, and is a
gentleman of opulence. My daughter is heiress to
him as well as to me.

Mr. Sergeant Citoss—What is the disposition of
your daughter?--is she ingenuous and confiding, or
otherwise ?
Mr. Turner—She is remarkably confiding.
Mr. ADAMS—Has she grown in size since that
occurrence has taken place ?
Mr. Turner—Considerably so ; she has grown
much larger indeed. I was about to change my re-
sidence and remove to a new house at the time my
daughter was taken away.
Mr. Sergeant CROSS having intimated that he
had concluded his examination,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, Edward Gibbon
Wakefield, have you any questions to put to this

witness ? -
E. G. Wakefield advanced to the bar and said—
I am prepared, my Lord, to disprove the allegations
in the Bill now before your Lordships, a copy of
which has been furnished to me; but on coming here
this morning, I did not know that any evidence was
to be gone into, I am, therefore, completely un-
prepared.
LORD CHANCELLOR—YOU will by and bye have
an opportunity of entering upon your case.
E. G. 'Wakefield—My witnesses are in Scot-
land and in various other places, and I cannot pro-
duce them at a moment's warning.
LORD CHANCELLOR--E. G. Wakefield, it is my
duty to. inform you, that I merely want to know
whether you have any questions to put to the
witness?
E. G. Wakefield.-1 am anxious, my Lords, for
delay; if that is not granted I am desirous of re-
tiring, as I do not wish to be compelled to listen tc
an ex-parte statement.
The LORD CHANCELLOR.—If you are desi-
rous of retiring you may withdraw.
Mr. Wakefield, upon this retired. During his
absence, which was only for a minute or two, the
Lord Chancellor and Lord Eldon were in earnest
communication.

The LORD CHANCELLOR then desired that E G.
Wakefield might be brought to the bar immediately.
Upon his re-appearance,
The LORD CHANCELLOR addressing him said,
" I am desired to inform you, that their Lordships
will proceed with this inyestigation whether you are
here or not."
E G. Wakefield.--Am I at liberty to address
your Lordships.
LORD CHANCELLOR.—When all the evidence is
concluded, you will be at liberty to o:;mment on it,
and to make such remarks on it as you may deem
expedient; and you will also be allowed to produce
whatever evidence you may please.

E. G. Wakefield..—My witnenci u§ in Race,

Scotland, and in various parts of England. I can-
not proceed without having time to produce them.
The LORD CHANCELLOR.--Edward Gibbon
Wakefield, I have to inform you that at present the
House proceeds with the investigation.
Mr. E. G. Wakefield again retired, accompanied
by his brother William Wakefield, who was also
brought up with him, in custody of the Deputy
Warden of Newgate.
[The next witnesses called were, Miss Daulby,
James Brown, and James Holden; but their evi-
dence corresponded exactly with that given at the
trial at Lancaster.]

Mr. Dealt y brought up office copies of the con-
victions of E. G. Wakefield, W. Wakefield, and
F. Wakefield, for a conspiracy; and also, the re-
cord of the conviction of E. U. Wakefield, and W.
Wakefield, for a misdemeanour.
Mr. Wm. BROUGHAM asked the witness whether
he could state to their Lordships the nature of the
misdemeanour ?

The LORD CHANCELLOR thought the question
unnecessary, as the tecerds must he read at full
length. . _

Mr. ADAMS then s►id, the next witness, my Lords, that
I propose to call is Miss Ellen Turner. This announce-
ment caused considerable excitement, and all eyes were in-
stantly directed towards the door through which she was ex-
pected to enter.
Miss Turner made her appearance in a few minutes, ac-
companied by her mother and other female friends. She
was attired in a black-silk dress and plain straw-bonnet.
She did net appear in the slightest degree embarrassed, and
during her examination, she answered the questions put to
her, in a very distinct, though rather low tone of
voice, and upon sevcn•al occasions, when the questions re-
spected dates, she exhibited such anxiety to be ac-
curate as to delay her answers. During her pro-
gress from the door to the Bar, the persons imme-
diately near her were perhaps not so decorous as the
circumstances of her peculiar situation required. They
very unceremoniously endeavoured to look under her bon-
net, which concealed a face, the view of which would
have, in some measure, compensated them for their efforts
to behold it.

