The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-09-17 00:00:00

POLICE INTEL.LIGE2VCE.-FIlIDA'1;

ATROCIOUS CASE OF SEDUCTI:ON.
A fine-looking • girl, named Margaret ,Fairweat:,er. was
placed before the magistrate under cireutnstane.,„ V.l,lch
excited much interest and commisseration
~hor J:el;,.lf.
The circumstances were such that,
in charge for an alleged, breach,of
_the 4::y. no
natural or responsible protector, she Was regarded.qtht'r,aa,
a destitute and injured individu.d rt.;quirlii;;.the 4itia.e44tad
vice of the bench, than as a culprit or a 'titlndallt.;
.consequently appeared at the table CI.
Mr. Whitty, superintendent of noli&ce,
'the girl had, on the pre% ioti:
been given in charge by her own inotherlo.a Police-officer,
who had taken her to the station-lintab-hill. The
complaint lodged by the mother was, that; .theLpri:;oner had
gone to her house and annoyed lier. 11,‘ l;adlearned some-
thing, of-her story, and gave. an,nutlitm of the
that she was 'of respectable parerftige; hail N,en at a-first-
rate boarding-school in the nei.shbourlicod.,,buz that a medi-
cal gentleman, who hadrbecn introdticed to the family. had
succeeded in seducing her,. and;had afterwards abandoned
her ; and that, refused admittance by her mother beneath
her parental roof, she had been reduced to destitution, and
had for several nights been the- innate of a house of ill-
repute. Her application to her ,rnither c.l Thersd:ty night
to be again taken home had led, to hl. being placed in- cus-
tody.

The case had some time ago, on tLe
,auplication of the
girl, been 'before Mr. nail; but Wa s then in such a pt,sition
that he could not interpose his jUdicial antherity. and Ive
lament to say that as yet the magistrate is vested with a
power altogether inadequate to redress the injury susained.
by the-unfortunate girl, or to punish tlw-heartless aggressor
according to his deserts.

Before-proceeding with whatoccarred in court, it may in
proper, for the elucidation of the c_ise, to sul-Tly such of, the
particulars (not stated in court, tl.eu;ll welt 1.,:0wn to'grr.
Rushton and Mr. Whitt}) as may mitli proprieity te laid ,
before the public at this stage of the, inquiry,,,lyWch,calk,to • •
be hoped, may vet end in retributive justice.. ;,..; 1.,,,c,.1,..y1 i,.;,,_
Margaret Fairweather, now only, seyenteteihyeAr,s,Qf Agr „,
the daughter of a gentleman of high ataraeler'l6-0-te-ha' ,si•
and now on the Halifa_x station. 'Sh&W'g'sth-ietlinten%l O'''
respectable boarding-spool in Edge-1101, zihereVia.tilealithin,l
annually was paid for her education. s...Uems, bonvtit;..,*...4 ~,
quently at home, in Preseot-street, Lovi-hill, at-141%4.417(101 ~,
gentleman" (or rather a druggist) became waiglipw" or vt, r.
introduced professionally to tile famitY,-VOtitsieitiVort e''''
mother, a son, and another daughter. Altliblighq4eAli l ' tl:
i
senior in years, and of no. str.nding in •hi.4.,At'tratlig.l.llifs
worthless and unprincipled destroyor of _domestic happiness,
succeeded .by (it is believed) DICZ:ns the meat atrocious to
seduce'_ the subject of this notice.. Lfei. mother (to'whose '
conduct we shall not pareenlarly al'oide) was cognizant of
the fact of her having been sedtked. iiiirl was-aft:.iwards.told
that her daughter was eaciente: . She sent her to London to
a milliner, a prototype of `,,llladqi,ne,ilNlantilini," where the
great length of the hours of ,seryiNclqzere, so,oppressive to
her in her feeble condition, th 4 slk. could. not . endure the
daily and nightly toil, and left het' Jiltuhtiiditi ;:th€1,..10 paid
for her-as a premiuM being coirseeililAtlY'lost:.''On arriving,
at Liverpool, she applied, thrOugh'another persion, to be re-
admitted to her mother's house, but was refused, and was
consequently left destitute. . ..
She stated in court that slic, 'ilia not seen her mother for
four Months.

