The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-12-12 00:00:00

No II

EARRING'.
T a WARD Mi.:KT/NG, held Ist CHRIST
Ali. Cl 4 URC H, NE WG AT R-STREF.T, before the Right
hero. the 1.0140 M YOfts in risnaellaelsee of a Requisition
sign I by it number of Inhabitants, Roe the payee of in-
bit urling their Cosninrish 'ate Id Illie Court
Common Council, to he :ield no WEnNESUAY neat, for
the original Motion, tarred on the sth of Deremberbist,
It nos Retilved Unai bumpily—That the I.4te unwise and
disostriu. Expedition., in which hit Majesty's Armies have.
been uniappily engaged, have inflicted upon the Country an
accumolvion of disgrace nod calamity. and most stringly
eviocei the imbecility, incuiracit), nod distraction, die
national Councils.
Resolved Connimmisly —That we highly approve of the
proceedings of the Conn of Common Council on Tuesday.
tne sth iit.t. for petitioning his Majesty for a full and Alpe.
lust inciniry into the cause of throe Calaiuitie. and he*
deprecate all attempts to rrUltratC or rescind the said pro-
ceedings. iitgilling In the Rritish notion, derogatory in the
Rights of Encli4lnnen, and as tending to degrade the deli-
beente proceedings of the tint Corporate Body in the'
kingdom.
Resuisald Unanimously—That our Representatives be in-
strutted to ntsesid the t nurt M Cuissoon Conned un Wednes-
day next, the lath iost. to support the proceedings of the last
Court.
gawp/mg llapaimmisly—That the Tharlis of this Mali%
he given to our worthy Deatriy, pi
Roberts, Leigh, Wootilik igheiri
anti (eight of the thieve who voted). fur their eoridact ni
sapp?rtisg the original Motion, at the last Court of Conmion
Conned.
Resoloid Un inimously—That the Thanks of title
he given t. 6 tie Right Him. the Lard Mayor Aldendiniake:l43
tilt, Ward), for his firm, manly, and iiidependeat coodnet at
the last Court of Common Council, for the handsome and
polite manner with 'which tic acceded to the Requisition Rot
calling this Meeting. and for hi• imparsinl conduct lists nay.
Resolved Unanimoosly—Thnt the foregoing Resnintions he
signed by the Ward Clerk, and insetted in the Isla S4rATSS•
NAN, Public Ledger, The Times, Morning. Herald, Um..
iog poet, Morniug Advertiser, Toe Day, County Chromic*
and Courier.
j(11-Ut WARiIt.EN, Ward Clerk.

COLONEL WARDLE and Mrs. CLARKE:

COURT OF KING'S BENCH,
1.01'411.4Y, DIG. 11.

