slip of paper, with the names of the parties wishing for an exchange; that, at the time, she said she expected to receive a compliment on the occasion; that she recollected sending the gazette, containing the notice of the exchange, to Dr. Thynue, accompanied by a note; that she recollected receiving a pecuniary consideration for her services in procuring the exchange, of 2001.; that the money was sent inclosed in a note, with Dr. Thynne's compliments; that she recollected making it known to the commander in chief that she had received this money; that his royal highness knew the amount of the sum she received; and that he sent one of his servants to get it changed for her. She did not request that Mr. Knight should keep the transaction a secret from the Duke, but from the public.

Mrs Clarke admitted that she had grounds of complaint against the Duke of York; and that she told Mr. William Adam, in a letter, that if he did not pay her her annuity regularly, which he and the Duke of York had promised her, that she would expose the letters of his royal highness, which he had at different times sent her. She said she had never threatened to expose the Duke of York unless he came to her terms, and that she was not willingly before the public now, that she only said she would publish the Duke's letters to pay her creditors, which he refused to do. His royal highness wanted to insist on her pleading her marriage, in order to evade her debts, or else going to prison. She stated, that she was a married woman; that she had been married 14 or 15 vcars; that she did not know whether her husband was living; that she had not sworn herself to be a widow; but the Duke of York believed that she did, and he had threatened to have her punished for it. When she sent to him for money, he sent her for answer, that he would have put her in the pillory, or the Bastille, for falsely swearing that she was a widow. On being asked who brought her that message, she said Mr. Taylor, a shoemaker of Bond street, a particular friend of the Dukes, whom she called an ambassador of Morocco. She could not recollect that she had stated to Mr. Knight that she intended to write a memoir of her life for the last 14 or 15 years, ur that she had put it into the hands of those who would publish it. She did

not know Major Hogan; but Mr. Greenwood had sent her a message, saying that he was sorry that she knew a man of the name of Finnerty, whom she had merely scen at Margate about 9 years ago. She said she had never sworn to her being a widow, but that having once been examined before a court martial at Colchester, the judge advocate, who shewed much more fecling than the person who then examined her, told her, there were some questions he should not put to her in public court.

He afterwards asked her in private, whether she was a widow or not, aud she said she was; which answer got upon the minutes of the court martial, but in giving the same her only motive was that of preserving her own reputa tion, as well as that of his royal highness, he being a married man.

She admitted, in the course of ber examination, that she was in the habit of frequently seeing Colonel Wardle, and that she had reluctantly commuuicated to him the substance of what she bad now stated, but did not know for what purpose the information would be used, and that she was angry at being compelled to come before the house

The Attorney General observed, that whatever questions he had felt it his duty to put to the witness, was with the sole view of impeaching her veracity alone, and not Mr. Wardle's testimony.

On being examined by Lord Stanley, she again positively asserted, that she had shewn the 200l. to the Duke of York the day she received it, and that one of his servants got the notes changed for her.-Here her examination being concluded, she withdrew.

Mr. Adam was then examined, He said that in the year 1789, he was first desired to look into some concerns of the Duke of York's. Late in 1805 Mrs. Clarke's husband had threatened the Duke of Yorke with an action of damages, for criminal conversation with his wife. Upon this, he directed diligent enqui ries to be made respecting Mrs. C. and found that the account she had given of herself was not correct. The Duke of York was slow to believe any thing against her, but being at length convinced, he resolved to part with her, and sent him with a short note to her, announcing this determination. This communication was accompanied with a declaration that his royal highness would pay her an annuity of 4001. per.

annum as long as she behaved correctly. Mrs. C. appeared extremely surprised at this communication. She expressed a determination to see his royal highness, and seemed to entertain strong hopes that she could make him change his resolution. He denied having guaranteed to her in any way the payment of the annuity.

Colonel Gordon was examined by the Attorney-General. He said he was public secretary to the commander in chief, and that all promotions and exchanges passed through his hands. Being shown the Gazette, he was asked if he remembered the exchange in question? He answered that he did; and that it was transmitted to the office of the commander in chief by Messrs. Cox and Greenwood, with the recommendation of Gen. Norton, on the 1st of July, 1805, approved by the commander in chief on the 23d of the same month, received his Majesty's approbation on the 24th, and was gazetted on the 30th of the same month of July. On being asked if all the other promotions which went in the same paper with this exchange were in the same Gazette, he replied, yes.