Mr. Rishton, addressing the mother; —a youngiih:lecking
woman, Of rather prepossessing appearance, and' gaily attired
--said—" You are aware of the circumstances of the case and
of the condition of your daughter ; do you intend to take
her again Under, your protection ?"
The mother, who had been
her home "

-" No,. I can't take

Mr. Rusliton.—" Well, I must endeavour to find some
means to save, if possible, this unfortunate girl from falling
into a ruinous course of life. All the- circumstances have
been detailed to me thii day, and disclose, a degree of unpa-
ralelled perfidy towards her. I cannot, as yet, put the case
in a train for adjudication ; but I trust the time is nbt far
distant when I shall be enabled to do so.' ' ' •

The rzother.—" I have tried to have justice done to her ;
but she has refused, and has taken all the blaine.upon her-
self."

Mr. Rushton intimated' that the mother „ ; and
directed Mr. Whitty to .take-care of the- young'*iiihan until
some arrangement could be made in her behalf, by receiving
her into the workhouse.or otherwise. '

. .
A§PITALATE NUISANCE. -,
Four informations which hid I_;,,,ca laid ))3r,. the deputy' '
town clerk against Mr. Benscii, agent Or the',.'Asp'ialte
Company, in llean-street, opposirr 'GrearechailOtto-street,
for nuisances committed'on the 2ith asi'd 2Dth.-"M,9;tist, and
the 6th.and 7th of September, came on for_ hearing,before
the stipendiary magi,strate.„ an;_k -:,lr..tklclqnan ISe.run. :- -
Mr. Venables appeared for the prosecuti4,, 'and- Mr.
Robinson, sOlicitor,.for the' defcnda'rit: ' ' '
Mr. 'Benson plead etl",gtlt y. tti‘ tit` fiCtr infort:Welts. • .
guilty,Alr. hVee Venables scaaidll, tuhpaotr-atsh'_.lciemi- drxefteo.ncliratitt ►s:lialdo.A.,pcliellAyed,...„4
He was instructed to state that t..hp.puisauce •ys4.,f,egt-u uiost ..i,-,s,
dreadful nafuie, and that it vt'airn,pOisiVe-fiir iieit'soil tO ''
carry on business within the neighbottifibod-641Waltii,1
works: If they were continued; Mi.. RadiellisTtliethaßolllll of
would be unable to carry Ott his establishoent, fontlitlgtedtifloi
there, as well as every one else w4Q:wa.vsithiu tbesitl liaArl
of the works, complained ' of-, nausea, 4i4nefs."heyi4- W'
loss of appetite, ancloqter ei-iN,v.'1.411 ten fo.uktlrrlife
~
comfOrtable. The' peilOttg-Strniclina-, in'St.'Sollii,'',e,itt ' et---- '
I
and the pedlar's market also c.,,ml42i:itieltitiHltt`H libiticu lf'n't
the butchers,' Wlici-state that their vitae- is-t-taiiitteobyttihe t,,t
effluvia from the asphalte works; - - , ..,2 A, -,i,eti4- brts; y-f„:11
Mr. Robinson said; be was instructqd,,,to -.ow( that on ,4
nuisance complained of procczthi.il„ soleig.,frm ,some 3p,c-,._„.
periments which
.bad been ;Made 'iVlfli Tranidtid plias, -hlf'ff
mixing it with coat-gas tar,• to •s'eiii•lif%?ilitt'would prodtkb" "., a
substance like that of aspli,lltes The ifkirAdtid4.oittliPifitcl •-•.'
been used at the suggestion of a taerchatit who had imported -
a large quantity of the article, to see whetherjt would auswer
the purpose of common pitch.; bat the experUnents,Jiad not .
been successful, and as they would not be repeated, no inure
..,
annoyance would arise. .

Venables observed that if this' were tie case, there
would have been one or two instances only ; but lie MO in- • •
structed to state that the nuisance had .continuecl,dowu to
that moment. It had been very bad on the preceding day,
as well as on that morning, and had been of six Nvcc!::,:' con-
tinuance.