When Miss Turner took her place at the bar she was
examined to the following effect :--She said, I am the
daughter of William Turner, of Shrigley Park. I was, in
March, 1826, at school, at Miss Daulby's, at Liverpool.
On the 7th March I remember leaving school ; my departure
was occasioned by a letter which Miss Eliza Daulby re,
ceived. I went from Miss Daulby's iu a carriage. I was
alone in the inside of it, and there was a servant on the
box. Before I got into the carriage, I remembered
making an observation—it was this—that the carriage was
not my papa's. I did not address this observation to any
one in particular. The servant answered that the car-
riage belonged to the physician. My reason for leaving the
school, was that my mamma was much worse, and that I
was, therefore, to go off immediately to her. Miss Daulby
told me this was the reason. I first went to Prescott in the
coach. Nothing particular occurred there. From Prescott
we went to Manchester and stopped at the Albion Hotel ; I
there alighted from the carriage and was shown into a room
with three windows in it—two of which looked into Picea-
dilly-st., and one into Oldham-st. ; no one was in the room
when I was first shown into it. I was told that I would
meet my papa there. I was induced to Lelieve that I would
see him there from what I had heard at Liverpool. I have rela-
tions at Manchester, and when I proposed to go to see them
the servant objected and said that the gentleman would be
here immediately ; 1 abstained from going because I thought
that by the gentleman he meant my papa. I was in tne room
a considerable time before any one came to me. At last a
person entered, whom I had never seen before, but who
I now understand to be Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
On his entering the room, I rose to leave it ; he
requested me not to go, and said he was commissioned by
my papa to take me to him. I did not then understand
where papa was ; I believed it was on account of my
mama's health I had been sent for; Mr. Wakefield told me
that it was no slight circumstance which prevented my
papa from fetching me himself; that circumstance, he af-
terwards informed me, was the state of my papa's
affairs; but be then gave me no further explana-
tion on the subject. , I remember that a Miss
Greenway had been at Miss Daulby's school, and that she
left it shortly before I did. It was generally known. that
she left it in consequence of her papa's difficulties. I also
remember that my papa, on taking me back to school, had
to pay .a bill. We were talking before that of Mr. Green-
way's affairs, and I recollect my father not having money
enough about him to pay his bill, upon which he observed,
" I think I shall fail too." This he said in a jocular way, and
lat the time took it to be a joke. When Mr. Wakefield
told me of papa's circumstances, his remark respecting
Mr. Greenway, at once occurred to me. We next
proceeded to Halifax, on our way I fully expected
to have seen my father at Huddersfield. Mr. Wake-
field left me at Huddersfield, and requested me to re-
! main, in order that he might go and look for my papa.
He returned and said that he had received no letter, and that
he was much surprised at that circumstance, but he, at the
same time, expressed his conviction that we should meet
my papa at Kendal. We arrived early in the morning at
Kendal. I asked how long we should stay, as I had some
acquaintance whom I wished to call on. He said that
would entirely depend on papa. Whilst at Kendal, I got