Mr. Perceval proposed that the committee should adjourn till Friday, giving Mr. Wardle an opportunity to collect his other witnesses.

Thursday, Feb. 2.

Lord Castlereagh moved the second reading of the militia establishment bill, without entering into any discussion thereof.

Mr. Elliot objected to the bill in toto, particularly as it renewed the obnoxious system of ballotting, and that was throwing lots in a crowd, which of any given number of persons, poor or rich, should pay 10, 20, 30, or 40 guineas for a substitute, and to many proved a cruel tax.

Col. Wood defended the measure; Lord Euston, Sir T. Turton, and Col. Bastard opposed it.-Lord Castlereagh defended the bill, on the plea of necessity, which was then read a second time without a division.

Friday, Feb. 3.

Mr. Whitbread gave notice, that on Monday next he should move a resolution, that the office of chief secretary for Ireland is an efficient office, and that the salary ought not to be paid to any man who does not perform the duty.

The house, pursuant to the order of

the day, resolved itself into a committee, to investigate the charges against the commander in chief.

Mr. Wardle, in answer to a question from Mr. Perceval, said:" I never received any information from Mr. Finnerty in my life. Within these few days he spoke to me about Dr. Thynne. When Major Hogan's pamphlet was published, and I saw matter in it which held out that any inember of parliament could receive much more information, if he asked for it. I wrote a letter to Major Hogan, in consequence of which I had an interview with Mr. Finnerty; and found he had no information to give me on the subject." Mr. Wardle begged to correct an inadvertent error he made on Wednesday, in saying he had not seen Mrs. Clarke the previous day, whereas he saw her twice, but confounded that day with Monday.

Mr. Adum now rose and read to the house two letters, which he regretted he was unable to produce on a former night. They were signed M. A. Clarke, and were as follow:-"Sir, on the 11th of May, 1806, it was the promise of his royal highness the Duke of York to allow me 4001. a year. This allowance is now in arrear, for his royal highness owes me 5001. After the manner in which his royal highness has treated me, I have now nothing left to depend on, and I am therefore come to the resolu tion of making my intentions known. I therefore propose, Sir, that he should settle upon me the 4001. a year for life, and pay me the arrears due; and if he refuses, I have no other means left than to publish all the transactions which have passed between his royal highness and me. I wish he may comply; because there are many of those transac tions which would be extremely injurious to his royal highness to see published, and it would be very unpleasant to my feelings to be obliged to disclose them. It is now in his power, if be chooses, to prevent me. I shall send a copy of my proposals to every branch of the royal family. One thing more I wish to add: should his royal highness abandon my boy, I hope he will place him in the Charter-house school, or "some other public foundation. My boy is not answerable for my faults. You will please to communicate this to the Duke of York. His royal highness's conduct leaves no room for reliance upon his honour.“→June 19, 180%.

The other letter ran thus :"Sir,-Having received no answer to my former letter, and as you have advised his royal highness to abandon me, I have employed myself since in putting on paper an account of all the circumstances that have passed between his royal highness and ine, and I have besides 50 or 60 of his letters to me, all of which I have promised to deliver on Tuesday next, to gentlemen, not publishers, but persons who are just as obstinate as the duke himself; and if his royal highness refuses to comply, I must of course relieve my wants by an appeal to others, who will give me that which the duke will not. Remember he has it all now in his own power, and may act as he pleases; but it will he out of my power, after Tuesday next, to recall those papers, as they will then be out of my possession."-No date, but received on the Saturday following the above.

Mr. Adam said, these were the two letters alluded to in Mrs. Clarke's examination. He shewed them to his royal highness, who expressed himself not at all apprehensive as to any thing that could be published.

The Attorney-General said, he wished to call a Mr. Pugh, in order to contradict that part of Mrs. Clarke's evidence, in which she said she had never told any trades people that she was a widow. Mr. Beresford observed, that there could not be a man in that house who did believe what the infamous woman had said, who had come forward as a witness against a most respectable branch of the royal family. He wished this examination might not be proceeded in; it was unbecoming the dignity of that house, and must be highly painful to the feelings of every member.