Mr. Rushton said that if it had been a matter of experi-
went, the nuisance would not have lasted till the 13th. ,Sept,:ta
The impression on.his mind was, that the, wttilq tlietiruiAKer
were a nuisance.

4
Mr. Robinson was instructed that such was.not fhe ca 4
but he had only come prepared to an?,wer 'the 'foitr. fnMeniiiv4'
tions, and not subsequent connAaints-.. Ml',
Mr.Rushton.—Of course imot. Sufficient 'for the daria‘)

the evil thereof. The-defendant has the'
town,
to a great. nuisance in the heart of the' town of Liverpool,
and we do not think that we should bo doing 'otfilii4 if we
did not levy the pehalty.
The penalty of £5 on each case was .then otheredlo be
levied.

YESTERDAY.
CHILD DROPPING.

A woman named Savannah Ellis was' brought .up undei
the following circumstances police officer '"stated,' that
having received information that a-child.Lad.been- dropped,
he went to a court in Johnson-street*ataLfound a live male'
child in a little basket, togetherLwitha bottle of milk.. [The
basket was here -produced; also- tb,e child, in the charge of
the mistress of the workhouse, vaia stated that about
a month old.3—James Cottaui, inpettor of police; -stated
that he took the •basket and-child-W-14e worklidtme, when
he found a note, of which the following is a copy, attached.
to the child's . , .•

This Child
is for Charles Caldecott,
Clusky Court,
• Johnson street,.
LiverpoaL

Take me in- Amt.;
use me well 464;
For in this .house.
my father d‘Ncl:s.
Witness then went to the person to whom the, note..was
dressed, and found, upon inquiry, that-the Prisrine-ivir
the mother of the infant. When taken into custody
not deny this fact, but declared that she never intended the
child to be left in the street ; she accompanied ahoy to whom
she entrusted her unconscious charge, and did not leave him
until he had knocked at the door of the house where Calde-
cott resided.-----The-case ims renitanied, in order that further
inquiriet might be made.

DESERTION FROM .ISIERtHANT VESS4S;
Thos. Wilson, who. di& not appcar,, was summoned by
Capt. 11/Pherson, of the Helena, to -recover damages for
excess of wages paid .to. a,sithstitare for the defendant, who
was engaged as a seaman, and had deserted.—Thos. Jones,
chief mate of the vesselmroved the signing of the defendant's
name to-the- shiin articles, by which he engaged-toserve as
a seaman for the' entire voyage to Quebec and • hack, at
£2 15s. per -month.--*Capt. IVlTherson state& that the de-
fendant stuck by the 'vessel for a few days-aftetlais arrival*
at Quebec, and then deserted: 1-1 - (l4'nm-son) had to
engage another rrian at £8 per month.- He Jeft,Quebec
the 7th of' August, and 'arrived in Liverppol,on'the Ist.
September.*-Affr. Ellis found- the exedss.*: wages to :be-Cr
I3s. RusnToN said this.wesa•qabaineful fratidA
asenld.eraorldeortehed
rpaiynmenenbta:--d C.dae•psetr: Porartaizernrlslitauttot,r,l:talraudt::
that. altogether his'losses were .very-Nin?.itiortible.--T-f These.,
cases are the effect of a regular systath ofifraud,-
practised by seamen .employed on boarctiettnaditm,veskelk-
They engage at Liverpool at proper -wage.,4 otunt•deshrt-,6tin
their arrival at Quebec, when -captains arelabliged to antage •
other men at a most exorbitant rate. r It Wilt be-reinenrhered
that a similar case occurred a short time ago, which \t"as (Hs.
missed owing to there being no eviderichstagiortve the signing
of the ship's articles by the defendant.] _

