The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-10-05 00:00:00

Pr

THE STATESMAN.

far from receiving any opposition to her request from
the Grand Duke, he scented anxious to accommodate her
The Chamberlain in question was employed to have
the Palace furnished, and matters having gone thus
far, she was informed that she could not obtain
this palace for a residence. It would have been 'nod
desirable to have produced this witness to 'wear to
those facts. Again, he said, that it appeared most
material, in this view of the case, that some evi-
dence should he adduced, who could speak to the
character of Bergami, while in the sers ice of Den.-
ral Pew,. Application was accordingly made to.
Oeneral Pio° to come to this country. He sp•
plied to the Aortrion liovernment, in which suave
vice he was, for permission. On that application.;
he was told, that if lie did come to England,
it should not be in his uniform. This answer he
thought rather strange, and he sent to know, whether
this answer contained any mental reservation, or whether
it implied, that if lie came to England. he should lose 1
his commission? lie received no answer, and the con- I
sequence is, that General Pin., has not arrived. Now,
my Lords, said Mr. W. is it without cause we complain
of the obatacles that have been thrown in the way of
the defence. But there were many others in that coon- I
try, Physicians and Lawyers, whom it would be most
desirable to have, that could not come. And he trusted
their Lordships would view this statement in the way ;
it deserved. These observa:iona, he thought proper to ;
make, as a aitlisidiary to the very powerful appeal of
his learned friend, to sliest. their Lordships, the
very unjust interference which had taken place
in this case, either by their high or low allies.—'
How did it happen that ;iithougli the Bill imputed an
adulterous intercourse of several years. the proof, such
as it was, did not distinct!) establish the fact of adultery ?
I f this were a case of almost iiiwn undisguised adultery,
how slid it happen that the evidence of the chambermaid
Demont, although it reached the third edition, with
addition,. hail left this part of the case a mere perfect
blank? Every person who had made the most superficial
°bees ration upon human nature must he aware that a
passion which was illegal and dishonourable was more
violent than that which was homourable and legal; and
yet the proof, or rather the evidence, had fallen
short on this subject ; and although there were
several witnesses ise that delectable tower of purity and
innocence Cotton -Barden, still unexamined. Ile ;
would request their Lorilaliips attention to another
observation which lie considered highly important, as
it etre:Aril the legal part oldie present question. The
case, admittedly, was atialugotoi to High Treason, but
in consequence of the imputed offence haying been ;
committed abroad with a foreigner, it was declared by
the high Law Authorities not to come within the
statute which made it Trea•tiii. But how did it happen,
that even supposing the imputed offence had been ;
wsownitted, and is niter circumstances which won't'
have brought it it ithin the crime of High Treason. I
how, hr would ask, did it happen that his Majesty's
Ministers had brought the charge forward at such a
distance of time, that although the offences were proved
beyond a doubt, still the accused insist be acquitted. All
Lawyers were aware, and he was sure their Lordships
were aware, that all treasons against the statute in ques-
tion west be prosecuted within three years met Mhs.-
isig their couumissiun. The attempted proof in the pre-
sent case laud not come up to any period of time within
three years, and therefore an acquittal would be cei-
taln, even Though the offence could be proved. The
prosecutors in this case were aware of all these circum-
stances which they have offered in evidence ou this oc-
casion : at least they had their Ompteda's, theirtirimm's,
and their Ratlens to manufacture these circum-
stances, and why then not have produced them before ?
Did they mean to advance that the condnet of the wife
of the Regent was immaterial and unworthy of notice ;
and that because she was now the wife of the king her
eunduct became material and worthy of notice? The
fact was, that these proceedings and this conduct would
lead to a strong suspicion, that her Majesty's real
offence was, her coming to Ragland. The Learned
Oentiensan has facetionsiv described time Bill of Pains
and Penalties in his amenried view of it, treating her Ma-
jesty's offence as being the circumstance of her merely
coming to England. Hr must apologize to his Learned
Friend the Attorney-General for not being very able at the
preparation of this species of proceeding. Bills of Pains
and Penalties he thanked Doll, were new, and there was
no precedent for a Queen's Bill of Pains and Penalties
since the days of Henry VIII. The Learned Deistic-
man now proceeded to reconsider the evidence of De-
moist, and painted out a variance in the testimony which
was destructive of her credit. In the first part of. her ex-
amination, speaking of the situation of the large bed in
the Princess's room, the witness said she made no
particular observation on the state of the bed,
and vet in a subsequent part of her examination,
when speaking of the same occasion, she, in
answer to a pretty leading question of the Solicitor-
Oeneral, said the bed appeared as if it had been occupied
by two persous. Power had been exercised to brio g mite
nt s. gainst the Queen, and the same power hail been
exercised to prevent those who would have come for her.
In addition to that, they were not in a condition to meet
time charge. as far as arrangement of time defence was ;
concerned, against the long-prepared and well-corrected
briefs on the other side. Two of their principal witnesses
hail undergone aprcviousexamination, in order " to snake
assurance double sure," contrary to all precedent and
example. It was Kw the Queen might have had a
longer time for preparation if their Lordships had been
asked. But he would tell them the reason that time had
not been asked. Her Majesty possessed patience and forti-
tude. Her whole life bad been a life of fortitude. But
even she had not the fortitude to allow the proceedings
to stay. Too great as her patience and fortitude were.
they were not sufficient to bear her up against a pro-
tracted trial, where the poison had been sent forth on
every side, without the antidote being allowed to go out
with it. They had continually [abound ender disad-
vantages, while the °the.' side had bad time, influence,
every thing. to assist them in preparing the charge. His
Learned Friend in the disrherge of his arduous task, hail
inadvertently passed some of tht evideoce without corn-.
usent. There was no part of the case with which he was
more desirous to grapple, than that which bad been so
omitted by his Learned Friend. Amongst the subjects
which bail escaped without comment, was, most *portico,
lady, that of the bath. No part of the esaininstios took
up more time, or was more enlarged noon. then this
story of the bath. It had been proved only by,klimjaeri.
He made the bath to be in tlse Queen's cabin, and
while her Majesty the Quern and Bergami wen in
it, Ist was placed to watch at the door.. Demeat's
evident was mot confirmatory of Majocci'sriesesiptiort
to the situation of the bath. Nay, It was tact only,
taistessafirmatory, but it was conteadiotory, Now he
would prove that the bath which her Makers used op
board the poleeee was a tub; and lbatthe cabii was
so fall that the bathosuld not be takeis in- Thai. if
the lairs austere were brosight against the evidence of
such a witness as Majoeci, he thought It world be in.

