Star.
London, England, 1805-06-07 00:00:00

PARI.I.I dENTAR r PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, Jule 6.

Their Lordihips trot at an early hour, and pu►furnt to the Spe-
cial Order of yellerday, Connfcl and evidence were called in re
fpeding Lingttam's Divorce Bill.
The circunntancet of this cafe arc already fully before our rea-
ders. The confider-anion of the cafe was refueled, and evidence
further cuntin:d, and Counfcl heard. After come difeutbon of
the 'aeries of the cafe, the queflion for the fecond reading of the
Bill was, on the fuggeltion of the Lord Chancellor, poltponed till
to-morroW.

The funher eonfideration of Moores Divorce Bill was then m-
illiard. Of the circurottances of this cafe, we have alto given a
detailed Report. Some farther inveftigadon took place; after which
the queftion of the fecund reading of the Bill was poftponed till
next week.

WISTON't DIVOtCI BILL.
On the original contideration of the queftion for
the fecond reading of a Bill to diffolve the marriage
of Thomas Welton, Efq. with Frances Mary, hi- now
%;;'e, Counfel and evidence in fupport of the Bill
were called in. From the statements and depositions
of thefe, it appeared, that the Petitioner, Thomas
Welton, Efq. now a Major in the 96th Regiment of
Foot. was, in the month of December 1787, mar-
ried to Frances Mary, the daughter of Francis Lenn,
Efq. one of the Captains of the Royal Hofpital at
Greenwich, and that they lived and cohabited together
as man and wife from that time, until the month of
April 1794. It appeared that the Petitioner, at the
time of his marriage, was a Lieutenant in the 77th
Regiment of Foot—in the following year, viz. 1788,
lie was ordered with his Regiment to India, whither
his wife accompanied him : but in April 1794, the
was obliged, on account of ill-health, to return to
England, where (he arrived in September 1794. The
Petnirmer remained in India. The iffue of this mar-
riage was three children, one of whom is now
a fon of fourteen years of age. That in the mote of
the year 1796, Mrs. Weilon eriered into an unlaw-
ful and adulterous intercourfe with Heeor John Weir,
Efq. an officer in the South Devon Militia, by whom
the bas had feveral children, all of whom were bora
previous to the Petitioner's return from India, which
was not until April 1802. • In confequence of thefe
proceedings, Major Welton brought his aeinn in '
lacy Vacation in 1803. in the Court of King's Bench,
againft Heaor John Weir, act, in which the Defen-
dant fuffered damages to go by default—and by a
Writ of Enquiry before the Sheriffs in the following
June, he obtained a verdia for five thoufand pounds
damages. In the following year the Petitioner WU-
tuted the ufual proceedings in the Confitlory Court
of Rochefter againft Mrs. Welton, and obtainer
therein a definitive fentence of divorce from bed and
board. This was the general fubilance of the cafe.
It was elfo Rated, that the Lady had been delivered
of four children, daring the interval of her living
with the Defendant, two of whom are now living.
The Counfel Rated, he could further fubftantiate
the charge of the adultery, did their Lordthips not
think the flatement conclusive on that head.
The LORD CHANCELLOR obferved, that if
they could prove that the Petitioner refided out of
England from a given time before the birth of the firft
child until after the delivery of the laft, the circum-
fiance of the Lady having had four children in the
interval was pretty firong evidence of her adukery.
Accordingly an elderly officer, who had been in
the fame regiment with Major Welton, and had re-
tided in India from 1794 to *BO4, Rated, that he
bad no doubt of the Petitioner's re(iding in India
from the year 1795 till 38os ; an interval later than
the birth of the youngeft child above alluded tn.
After a very Ihort farther difcuffi )n, the Bill was
forthwith lead a fecond time, and ordered to be com-
mitted.

The CM s of the Crown for the County of I aneaßer prefented
Accounts of the Number of Prifoners confined in, and thc State
of certain Gaols in that County—which were ordered to lie on
the Table.
On the mntion of Lord HAWKESBURY, the
order for the exclnlion of [bangers was enforced—
and the doors w;re kept (hut for more than half
an hour.

MR. JUSTICR TOT.
Upon the Order of the Day being moved for their
Lordfhips to refume the examination of witneffcs re-
lative to the charge preferred againft the Honour-
able Mr. Jullice Fox, Connie! and strangers were or-
dered to withdraw. Their Lordfhips remained
deliberating near an hour ; Mr. Juftice Fox was
then called in, and Mr. Romilly tecommended
the examination of Mr. Armarong, the Foreman
of the Jury, upon whofe petition and complaint
the prefent enquiry was initituted. The wit
nets was arft talked, whether, after he had heard the
evidence upon the indiament which had given life
to the condo& of the learned Judge, he could con-
fcientioully have found any of the prifoners guilty ?
Mr. Adam objeaed to this queftion as too general,
and it was waived. The witnefs, on being crofs ex-
amined by Mr. Adam, Rated, that the trial in quer-
Sinn took place on the loth of Auguft 1803 ; that
additional evidence was gone into alter the Jury had
retired ; that the witnefs, as the foreman, delivered
aboutthe verdia of acquittal, having been out half an
hour. On the aoth of Auguft, the day after the trial,
Mr. Daley Fox defired the Clerk of the Cro.. n to
deliver to him alift or the Petit jurors. When he
id received the lift, he defied the Grand Jury to
called, and-he ftigmatifed the Petit Jury as un-
worthy of being believed on oath, and unfit to aft in
lie capacity of Jurors. He alfo ordered the Clerk
the Crown to deliver the lift to every fucceeding
idge, as confifting of men unfit to as as jurors;
sin that the. High and Under Sheriff (boold have
is delivered to them, in order that it. might be
,mown the prors were branded with infamy by the
verdiet they had given, and further, that their names
lsould be polled up in the Grand Jury Room. The
quads (hated that be had been ermined on this
ibjea before a Covunittee of the Houfe of Lords.
le added, that fhortly after the cirenmftance to
;hich he was &poring, he and his brother jurymen
ipplied to Coupfel fur. advice. Upon being afked
vhen he firft faw the prefent
_petition, he Paid it was
ldng after the trial at the (amour of 'B4 ; one
the Jury brought it-to him for his fignatuse. He
rlieved the name of this Juror was Fawcett. He
lmitted that in the part of Ireland in which he and
se reft of the jury tefided, though they did not re-
Ire the newfpapers, they had means of knowing
tat paired in Parliament. lie knew before he fign.
the petition that a complaint had been made in
the Houfe spina Mr. Juftice For. He Paid Fawcett
Ncl Weir brought the petition to him ; motes of the

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