. .
The thick lip introduced by the:marriage bt the Em 5 perq
Maximilian with Alary Of Burgundy,Ae
sceudants of the houtie of. Austria, to this ,dziy, 4-Da
of three hundred years. 11' 4'll
When Paddy O'Rafferty was put into a scdp
had no bottom, he said, I`.lf.it were not foy,tii,eoli* dt fli
thing, he might ,as well
.be walking." The slide 'eftYlitllW
said of the ladies net work gloves. • .
To the New York. Produce Stakes, whi4s.
of January. 1840, there are already fiVe
dollars each, 1000, dollars forfeit. is:, el, it;
vengeance; a subscription of rather 'mire thA4n--..-tfqoQ. phlfi.l
•
Toll-bars originated in 1247, says Cue :Ithroe,
of a penny for every waggon that -passed tkireu.gh.n
manor ; the first toll was collected a few years.after,fm:l44.4;i:,
ing the road in London, between t.-C4iletis:tind T;panle4p4l..
FORCE OF CoNsclP,NcE.,—Lat week. Mr.-5.11et net4suili
the firm of Bennett-antl. Co., tga,tlealersi,Alirketziphrir
this city, received a letter, bearing the Liverpool pott..Lthavirr
enclosing a Bank Post-bill for '.-tXP, aceinfmatteed brtile fol-
lowing I beg-to enclose you X5O, which: I..ackntwlvige
to have-robbed you of--it is-your •ownl3erllatproperty....?*
leave England in the morning, and hope; he.signt.
hundred mileroffi before many days.!'-i-7.Batk Cahrouichn. o,i,
vicitifito4 taii; L,, •-'j" OiJ
et*** geo44 naplaw Omni tellolso.

:_'l

THE LATE LADY FLORA HASTINGS 4

(Abridged from the 31orning Post of Saturday.)
We hale been honoured by the Marquis of Hastings with
OA following interesting and important communication:—

