The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-13 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF 1 UNACY ON. LORD PORTS-
MOUTH.

raiallialtaal Hatt:, TUMID" FYI. 11.—Ciallfil for'
Mr. •N. Fellows+, the petitioser.-Mr. Wetherell, the
goisiMon &glean', Mr. Brongham. Mr.Tyndal, Mr. Pe-
pr; Mr. Powell: for Lord Portsmouth—Sergeant Pell,
Dis..Adem, Mr. J. F. Williams, and Mr. Wilde.
*fore the Conit proceeded to the examination of wil-
t/Poem
. Mr..SerjtantFam. addressed the Court, and said that
he wished to correct % mis-statement which had gone for-
seafil to the pnblicAt had been stated in all the Morning
Papers of yesterday., that he appeared there as the Coons
stet for Lady Portsmoptis. He matted it to be distinctly
untkrstood tbat:that was not the case, and that he at-
tended there only as tbe Counsel for Lord Portsmouth.
The first witness calledlwas John Draper Coombs, or
Cashes, whose' examination was proceeded in by Mr.
Venison, the Common Serjeant
Was in 1808 at Hurstbourn park ; went there at the
te.tfaest of the late Lord. °Talley, the. late Lady Ports-
spouib, and General Norton, Had constantly the means
and opportunity of observing the temper and state of
arid of Lord Portsmouth; and thought he was a man
orextreme weak mind • he might say of unsound mind
entirely, so as to steed tite attendance of other persons.
toid Portsmouth did not conduct his own affairs, nor
settle his own accounts, nor had lie the command of the
money. He had seen him go by.the side of the cart,
pulding the horses with a whip, in the manner of a
caster. which was his chief occupation when be was in
the country. Witness deposed to a conversation he bad
with Lord 'Portsmouth last July, when his Lordship gave
us a loge history of the ill treatmeot which he bad re-
*"..ived at Edinburgh. He said that a gentleman named
Airier, who was resident is his house, bad treated him
with great indignity and cruelty 1 that be bad frequently
knpeked him down : chat he was frequently interrupted
LY hint in his bed room; that Lady Portsmouth bad sent
fur Mr. Alder to come to her, and that be (Lord Ports-
Month) bad gone to Mr. Alder, stating that she was
'ewe II; that Mr. Alder came into the room—into Lady
Portsnioutb's room.
Did he state where Mr. Alder was in the habit of sleep-
ing?-1n the house.
' DI id he say in what part of the House ?—Not that 1
recollect.
Qr n here be went to call Mr Alder ?-1 don't recollect.
1 ioquired what Mr Alder did when he came into the
room. The answer was, that he remained there a con-
siderable time. 1 asked if Mr Alder sat down in a chair.
Remit! Mr Alder lay down on the bed, on the left hand
.01 Lady Portsmouth ; so that Lady Portsmouth lay
wen them. I asked how long Mr Alder remained
ere? His answer was, sometimes longer than at other
it
fide,: 1 asked why he allowed any man to come into
Ms room to take these liberties ? He said he was afraid ;
ilitx..Alder was a powerful man, and he mast anima' to
Lints 1 asked If therewere any others who had ill-treated
11117 He slid there was a Mr Newton Hanson who bad
lisid iiiiii very ill, by beating and knocking him down ;
aid that Lady Portsmouth was in the habit of keeping a
mhip ender her pillow. 1 don't know that there was any
tliiir more be complained of.
' id he say any thing about the use to which the whip
was to be applied ?—He said that they were in the baba
ST..applying it to his Lordship.
is reply so the qnamions by the Commissioners—He
cagewiaineil,:yesterday of the effects of a beating which
Ite,bed received at Mr. Alder's house, from Mr. N. Han-
s In.•
' Or: Licflow, riamined by Mr. Bnooonam.—Had
known Lord Portsmouth 20 years; resided in the neigh.