VIE KING V. !RANCH WKIGNT, likRY ANSI
etitalic, AND DANIEL WNIGIIT.
At an early hour the Court was crowded, and
all the ',owes to it thronged, to hear this mosfs
important cause, which was to determine, Whether
or not the verdict obtained by Mr. Wright, the I
upholsterer, against Mr. Wardle, fur furnishing
Mrs. Clarke's house in Westhnurne.place, was or
was not the efect of a Conspiracy.
At nine o'clock the list of Special .urors wss
called over by the .Clerk of Nisi Prior, and re.
peatecl by the Usher, at the dour, and each Ju.
TyttLin cam.: in as he answered to his name, and
stone other was allowed to enter, there being no
coons for half of those who bad aetnal business
Ind they all come in together. When Lord El.
lenberough took his seat upon the Bench, their !
Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York, Kent, and
Gieucester, and the Earl of Moira, were seated
ois his left hand ; the Right Honourable George
Tierney., and two other Gentlemen of distinction,
whose names we could nil collect, on the right.
The fo!lowing were the Gctitlem,nt sworn on the
Jury :
Charles Rich, Esq. William Palmer, Etc
Matthew Stnody, Esq, John Jack-on, Usq.
Heal Charriagtaa, Esq. Wellimm Dorton, Esq.
John Harahan, Esq. George Randall.
Thomas Lanatrotom, Eaq. Jaw, Pattie, Esq.
Ralph Penton, Raq. I Robert Dover, Esq.
Mr. AKANIN, jun. Counsel for Cul. IVardle,
stated to the Jury, that this was an indictment
for a conspiracy, which indictment recited that
the alentlatit, Francis Wright, having sold zer.
tain silkier, of hous,•hold furniture to Mrs.
Clarke, the Defendants conspired together to
charge .; w i Ilym Lloyd Wardle with the price of
them ; and in pursuance of ant conspiracy,
Francis Wright brought an action against Mr.
Wardle, which coming on to be tiled, the other
Defendants, Mary Arum Clarke an.l Daniei
Wright, appeared as witnesses iu the catise.—The
testinioey they gave was then set out iti the
meet. the material parts of which were, that Cul.
Wardle had undertaken to pay for those goods,
by means of which false testimony the Defeoulant,
Francis Wright, obtained a verdict against the
prosecution.
Mr. A er.ite then proceeded to open the cue on
behalf of the prosecution, and lamented that so
immense a weight as the conduct of such a pro-
secution as this fell spot' shoulders so unequal to
ehe task of supporting it with propriety, more
as:pecially when he reflected upset the oiliest,'
strength to which he and his Learned Friend who
assisted him, were opposed, that of his Majesty's
Attorney-General and Mr. Garrow, and their
able assistants behind thc bar. The reboot' fur
Ids coming to take the lead on this mementoes
occasion was, from the accident of Mr. Serjcant
Beet, who oonductcd the cease on a former occa-
sion, and but of which this cue arose, being
taken away from his character of Advocate of
thc Bar, and compelled to appear in the chime.
ter of a witness ; but such a measure .had been
deemed essential to the interests of justice in this
case. Ile had, therefore, to intreat the favour.
able audience of the Jury, that of his Lordship
he knew he should have without intreating it, for
such was the habitual urbanity of that Noble and
Learned Jodgc, that junior Barristers found in
him a kind protector and instructor when difficul-
ties occurred to them. Ile then proceeded to ex-
plain to the Jury the.true nature of a conspiracy
as bid down by that great oracle of the law, Lord
Coke himself ; the substance of which was, that
it was not su much the act as the manner of ob-
taining the object of those engaged in it, oonstitu-
led the essence of *conspiracy, for there might be
conspiracy to do a lawful thing by unlawful means,
and when the combiiiation was prorLd to have
been formed; the act of we conspirator might be'

•
though they might be an hundred miles asunder at
the time of doing the act, and the parties might all
be convicted, even although they might not accom-
plish their object, for the crime was somplitte in
the combination, and the attempt to carry the ob-
ject into effect. Anti s great deal of good sense
there was the rule by which this doctrine was
laid down ; because the object of the law was to
prevent the mischief, and also to punish the indi.
viduals who attempted to produce it at one and the
same time. Such was the law, and that was coin-
mon sense as well as common law ; for common
law, after all, was nothing more than the perfec.
lion of common sense. He then entered upon
the general subject which was now before the
Court, observed upon the publication of Co-
lonel Wardle's Address to the People of the
United Kingdom, after the trial in which a ver-
dict had been obtained against him, wherein he
pl ed himself to preset that such a verdtet was