TO THE EDITOR or THE MORNING POST.
at Burlington Hotel, Sept. 13, 1839.
Sze.,-1 will feel obliged by the publication, in your jour-
nal,'of the following statement and correspondence.
If I am asked why I have placed these facts before the pub-
lic, my answer is, because it is my duty—because I have felt
that it was tho only way in which I could defeat the many
prejudiced statements, gross misrepresentations, and un-
blushing felsehoods of interested persons—because I have';
felt that every pert of this lamentable history ought to be
published, and by so doing every falsehood might be met,
and zetrue and indisputable statement of facts be handed
down to posterity. I have been told, on high authority,
that if 1 bring this subject before the House of Lords it will
be immediately silenced as an attack upon the Throne. In-
surmountable technical difficulties preveut my exposing in a
Court of Justice the Tile conduct of those who have slandered
my sister • and but one course, therefore, remains open to
me, zed dug is, to publish the accompanying correspondence.
It has been asked, why each delay has taken place? A
few words will answer this.
The repeated solicitations of my sister, personally to my-
self, and by letter to my mother, urged me, during the time
it was deemed necessary she should continue at the Palace,
to remain silent, es, to use her own expressions, every new
act of ours was 'visited upon her dear mistress's, and her own,
unfortunate head. I shall not attempt to heighten the pic-
ture of this frightful tragedy. But it cannot be supposed
that any regard for the feelings of those (be their rank and
station what they may be)rtho have sacrificed every feeling
of my family—who have trodden under foot every Christian
principle--who have outraged all 'delicacy, justice, and ho-
nour—can weigh with me. That the power of the Court
may for time protect the guilty—that it may prevent that
measure of justice which the common law of the land holds
out to the lowes,t subject—that it may foster and permit to
bask in its sunshine the basest of slanderers—has, alas l been
too fally proved. But I have yet to learn that in this free
country it can stide the voice ef truth. I have, therefore,
determined to make the public masters of the whole business,
by. publishing the entire correspondence which has taken
place on this melancholy occasion ; and I now cast for ever
from me a subject which has been productive of such pain
sad anxiety, fully confident of finding, alive in the breasts of
she British nation that justice and sympathy which has been
denied me in a higher quarter.
On the morning of the 20th of February I received, at
Danington Park, a letter from my sister, the late Lady Flora
nastiness, dated the 19th of February, informing me that her
honour bad beau roost basely assailed, but entering into no
particulars.
On the receipt of this 1 hastened instantly to London, and,
on repairing to my sister, was horror-struck by learning from
her own lips, for the tirst time, a partial outline of the dis-
gusting truths which are now, alas 1 but too well known to
the peblie to need any further repetition from me. She said
at once, that she felt It a duty she owed to herself, her mis-
tress, and her family, to submit to the inhunastn trials she
underwent, in the presence of (to use her own words) her
accuser, Lady Portman, Sir James Clark, and her own maid
(whose deposition is now certified upon oath.) Sir Charles
'Mansfield Clarke, long known to her family, was also chosen
by my poor sister to attend her.
I may here very properly place the statement of sny sister,
Lady Flora Hastings, merely remarking that I learned from
her own lips that the elimination which she was subjected
was conducted with more than ordinary disregard to delicacy
and to har feelings :
STATEMENT IN TUS HANDWRITING OP THE LADY IPLOHA
HASTINGS, MARCH, 1839, SUBMITTED IN THE FORM OP A
CASE TO SIR WILLIAM POLLETT AND HR. TALBOT.
" I came into waiting on the 10th of January. The ladies
then in waiting were, Lady Charlemont, Mrs. Campbell,
Miss Spring Rice, and Miss Paget. Baroness Lebsen and
Miss Davys are in constant waiting. The same day, having
been suffering from bilious illness since the beginning of De-
cember, I conselted Sir James Clark, her Royal Highness's
physician, !aid planed myself under his treatment.
" At the expirationot that fortnight Lady Harriet Clive
toek Mrs. Campbell's place, and Lady Barham Lady Char-
lemont's. And, a few days before the meeting of parliament,
Lady Tavistoek eaine to the palace to attend her Majesty on
that occasion, and to the theatres. She remained about a
week sr ten days. Before she quitted, Lady Portman, Lady
Caroline Barrington, and Miss Murray came into waiting.
" On the 16th of February Sir James Clarke came to me,
and asked me whether I were privately married, giving, as
his reason, that my figure had excited the remarks of the
ladies of the "Atm.' On my emphatic denial he became
excited-, urged me ' to confess,' as ' the only thing to save
me,' stated his own conviction to agree with that of the
ladies,' that it had occurred to him at the first, that no
one could look at me and doubt it,' 'and remarks even yet
more coarse.
" I observed to him, that the swelling from which I had
been suffering was very much reduced, and offered him the
proof of my dresses. He replied, ' Well, I don't think so.
You seem to me to grow larger every day, and so the ladies
think.' He proceeded to pay it was the only supposition
which could explela my appearance and state of health, • or
else you also have some • very bad illness.' I said that was
possible, I had thought badly of my state of health, but that
his supposition wag untrue and perfectly groundless. He
ended by maturingue, ' that nothing but a medical examina-
tion could satisfy the ladies of the palace, so deeply were
their suspicions rooted,' and that he must inform Lady Port-
man, wbo had been his confidante,' of my denial. He
returned with a reiteration of what he had already said, and,
I think, but I will nod be positive, added that it was the more
imperative as the rumour had reached her Majesty. I said,
feeling perfectly innocent, I should not shrink from any
examination, however rigo:oua, but that I considered it a
most indelicate and diaagreeiblo procedure, and that I would
not be hurried into it. I said also that before anything was
determined it would be requisite for me to know the Duchess
of gent's pleasure; and inquired if her Royal Highness had
authorised these communications to me ? To my surprise I
learned that her Royal highness was still uninformed that
the slightest suspicion rested on me.
" It having been notified to me that it was her Majesty
pleasure that I should not appear until my_ character was
cleared by the Lewes sugested, and having obtained the per-
mission of her Royal ISighacea to submit to it, as the most
instantaneous mode of refuting the calumny, I sent on Sun-
day, the 17th, for Sir Charles Mansfield Clarke and Sir James
Clark, and the eaaminetion took place in the presence of my
accuser, Lady Postmen, and my own maid. '
" In the evening Lady Portman came to me, to express
her regret for having been the most violent against me. She
acknowledged that she had several times spoken a great deal
to the Queen on the subject, especially when she found it was
her. Majesty's own idea." She said she was very sorry, but
she would have done tic same respecting any one of whom
she had the same suspicion. I said my surprise is, that,
knowing my family as she did, she could have entertained
those suspicions."