no letter ; but I remember seeing Edward Gibbon Wake-
field and William Wakefield, reading one at the window
in which we were ; Edward Gibbon Wakefield afterwards
cause up to the and said, " I perceive you are anxious."—
To this I made no reply. He then said that he would
shortly tell we why my papa could not meet me. We went
ftom thence to Carlisle. On our way he told ins that
a bank at Macclesfield bad failed—it was the bank of
Ryland and Davis, and that it had almost ruined my
papa. He added, that an uncle of his had lent my papa
some money, to relieve him from his distresses. 1 think
he mentioned the sum to be 60,0001. He afterwards told
use that a Blackburn Bank had failed, and that this still
further reduced the circumstances of my papa. I was at
the time aware that my father had pecuniary dealings
at both these places. Edward Gibbon Wakefield also told me
that his uncle who lived at Kendal, and was a banker, had
required security for the money which he lent. This se-
curity he obtained, and it was the estate of
Shrigley. He said that his uncle now had the power
to turn my papa out of doors. This property
would, he said, be mine if I married ; and he told me that
Mr. Grimsditch proposed that he (Edward G. Wakefield)
should be my husband ; the property would then be mine,
and his uncle could have no claim. I made no answer. He
said, that if my husband were a man of honour, my papa
would he perfectly safe. This be said he was willing to
do, and told me that it remained for me to decide
whether I would marry him or have my papa turned
out of doors. He did not repeat this remark, but
frequently required to know to what conclusion I had
come. I gave him no answer : but I more than once said
that I would tell my papa what I would do.—
Wakefield took a letter out of his pocket. Ile
said it was from Mr. Grimsditch, and that
the writer expressed his hope that Miss Turner would dis-
play as much fortitude as her excellent papa did. I did
not then know Mr. Grimsditch's hand-writing, but had
often seen him at my papa's, and was aware of his
being his solicitor. When we arrived at Carlisle, both
the Wakefield's were absent from me for nearly half an
hour. I lost sight of them all the while. E. G. Wake-
field first returned. When the carriage, which I had not
left, was about driving off, W. Wakefield drew up
the carriage window, and said he had something
of importance to communicate. He said that lie
had seen papa and Mr. Grimsditch concealed in a small
room at the back of the Inn, and he told me also, that the
persons collected round the Inn door, were Sheriff's
officers, in pursuit of my papa. Before we left
Carlisle, Edward Gibbon Wakefield was anxious to cross
the border, and iatended to do it at Longtown. Both
brothers examined the map, and one of them said that
Longtown was not across the Bonier. They looked again
at the letter, which they before read, and assured me that I
was to have lettere at Longtown. Edward Gibbon
Wakefield told me that Grimsditch was so much afraid
of their being discovered that he took him by the shout•
dens and turned him out of the room of the Inn, and that
my papa desired him to tell me that if ever I loved him I
would not refuse to marry Mr. Wakefield.
Mr. Anams—What reply did you make to this?
Miss Turner—l asked him was that the only thing
which would save my papa, and he answered yes.
Mr. ADAMS-After you were told that it was the only
thing that could save your papa, did you consent?
Miss Turner—l did.

