them. The particulars were shortly these: Mr. Kennett, who had been an upholsterer in Bond-street, after his first bankruptcy, had written to Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor and Mr. Adam, that he could raise a loan of 70.0001. for the service of the Duke of York, on his personal security. The money was to be raised at the rate of 10 per cent. and the annuity redeemable in two years. Some letters, in consequence, passed between the parties, when Kennett requested as a favour that the Duke would exert his influence in procuring him the situation of assistant commissary, or vendue master, at Surinam. Much interest was employed for this purpose with Mr. Pitt and others by his Royal Highness; but as those places had been previously promised, the applications were unsuccessful. Subsequently, it appearing that Kennett was unable to fulfil his promise of raising the loan, the negociations were broken off, he had since become a bankrupt and stood in the pillory for attempt ing to defraud his creditors.

Mr. Perceval observed that this was a matter which could not fairly come under the cognizance of the committee, as it was not connected with the charges; but he was convinced that it would be more conge nial to his Royal Highness's feelings, that the charge should be gone into rather than stifled. Several persons were then examined, who proved the circumstances as stated by Lord Folkstone; and the applications to Mr. Pitt for the place for Kennett, with the answer, expressive of the regret of the minister that the place in question was disposed of before the wishes of his Royal Highness were

known.

Mr. Perceval then rose to make known to the house, that when Capt. Sandon was called to the bar, he was desired to inform them of all he knew on the subject, which he had done with this exception-he had

suppressed the fact, that when Capt. Tonyn had pressed him for a return of his 500 guineas, he acquainted Mrs. Clarke with the circumstance, who told him to go back to Captain Tonyn with a note, purporting to be written by the Duke of York, in these words: “I have received your note, and Tonyn's business shall remain as it is."-This note was shewn to Captain Tonym, in order to convince him that Mrs. Clarke and Sandon possessed the influence they pretended to, and that the promotion would remain as it was, unless he suffered the money to remain to purchase their exertion. Another note

also purporting to be written by his Royal Highness, was sent on the day when Major Tonyn was gazetted, in these words "Tonyn will be ga"zetted to-night." When making this disclosure to Col. Hamilton, who is also in the waggon train, Sandon said that he would destroy this paper; on which Col. H. persuaded him otherwise. These circumstances having been made known to himself and Mr. Adam, they waited on his Royal Highness, who, on being told of the circumstance, expressed himself convinced that the note must be a forgery, and wished extremely that the matter should be thoroughly examined into. As for the note respecting the gazetting, his Royal Highness could not positively say it might not be his, as he would have written such an answer to any letter making an inquiry on the subject. The next day (Sunday) Colonel Hamilton saw Captain Sandon, who said to him, "You will be very angry with me, for since you saw me, I have destroyed the note." "Good God! exclaimed Col. H. you have not surely done any thing so rash." "It was not of so much consequence (returned Captain Sandon), and besides they have forgotit."

He had thus submitted to the house all he knew of this important affair. The destruction of the notę

rested on Capt. Sandon's word. If it was still in existence, and could be proved a forgery, it would shew how people had been imposed upon by Mrs. Clarke and her agents; while on the other hand, if proved to be the hand-writing of the Duke of York, it would be necessary to call on his Royal Highness to explain how it happened.

Captain Sandon being called to the bar, and desired to say whether he had not in his former evidence suppressed any thing material, declared he bad not. Being still further pressed on the subject, he acknowledged that he had received the two letters alluded to from Mrs. Clarke, and made the use of them already stated. The witness being then questioned as to his having actually destroyed the letters, so grossly prevaricated in his testimony, that he was ordered to withdraw, and a motion made to commit him to the custody of the serjeant at arms, which was accordingly done. He at his own request was afterwards brought before the house.

The Speaker. What has Captain Huxley Sandon to state to this house.

Capt. Huxley Sandon. I humbly beg pardon of this honourable house, if I have said any thing to displease and offend it, and for the prevarication of which I have been guilty, I am ready to make any atonement, as to its wisdom shall seem meet.

The Speaker. If you have any thing further to communicate, this is the moment becoming your situation to state it.

Captain Sandon. With regard to the note in question, it is not destroyed. It is at present in my chambers, and with the permission of this house I will go home and fetch it I know where I can put my hand upon it-It was given to me to shew Major Tonyn, that he would not obtain his promotion unless he paid the money; I did shew it to him

VOL. V.

and Major Tonyn said, he would pay it.-1 brought back the note and have it now in my possession. The promotion of Major Tonyn was gazetted; 500l. was paid to Mrs. Clarke, and 251. to Mr. Donovan. By whom the note was written I cannot take upon myself to say, but Mrs. Clarke told me it was written by the Duke of York. I do hope the house will do me the honour to forgive the prevarication which I have committed in the delivery of my testimony.

The motion was then carried, that the proper officer, with assistants, should convey the witness to his chamber, and there examine and search for every paper in which there is any mention of Major Tonyn.