COUNSEL'S OPINION.

(The opinion of Sir William Follett and Mr. Talbot was
given to the effect that the facts of the case did not afford any
ground for legal proceedings on the part of Lady Flora
Hastings or her family.)
Feeling that with me alone rested the responsibility of pro-
tecting nay sister's character, and restoring her to that place
in society from which the artful villainy of her enemies had
driven her, I immediately hastened to Lord Winchilsea, a
man whose high sense cf honour fully entitles him to the
confidence I felt it necessary to repose in him. He agreed
with me that the most proper course to take would be to de-
mand from Lord Melbourne himself an explanation of the
business. On seeing his Lordship he declared his ignorance
of the subject, berond his havibeen made acquainted with
reports by Lady Tavistock, ands having desired the ladies
of the Court to be quiet, he himself not placing any belief in
it. I also received from him an assurance, on his word of
honour, that no one was eonnected with the business BUT the
ladies of the Court. I then declared my determination to
seek an audience of her Majesty, to express my horror and
disgust at the whole of this transaction, and to ask who were
the originators of the plot. He urged the business being kept
as quiet as possible, for the sake of all parties, the youth of
the Queen, and the delicacy of the affair. He further urged
my seeing the Duke of Wellington ; and I then proceeded to
Apsley House, but was not tbrtunate enough to find his
Grace.
It may be proper for me to state here that on this and the
next day several letters passed between parties high in au-
thority. Some of them I was permitted to read ; but, they
having been strictly of a private nature, I do not feel at li-
berty to notice them further.
I. then wrote a letter to Lord Melbourne, which, with the
correspondence that ensued, I here insert:—

CORICESPONDZNCS DUTWEUN THE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS

AND LOUD UELBOURNE.

THE MARQUIS Or LIAI3TINGS TO VISCOUNT MELBOURNE.
" Burlington Hotel, Feb. 26, 1839.
" My Lord,—Having in vain waited for two days, in the
hope of having the audience of her Majesty which I requested
(ifnot as a matter of right as a Peer, at least as one of feeling)
my patience being exhausted, and being anxious to return to
the bosom of my afflicted and insulted family, I am forced to
resort to the only means now left in my power, of recording
my abhorrence and detestation of the treatment which my
sister has lately sustained, by addressing myself to you as the
organ through whom all things are now carried on at court.
I will begin by stating that 1 retract nothing of what I said
in your presence, and that there may be no mistake, now,
or hereafter, should this matter become known, (ia which
case I will I will publish every thing, having it in writing) ;
and I am certain the wore it is known the better my poor sis-
ter's conduct will appear, and the more revolting the con-
duct of those who have taken part against her.
" I REPZAT, that the whole business has been base and
cruel, and reflects dishonour and discredit on all concerned
in it, from the highest to the lowest ; and I cannot find words
sufficiently strong to convey the \sense of my disgust and
contempt for the conduct of all who have figured in this bu.
sinese ; and though by your assertion, on your word of ho-
nour as si gentlemen, that the whole thing rests with the ladies
of the Court, yet I cannot bring myself to think that it has
been the deliberate act of her Majesty, judging' ore parti-
cularly from the fondue, of the Queen since she has disco-
vered the foulness and falseness of the accusation; but I
ascribe it to that baneful influence which surrounds the
Throne, and poisons and deadens all the best feelings and
dictates of human nature. And now, my Lord, it may be
right fur :ne to state (not only a duty to my family and my-
self, but in case misconstruction might hereafter be put uposx
the line of conduct I have adopted) what I have done on this
occasion. The very moment I heard of it I posted day and
ai4ht to London, and, believing that you had been the chief
mover in the business, I waited upon Lord Winchilsea, and
asked him (if such were the case) to call you out. By his
advice I called upon you myself, and received from you, on
your word of honour as a gentleman, a denial of any partici-
pation in it, beyond having been sent for by the ladies of the
Court. I next sought the advice of the Duke of Wellington,
Lord Winchilsea being out of town ; and his Grace advised,
for the sake of avoiding the painfulness of publicity, that the
mater should rest where it stow is.
" The Queen has expressed her sorrow; and here, I sup-
pose, is to CND us cruel a case as ever disgraced the Court of
a British Sovereign. But the matter will not rest in my
breast • and should it appear that I have not now learnt all
particulars, or that more hove takes part in this infamous
transaction than I am at present aware of, I am ready at any
moment to take it up again, and, as far as lies in my power,
will punish all concerned in it. Having said thus much
I now close this painful and disgusting business, and retire
from the polluted atmosphere of a Court in which I hope
my poor sister will no longer remain than to allow her Ma-
jesty to mark her sorrow for what has passed, and her sense
of the deep injury that has been inflicted upon a guiltless
and unprotected woman. I shall remain in London till to-
morrow morning, in case you Lave any further communica-
tion to make to me ; and have the honour to be, my Lord,
your obedient servant, " HASTINGS."