Dir. ADAMS—Now, Miss Turner, I wish you to state
what induced you to content to marry Edward Gibbon
Wakefield ?

•
Miss Turner—The fear that if I did not convent my
papa would be ruined entirely.
Mr. ADAMS—Was that your only motive ?

Miss Turner—That certainly was my only motive.
We went next tf? Gretna Greei., and there the ceremony
of marriage was performed. There was no clergyman pre-
sent. I was then 'asked - whether. I would consent to
accept Edward Gibbon Wakefield as my husband ?
I consented tQ Marry him, Wider the 4411,10ce

of the motive which I before stated. From Gretna Green
we returned to Carlisle, and there inquired as to my papa.
I was told that one of the post-boys bad returned to my papa
with information of the marriage, and that that enabled
him to proceed. I was told that the certificate of my mar-
riage had been shown to the Sheriff's Officers, and that my
Papa would suffer no further molestation. We travelled in
a public coach ; I don't remember with whom. We changed
coaches at Leeds, and at Barnet near London, we got into
a post-chaise; William Wakefield had left us at Leeds,
and Edward Gibbon Wakefield and I arrived to-
gether in the post-chaise at the Brunswick Hotel,
I expected all along to be taken to Shriglev, but at Leeds
was told that as papa had gone forward to London it was
possible I might meet him there, if not I could return to
Shrigley. E. G. Wakefield, after seeing a friend, told me papa
had gone forward to France, and that we must follow him
there. He desired me not to name my papa to the
servants or to any other persons. We left London in a chaff e
in the middle of the night, and after arriving at Th fki
crossed over next day to Calais. I left Miss Danlby's about
eight in the morning on Tuesday, and arrived at
two o'clock in the afternoon of Wednesday at Gretna
Green, and left Perth on Thursday morning. I had
only one night's repose after leaving Liverpool, until
we arrived at Calais.. We put up at an hotel. When my
uncle arrived, Mr. Wakefield told me he was as much sur-
prised as I was that we did not meet nay papa. I met
my uncle on the pier head. I was in company with Mr.
Wakefield. We went to the pier head to look out for my
papa. When I told Mr. Wakefield that my uncle was
-ome, he said we must go back to the hotel. When Mr.
Wakefield and I came back to the hotel, he took me into
Madam Pilliac's room, and as soon as my uncle and Mr.
Grimsditch arrived, Mr. W. left me with them, and was very
glad to find out that what he had told me was not true.
and I said I should never see him again. I told him so.
Until the moment that I saw my uncle and Mr. Grun•-
' ditch, I was under the impression that all Mr. Wakefield
told me was true, and that my father would be ruined it I
did not marry Mr. Wakefield.
The Learned SERGEANT having concluded his exami-
nation,

The LORD CHANCELLOR inquired whether any of their
Lordships desired to ask any question, and no question
having been put, the witness was ordered to withdraw.
Mr. Grinditch examined by Mr. Sergeant Caoss.—l
am confidential agent and solicitor to Mr. Turner of Shricr_
ley ; I reside in Macclesfield; I saw the two Mr. Wake-
fields there last year for the first time; the Wakafield:s
were at -Dr. Davis's on a visit ; and I heard they had come
from Paris where they lived ; Dr. Davis had a daughter, who
was then known as Miss 'Davis. The Messrs. Wakefield
and Miss Davis called on me on horeback, to permit them
to ride over some grounds which were in my care. Hav-
ing heard of the particulars of the marriage between Miss
Turner and Mr. Wakefield, and on Tuesday the 14th
March, after getting a warrant from the Secretary of State,
I set off for Calais with Mr. H. Turner. I first met Mr.
Wakefield it Gilliac's yard ; he asked me whether it was
intended to prosecute hint; I said, certainly; that he had
stolen Miss Turner by means of a fraudulent letter, and
that the most severe measures would be resorted to. I
also told him, that he had broken the peace of Mr. Tur-
ner's family ; that Mrs. Turner was almost if not
quite dead, and that Mr. Turner was left in Lon-
don unable to go on, and almost broken-hearted,
I alto told Mr. Wakefield that he ought to be shot, and
he replied that he had a daughter himself, and that if any
person took her away in the same manner he would drive a
bullet through his head. We then talked of the legality of
the marriage. I told him that by an Act pasted in the
reign of Philip and Mary, tha marriage was void. I then
said we must see Miss Turner. He wanted us to pledge
ourselves that we would not ask certain questions of Miss
Turner which we refused to do. He then asked to be
present at the interview, which we also refused. He
asked if he may see Miss Turner after our interview, and
Mr. Critchley acceded to this proposition. Mr. Wakefield
and I thenproceeded to Madam Gillinas' room, when Miss T.
has, and he and I escorted her to the room where her
uncle was. Having let Miss Turner in and shut the
door on her, Wakefield and myself, and Mr. Wake-
field then said, " Well, I give you any honour that she
is the same Mae Turner as when I first saw her ; the mar-
riage has not been consummated." I then saw Miss Tur-
ner ; her uncle had informed her of all the deception which
had been practised on her. She said, " Oh, the brute, he
has deceived me, and I never called any one a brute before."
After a great deal of parleying, Mr. Wakefield consented to
give up Miss Turner to her uncle. He saw her before her
departure. She said, " You have deceived me, and I never
will go back to you again ; I shall go with my uncle."
Mr. Wakefield said, " You must admit that I have treated
you like a gentleman," and she replid, " you have, but
you have deceived me."
Mr. Critchley examined by Mr. J. BaoucHaar—l am
the uncle of Miss Turner. I accompanied the last witness
to Calais, and asked Mr. Wakefield what induced him to
run away with a child that he had never seen, and he
replied, that he had heard her talked of at Dr. Davis's, as
a fine girl and a large fortune, and he determined to
possess her.

