Clarke. This 500l. I shall be able to prove was paid by Mrs. Clarke to Mr. Perkins, a silversmith, in part payment for a service of plate, that the Commander in Chief made good the remainder, and that the goods were sent to his house in Gloucester-place. From this infer, first, that Mrs. Clarke possesses the power of military promotion; secondly, that she received a pecuniary consideration for such promotion; and thirdly, that the Commander in Chief was a partaker in the benefit arising from such transactions. In this case, there are no less than five different persons who can be called as witnesses, viz. Major Tonyn, Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Donovan, Captain Sandon, and the executor of Mr. Perkins, the silversmith.

The next instances I shall give, are those of Lieutenant Colebrooke, of the 56th Regiment, and Lieutenant Knight, of the Dragoon Guards. A Mr. Tuck, a medical gentleman, it appears, was concerned in the first of these transactions, for it was agreed between him and Mrs. Clarke, that she should receive 2001. upon Lieutenant Colebrooke's name appearing in the 'Gazette for promotion. At that moment, it appears, this lady was anxious to go on an excursion into the country, and she stated to his Royal Highness, that she had an opportunity of getting 2001. to defray the expences of it, without applying to him. This was stated upon a Thursday, and on the Saturday following this officer's name appeared in the Gazette, and he was accordingly promoted, upon which Mr. Tuck waited on the lady and paid her the money. To this transaction, therefore, I can call as witnesses, Lieutenant Colebrooke, Mr. Tuck, and Mrs. Clarke. Without stating the particulars of the other case I have alluded to, I shall content myself with mentioning one of a very different nature, which occurred within these eight or ten months, and that I do it for the purpose of shewing how very difficult it was, in many instances, for officers of the highest merit to be allowed the smallest indulgence in regard to change. Two officers of the 1st Regiment of Foot, Major Macdonald and Major Sinclair, who are generally acknowledged to be officers of merit, happening to be both in a bad state of heaith, Major Macdonald was ordered to join his regiment in the West Indies; but being sensible that the climate would prove injurious to him, and Major Sinclair having been in the West Indies, where he had enjoyed his health much better than here, they mutually agreed to apply for an exchange. Application was accordingly made to the Commander in Chief, and it was urged as strongly as possible; every thing was attempted, but in vain; the Cominander in Chief ordered Major Macdonald to go to the West Indies, where he soon fell a victim to the climate; and he forced Major Sinclair to remain at home, where his health became worse, and he died. These officers, it appeared, had offered no bribe of 2004., and therefore they were obliged to combat stations, which caused the termination of their existence. The next instance is that of Major John Shaw, who was upon the full pay in Champagny's Regiment. He

applied

applied for the office of Deputy Barrack-Master-General, at the Cape of Good Hope, Dec. 3d, 1806, and in that appointment Mrs. Clarke's interference will be strongly exemplified. The Cominander in Chief had no favourable opinion of this Major Shaw; but we find that officer consented to give Mrs. Clarke 100pl. for this appointment, and he was accordingly Gazetted, April 3, 1507; soon after that, it appears, that this gentleman, in compliance with his obligation to pay that bribe, sent several sums of money to Mrs. Clarke, amounting in all to 500l.-She applied in vain for the remainder, which, owing to some embarrassinents, he was not able punctually to pay. When she found that he was not competent to fulfil his engagement, she complained bitterly of this breach of contract to the Commander in Chief, who, feeung for her situation, was much enraged, and immediately for this breach of contract, put Major Shaw upon half-pay. I have in my possession a letter from Major Shaw, complaining violently of this conduct, and there are also several letters written by Mrs. Shaw, (his wife) to this Mrs. Clarke, threatening her and the Commander in Chief with a public exposure. I believe the staff. in America, are all in the same predicament; and, indeed, I know but of one instance of any officer having been put on full pay.

I think this shews that Mrs. Clarke's influence extended to the staff abroad, as well as to the army at home, and that the Commander in Chief countenanced this individual, and rendered himself a direct party to her transactions, by putting an officer on half-pay, for breach of his bargain with her.

The next case relates to a levy made under the direction of Colonel French, in the years 1804 and 1805; this levy was set on foot by this same lady Mrs. Clarke.