• barbood, and had ft equent opportunities of seeing hint ;
hark.loft it is ISM atti was then and before in •behsta of
isteicouregrwilli Lord ,Portsmouth ; gerieralitspealting,. '
gi4ved lierd.„Porteoputh in,a state of mind which
bied Vim from iniaging his own affairs—as a per-
r lute unable rii guide hinsself.—The Court adjourn-
,
'g -= , - ~'• - Setif. einiat. Fa. 12. •
s. Mr. Millais Pitman 'sambaed by Mr. TIXDA L.—ls a
Marai,eott 1 has . practised as such at Andover fur ten
piste; dos professlocally, attended the family of Lord
Paatsmoitth. for the whole of that time; there was et all
tirpea a singular peculiarity. in the .conduct of the Earl ;
i4,one occasion his Lordship refust%l to comply with the
Vofeigonal adirice of witness; he addressed witness in
AA and unjtiltiflaße liengnage ; this was about twenty
theee years ago ; saw Lard Portsmouth for the last time
ed of ten weeks ago; his Lordship behaved very po.
fitiety,. and invited hint to dinner; saw him again the
nap day; perceived. directly by his countenance that
Lle,temper was soured ; his Lordship then behaved very
nociyilly ; bed not .given any cause for such treatment.
From the length of witness has known his Lord-
ship, and recalling hit conduct during the whole of that
time, he did cot consider that be bad at any period of a
folir bourse of yeari been of sound mind.
ICioss-examined by Mr. 11 1.1.1AM:14111d always
thought Lord Portsmouth unsound ia his mend; never
expressed an opinion to the contrary.
a JUSOR.—IIad not been in the habitsof attending
irbins atmsound mind' Professionally.
lion Cole, called by Mr. Powect..—,ls the wife of
Villians.Cole, of Wbitehurch ; has known Lord Ports-
olith 30 years; was out nutting one day; saw his
lA.
ordehip; did not speak to here nor she to him 1 bis
titilstoip did net give her a farthing more nor less; has
seen Lim since : on one occasion bis Lordship asked her
aqfrel his poise ; did so ; told him be was very poorly,
•t 4. wanted letting blood; he asked witness to bleed
. Alla i aard ebecorild het; he then gave her 3s, and told
- bet to 'ti. Levkas knit asked her to call on him the next
N
• . ; so the next day atone o'clock, and saw his
rilehip.at the gate of a copse ; felt his poise again ;
erepeated his request for hir to bleed him ; refused ;
ive
Le pee her 2s. 6,1 ;,saw him another day; asked her
to fetch him a . servant • she asked the name of the tier-
rant; said lie did not know.; witness replied then that
she did not know who to go for; his Lordship then
gave her a seven shilling bis; he never sho.. ed hewany
thing excepting a lancet ; was in company with four
ether women one day, when his Lordship came up and
madethern put theirthands in their pockets and walk
be(ore him; his Lordship never attemp'ed to hire any
Nierties with witness: not the least in the world. Wit-
nits was about 70 years of age.)
Sarsh Adams, examined by Mr. Wetherell.—itesidei at
Tofton ; has known Lord Portsmouth twenty years ; met
his Lordship one day Ina bye road; sometimes asked his
Lordship how he was; ha gave her something, which she
has kept ever since : has It about her now (produced a
lancet, in a red morocco case;) gave it her about thirteen
tears ago ; the first thus witness saw his Lordship she was
in company with Hannah Curtis : he asked her to feel his
pulse, which she did, and told hint he was very poorly:
*eked her to bleed him ; shoseld she could not ; he reinarke:
that he had been bled by women in Loudon ; witness re-
(peed to bleed Wei, because it was on a Sunday morniok;
ktia,Lnrilship produced Liancet at the time lie asked bet to
hired h 1 .: had never seen Lord Port.niouth till then : met
his Lordship out the following Wednesday, shout a mower
of .a mile from the place where they met first ; this meet-
ing Was by the appointment of his Lor.lship ; again felt his
Oise, and told him he was better; he said no, he was
jeawse, aid very giddy In his head ; be then Naked her What
mews she wore, whether corded or ribbed; she raid rib-
bed ; he did pot aslito s.e them ; wanted her to Wind him,
Om did not ; liwstiewed tier his lancet, and requested liar to
gets young woman to meet him for the purpose of phrebo-
sogifsiog t. mot bit Lordship again, wanted to be bled; made
Vet pat herbed. In her pockets, bulging them out, and
`1154104 before tint ' did so till he told her to stop; 0.4
felt his-pule.; 'Wield him fie was better; he wad this 'very