Mr. Edwards was then sworn, and deposed to the hand-
writing of Mr. E. G. Wakefield, in three letters which
were read, but the contents of which are already before the
publ ie.
The Counsel here stated that they:had gone through the
evidence.

Mr. Sergeant CROSS then proceeded to recapitulate the
evidence. The case was one of a most extraordinary cha-
racter. An afflicted father prayed for the restoration of
his stolen child, and a convicted impostor claimed that
child as his bride, add asked their Lordships to reward
him with the spoil which he had robbed. Those were
the parties contending at their Lordships' bar. the case
was one which, being uncommon, required an uncommon
remedy. The differencebetween the law of Scotland and that
of England, with regard to the abduction of an heiress, was
that which made it necessary for the unfortunate father
in the present case, to apply to their Lordships for
was commenced in England, had been concluded there and
not in Scotland. One of the parties at their Lordships'
bar would have been immediately convicted of felony.—
The Learned Sergeant here proceeded to sum up the evi-
dence, commenting on the system of artful delusion which
Mr. Wakefield was guilty of to forward his purpose of pos-
sessing himself of the person and fortune of Miss Turner.
The Learned Counsel, after recapitulating the whole cir-
cumstances, concluded by imploring their Lordships to in-
terfere, and rescue an innocent girl out of the accursed
grasp of a vile impostor, who had set the laws of God
and man at defiance, and to afford their protection to an
unfortunate family, whose peace was destroyed by a com-
bination of the most extraordinary circumstances, all of
which occurred in two countries, over which their Lord-
ships' jurisdiction extended ; for if they did not interfere,
the matter would have to undergo a long, lingering, and
expensive investigation before an inferior triLunal.

E. G. Wakefield then advanced to the bar, and said,
that when he was this morning called to that house, he
understood it was for the purpose of speaking in support
of the Petition which bad been presented in his behalf to
their Lordships. He did not expect that he would be
called upon to answer the statements of the Counsel op.'
posed to him, but merely to shew reasons why the Bill
should not pass, and to give a true account of all the facts
connected with the case. To the Bill itself he did not
mean to offer any opppsition ; all that he objected to was,
its passing on ex-parte statements, without both parties
being heard. He had formerly congratulated himself that
the Bill had been introduced into the House, because he
expected a fair opportunity would be afforded him of
bringing forward the evidence which heretofore be had
not been permitted to do. The Bill contained heavy cri-
minal charges against him; it stated that he had used
fraud, ...imposition, and intimidation, in order to induce
Miss Turner to marry him. He then referred to the eon-
viotion against him, and stated that two bills :of indict-
ment had been preferred against him in August last, bet
which were not tried till March last. The. indictments
contained ten counts, on five of which he had been ac-
quitted, and on five be had been convicted. None of the
counts on which he had been convicted charged him
with fraud upon his wife, consequently he was not
guilty of the offence stated in the Bill. He had to
complain that the charge of fraud was not brought to a fair
trial. A charge of force was also preferred against him,
but the Judge at the trial without hesitation passed from it.
A great deal of evidence had been heard against him, some
of which bore hard upon his conduct, and though he had
a great many witnesses who could disprove some it, 1111..
Baron Hullock (who sat at the trial) refused to bear them.
In particular, he had several witnesses who could repel the

charge .4 fraud upon his wife, come of whom had been ex-
amined, but would not be heard upon that point. His
witnesses had been conveyed twice to Lancaster, and his
object now was to obtain leave from their Lordships to have
them examined before them, and he hoped they would in
their wisdom allow him the same opportunity and facilities
of examining them, which were granted before inferior tri-
bunals. It would, perhaps, be difficult for him to procure
the witnesses' attendance on the score of expence, as he had
already expended nearly 8,0001. in conveying them twice
from France to Manchester. He was so ignorant of the
forms of proceedings before their Lordships, that he threw
himself entirely on their justice ; but he would beseech
them to allow all the facts to be disclosed. He bad no
doubt be could prove that his wife had been induced to