by perjury, and his client was now
keeping has word, and redeeming his pledge
with the public, by bringing forward this pro-
r.ecuticni. It might be asked, as it had been
asked, why, if he was so confident he should be
able to prove perjury, he did not indict the par-
ties for that crime, instead of bringing forward
a charge of a conspiracy against these parties ?
au.l it had been insinuated that this was not keep-
ing up his promise fairly, because he had pledged
himself to prosecute the parties for perjury.—
That was a false construction put upon the pledge
given by Colette' IVardle to the public, fur he had
only undertaken to prove to the satisfaction of
the people of the United Kingdom, that the ver.
diet obtained against him was obtained by means
of perjury, aced that he might do, and was n•w
doing, by a prosecutioe fur a conspiracy. Nur
wars it the fault of Colonel Wardle that this mode
of prosecution was adopted, for it was done by
advice of his Counsel, upon constiltatiot;.—
Here Mr. Alloy felt it his ditty to say, that if
there was any blame attached to that, Colonel
Wardle was entirely free from it, fur it was the
act of his legal advisers, and he, as one of them,
had no hesitation in avowing that he hail his
share in recommending that course to be taken,
and for which he was ready to receive censures if
any could be cast upon him, fur his advice. Col.
Wardle was, upon that subject, as free from
blame, as, by his public conduct, he was inerito.
riuus. He had serval his country and his King,
in quelling a furious rebellion, and be had taken
an uncommon, and a glorious share, in exposing
the corruption that was gnawing the state in its
vitals. Ile was a soldier of intrepid courage,
sail a senator of proud, erect, and independent
spirit, bent upon undertaking the Herculean task
of cleansing the Atigeati stable ; he had done
much in that most useful and arduous service,
which drew upon him the hatred of the friends
of corruption, while it naturally excited the at.
tackment and ailmiratiust of the people, of which
his having had voted to him the freedom of se many
a the corporate bodies of the kingdom were
great and honourable: pritofs.—Mr. Alley seat en.
owed upon the particulars of the ease now before
the Jury, in which he maintained that it was a
foul conspiracy, not only to rob Colonel War.
tile of WWI. in money, for the debt and costs
of the action amounted to that sum, but to de-
spoil him of that which was moat dearer to him
than any consideration, his fair fame and chit-
' racter, which stood so high with all who thou heard
of his name ; a mow which had indeed been
justly spread far and wide. Ile thanked these
persons for thus affording him an opportunity of
appearing before the public in this mintier. It
was what afforded real avid cordial satisfaction,
for Mr. Wardle felt conscious that he was an
honest man, and that this cause would increase,
Gaut diminish his fame. He knew that things had
'been insinuated to his prejudice, but he dared
his caltonniators to come forward, and try
what they would do, as well as insinuate. He
maintained, and he should prove as well as make-
lain, that the goods with which Mrs. Clarke't
house was furnished, had been furnished by
Francis Wright for Mrs. Clarke, and her alone;
that Colonel Wardle neither directly nor indi.
reedy undertook or promised to pay for any
part of them ; that Mrs. Clarke and Daniel
Wright had contradicted each other, in the trvi-
dente which they gave at the trial, of which
be had a copy, with which a short hand writer
had furnished him ; and that Wine' Wright had
said, that goods had been scat in uo hire, which
were afterwards brought to the account of Colo.
nel Wardle by sale to him. This would have
made the whale of the pretended undertaking of
Colonel Wardle void, by the provision of s
wholesome statute, passed in the reign of Charles
fib Ild. called the Statute of Fravds, which pro-
vide % that all engagements of one person to pay
.the debt of another, shall be void, unless they
are in writing. This Daniel Wright was nut
acute enough to know, but Mrs. Clarke was ;
therefore, to obviate the effects of it, she swore
that none of the pods sent un hire to her house
were afterwards put to the account of goods sold
and delivered on account of Colonel Wardle, for
that would bring the case directly within the pro.
vision of the Statute of Frauds. He maintained
that it would appear in evidence, that many elf
the goods in questiuu, belonging to Mrs. Clarke,
had been sent into this house long before she ever
saw Col. Wardle, which was not moil the 18th
of Nov. in the Int year ; although she pretended
at one time to say, that she became acquainted
with his is the autumn of that year, but whitalt