T -

1 stantly overturned. But this was the nature of all
their evidence, and this story was math'', bat ano-
ther infamous and abominable invention, to destroy
the character of the Queen. To the evidence respect-
ing the situation of the beds of Bergatni and the Queen
on the journey to Jerusalem, they could give a decided
contradiction. When the real situations of the beds were
i shown, it would render the fact sworn to, obviously, and
• utterly impossible. At Tunis, where the alterations in
1
the vessel had been described, it had been found neces-
sary to take a surgeon on Board. The fresh arrange-
ments were then wade, without the directions of the
Queen,—for the purpose of making room for the cur-
'eon, and of affording those accommodations which his •
causing on board the Polaere had rendered necessary.
On board the vessel, they should prove, that the tent was
within half-a-yard of the steersman. Ile was always on
this spot; watchful, as his duty required, by night,— ,
and yet, why hail he not been called on the other side.
Their Lordship recollected Major-Vs statement about the i
noise which he had lorard in the night, and tlory all well I
knew what that 'seise was intended to signify. If Ma-1
jocci had heard this noise from the deck shove, in the
place where he slept below, surely the steersman must
have heart' it, who was within half-a-yard of the
tent! Yet, he had not been called.
With respect to the evidence as to what had passed ma
Ward the Pnlarre, be would prove that Berrami was
al nights not in the tent. He would also chew
that the Ilneen. ever after certain auctopts to surprise
her, bad made it a general practice never to repose with.
coil aortae person luring at halls, to protect tier from simi-
lar attempts. and that some one was always posted either
at the door, in an adjoining room, or in the same tent,
when her Majesty was completely dressed. sod reposing
on the sofa. Bat even with a fraction of all this es ...
denre, what became of the testimony of Majocci and
Domont. It must have sh-corred to every one
that it was rather singular that none of the whole
twenty-tuo persons said to he on board this vessel
were not called; that notilde steersman, who could
have given twit ample confirmation of what Ma-
jocei, a discarded servant, and refused to he taken bark,
load stated. The very night, by supposition. oil which.
Wall that was stated were true. there could he no doubt
Night to be imputed the e ttttt mencentent of the And
Woos ittterconrse, he would bring proof direct in con-
tradiction of all that had been advanced. According to
Demont her Majesty came early from the Opera on that
OCCIIIiOII, appeasing much agitated. As that was only
a description of what another person appeared to be
'tiering, by the expression of her face, when no one
too was present to observe. she might safely venture tiro
that assertion,—there she might swear in perfect securtv.
Fortunately for the purposes of-justice, and for the safety
of the Qunen, that is:ght was a most remarkable night.
At the Opera, on that evening, was the then King of
Naples attended by all his Court. The Queen was in a
state-box numerously attended by the appropriate attend-
ants of her rank; and well ilia they remember the cir-
cumstance, from the length of time which they had to
stand ; for the amusement of the Opera slid nut suffice
to beguile the ennui of perfortstint,• that ceremony.
which they were under the necessity of obsetaing very ri-
gidly in consetpwnce of the vesture of the Neapolitan
Court. They would prove that her Majesty did not
quit the Opera until the whole has over, at about one
o'clock in the morning of that sante Opera night.
'So much for the earliness of her retiriooK. But now
'that simple fact was alleged on that night. Her
Majesty had no hell that night to sleep in. Slue slept
in none, it appeared, neither on that night, nor on any
other. dosing the whole period of her stay at Naples;
taw the small one was not slept in •;_ the hirge bed bad
no linen oil it, and, in short, Du Mont, throughout the
whole house, could fool nu bell fur her Majesty to repose