marry him, solely out of motives of love and affection, and
he could repel the charge of subornation of perjury made
against him. He then referred to a case, that was tried
some years ago in Dorsetshire, where the accused were
charged with carrying away a young lady by force, and
afterwards marrying her, and so strong was the impression
made by the witnesses for the prosecution, that the
Judge at the trial would not suns up the evidence, and •
the prisoner was convicted. Soon afterwards, however,
some of the witnesses were convicted of perjury, and the
lady herself, under circumstances which might be easily
imagined, was obliged to fly the country, to avoid a similar
conviction. If the House was determined to pass this Bill,
surely it must be on grounds of public expediency ; anti he
would ask if it would not be better, if not for his sake, at
least for Mr. Turner's own sake, that the whole truth
should be known. It had been suggested to him, since he
came into that House, that it would be better for him to
give their Lordships a short sketch of what his witnesses
would he able to prove, and though totally unprepared
beforehand, he thought it best to comply with that sugges-
tion. He then produced a printed pamphlet, out of which
he read what the innkeepers and waiters on the road could
say, all of which went merely to spew that Miss Turner
had been sometimes in good humour and laughed; that
she did not appear to be under any retraint, and that Mr.
Wakefield behaved with great politeness towards her.
In course of reading evidence, Mr. Wakefield was inter-
rupted by
Lord DELAMORE, who thought that it was quite irre-
gular for their Lordships to hear what Mr. Wakefield read
at present. If they were determined that the witnesses
themselves should be heard, he conceived that it was quite
onnecessary to hear their evidence at present.
Lord Eenoss said that it was absolutely necessary that
Mr. Wakefield should state to their Lordshids what he
proposed to prove, before they could determine whether his
witnesses should be heard or not.—(Hear, hear.)—He
himself had read the whole evidence at the trial, and had
formed an opinion, but whether that opinion would be ulti-
mately adopted by their Lordships or not, he conceived it
to be their duty in the mean time to hear what was pro-
, posed to be proved.
Mr. Wakefield then ~roceeded to read, from a printed
pamphlet, the evidence adduced for the defence at the trial
in Lanaster, but in so inaudible a voice that he was
scarcely heard. When he concludedhe said that it was
incomplete—a mere sketch. It did not contain the
third part—certainly not the half of what his witnesses
would be able to prove. These witnesses were scattered
through various parts of England, some were in Scotland,
and some iu France. It was therefore impossible for
bins to collect all the matter which they were in a
condition to prove. In fact, he did not come there to-day
prepared to enter into any details ; he did not expect
that any explanation would be gone into. The prayer of
his petition was, that he might be at liberty to enter his
opposition to the further progress of the Bill; and the
course he intended to pursue was this—to state, in the
first instance, his objections to the Bill, and after-
wards to produce evidence to substantiate those ob-
jections. In the mean time he proposed to cross-exa-
mine the witnesses against him, and particularly the
lady herself, and to rebut by his own evidence such
parts :as were untrue. He abstained in the present
instance from cross-examining the witnesses for the
Bill, in order that he might more conveniently re-
but it at a future time. As he was not, however, al-
lowed sufficient to procure them, he would withdraw his
opposition to the Bill, and allow it to proceed upon what
must be considered as purely exparte evidence, which,
if it accorded with the statement of the Learned
Counsel who opened the case, would be false. However,
he bad no remedy, although, if he were afforded the same
opportunity of producing his witnesses that he would have
in a criminal court, he felt confident that he would suc-
cessfully oppose the Bill.
Mr. Wakefield then retired.