dandy al she saw danger in persisting in the false-
hood. The truth was, and it would appear, that
the whole of this charge upon Colonel Wardle
was a maile.up story, to cheat him out of the
whole of the money ; this, he trusted, would be
manifested by the evidence of Col. Wardle him.
self. Major Dodd, who was present with him
in the only two instances in which he went to the,
shop uf Wright, for he had never undertakes
for the payment of one farthing's worth ; so very
fats from it was the real fact, that Mrs. Clarke
had repeatedly, over and over, and over again,
reqnired that Colonel Wardle should assist het
in a pecuniary way, and he hail peremptorily and
positively refused. She at last came with tears is
her eyes, saying she must be absolutely ruined if'
he could not help Iher, and iii this critical can.
juncture In came Mr. Daniel Wright, who sup.
ported her suppli.ations to Colonel Wardle, by
stating that she was deeply in his brother's debt,
and that he could nut afford to be any longer
without his money. This was a mere juggle be.
tween the Wrights and Mrs. Clarke, to gut some.
thing oat of Colonel Wardle, by throwing out a
hint, that unless he would contrive some supplies
for her assistance, he should lose the benefit of
her testimony, fur that she must he cart boo poi.
sen for debt; upon which Colonel Wardle
spoke to his friend, Major Dodd, to accom.
plish something for this purpose; and he
9oke to his friend, Mr. Illingoorth, of
Pall-Mall, who agreed to accept tt bill at three
months, for 5001. to Francis Wright, while Ma.
jOr Dodd took a counter-bill of Mrs. Clarke, and,
to guarantee Mr. Illitigworth, Col. Wardle and
Major Dodd engaged to put Mr. Illingworth in
cash four days before his hill became doe, appre.
bending that the bill which Major Dodd held of
Mrs. Clarke would be honoured when due, and
Which they honourably paid according to their M.
gagement in two stints of '2501. each. Ti .: ante
most honourable int their part ; a step by which
Wright sev accommodated, and by which the
threatened iticonveitiencieto the inquiry, then go.
ing forward relative to abuse, in the Office of the
Commander in Chief, was obeigted, should Mrs.
Clarke be hurried away to prison. But there was
'no pretence for calling this a payment of the debt
of Mrs. Clarke, nor for using as an instrument uf
proof that Col. Wardle had become responsible
Fur the payment of any demands which might be
made upon Mrs. Clarke by Mr. Wright fur for.
Wore, with which he hail from time to time slip.
plied her. The truth was, that Mrs. Clarke and
Mr. Wright understood each other very well, anal
abet stmlerstanding many honest people knew to
their cost. The course was this—Wright looked
oat houses for Mrs. Clarke from time to time
and whenever he gut one he then sent in furni-
ture, and charged about ten times the 'elite as
the price, making it part of the stock in trade for
Mn. Clarke ti carry to market, by which she
en enabled to give a certain degree of splen.
dour to her prostitution, and by which she fasci.
meted the young and wheedled the aged, for she
had id her net silly people of• all ages. It was
thus that she had originally got in debt to
Wright ; and it was urged as a reason upon the
former trial, and Mrs. Clarke hail sworn it, nut
the more likely on that accuunt, that when Cul.
Wardle was at ‘VrOit's situp she was then in
Wright's debt upwards of 5001. and that he
would nut trust her any further. The truth was,
that he trusted her the sooner on tllet account,
because he knew that to be the only mode lie
could take to secure to himself a chance of being
repaid : for if he did Oct hold her head 'shave
water, she must become a wretched street.walking
prostitute, and he should never get.a guinea from
her. lleiece it appeared, that he was continually
looking out fur houses (or her, and having gut
her into one, he was supplying her with ferititure
of the most splendid kin 4, Ind taking his chance
of getting ten times its value, If any foul should
happen to fall in the clutches of Mr.. Clarke ;
fur this purpose, he twat this course, to furnish
every thing to Mrs. Clarke, uf the gayest kind, of
the most geweiw sort, which enabled her to figure
away in high style, and to get unbounded credit
upon the strength of her appearance; but he also
euntiived privately to enter it in the name of
I Mrs. Farquhar, her mother, by which he secured
all the goods against Mrs.• Clarke herself ; fur
she had ter fir/minion over any uf it, as none of it
was in her name. Over Mrs. Farquhar. Mr.
Wright hail absolute dominion, so that if she did
not deliver up 'the goods, to prison she went un
the instant. Then as to the personal Ireedom of
Mrs. Clarke, that Mr. Wright took care ef, by
balling her in the first instance, in which by the
way his brother Daniel had joined him, and they
passed on that occasion ns partners, although on
the last trial amid Wright had found it c.mre.
nient to his brother's case to swear that he was
not his brother's partner. Then agate when any
of these numerous actions occurred In which
Wright bailed Mrs. Clarke, she beitsg" a mar.'
vied woman, her cuverture answered those; so that
by this trick, all those who trusted Mrs. Clarke,
went entirely without remedy. It was in this
manner that Mr. Wright had acted towards a,
respectable person of the name of, bull, of whom
he took a house for Mrs. Clark.., ant fitted it
out for her, pretending that she was a chaste and
virteous woman, but soon after she had gut tow
the house, Mr. Bull discovered that she au a
strumpet, and therefore got her utit. On this ye.
easion the house was Oaten in the name of
ftamehat, and Wright had said, that she was so
Seed a character, that if he hid fifty houses see

