Star.
London, England, 1809-02-11 00:00:00

THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF.

The House, on the motion of Mr. WARDLE, re-
solved into Committee to inquire into the conduct of
the Duke of York. •

Mr. WARDL-E thought it necessary, before the
Committee proceeded to examine evidence, to offer a
few observations, in consequence of something in
the evidence of Mr. Donovan on the former night,
stating that a letter written by Mrs. Clarke to him
about a Captain Tucker was framed by Mr. Finner-
ty. Upon a former day he had stated every thing he
knew about Mr. Finnerty : that he never saw him
until about the time Major Hogan's pamphlet was
published, and only once more in the lobby of the
House, when he had said something to him about
Dr. Thynne. Mr. Finnerty might possibly have
mentioned to him Mr. Tucker's name ; but he so-
lemnly declared he never received from Mr. Finnerty
any information whatever about Mr: Tucker. Hav-
ing, therefore, put the Committee in possession of all
he knew about Mr. Finnerty, and all the information
or rather non-information, he had given him (for, in
fact, he had told him nothing), he should feel mucli
gratification if the House would comply with the Pe.
tition presented by a Right Honourable Gentleman
last night from Mr. Finnerty, and permit him to be
examined at the Bar, which would put an end to
every insinuation relectitig ilis acquaintance with

Mr. Einncrty, his Right Honotirable. Friend,. ft:r so
he would call him, (Mr. Sheris!any; 'had thotigiit
-on a former night to make an extraordinary attaa
rupon him, respecting his alledged acquaintance with
. a set of rnen who were called foul conspirators, nild
'that he had derived hit information:from personsavith
whom it was stlwraceful fp bold any communication.
He knew `of 'nts set of inen-of the description men.
tioned by the Right Honourable Gentleman. •If he
knew of such men,: he would be the first to give them
up. He declared to GOD he neither knew nor could
geless what his Right •Hononrable Friend alluded to;
and wished his Right Honourable Friend had ehosee
rather to give some explanation of whom-- the persons
were to whom he alluded, Omit by an imputation so
mysterious. to expose his conduct to the comments
and misrepresentations of the Ministerial prints of the
day. If his Right Honourable Friend would be so
good as to name any character of such a description
as be had stated, and from whom he might have de-
rived unfounded information upon this. subject, 'he
would declare all he knew, and do all he could, to
bring such person to justice. The next point to
which he felt it necessary to call the attention of the
Committee was, the evidence given last night by
Miss Taylor. It was a duty he owed to that lady to
state what he was now about to submit. He under-
stood that that lady had two brothers in the Army,
and one in the Navy; and when he had told her of
his intention to have her examined at the Bar of the
House, she expressed great unwillingness to come
forward ; but when he urged the necessity for her ex-
amination, her answer was, that if she was forced to
come forward to speak the truth,.-she must do it at
the risk of ruin to her nearest and...dearest relations.
Mr. LOCKHART thought the Honourable Gen-
tleman's mode of proceeding rather retarded the ob-
jects of inquit y. The House sought for information,
and comments ought to be postponed to a future and
more eligible opportunity. •
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.
thought the Honourable Gentleman's mode of pro.
,
ceeamg must arise, not from any wish to retard or
protract the business of inquiry, but from his inexpee
rience in conducting inquiries of this sort. He must,
however, be aware, that if he proceeded to comment
upon the testimony of every witness in this stage of
the business, his comments would necessarily call for
answers from other Gentlemen, not disposed to think
as he did ; and debates would consequently arise in
a very irregular way, which must not only interrupt,
but extremely prolong the business before the Com-
mittee. •

Mr. SHER 'DAN coincided with his Honourable
Friend, in the wish that Mr. Finnerty might be era.
mined, and said, that so far from having intended to
make any attack upon him (Colonel Wardle), as he
was pleased to term it, on a former night, he merely
cautioned him as to the sources of his information*
and had sent to him a message upon the subject by a
mutual friend.

Mr. WARDLE said, he never had received that
message, and observed that his Right Honourable
Friend, on the former night, had pretty strongly insi-
nuated that his information.was derived from persons
of the description of conspirators, with whom it was
disgraceful to hold any communication, but without
naming the persons to whom he alluded.
Mr. SHERIDAN said, he had used no such
phrase as conspirators or conspiracy ; and it was
hardly to be expected he should be so indiscreet as to
name persons who were yet to give their testimony
before the House, and thus to excite prejudice against
them. He had no objection, however, to allude Pow
to one of those persons, named Donavan, who had
yesterday given his evidence at the 'Bar, ni whose
gross prevarication evinced the kind of reliance that
could be placed on any information derived from
him. There were also two others, whom he had no
objection now to name, for instance, M'Callum and
Cockayne, who, he did not scruple to say, were per-
sons to whose information no credit was to be at-
tached ; and he had cautioned his Honourable Friend
against placing much reliance upon such men : but
he called the House to witness, whether, instead of
making any attack upon his Honourable Friend, he
did not vindicate his conduct and intentions, and de.
precate the attempt of any set of men disposed to
make a run against an individual Member, who had
the firmness and independence to rise in his place, and
do that which he conceived to be his public duty.
For his own part, he was determined his conduct
should be guided by neither favour nor affection, nor
any regard to rank or station.
Sir ARTHUR WELLESLEY bore high testi-
mony to the military conduct of Colonel Tucker, now
no more. He had served under both Sir David Baird
and Sir Samuel Auchmuty in South America, with
the highest recommendation from both, as an Officer
highly deservitg his Majesty's favour ; and he felt it
his duty to state, that having witnessed his' conduct
in the expedition to Portugal, and his gallant services
upon two particular occasions, he felt it due to his
character, and to the consolation of hisfamily, on this
occasion, to bear testimony to his merits.
Mr. WARDLE declared he never meant the most
distant imputation upon the conduct of that gallant
Officer, nor had any personal knowledge of him what-
ever ; he had only mentioned his name as connected
with one of the transactions which were the subject
of inquiry. Mr. Wardle next alluded to some letters
in his possession which were alluded to on the evi-
dence of Mr. Donovan last night, to the reading of
which he had no objection, and which he was ready to
produce if the Committee desired it. ••
This produced a conversation of some length be-
tween the I-k.nourable Member, Lord FOLKESTONE,
the ATTORNEY•GENERAL, Mr. FERCEVAL, Mr. 'SHE..
RIDAN, Mr. WHITBREAD, Mr. YPRKE, and Mr.
BRAGOE BATHURST, after which it Was agreed that
the letters should In read.
_ _

The CHANCELLOR- of the EXCHEQUER
asked the Hoi:ourable Gentleman whether he I-:1
obtainel those letters from Mrs. Clarke, and with her
coawmt •

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