VISCOUNT MELBOURNL► TO THre. MARQUIS OF HASTINGS.

" South-street, Feb. 26, 1839.

"My Lord—l found your Lordship's letter here on my
return home this evening, anti I am much concerned to learn
from it that you have been waiting for a communication from
me, I can assure your Lordship that I had no idea that this
was the case. I conceived myself to have explained to your
Lordship that if, after-your conversation with the Duke of
Wellington, you still persevered in asking an audience, I
would submit your request to her Majesty,and, consequently
rather waited for an intimation upon the subject from your
Lordship.. If your Lordship is still desirous for an audience,
I shall be ready to take her Majesty's pleasure without de-
lay. I ihall be here until one, and shall be happy to see your
Lordship if you wish for any personal communication. I
have the honour to remain, my Lord, your Lordship's faith-
ful and obedient EerTaut (Signed) " MELBOVItNgt"

TRH MARQUIS Olt HASTINGS TO VISCOUNT MELBOURNE.

" Burlington Hotel, Feb. 27, 1839.
":My Lord—l am very sorry there has been any. miscon-
ception about my wish to have an audience of the Queen ;
but this is easily disposed of by your having the kindness to
take her Majesty's pleasure on the subject. As to the ques-
tion raised by your Lordship, whether this was a matter of a
public or private nature, I can only say, though the subject
may be a private one, yet it is also of a public kind, inasmuch
as it concerns her Majesty's public character.—l have the
honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's obedient servant,
(Signed) " HASTINGS.
" To Viscount Melbourne, &c."

VISCOUNT MELBOURNE TO THE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS.

" South-street, Feb. 28, 1839.

" My Lord—l beg, leave to acquaint your Lordship that
her Majesty will receive your Lordship at Buckingham Pa-
lace this day at one ,o'clock ; and I have the honmir to re-
main, my Lord, your Lordship's faithful and obedient serv-
ant,_. _ _ _ (Signed) " MELBOURNE.

"The Marquis of Hastings."

Os the 28th of February, having received her Majesty's
command to attend her at Buckingham Palace, at one o'clock,
I repaired thither, and had an audience of her Majesty (the
particulars of which have been already published in my sis-
ter's letter). It might be improper for me more particularly
to state what occurred on that occasion, beyond the assur-
ance of her Majesty that my sister should be treated with
honour and kindness. Allinformation or satisfaction on the
subject of my inquiries as to who had been the ORIGINATORS
of the plot having been denied me at the Palace further than
the exculpation of Lord Melbourne, I was diiven to find it
out as I best could myself; a thing most difficult from the
length of time that had elapsed, the number of persons sup-
posed to be implicated, and the late period of the business at
which I was called upon to act (some days after the outrage
had taken place). It therefore onlyremained for me to detect
the perpetration of the cruelty; I could prevent nothing.
Having seen my sister reinstated in her proper place at the
Royal table, and finding that I could be of no further use to
her, I returned home, and addressed the following letters to
Lords Tavistock and Portman, which I herewith publish,
with their answer:—

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS
AND THE MARQUIS OF TAVISTOCK.
THE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS TO THE MARQUIS OF
TAVISTOCK.