Being °listed
from the houle of Mr. Bull, Mr. Wright pet
Mrs. Clarke into a house of his in Bedford.street.
Rustellagriare, a house he had let to a lady who
.did not intend to occupy for some months after-
-wards. He here supplied her with furniture, and
then took another house fur her of a Mr. Curt, to
whom hu introduced Mrs. Clarke, saying, she
was a woman of large fortune, anti Mr. Curt Pet
to her his house. He was pleased with the aN
'tearer' ce of things in the house in Bedford-street,
Russell-square, and observed, that the carpets
would fit the new-house, which happened to tie
of the same size; but Mrs. Clarke said, that the
furniture was too old fashioned fur her ; she Mould
not take any ef it but the beds and drawers, that
Mr. Wright should supply her with' elegant fur.
iiiture. It was agreed that Mrs. Clarke should take
a lease of this house, and fur that purpoie the
parties all met at the house of Mr. Stokes, the
attorney, for these Defendants. Mr. Curt said, he
had 11U objection to granting a lease, but he hid
paid 1061. for fixtures and he must hare that
sum before he could allow any body to take.pos.
session of that dwelling. Mrs. Clarke said, if he
would only give her 12 months credit, she would
tiny the house of him. No, that would not do ;
1061. in hard money he must hare, or possession
should not be given; upon which, Mr. Francis
Wright gave • check upon his banker fur this
eery mousey ; and this was the man who it was
said woulti not trust Mrs. Clarke a shilling fet-
es, than this 5001. This was on the 11th of No-
-ember. This bu,iness being settled, and the
money paid by Mr. Francis Wright, the lease of
the house was executed, nut to Mrs. Clarke, bat
to Mrs. Farquhar, because if the lease wets to
Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Wright felt that he could not be
protected against her extravagance, as she could
plead her coverturd against him as well as against
others. Now, that was not hit-object, he wanted
to have the dominion over the househiruself, which
be obtained by having the miserable mother of
this misereble strumpet as ,the apparent lessor of
the holm; • !or she being a widosr, had no co.
vcrterc to pitfall. These facts would be all proved
if, the cum-se-of the present trial, and what Cul.
W.trdlu %until swear about his nut having under.
taken, in any degree, to be liable when he went
with Mrs. Clarke to the warehouse of Wright,
would be supported by the oath of Major Dodd,
who had received a hint,'that if Ito gave evi.
denco in this cause, he should lose his of.
lice under government, with about 30001.
a.year. Nuteithatending that pregnant hint,
he did go before the Grand Jury, gave his esti.
cence, and lost his place immediately. " 0 Shame !
where is thy blush ?" An Englishman deprived
of his atitireeee and comfort, because he has the
honesty of going before a G.-and Jury of kis
countrymen to tell them the (kith, as he owes it
I to his God and the country, in following the canto
of justice! But he had his reward in a quiet coin.
!science, and, like another Cincinnatus, would be
content with honest obseuriti in preference to
opulence and (guilt. Major &lenity pursued the
same Course, and he lot an employment that was
worth about 17s. a-day. • These things spirits
for themselves. Another most glaring thing was,
that which would appear from the evidence Of
'Sir Richard Phillir,•with whom Mrs. Clarke had
1 negotiated about Ireeilaotik;' for which he Jgrocti
to give her 5,0001. but s% afterwards said that she
wanted 1,0001. to pay to Wright, her upholsterer.
She must have 7,0001. fur it ; upon which Sir
Richard Phillips said he would have nothing to
do with her ; and after that, Lord Chichester
gave her 10,0001. for her infamous book, Which
was a prnuf only of her ingratitude towards
that Illustrious Prince, muter whose protection
she hail been fostered and cherished. Butt she
was like the viper that but the hand which•saved
her from perishing in the slow : 10,000 i. for
the despicable trash of a strumpet, and fifteen
guineas for Milton's divine Paradise Lost. Thus
scandalous abuse, scurrility, and contemptible
nonsense, were repaid, whilst the works of the
brightest genius were neglected. What was to
he expected from a nation in which such scenes
were exhibited? Vice and Folly living in splen.
dour--Virtue and Genius starving in the streets.
This actually surpassed the inventive genius of
our immortal Shakespeare, for he had suppoioil,
hat when one man stole away the name of ano-
ther, it did nut enrich the purloiner ; for he had
said,
Who steals my polar steals trash—"rwas mime 'tis his,
r has been slave to thootaads 4 •
•
the that Medea (Tee me my good name, • .
me of that which ern enriches him,
• Wakes me poor Indeed.
Thus It appears, that even Shakespeare himself,
with his inventive genius, could not foresee that
one perton could get rich by filching front ano-
ther his good name, for it appeared that Mrs.
Clarke, by her endeavours, only filched from her
benefactors their good name, and procured wealth
enenglt to 'become afflactit. These were matters
highly discreditable to the taste of the petetea
day. He then expatiated -Areat length agpinst
the evils of corruption, and. mbintained that t( was
owing to the general itre/inatiort- to4ive waz to
corrupt practices that all the misalacts which had
happened to Europe arose ; bte which as obscure
.iridividual, born in a little cuitemptible 4'441 in
the Mediterranean, had risen up and beciume the
terror of legitimatimonarehe, and find ticihrOned
•
them at Will. e •
a
Lord Eeezenomovan observed; Bat if eke
Learned Gentleman really 'thought that piing
over the hiiro y of Donal arte end the present state
of Europe had a bearing upon this haite; he should

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83. TUESD4Y, DECEMBER 12, Iso9. ,1 tr. .)i,
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• v PRICE 840.
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3DON WARD WITHIN, Die. U, 13D'A given in evidence against ennther conspirator, al. ! she, with her characteristic acuteness, shifted in. 1 shoald hire her choice of there. Sting wilted