Colonel French was introduced to her by Captain Sandon, and it was agreed between her and that Colonel, that she should have a given sum out of the bounty on each man raised, besides the patronage of a certain number of officers, in consideration of the assistance she was to afford Colonel French in his promotion. This agreement she made known to the Commander in Chief, and afterwards sent the Colonel to the Horse Guards, and he obtained his object. As this levy proceeded, she received several sums of money through the hands of French, Sandon, and a Mr. Corri, also one of her agents, all of whom can be brought as witnesses to this transaction. There was one sum of 500l. which she received from Mr. Corri, and which was paid through the hands of another agent, a Mr. Cockayne, a solicitor, in Lyon's Inn. Mr. Donovan, whom I have mentioned as a Lieutenant of the Royal Garrison Battalion, was the agent who gave in writing, to the parties applying for promotion, a statement of the prices which Mrs. Clarke asked for what she had to sell. The half-pay prices appear to have been, for a majority, 900l.; a company, 700/.; a lieutenancy, 400/.; and an ensigncy, 2007. The full-pay prices were, for a majority, 2,600/.; a company, 1,500,; a lieuenancy, 550l.; and an ensigncy, 400/. Thus far it appears that

Mrs.

Mrs. Clarke was interested and concerned in army promotions. I am now to come to those transactions of a similar nature, wherein the Commander in Chief appears to have been alone concerned. I am prepared to prove that the Commander in Chief was to have a loan from Colonel French, through Mr. Grant, of Barnard's Ian, on account of his promising to use his influence to procure a considerable sum of money which was due to that officer. That the Commander in Chief did use his influence to get payment of these arrears is evident; but it is also evident, that he did not succeed, and, therefore, he did not receive the loan promised. There was no less than 3000/. due to Colonel French from Government. From these bases I think it will plainly appear, that not only did Mrs. Clarke possess influence to procure promotions, to effect exchanges, the power of augmenting the military establishment of the country, and that she was allowed to receive pecuniary remunerations for her interference; but also, that the Commander in Chief endeavoured to procure pecuniary resources to himself, both in conjunction with, as well as independently of, Mrs. Clarke. I shall now allude to another case, namely, that of Captain Maling, of the 73d Regiment. He was appointed a Captain in the Royal African corps, upon the 15th of January, 1808; that corps being commanded by Col. Gordon, the Duke of York's Secretary. I believe that Captain Maling is a perfectly meritorious officer; I bave not the honour of knowing him, but I have heard him highly spoken of. I understand he had the good fortune to get his first commission in 1806, when he was a clerk in Mr. Greenwood's office, without one hour's military service, and soon afterwards was appointed to a company in Ireland. In the space of three years, he has been put over the heads of all the subalterns in the army, many hundreds of whom, in addition to their long service, and the wounds they have received in their country's cause, had actually lodged their money for promotion. Whether this is doing justice to the military service of the nation, I leave to gentlemen to judge; but I trust I have stated a sufficient number of cases, to induce the House to give me permission to appoint a Committee for inquiring into such gross and scandalous abuses. Before concluding, however, I may advert to this other very extraordinary cireumstance, that I can tell Gentlemen, that, of my own knowledge, at this very hour there is a public office in the city, where commissions are still offered at the reduced prices which Mrs. Clarke chooses to exact for them. The agents there have declared to me, that they are now employed by the present favourite Mrs. Carey. They have not only declared this as relative to military commissions, but they have carried it much farther; for, in addition to commissions in the army, places of all descriptions, both in CHURCH AND STATE, are transacted at their office; and these agents do not hesitate to give it under their own hands, that they are employed by many of the first Officers in His Majesty's ser

To conclude, I trust, that after the statement I have made, no man who has heard me will think that I have taken up this matter

y

st

Is

e

e

e,

matter lightly. I have pressed it upon sure grounds, and am prepared to prove these assertions; and in order that they may be investigated and inquired 'into, I beg leave to move "That a Committee be appointed to investigate the conduct of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, in his capacity of Commander in Chief, with regard to appointments, promotions, exchanges, the raising of new levies, and the general state of the army."

SIR F. BURDETT seconded the motion.