Mr. Grimsditch was then sworn, and in reply to clues.
tions from the Lord Chancellor, said that he hail served
Edward Gibbon Wakefield with a copy of their Lord-
ships Orders, on Monday the 21st instant. He had
since given him notice that the order for the second read-
ing of the Bill had been discharged, and that it was fixed
for this dry. He at the same time served him with a
copy of the Bill itself.
As soon as the witness had retired,
The LORD CHANCELLOR then addressed the House at
great length.
The Earl of ELDON also thought no further delay
should be granted, and that their Lordships should
proceed on the information which was now be-
fore them. The question now before their Lordships,
was whether by legislation the marriage null and
void. The Noble Lord, after stating his opinion
that the marriage ought to be annulled, commented at con-
siderable length on the nature of contracts in general,
and said that force and fraud had always been held a
a suffiient ground of voiding a contract. The Noble Lord
said, that he had read the evidence which Mr. Wakefield
said he would produce, and felt himself bound to declare
that it did not furnish sufficient grounds of opposition to
the Bill.
A conversation ensued, in which several Noble Lords

took part, and, finally—
The Bill was read a second time, and ordered
to be committed to-morrow at five o'clock. It
was also arranged that the Bill should be printed, and the
discussion on the principle of the Bill take place at afuture
stage.

Lord SPENCER presented a petition from Northamp-
ton, against the Corn Laws.
The House then adjourned.

EXTENSIVE FORGERIES.

A person of respectable character and connections,
named Dutton, was discovered to have been com-
mitting forgeries to a considerable extent, in order
to obtain the means of gaming at a house in the city.
He had, it appears, gone to work in a most deter-
mined manner, and proportioned to the resoluteness
of his propensity was his intention to dispose of him-
self in the event of detection or other unpleasant
disaster. In order to secure himself against the con-
sequences of a trial, he carried about him a brace of
pistols, and on Friday last he very coolly used them,
upon being informed that there was an error in a bill
of exchange which he had got cashed. The follow-
ing are the particulars of the case :—On Thursday
last a bill of exchange for 1981. 19s. was presented
at the house of Cox and Co., Charing-cross. It
purported to be the acceptance of Messrs. Sewell
and Cross, the highly respectable silk-mercers, of
Compton-street, Soho, and was drawn by Thomas
Dutton. No suspicion whatever was entertained of
the genuineness of the bill, the wi iting of the pre-
sumed acceptors' names being precisely similar to
that which always appeared upon their acceptances.
The bill was paid. On Friday, however, four or five
bills, drawn by the same party, and purporting to be
the acceptances of Messrs. Sewell and Cross, were
presented for payment at the same house. The circum-
stance of such numerous applications caused suspicion
that all was not right, and the bills were scot to Messrs.
Sewell and Cross's house, in order to be acquitted or
condemned. It was immediately declared by that firm 1
that they were all forgeries—the bill which had been
paid, as well as those which had not been paid. Ap-
plication was then immediately made to the different
parties who had negociated the bills, and they were
all traced to Thomas Dutton, who is a commission
agent, and whose integrity in his numerous exten-
sive dealings had never for a moment been ques-
tioned. Information was without delay given that
Dutton had committed the forgeries; but, without
being aware of the suspicion attached to him, that
unfortunate man went to the house of Messrs. Sewell
and Cross, for the purpose of transacting some com-
mission business. Those who had discovered the
forgeries entered the house at the moment, and told
Mr. Dutton that there appeared to be some irregu-
larity in the bills which he had drawn lately, and
that the firm were not aware of any dealings with
him. " said he, " Mr. Cross knows all about
it, and, as sOOn as he comes in, it will be all right."
It was then proposed that Mr. Dutton should walk
up stairs to the drawing-room, to await the arrival
of Mr. Cross. He did not offer the slightest objec-
tion, but walked up stairs quickly, and, before any
body else entered the room, threw a pistol from his
pocket, and discharged it at his own head. He fell
in a state of insensibility. Medical assistance was
immediately procured, and he was taken to Middle-
sex Hospital, where four balls were extracted from
his head. His condition is considered very dan-
gerous.
It is necessary to observe here, that if Merchants
and traders, who make their bills payable at banking-
houses, uniformly acquainted their bankers with the-
particulars of the bills payable at their banks, there
would be very little difficulty in ascertaining genuine
bills.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(Tilli DAY.)

