Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-09-12

and challenges the most complete in
quiry into her conduct; but she protests
againS' any committee of secret exami-
nation. Her majesty is also anxious that
the inquiry should be as speedily as
openly gone into but she cannot bring
| herself to think that the House of Lords
will sanction so crying an injustice as
that OF proceeding to that inquiry in the
absence of herself, her counsel, and witt
nesses, the latter of which cannot be got
| together tor some weeks; but the mo-
ment they arrive her majesty will cause
due notice to be given to the House of
Lords, that the inquiry may proceed in
any way the House may think fit. In
the mean time before any other step is
taken, her majesty prays to be heard by
her counsel at the bar of their lordships'
house this night"
Lord Dacre then moved, that her
malesty's counsel be called in, which
was agreed to mem. dis. The Lord
Chance llor--Call in her majesty's coun-
sci. In few minutes the deputy usher
OF the black rod appeared, with Messrs.
Brougham, Denman, and Williams, who,
having gone to the bar, Mr.. Brougham
| said, they had the honor to attend their
lordships on the part of the Queen, and
he would have been inclined to have
asked few hours, to have prepared
himself for this important task; but he
had the commands of his iIlustrious eli
ent not to throw in the way any semblance
of opposition to this inquiry. She now
does not ask delay, in the vulgar sense
of the word; she wishes inquiry, which
she knows will end in a complete and
glorious proof of her innocence, because
she was innocent, and they were just.
She asked for delay to prepare her
proof: because the contrary would be
the rankest injustice. She knew not
what was in that bag, or who the tools
were who had lent themselves to the
collection of those materials, which were
the charges against her; but they knew
that whatever these charges were, they
must relate to her conduct while abroad;
and as she resided most of the time be-
yond the Alps and the Apprentices both,
it would be impossible in FIVE or six
weeks to write letters and receive an
swers from that distance; but it would
require a much longer time to collect
Witnesses necessary to enable him even
to cross-eXamine even one of those
wret--( He begged their lordship's par
dong those creatures-who had been spy
ing into her conduct, aud whispering
falsehoods, which they would never have
dared 10 utter in presence Of men of
honor The safeguard of an English
woman was, that she had English wit
nesses against her; full of the know
ledge and sanctity of an oath, they were
examined in land where they were
known; and she had compulsory pro-
cess to compel the attendance of such
Witnesses; but the Queen had none of
these. Her ministers abroad were not
likely to be very active in procuring
witnesses in her favor. She had not
many of the ministers, and he did not
think they would serve her much. What
must be her innocence, when she boldly
told them to go on, for she demanded
justice; but it was their lordships duty,
that however innocent she was, they
should not allow her cause to be injured
by any defects in her means Of procuring
evidence. He would put it to any law
yer who heard him, to say whether he or
his learned friend could cross-examine
a witness, if he did not know the neigh
borhood in which he lived Put the case
that one Of the Witnesses against her
majesty was driven from her service for
stealing 400 dollars; and he could bring
an Eng fish naval officer, now at Roucn-
no Hanoverian baron--and would they
examine that witness before they had
sent for this; who would drive the other
out Of court? He understood, that iftime
were given him to procure all his wit
ncsses, he should be able to drive all the
other charges out of court in like man.
ner. He therefore did not ask the delay
of the process, but only the commence
ment Of five or six months: and as their
lordships were British Judges, he ex-
pected they would grant it; for he could
not conceive, that even at Milan, any
tribunal would delay, to enable an ac-
cused person to collect his witnesses.
They were about to enter into an investi-
cation derogatory to the dignity of the
crown, and injurious to the best interests
of the country; he therefore conjured
their lordships to pause before they
entered on an inquiry, which, if carried
on as proposed, would end in legal
murder committed on the character OF
one of the most ilustrious persons in the