Star.
London, England, 1801-05-08 00:00:00

PARLI,IIIIENTARr PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, 'THURSDAY, MK" .7.

The Hm. HENRY ERSKINE was heardin con-
tinuation, this day, in the Scotch Appeal, the
Hon. Mrs. Hamilton Fullarton, and Colonel Wil-
liam Fullarton, her hufband, v. Sir Hew Dal-
rymple, of North Berwick, Bart. After which
their Lordihips appointed the further hearing to
take place to-morrow.
A number of Bills, monly private, were brought
up from the Commons by different Gentlemen, and
(cruelly read actit time.
Mr. CORKY, • ncellor of the Irith Exchequer,
brought up the irtfh Spirits Duty Bill, and the
Hops Importation Bill, which were alfo read
a firft time.

...... .
Mr. Aaso r prefented a Menage from the Com-
mons, requefting a conference with their Lord•
!hips, relative to the moil effedual means fur the
promulgation of the Statutes of the United King-
dom of Britain and Ireland.
The Meffage being immediately taken into con-
fideration, their Lordthips refolved to comply with
the requeft of the Commons, and that the defired
conference !hold.' take place at five o'clock to-
morrow, in the Painted Chamber.
The feveral Bills before the Houfe were for-
warded in their refpeftive Rages.
The Order of the Day for the fecond reading of
Cope's Divorce Bill being read, Counfel and Evi-
dence were accordingly called in; the former were
Mg. GARROW and Mr. ONSLOW, and a number of
Witneffes of various ddcriptions attendedto prove
the ufual circumftances of the cafe, as well as the
Petitioner hirnielf, Mr. Cope, who was ready to
come forward, if called upon.
From the ftatement of Counfel, and the de.pofi-
tions of fuch of the Wirneffes as were examined,
the principal of whom was Mr. De Barry, a Soli-
citor, and partner of Mr. Cope the Applicant for
the Bill, it generally appeared that Mr. John Cope,
a profellional Gentleman, was married in the
month of February 1793, to his now wife, Eliza-
beth Melville, then a widow. That at the time
of his marriage he lived in Northumberland-ftreet,
Strand, and thortly after removed to the Broad
Sanduary, Wellrninder. That he had uniformly
concluded himfelf as a tender and affedionate huf-
band until the period of the detedion of his wife's
infidelity, from which moment he declined all in-
tercourfe with her, and even refuted to fee her.—
The learned Counfel teemed to admit that the cafe
in queftion was rather a particular one, and princi-
pally with regard to the line of legal proceeding
that was adopted upon it, and fuch as required a
peculiar degree of confideration on the part of their
Lordfitips ; but he appeared to reprobate the idea
of any fpecies of collufion or finifter praftice on the
part of his Client, who he Rated was, purfuant to
the wife and falutary regulation of their Lord-
fhips, then in attendance, and ready to be exa-
mined in the ftridett way upon every point con-
nefted with the cafe, which, as far as related to
him, he wifhed to have probed to the bottom. He
was a young man of unblemilhed reputation, and
remarkable for his intenfe and regular application
to his proletllonal bufinefs, which, as he had the
misfortune to have an artful and intriguing wife,
afforded her an opportunity to put her machina-
tions in pradice. His refidence was in the Broad
Sandvary. Mr. Cope was in the habit of attend-
ing feveral hours each day, at the Chambers of
his Partner in the Temple, and it could be proved,
that, on thole occafions, the frequently made ufe
of the back-door, which ltd to a communication
with the Park, to get to her paramour, a Mr. Brif-
towe, and on whofe account this application for
Divorce was made. It would alto be offered in
proof, that on fundry other occafions, particularly
in the inftances of two excurfions of Mrs. Cope
linto the Country, an adulterous intereourfe be-
tween her and the raid Mr. Briftowe took place.
Mr. De Barry, the Solicitor above mentioned,
was the firft Wimefs examined, who proved his
perfonally fcrving the regular notice on Mrs. Cope,
and in the courfe of his examination, Rated tome
particulars with refped to the proceedings upon
the Cafe, in which it appeared that damages were
fued for in the Sheriff's Court, where Judgment
was fuffered to go by default.—The damages ap-
plied for were stool. of which the Jury, whom the
Counfel in the coulee of tome obfervations which
afterwards patted between him and the Loan
CHANCILLOR, defcribed to have been, as they were
called in thefe inferior Courts, a good Jury, award.
ed the Plaintiff !scot. It further appeared that
no evidence was offered in the Court alluded to,
but merely the faEt of the general conduit and be-
haviour of' Mr. Cope to his wife.
It further appeared, but generally by the evi-
dence, that in the courfe of the years 1798, and
1799, Mrs. Cope went on excurfions into the coun-
try, which took up Come time; that on one of thefe
in particular, Mr. Briftowe accompanied her, and
the Lady was unattended by her hatband, or any
of his family. In the courfe of this tour, it was
(Wed that evidence was ready to prove that an
adulterous intercourfe had taken place between the
parties ; and alto on a fubfequent oecation at Berk-
hampflead, and at another place in Hertfordthire,
where the Lady was on a vitit at a houfe which
Mr. Briftowe had taken.
In anfwer to queltions put by one or two of their
Lordthips, it was Rated that no evidence as to any
of thefe fads, either on the part of the Plaintiff or
the Defendant, was offered in the Sheriff's Court, i
on which
The Loan CamscaLsoa ohterved, it would be
a Queftion, whether their Lcwdfhips fhould re-
ceive fuch a verdift as had been obtained in that
Cdhrt ?
_

The Eceleriallical Proceedings upon the cafe
which were had in the Confillory Court of the
Dean and Chapter of Webnintler, were then of.
fered in evidence. Upon the Lord Chancellor
*Axing the Officer who proved the proceedings' if
he knew how far the Jurifdillion of the Eccleliafb-
cal Court in quellion extended ?—the latter replied
in the Negative.
Several obfervations were then interchanged be
tween the Noble and Leanted Lord on the Wool.
Pack , ana the leading Counfel, with refpell to the
kid rslifintt of the cafe. as the circa, that the eir-