Star.
London, England, 1811-02-27 00:00:00

•
llth he was allowed to call witnesses :. so that he was
not taken unawares at the Court Martial,
Mr. LOCKHART said, that he was applied to by
the father of Curtis to petition the Duke of Cumkr-
land for mercy, and he accordingly did send a peti-
tion to his Royal Highness; but he could say, that
when he did so, neither himself nor the relations of
the unfortunate man entertained the smallest idea
that he had .any other claim than that of mercy. He
disapproved of many things in the speech of the Ho-
nourable Mover of this question, and particularly of
what he had thrown out with regaid to general ser-
vice. The Honourable Gentleman seemed to consi-
der populat ity as every thing. He wished only that
the Honourable Gentleman would resort to other
means for obtaining popularity than by sowing dis-
sension in the army.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER .1
observed, that the Honourable Gentleman was not
authorized to bring forward the matter in that House,
unless the means of investigation and redress had
been refused in other quarters more competent to
take cognizance of the subject. If the Honourable
Gentlem::n, with every opportunity of fair investiga- !
Lion in the regular way, had come here without any
just reason, his charges must be considered as in-
flarnmacry, and calculated to do nothing but mischief.
(Hear, hear, hear.) Then it was to be considered
whether he had any other more regular course to !
pursue, supposing his object to be the attainment of l
substantial justice. It might, perhaps, be a little
tedious ; but he hoped the House would attend to the
correspondence between the Hon. Gentleman and the.;
Commander in Chief, and judge from that, whether
the former had been under any necessity of coming
here for justice. (Hear, hear, hear.) Mr. Perceval then
read the several letters. The first front Mr. Wardle
to the Commander in Chief, stated, the resolution of
the writer to investigate the case of Corporal Curtis ;
and that, for that purpose, he had gone to Portsmouth,
and intended to have gone over to the Isle of Wight,
where the man was—but that the weather not permit- I
ting, that he had sent another Gentleman, with lit
betty to use his name. (A loud laugh, and cries of
Hear, Hear.) The letter further requested that the
Commander in Chief would not send Curtis nor the ,
witnesses to foreign stations, beyond the reach of the'
law, till he (Wardle) had an opportunity of in-
quiring into the matter. (Hear, hear, hear.) An an-
swer had been returned by the Commander in Chief,
which he presumed would, by any other Gentleman,
have been considered as a very civil one, indicating a
sincere desire to do justice—for Sir David Dundas re-
quested to be informed of the grounds on which the
Honourable Gentlemen required his interference; ex-
pressing his willingness to interfere, if his interference
should be necessary to secure the exercise cf. judgment
in mercy (Hear, hear.). The Honourable Gentleman
replied to this, that the Commander in Chief had given
no answer to his letter; for he had not stated whether
he would suspend the execution of the sentence of thy
Court-Martial, as he had desit rd. The answer of Sir
])avid Dundas was,tha I he could not suspend, without
a knowledge of the grounds on o Leh it was desired ;
that he wished to know those grounds—because being
responsibl _ for acts of improper punishment, and of
omission itf proper punishment, he was obliged to any
one who- would enable him to make the requisite in-
quiry (Mar, hear.) The correspondence did not end
here: another letter had beet• written by the Honour-
able Gentleman to the Commander-in-Chief, to which
he wished to call the particular attention of that
House ; a letter containing principles which, if acted
on, would convert the freest constitution on earth into
one of the most intolerant tyrannies that ever existed.
(Hear, hear.) The Honourable Gentleman refusing
to state his grounds, represented himself as engaged
in this inyestigation, not as an individual, but as '
;timber of that body, in virtue of whose vote the
soldier was raised and paid. (Hear, hear.) If the.
Honourable Gentleman constituted himself into a
walking committee of the House (a laugh, and hear,
hear), demanding a suspension of military sentences,
and yet refusing any information to form a ground
of that suspension—he would ask, whether that did
not constitute the most inquisitorial commission—
the
most abominable tyranny that ever existed?
(Lard cries of hear, hear.) The answer of the Com-
tnander in Chief was, that he must decline all inter.
ference till some grounds were laid before him
to justify that interference. (Hear, hear ) Sikh
was the corespondence between the Honnurable
Gentleman and the Commander-in-Chief in this case ;
and was it possible for any man in ollice to manifest a
more anxious desire to do his duty ?—(Hear, hear.)—
But an examination had been instituted, and the re-
sult was known. Something had been said on the
imputation of insinuations ; why, the Honourable
Gentleman had insinuated that there was a combina-
tion of the officers to prevent a fair investigation !
Could anything be more improper—more mischievous
than this?—(Harr, hear, hear.)—The motives of the
Honourable Gentleman in bringing forward these
questions might be good, but he must cay that the
--ktorreau-abie-iiemteman had travelled time worst course
if he really wanted rediess of an alledged grievance.
If his object had been to have a case reconsidered
' ire avltich he conceived injustice had been done,
lie might have effected his purpose by stating his
grounds to the Commande; in Chief. But it ap-
peared the Honourable Gentleman wished to avoid
the ordinary channels, and come at once to the House
of Commons— ( Hear, hear.) The speech which lie
had made here might, perhaps, in the opinion of the
I lonourable Gentlerian, be of some use ; but in the
opinion of every one else he was persuaded it would
he regarded only as a source of irritation and mischief.
(Hear, hear, hear.)
Mr. WAR LE, in reply to what had been stated
;,s to the expicss orders for the flee admission of coun-
el to the prisoner, Curtis observed, that these orders,
if given, had -riot been obeyed. ,
'The question was then loudly called for ; a division
toc,k place— For the motion 1, Against it 91, Majo-
r ty against, 9(0.
[We understand, that while strangers were excluded,
..!sir.Wardle stated, that he did not intend to call for a
divisiou ; but that a division was insisted upon by the
other side. When the division took place, therefore,
Colonel Wardle and his supporters remained within;
and the only one that went out, that is, voted for in-
quiry, was Colonel Gore Langton., the Gentleman
Principally accused. A loud lames is said to have fel-
lowed the dectaration °Me Jumbos bT the Sreakee.3

,Adjonsued