Star.
London, England, 1823-02-12 00:00:00

LORD PORtSMeei H'S
itAmiSAtioN ffc xtmal

•
SECOND DAY, TOL.IDAT, VEARCART 11.
As soon as the Commissioners had taken their seats;
Mr. Serjeant PELL addressed the Court, and said
that he wished .to correct a mistatement which had
gone forward to the Public. It had been stated in all
the Morning Papers, that he appeared there as the
Counsel fur Lady PORTSMOUTH. He wished it to be
diStinctly understood that that was not the case, and
that he attended there only as the• Counsel for Lord
Potassrotrtt. As the public papers, to which he
must say all were indebted, had been the medium of
circulating the mistatement, he was sure, from their
liberality, that he had only to mention it, and that it
would immediately be corrected. The Learned Ser-
jeant then said, that as the order of the Lord Chan-
cellor
would materially govern the proceedings, before
they went on any further he wished that it should be
read. The order was then read. It in substance di•
rected the Commissioners and the. Jury to inquire
into the state of mind of the Earl of Ports-mouth, and
to report whether he was fit to manage his own affair
It directed that every person who had the Earl iu
their custody should produce him, for the examina-
tion of the Commissioners and the Jury, whenever
they should requite to see him. Mr. Serjeant Pell
then stated, that he had found it his duty to have an
interview with the unfortunate Nobleman. The noise
in the Hall was at this time so loud, that no one at
the lower end of the table could hear the Learned
Serjeant distinctly; but the purport of what he stated
was, that the Earl of Portsmouth had earnestly re-
quested, in the course of the interview, to know
whether be should be called, and if it weie necessary
for him to appear ; he strongly wished that he might
be apprised of the fact, and due notice given him to
prepare The Learned Serjeant promised to
give the unfortunate Nobleman the earliest informa-
tion he could obtain as to when he would be required
to appear. The Learned Serjeant now, therefore, in
the presence of the whole of the Counsel who attended
in support of the proceeding against the Earl, wished
to ask them at what stage of the proceedings they
meant to produce him as a witness? If they could
not conveniently state the day on which he would be
called, they would in kindness, liberality, and hn-
manity, not fall him suddenly to meet the painful
struggle, but would allow him some opportunity of
preparing himself.
Mr. WEritEttur. replied, that at present it was,
not possible for them to state at what, part of the pro-
ceedings, or when it would be necessary to call in
and examine the Noble Lord.
The Crime CoMMIsSIONER read. the order, and
from the terms of it he said the Noble Lord must be
produced at the instance of the Commissioners or the
Jury. The Learned Commissioner was of opinion, that
it did not depend on the Counsel on either side when
the Noble Lord should or should not be examined.
The first witness'called was John Edward Coombe,
a Medical Gentleman, who was examined by the
COMMON SEttJERNT.—The witness deposed that in
1808 he was applied to by the late Lord Grantley,
General Norton, two of the Trustees of Lord Ports-
mouth, and by the late Lady Portsmouth, to go and
reside with his Lordship and take care of him. The
witness said, I then found him in much the same state
as he is now; he was at first exceedingly polite to
Me, as lie is to all strangers, but after residing with
him three or foUr days, I discovered certain pecu-
liarities ; his general conduct certainly implied that
he was a man of peculiar mind ; lie had so many pe-
culiarities that I cannot specify them ; I remained in
the family until the year 1811; from what I observed
of his conduct I thought him to be a man of ex•
tremely weak, I way say certainly of an Unsound
mind ; he was so far weak, as to require the attention
of other persons ; I was placed with him for the pur-
pose of regulating his condUct, and was with him
three years for that purpose, and received remune-
ration for my services. 'I am connected with Lord
Grantley 's family by marriage. Lord Portsmouth
neither settled his own accounts nor had- the com-
mand of money, and when he did give orders they
were not. at all times obeyed. He had often insisted.
pn particular servants being discharged, but Lady
Portsmouth (the fate Lady Portsmouth) would hot
allow them to be discharged, unless she conceived
that their conduct had been improper. When I was
applied to on such occasions, I seldom confirmed his
sentence : frequently servants were still kept, not-
withstanding his repeatedly insisting that they should
be discharged. indeed, for the three years that I re-
mained in the family, I do not remember one servant
to have been discharged
.solely by the act of his
Lordship. The witness related some peculiarities
in the manner of Lord Portsmouth when at table;
amongst others, was his frequently exclaiming that
he had been run against by the servants and hurt,
when he had not even been touched by them.-
14e would often turn from table as any one of them
Came near, and in a threatening tone, and wild man-
per tell them to take care how they came near him.
lie would often take an active part in the husbandry
occupations about the-estate at Hursbourne, and would
superintend those operations. Ile was particulai ly
fond of driving the hoists, and drove a team, walking
by the side with a whip. He was often seen in the
fields amongst the men, whipping the horses, and
acting as a carter. This, in fact, was his chief occu-
pation whenhe was in the country. In 1814 the wit-
ness left the family in Consequence of his marriage.
After the death of the late Countess, in 1813, he was
sippointed to remove his Lordship to London ; he at-
itbded hiM at the instance of the 'Trustees, and re-
mained with him until the Ist of February, 1814.-
1 The witness continued : " I observed.no improvement
in his Mate Of mind. About the time I removed him
he Was perpetually holding conversations about wo-
nsen, and expressed a strong desire ro be married.".
latiestino.-1311 be mention afty tictstiti to whom be
diould wish to be marrieil?---les, *veral.
Do you recollect their namee?,4 remernbt‘ etie tisii i Miss
Davit:ie. Ido not recollect the 'other =IA'S.
Did the name of 3lias Hanson form any part of that tfluither?,
tolerably not.
Witness continued.—l remonstrated with him on
the impropriety of his thinking of marriage, and told
him it was too early a part to think of so soon after
the death of his late Countess. He replied to my re-
trionstrattees, that he shoUld not be happy until.he
was married. I•raw L'rd Portsmouth again on the
21 of July last ;it vi:) :lhotet lb Or-14. miles from