Mr. Adum wished to state, that the boy mentioned in Mrs. Clarke's letter was not the son of the Duke of York. Mr. Fuller hoped the examination would not be stopped, but that the whole affair might be probed to the bottom; and then the house would see that this was a foul conspiracy to wound the feelings of the King's son.

Mr. Perceval admitted, that this examination was extremely painful. But it was necessary, for the honour of the illustrious person concerned, that the evidence should be proceeded in. No doubt remained as to Mrs. Clarke's receiving money, with an expectation, on

VOL. V.

the part of those who gave it, that she could obtain promotion for them! But the only question was, whether she obtained money with the privity of the Duke of York.

Sir F. Burdett thought it highly irregular to bring forward witnesses on the part of a defence, until the evidence for the charge was concluded.

Mr. Perceval said, that the house had already heard evidence on the part of the defence; having, on a former night, understood that the charge, so far as related to the transaction, was finished.

Ludovick Armoran then was called in, and examined. He had been for 18 years a footman to his royal highness the Duke of York-Remembered the duke visiting Mrs. Clarke in Gloucesterplace-none of the servants, except himself, ever attended the duke at that place. He used to go to his royal highness at eight o'clock in the morning, to take his cloaths. He once saw Mrs. Clarke there had been in the habit of going there from 1804 to 1806; no other of the servants went to him. The single occasion on which he saw Mrs. Clarke, was to take a favourite dog of his royal highness for Mrs. Clarke to see. His royal highness was not there at the time. He never was directed by either of them to carry out a bank note to be changed, nor did he ever carry one out for any body. The servants at Gloucester-place were not the Duke of York's servants. The duke never went in his carriage to Gloucester-place, nor on horseback.

Mr. Adam, in answer to a question from Mr. Wardle, stated that he had a son, a lieut. colonel in the 21st regiment. General Sir Charles Stuart asked him, many years ago, if he had a son who had a disposition for the army. He auswered, that he had. His son was consequently made an ensign at 15 years of age. He was sent to Woolwich, to receive a military education. He received a second commission shortly after, At the age of 16 he went with his intimate friend, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, to the Helder, as a volunteer. The youth landed in a hot fire, and received the thanks of every body about him for his gallantry. He was actively engaged in every expedition, had raw unruly soldiers under him, and conducted them well. On his return from Holland, he received from the Duke of

York," without any solicitation on my part, (said Mr. A.) so help me God," a captain's commission in the coldstream guards. He went with Sir Ralph Abercrombie to Egypt, landed at the head of the guards, and he gallantly distinguished himself in every engagement. On his coming home, he was made a Major gratuitously by the Duke of York. After that he was raised, as a matter of course, to the rank of Lieut. Colonel; and he was a credit to his Country, as Sir John Moore, where he alive, would testify.

Mr. Adam then said, he should trespass for a moment longer on the patience of the house, by producing an anonymous letter he had very recently received, to the following effect, written in red ink:

64

"Sir, your character was once res“pected; that is now over. Your "shifting in the house of commons, aud your interference in the Duke of "York's letchery concerns, would have "dubbed any other man a pimp. This "subserviency to royalty has made your son a Colonel at twenty years, and given your other boy a ship. Bravo! Go on! Try if you can say you act for no profit when you get your sons thus provided for. Decide as you please, "that the man who is paid for his services out of the public purse, because "he is the second man in the kingdom, as you say, and a prince, forsooth, "should not shew a good example! Let "the commons decide as they will, the public will judge for themselves; and it is not a decision of the Bear Gar“den that will convince burdened mil"lions that black is white. This ru"brick is typical of my feelings. I "blush for you, and wish you would "change your principles to correspond "with the colour of your hair, and live "the latter part of your time in honour. Though the decision of the house will "not go far with the public, yet all 66 eyes are upon it, and the damnation 46 or salvation of the commons depends upon this decision!"

Mr. Dent thought the letter just read ought to be treated as the proceedings of the house, in consequence of its being a part of the learned gentleman's speech.

Mr. Ellison thought the lettter ought to be treated with contempt.

Mr. Fuller insisted that this letter was a threat, tending to prevent a

member of the house from doing his duty. A reward of 5001. should be offered to find out the infamous author.

