Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-29

lions were at the disposal of Mrs. Clarke,
ard that her influence extended throughout
all the departments of the army and the
ramifcations of public life. The investiga-
ton lasted three weeks, and whenever the
routine became dry and Misunderstanding Mrs.
Clarke was called to the bar again, and
again to testify, and by the readiness and
pertness of her answers, relieved the mono
tony of the proceedings. The histories of
the time mention that this new and splendid
theatre for the display of her person and
talents seemed to afford her great salts
faction. and that she sometimes
carried her nonchalance, gayety and wit to
the borders of indecorum. A sample of her
testimony will call to mind Mrs. jerks pert
ness and evasions. Being asked if she had
not written an anonymous letter to the
Prince of Wales, she said eyes, s'Did you
sign any name to this anonymous letter."
Mrs. Clarke made no reply, but looking
archly at the chairman, burst into a fit of
laughter, in which she was joined by the
whole house. Asked if she had given the
same account of the negotiations of an ex-
change between certain colonies to Mr. War
die which she now gave to the House of
Commons, she said "No.' (Which, then
was the true account?' ''Both. .
Sin what, then, did they
differ?' "They did not differ at all; did
not enter into the same detail with Col
Wardle." In order to weaken her evidence
by bringing her motives and general char
acter into discredit, she was asked if she
had not said that if the duke of York did
not come to her terms she would expose
him. "No; promised to publish his letters
and pay my creditors with the profits of the
4 L., !.
that she was a married woman when she was
examined before the court-martial. "No,
thought it would be improper to say that !
was married woman, when it was known
that had been living with the duke OF
York; Had she not sworn that she
was widow? To this she re-
piled that the duke insisted she should pleac
her marriage to avoid her debts contracted
at Gloucester place, or else she might go t.
prison. and when she applied to him for 8
few hundred pounds he returned for answer
that if she dared to speak against him hi
would put her in the pillory. The mex,
question was: .:Who brought this message
respecting the pil!ory:" IA very particular
friend of the Duke of York 's-one Taylor, a
shoemaker in Bond street, stBy whom
was the request sent for a hundred
pounds! "By my own pen. !"
How was the letter sent?" .sBy
the Ambassador of Morocco "Whom
do you call by that name?' E'Ihe shoe
maker" Here the witness was admonished
of the impunity of giving her evidence in so
dippant and unhecoming manner, and
threatened with severe censure if she did not
treat the House with due respect.
MIR. Sheridan sprung a new mine of dis
covery by asking Mrs Clarke if she ever car
ried on negotiations respecting promotions
outside of the military departmental the
church for instance? eyes, several,
among them DR.. O'Meara, an Irish divine,
applied to me to be made bishop and the
duke Of York, at my request, procured him
an appointment of preaching before royalty
at Weymouth, but the duke told me that the
king did not like the capital 'O' in the doc
I tors name, and the negotiation failed.''
This was more than the house could stand.
They did not believe it, but letter from the
duke of York, subsequently produced, proved
that his hlghness had actually correspondent
with his mistress on this sacred subject. The
result of the investigation was resolution
praying the king to remove the duke of
York from the Office of commander n-chief.
A whitewashing motion was then carried
| the sentiment of the nation was such that
| the duke rendered his resignation as COM
| mander-in-chief of the army and the king
| accepted it.
The Potter committee investigation is not
parallel case exactly, but it has developed
witness who, for dippancy of tongue, is a
pretty close counterpart of. Mrs. Clarke of
the duke of York's household at Gloucester
place.