The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-10-26 00:00:00

PRirE ‘`.EVEN PENcE.

nonrable mind on its guard ? When they had gone
even farther than that, and shewn that it was 'ab-
solutely false? And if that siery was false, what
became of the whole of his evidence? What became
of those stories about the Princess and Bergami's con-
versations ; and of that improper conduct of her Royal
Highness at the Barons, which was supposed to have
disgtisted nnmerons persons of rank a ho were witnesses
of it ? And why were none of these persons called ?
It next appeared that her Royal Highness had
related to Manilla that she, the Princess Royal
of this country, had been rejected as a Member of the
Cassini. Setting aside the improbability of a per-
son of her exalted rank being refused such a bars,
whether it was so or not, still there was a different
'illation for it, if true, than that attempted to be given
to it. It was known that she was the wife of the
Prince Regent of this kingdom—it was known that she •
was his persecuted, condemned, exiled wife--a wanderer
on the face of the earth, because she had no home in that
country which had become her own ; because Bosse who
had before carried ht r triumphantly through against
the attacks of her enemies were now ranged in tlieii•
ranks—and it was from these circumstances that might
he drawn a different reason for such an oreurrence, than
that it proceeded from any merited disapprobation of
this illustrious person's conduct. He passed over that
host of Italian witnesses, together with the Wit of
improbable and insignificant fa .ts swum to by
them. lie would merely glance at that deposed by
Raggazoni, relative to the bathing of her itayal H ge-
nes,: and Boland, in the river fireechia—a kith was
proved by Captain ilownam to be a torrent of such a
nature as to preclude the possibility of any i err
son bathing in it, or of any boat nuvigating it. Tit
were trifling circtitustances, but important on that
account, as they served to chew the manner in which
the whole ease had been got up. lie next came to
that important name of Rastelli, which brought him
to the Milan 111111 l issiun, of whirls he was such au
active agent. And ht foie he proceeded further, he
vished to b.. understood, as to the light in which
he received that Commission, of which their Lord-
! ships had learned a great deal. At the head or
I the Commission, was air. Cooke, a gentleinais of
I whom lie hail Iss•ard nothing, but what gave
him a disposition to re-pert him until he accepted
the office w high this 1 '0211111.1%b1011 imperial upon
lie was a great lawyer, a man of great scientific research,
and possessing great weight and authority in all •
points of legal doubt. But he must confess, that of
all the names he had ever heard of in Westminster-
hall, he looked upon Mr. Cooke as the last man who
was qualified for the office lie hail undertaken. lie
thought there never was say one whose habits of mind
were less qualified for the office of sifting evidence, or
for detecting. falsehood iii a willing witness, or of
checking those nntler bins from overstraining their de-
ties. tie condemned the impropriety of employing Rastelli
in the dootele rapacity of courier and witusess. It would
have been enough for him to have gone over the country
beating up tor recruits, without supporting the case
with his own false testimony. He lied said that he had
never given money to any witness whatever; that had
been contradicted most flatly by the evidence of Potosi.
But the mast important fact los the consideration of their
Lordships was, that this Rastelli, smite parts of whuo
evidence they hall proved to be false, and against whom
they might have to commence proceedines hereafter.--
for whose present's the lionise had received the solemn
pledge of the promo-mom when this man was called upon
it was discovered that he bad gone back to Milan to
consult with new uitnesses, and perhaps to perpetrate
new acts of corruption. Their Lordships had been told,
anti told nith truth, that the injury this ciremostance
would create to the defence of the Qneen. could pruhably
never be repaired. Those were the words of truth aid
solserness ; tOr it was utterly impossible to calculate the
extent of mischief which hatl thus been ,lone to that de-
fence. This 311411 had disappeared somehow on the 1414
of September, and •on the of October he was
nut returned. lie bad been taken away when he was
wanted, to heat up for new witnesses to patch up the ca.e,
either in confirmation of what others had sworn, or in
contradiction to that which had been proved in the de-
fence. °llk great responsibility fell heavily upon those
connected with the prosecution, and required all the
weight of character to whirl, they had appealed, to re-
move the very natural doubt and suspicion whirl. had
been ...felted. When it was discovered that itastelii had
been sent away, Isis Learned Friends ought, in candour
and fairness, to have told them of it, and not to have
left the discovery to chance. If liastelli had Tete...H.4
in August, he might have been to Milan, whilst they sou-
posed him to be in Cotton-Garden, and they *night never
have known to the contrary.
Here Mr. Denman retinal for half an hour.
On his return at the expiratiun of that time, the
Learned Gentleman reasoned. It was remarkable
that the witnesses for the prosecntio:u had attempted t
give a t•olonr even to the performances at the Barons, a
colour which was not warranted by the truth. It was
stated, thet Louie liergaini had sustained the part of
{harlequin, and her Royal Highness that of Coltinibitie,
This was stated generally; but the fact was euppressea.
that the Italian Hurlequin tiiflered from the English In a
%Wry material point; inasmuch as the Italian Culumbirie
had no lover, or at least that Inter was not Harlequin.
He wonlil here admit, that it was possible her Royal
Highness had indulged her Wilt% of condescension toss
; that in her desire to lay aside that measured tilt.
tance anti haotrar which too often was observable in per-
eons oflsigh station, her Royal Highness might have m C -
sirmally lest sight of that severity which was the
nem, attendant of Royalty ; hut he denied that in any
one instance she had lust the; dignity which was essen-
tial to the preservation of her high station. Referroir
to the Milan Commission, the Learned Gentleman sail,
his Learned Fiietitl, Mr. Brougham, was supposesi
have stated, that lie dill not charge a conspiracy es-
'peeling. that Coen:6.o4lm. What his Learned Frieos
lad said, was this: If there was a coesplracy on foot.
to suborn evidence again,: her :fisjesty, the riowe lake's
by the Milan Commissioners and the agents they
La.l
employed, appeared to be the saw, one v.v.:111 ctippu‘e,
winch would have been taken and employed by the
conspirators. That was his Learned Ft irria..3
expression, and that expressioa lie would adopt. If col-
riiption had not bronght the witnesses to the bar of met
House, it must have been from a mere love of twoeal
purity, finite abstracted from the desire of haviogelsises
pot npon their shoeless feet, and new eloshes npes Ike*
naked bucks; it n►nst, have been a pnre unvisited to.
Earl for the public morals of this country ; bat*, ple.•