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.
(Sittings after Easter Term.—Guildhall.)
ROGER! V. HUNTER.

This was an action brought for the recovery of 161. of
demurrage, for the defendant's delaying to clear the plain-
tiff's vessel, called the Thurso, of a cargo of oats and
beans, within the time specified in the bill of lading. The
vessel arrrived from Germany with the cargo at the port of
London, on the 12th Dec. 1826, and the bill of lading
stipulated that it should be cleared off within twelve days,
under pain of paying 2/. per day of demurrage. One of
the plaintiff's witnesses said that the goods might have been
delivered on the 20th December. For the defendant, a
witness was called, who proved that he called at the vessel
daily from the period of her arrival, but could not get even
a sample of the grain till the 26th of Dee. On the 27th,
defendant employed lightermen, who cleared off 317 qrs.
of the oats, on the 28th, 150 qrs. ; on the 29th, 53 qis.
of the beans, on the 30th, 49 qrs.; on the Ist Jan., and
17 qrs. of the oats, being the balance of the cargo, on the
2d hoary.
Mr. MAARTATT for the defendant, maintained, that the
twelve days ought to run from the time whets his elieut
could get delivery of the cargo, which was the 26th of
December. _ .

The ArroRNET-GIXIMAI. for the plaintiff, in reply, re-
ferred to a case, in which Lord Mansfield decided, that the
purchaser was bound to abide strictly by the terms of the
hill of lading, and must suffer by the delay of the master
of the vessel. On the defendant's own chewing in this
case, he delayed from the 27th of December till the fild of
January, taking the whole away, when he might have taken
the whole on the 28th at least. It might be very conve-
nient for him to delay as long as possible to save warehouse
rent, but the Jury could not sanction such conduct.
Lord TENTEILOZN considered the doctrine laid down by
Lord Mansfield to bear hard upon purchaser's, and he could
wish that it were brought under the solemn consideration
of the Court. At the same time, he could not go the
length of viewing the matter in the same light with Mr.
Ilarryatt. In this case, however, as the plaintiff 1 was a
foreigner, he thought it better to take a special verdict.
It appeared to his Lordship that the defendant bad not used
reasonable despatch in removing all the cargo after he first
got access to it. He received the sample on the 26th De-
LTmber, he did not, however, employ the lightermen till the
?7th ; on the 28th he got 315 quarters, more than t';e
half of the whole cargo, and next day, or on the 813th at
toast, he might surely hate taken the remainder, whereas
be did not take the whole away till the 2tl January. Un-
der these circumstances the Jury would say whether they
thought three days sufficient, or that four days were neces-
sary for clearing off; if the former, they would find a ver-
dict for 81., if the latter, only 6/.
The Jury found for the plaintiff, with 8/. damages.

CONSISTORY COURT.
'wawa v. ROBERTI.

This was a suit brought by the wife for the restitution
of conjugal rights.
The libel set forth that Mrs. Roberts left her husband's
house and protection upon some trifling difference, but had
subsequently intreated him to take her back, which he re-
fused to do.

Dr. PHILLIMORE, on the part of the husband, now con-
tended that Mrs. Roberta should be compelled to give evi-
dence in support of her libel.
The COURT was of opinion that no advantage could be
obtained by obliging Mrs. Roberts to prove her libel, unlese
the other party put in an allegation in contradiction.

THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.)

CORN-EXCHANGE.

The arrivals of all kinds of Grain this week, as well Foreign:
as English, are very smalL The Wheat trade remains la a dui'
state, at the quotations of Monday. Barley is still so scarce as
to be nearly nomlnal in price. Beans and Pease are dull sale.
Oats of good quality fully support Monday's tame. In Flour
no variation.

ARRIYALS.
Wheat. Barley. Oats. Flour.
English ',NO qrs. 40 qrs. —.cgs. 11,600scks.
Irish
Foreign l5O 2,850