" Dunington Park, March 1, 1839.
" Dear Lord Tavistock—From the length of time I have
known you, from the respect and regard which I have ever
entertained towards you as a man of the highest honour and
integrity, I have determined to write to you on the most
painful subject that it has ever been my lot to be called-to
act upon, the more painful to me, because not only are those
nearest and dearest to me chiefly concerned in it, but there
are those who I have ever considered as friends and whose
conduct now stands in such a light that I can no longer con-
sider them as such, till the whole of the infamous business
in which their names have been mixed up is explained, and
the strong impression which now rest upon my mind proved
to be groundless. I need tell you no more than that I allude
to the gross lie which has been circulated about my unfortu-
nate sister Flora, who is in the Duchess of Kent's household.
Though unwell at the time I lost not a moment in going to
London, and after ten days spent in the most painful investi-
gation of the business, having received from Lord Melbourne,
on his word of honour, his assurance that none but the ladies
of the Court were connected with the business, and that it
originated with them alone, and that THEY sent to him, and
having pressed him to mention WHO sent to him, he men-
tioned the name of Lady Tavistock (I believe Lady Tavistock
was then in waiting) ; and it is to know from HER with
WHOM this accusation first originated that _I write to you,
and that I may know what part each person has taken in the
bnsiness. I think I know more about it than some persons
imagine, but I will not act upon my suspicions only. That
Lady Portman has taken a very active part in it there can be
no 'doubt, from the manner in which she sought my poor
sister's forgiveness, after having inflicted the deepest injury
she could upon her ! I have also received from the Queen's
own lips (having with difficulty got an audience of her Ma-
jesty) an assurance not only of her sorrow for what has
taken place, but her determination to mark her sense of the
falsity of the accusation and the injury inflicted upon my
poor sister, by showing her every mark of attention ; and
I have the happiness to feel that I have done much (I believe
I may say everything in MT power) to alleviate her sorrow on
this trying occasion ; and I owe much to the kindness and
judgment both of Lord Winchilsea and the Duke of Welling-
ton in the manner in which I have proceeded. Though my
conscience acquits me of not having done ALL I CAN in the
business, yet I know that my poor sister will have the pain-
ful ordeal to go through EVERY version which the public
may give of this story, and that I myself must submit to the
same, and AM at THIS moment submitting to the same UN-
FAIR judgment till I publish everything connected with the
business from the time I first became acquainted with it
(which determination I told Lord Melbourne, by letter, I had
come to) ; and have only refrained from so doing in the hope
that my poor sister might be spared the pain of the publicity
of this metter. May I then ask, was NOT Baroness Lehzen
the first person who originated this foul slander, and men-
tioned it to Lady Tavistock ; and if she be not the individual,
who was /—I remain, dear Lord Tavistock, your very truly,
(Signed) " HASTINGS."

THZ MARQUIS OF TAVISTOCK TO THE MARQUIS 017
HASTINGS, _

" Oakley, March 6, 1839.
" My dear Hastings—Your letter has annoyed me very
much, but I feel thankful to you for the frank and friendly
spirit which dictated it. I knew nothing of the painful cir-
cumstances you relate until after they had occurred. lam
unwilling even now to name the subject of your letter to
Lady Tavistock, as I am sure it would distress her greatly ;
nor do I like to write upon it except to say that she was
influenced by the best motives in communicating the infor-
mation she had received to Lord Melbourne.

" I am persuaded you would feel this as strongly as I do,
if you could have an opportunity of conversing with her,
and of hearing from herself the part she took in it; but how
this is to be brought about, at the distance we are from each
other, I know not. I much wish, however, that you would
contrive to see her.—Believe me, dear Hastinjs, most truly
yours, " AVISTOCK.
" I shall not tell Lady Tavistock that I have heard from
you till I receive your answer to this."