Mr. Wardle said, he by no means meant to impute to the Hon. Geut. (Adam) any thing like undue influence over the Duke of York. It was the system of which he complained, in the instance of Capt. Maling getting his promotion. He was made an ensign in the year 1805, a Lieutenant in 1806, and a captain soon after; and he was now Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal African corps. He had obtained these promotions in less than three years. The Hon. gentleman complained, that while promotions were showered down upon one individual, there were many subalterns in the army, who had served longer than Captain Maling, who had seen service in all parts of the world, many of them having been wounded; whereas Captain Maling had been so speedily promoted. He had never seen an hour's service, and was great part of the time to be found at his desk in Mr. Greenwood's office, Craig's-court. The hon. gentleman insisted that this was a very striking instance of favouri tism, and that it was completely subversive of quiet and order among officers in the army.

The case of Capt. Maling was then partially gone into; but it appeared that so far from having continued in Mr. Greenwood's office after receiving his commission, he had, on the contrary, joined his regiment, and received recommendations for promotion from his superior officers in consequence of his meritorious conduct. It was, however, admitted that there were many subalterns in the army who had served longer than Capt. Maling did when he was promoted.

Some smart altcreation ensued, respecting the further proceedings, in consequence of Mr. Wardle's entertaining doubts of some of his witnesses not being ready on Monday, particularly Captain Huxley Sandon and Mrs. Shaw, whom he had not been able to find out. This brought forth much severity from Mr. Canning and Mr. Sheridan, which called up Mr. Wm. Smith, who thought it was neither creditable to the character of the house or the royal Duke, that the hon. member, his accuser, should be brow-beaten, and noticed the threat before thrown out to him by Mr. Canning, that infamy must attach somewhere

He spoke impartially, as neither himself or his friends took any part in the charges preferred against his royal high

ness.

Mr. Cunning said the hon. gentleman's affectation of candour would have as little weight as the threat he had been accused of officially using; he would however give him credit as far as respected himself, but when he included those near him be believed he spoke without authority.

Mr. Smith spiritedly replied, that if his candour was affected, he hoped that of the house would be real, and again asserted that his side of the house disowned any participation in the alledged charges.

Sir F. Burdett said, that after the attack which had been made from the other side of the house, he felt it requisite for him to say, that if this was the way that persons who came forward on accusations were to be assisted by the wisdom of the house, there would be very little encouragement for any member to put himself forward for the detection of any great public abuses. He could not tell who the right honourable Secretary alluded to; but for himself he would be ashamed to disclaim publicly any thing which a member of parliament might do with perfect propriety. He thought the hon. gentleman entitled to protection, but could see no reason why he should not then say what charge he meant next to proceed

Mr. Wardle then moved the order of the day for going into a committee of the whole house, to investigate further into the conduct of his royal highness the Duke of York; Mr. Whartor, in the chair.

After a short preliminary discussion, whether Mr. Wardle should adduce further evidence in support of the charges, or the attorney-general examine witnesses to prove the incredibility of Mrs. Clarke, it was agreed that the attorney general should examine his witnesses first.

Mr. John Few, jun. was called and examined. He was a tradesman, who bad furnished Mrs. Clarke, in the year 1803, with certain articles in the way of his business. Not getting his money, be commenced an action against her, but was nonsuited; in consequence of which he threatened her and the Duke of York with the publication of a handbill, which described Mrs. Clarke, and stated that no tradesman was safe in trusting her with any property, as she was a married woman, although she did not live with her husband, nor till very lately know whether he was alive; that she had defrauded a tradesman in Holborn, by representing herself to be a widow, and when he sued her for his bill, she pleaded coverture, and he was nonsuited; and that she afterwarde sent an execution into his house, to distrain his goods for the costs she had incurred in making her defence.-In consequence of this hand-bill, Mr. Few obtained his money.

On the motion of Mr. Wardle, a Mr. Comrie was called to the bar. He stated,that in consequence of Mrs. Clarke's wishing him to wait on the Duke of York, he told her he should wish to have a note from his royal highness to that effect; which having received, he waited on his royal highness, in Portman square. What passed related to private professional business, which he pleaded his privilege for not disclosing, but that not being admitted, he stated, that his royal highness asked if he could procure for him a loan of 10,000l. on mortgage.

Mr. Fuller contended that witness had been confidentially employed by the Duke of York, and it was the duty