IC We. however, said the Learned (tenderness, •supply
Ito Nlont's want of memory in that particular. and we
shall he able to 'hew, that the Queen had uo bed that
sight ; for it was not only remarkable for the ceremony
of standing observed by her attesidants. These re-
markable concomitants could nut occur on all occa-•
lions ; hut it so happened, that uigh', that there iris
a !violent storm of wind, which blew open the cape-
salmi of her Majesty's room ; and we shall call a
witness, who was called by her Majesty, disturbed by
the accident of the casement to shut the window. This
witness could prove that the (lumen was in bed. What
then became of this night of adultery, the whole of the
facts which met with a peremptory contradiction ?
Again, what was to become of the charge as to the fla-
grant indecency of her Majesty's dress on the occasion
of some private fete ?riven, hr believed un commetursra- I
doe of Murat's victories, when the Qtaren appeared in I
the character of the lienists ut Ilistory .: Instead of its
having been as stated by Delmont, indecent, he could
shear that it was not only appropriate to the character,
itself, hut that it completely covered her Majesty even
up to the chin, and down below the elbows! There
was nothing in the character of history of a flighty fart.
elicit' nature, and accordingly the dress n as strictly in cha-
racter of autos, sober decent nature. With respect to Bar-
bara Krems, he would be able to contradict the tarts stated
by her ; and if he was not very notch deceived world he
aide, independent of that, to sbew to their Lordships,
that she was a person of that description of character as
not to he entitled to their Lordship's hi-lid'.
Mr. Wittaams then anode,' to the memorable going
to Naples, when Sacrhi swore that he strew the curtain
of the carriage, and saw the Princess and Bergami.
Now said Mr. Williams, we can prove that there were
no edetains to the carriage, and that Sacchi was not
eourigr on the journey. Rented not detain their Lordships
with a comment on that ; if Saffili was not there, Ise
could.uot see it, if there were no curtains, he could not,
draw them, and he had it in evidence, Isy persons who
were co that journey, that the facts were as he had
atatealidirm. He then proceeded to remark on the
changq,of apartments, from *heave the adnltt-rous in-
tercourse had been inferred. He could prove by eri-
dendeOhe most incnntestihle, that there was a necessity
to make it circuitous route round the house, in order to get
to the apartments of the Princess. This was the arrange-
ment ivllen the Princes. first arrived, and became a
aseful 'lteration was made to obviate tloi. inconvenience,
you barb been told it was for the pnrpose of carrying
on an adulterous intercourse. Ile next alluded to the'
etaritkbition scene described by the mason, relative to
the pinition of our first, parents, Adam and Eve. Now
her-mild prove from the sitisaf in Otitis he described
himself, that he might as soon see what was going
tbrward there, as he coned are what was going forward
in the interior of St. Paul's from his residence in Cotton
Gordis. Awl, said Mr. W. if my Lords, you find that
a wham by his own evidence, contradicts himself,
Iterwsaa you say that say part of his story is correct ?
Head ialls4 he saw the. proceedings were delayed, uatil
it will;Prnitshir that time bad thrown its mantle over
thrisetsetioirles of those tato might establish her Majesty's
innovenct, he was particularly bound to adore that Pro-
?biome which never failed to emend its protection to the('
pensertatet the Oppressed. and the innocent. He weigh':
&c
e reed thatiles up the evidence in favour of her Majesty.
4eirneti. I.:endemism here paid a• Islosiiiime,
eamplitatfet. In the two English officers. Captains*
I:fps )aid Pfehell, the fir* of whom lead spoken itf her
11resffi-fiesatr, and the other constilting.the feeling*
of a man of honour had admitted he observed any
impropriety in her Majesty's conduct. The supposition
of the domineering passion which Irsd hop attributed
to the Queen, astike genre of all substedial proof to
R -4.'•