The SECRETARY at WAR said, he did not rise to give any op position to the motion, at least to any fair and reasonable extent to which the proposition might be thought necessary. The hon. gentleman had, in a very candid manner, brought forward facts of the most important kind, and in their consequences most serious and weighty. He conceived the House would readily acquiesce in going into an inquiry of the facts which had then been brought forward, or any other facts which the hon. gentleman might still intend to produce hereafter; but as to a general inquiry into the conduct of the Commander in Chief, he would not agree. He was certain that illustrious personage was ready to go into a full investigation of these charges. As to the half-pay list, he had already stated, on former occasions, that it had been most extensively and materially benefited by the Commander in Chief, who had voluntarily resigned a very extensive patronage, in order that the sale of the commissions might be brought in aid of the Compassionate Fund, by which that Fund had been greatly increased. With respect to the barrack department, he thought it proper just to state, that it was not within the patronage of his Royal Highness the Duke of York. He wished also to observe, that the manner in which the army had been fitted out, which was lately sent to Portugal, was a very striking mark of the superior military talents of the Duke of York, and a strong proof of his great attention to and regard for that army, and of course militated against the truth of charges, which, if founded in truth, must strike at its discipline, and, through that, at its very existence. His right hon. friend near him (Sir A. Wellesley), who had so lately commanded that army, would readily tell the state in which he found it; and great as his right hon. friend's talents were for inspiring his soldiers with spirit, and activity, he could not have speedily instilled into them the noble energies of which they had given such unequivocal and brilliant proofs, if they had previously been under such inattention to, and neglect of discipline as these charges held out. The spirit of promotion, which had been infused into the army by the Commander in Chief, and which throve so well under his auspices and nourishment, together with the extreme regularity, order, and arrangement, which he had introduced into every military department, ey had done every thing for the army, and evinced that he had ever been actuated by the greatest zeal and anxiety for its honour and its interests,-whereas, the charges, if true, would make him one his of its most inveterate enemies. He thought it necessary to make Nó, 1,

ad

g

20

10

ee

D

ry

W

rs.

ed

rs.

ry

di

th

ese

er

ter

B

these

these few observations as to what he knew of the conduct of the illustrious personage in question: and, having done so, would not. trespass further on the time of the House, than to say he was very happy the hon. gentleman had brought them forward, as he was sure the Commander in Chief wished nothing more earnestly than that they might be fairly and fully investigated.

SIR A. WELLESLEY said, he rejoiced sincerely that the hon. gentleman had brought forward certain facts on which a Committee might be able to judge. His right hon. friend had said, that he was able to speak as to his knowledge of the army he had lately. commanded, with respect to its discipline, and also as to the character and conduct of the Commander in Chief. He could truly answer, that it had fallen to his lot to know particularly how promotions were made, and that such an advancement in the army never took place without the names being produced, by whom recommended, and the sums ascertained which were paid for the same. There was also a correspondence, shewing how the money was brought in that was intended for the half-pay Fund, and what sums went out of it. He rejoiced, therefore, at the statement of facts alleged, and then brought forward.

With respect to the removal of the Deputy Barrack-MasterGeneral at the Cape of Good Hope, he believed, and indeed knew, it was a case that frequently occurred, and that Staff-Officers, not on full pay at the time they were appointed, must go on half-pay; those who happen to be on full pay at the time appointed, remained on full pay; but those only on half-pay must remain so. did not know that this was the case in the instance then alluded He to by the hon. gentleman, but he mentioned these circumstances because it might happen to be so; and if it were, the usage of the service would account for it, and shew that it was no fault nor partiality in the Commander in Chief. As to the case of the two Officers in the West Indies (Major Macdonald and Major Sinclair) to whom the hon. gentleman had alluded, he thought it would be putting the Commander in Chief into a very severe and invidious predicament indeed, if, because he would not consent to any particular exchange which might have suited the private convenience or interests of those two individuals, that he should, therefore, be liable to the charge of their deaths. This would be carrying his responsibility for events not depending on himself a great length indeed, and never could be thought reasonable. If, indeed, general charges were to be brought forward and countenanced against persons filling so high and important a station as that of Commander in Chief, it would, he feared, become very difficult to prevail on persons of the elevated rank of the illustrious person in question, to accept an office of such extraordinary and extensive responsibility. It would appear from the statement of the alleged facts, that with a view to save money from going out of his own pocket, the Commander in Chief had connived at, or authorised the sale of Commissions, the emoluments of which went into the coffers of his favourites, to the great detriment and injury of the Compassionate

ย