After some time Captain Sandon returned with the note, and which being shewn to Mrs. Clarke, she declared it to be the hand-writing of his Royal Highness, who always addressed his letters to her in the name of George Farquhar, Esq.The witness wa was shewn two bills, and underwent a long cross-examination as to her acceptance of the bills; which she said she had done for her mother, by guiding her pen

she maintained that she had never imitated the hands of other persons

and denied that she could, although she had, in playing at a ridiculous game, imitated some handwriting; nor had she told any body that she could do so, except Town, the velvet painter, who was a Jew,

His Royal Highness never liked Jews, and had refused a loan of a considerable amount, because it was to be furnished by Jew King!

Mr. Wharton reported progress, when Mr. Perceval moved that the Speaker do issue his warrant to com mit Captain Sandon to Newgate, for gross prevarication. Agreed to

nem. con.

A select committee of five was appointed to examine the papers seized at Capt. Sandon's lodgings.

Friday, Feb. 17.

Mr. Leach brought up the report of the select committee appointed to take into consideration certain letters, delivered to the committee of the whole house on the investigation of the charges against the Duke of York, which stated that they thought the whole of the let ters were relevant to the inquiry, and might be submitted to the committee of the whole house.

Mr. Beresford having complained of a gross misrepresentation of what he had said, in one of the daily prints, (The Morning Post) some conversation ensued thereon, in which Mr. Yorke, and several members complained of the great lengths the press bad gone to. The business was however deferred.It appears that the mistake of the writer in the paper alluded to, was unintentional, and owing to the extreme croud, and the difficulty of reporting the whole of the conversations accurately.

Lord Folkstone moved, that Captain Sandon, in the custody of the keeper of Newgate, be brought up to give evidence before the committee, which was ordered.

The house having resolved itself into a committee for the further investigation of the charges against the Duke of York, Colonel Gordon was called in, and being shewn the note which Capt. Sandon had given in on the preceding night, was asked whether it was the hand writing of the Duke of York? After examining it with a long letter of his royal highness, Colonel Gordon said, that both the letter and the superscription bore a very strong resemblance to the hand writing of the Duke of York; but he could not take upon him to say posi tively that it was. Had it been signed "Frederick," and addressed to him, he should have had no hesitation in acting upon it.

Colonel Brownrigg being called, and the same question put to him, said, after examining it attentively," I think it bears a great resemblance to the Duke of York's hand writing; but I cannot positively aver that it is his writing.Being shewn two other letters, he said there was a great similarity in both to the writing of the Duke, but he could not swear to it.-General Hope being examined in his place, testified to the same effect.

Mr. Adum being shewn the note, said, that he thought it like the hand

writing of the Duke, but he could not say more.

Mr. Dickie,of Coutts's banking-house, expressed an opinion similar to the abore.

Mr. Perceval said, that before the letters submitted to them by the select committee were read, he wished to observe, in answer to a question put on a former night, relative to the expences of Mrs. Clarke's establishment, that his royal highness had from Jan. 1804, to May 1806, paid in different sums to the amount of 16,7511. for that lady.

Mr. Towne, velvet painter of Bond street, was next examined by Mr. Per ceval.-The witness is a Jew, and said he was acquainted with Mrs. Clarke when she lived in Gloucester place.Had heard her say, in the course of conversation, she could forge the Duke of York's hand writing-that she had frequently done it. She did so then, having previously shown him the Duke of York's name in his own hand writing, and he could not tell the difference af terwards between the forgery and the original.

Mrs. Clarke was then called to prove the hand writing of several of her letters, which were found among Captain Sandon's papers the previous night.

A number of letters were then produced, which from No. 12 to No. 41 she admitted to be her own hand writing, and No. 42 to be a piece of the Duke of York's letter which came from Dover, directed to G. Farquhar, with the same seal as was affixed to the note found in Sandon's bureau.-Then fol lowed several letters directed to Capt. Sandon, and signed M. A. C. generally without dates. In one she states that she is convinced the money offered is too trifling, and desires him to tell Spedding that she must have 2001. and from the captains 501. more, and requests an immediate answer. She also urges him to influence any member to give his vote on Pitt's motion. The next was one without a signature, viz,

"I will do it when his royal highness comes to town. The Duke of Cambridge has already got 4000l. There is no dif ference in their not being protestants; it is nothing to him. I have told him of your proposals: be sure you go at half past three, on Monday, to him, and put on a new pair of boots." Another: To Captain Sandon, signed M. A. C.— "Can you get half a dozen persons who

want interest, as I want money most imperiously. I wish to infringe a little on Tommy Greenwood's rights."—Another, from the same to the saure"Pray do something. The Duke wishes you to get on faster with your men. He has written to him this morning. Be sure to send me an exact account.""Do not come to me to my box to night; Greenwood, with the two dukes, will be there, watching with his wise eyes; the sight of you may lead him to talk of the levy business, in a manner that may prove hurtful both to you and

me."

To Captain Sandon :-" Capt. Tonyn cannot be made for a month, as the Duke will be engaged seriously; but the thing is done: the little boy is also attended to. Can you let me have your bill at two montbs for 100l."-To the same:"Can I see you at Vauxhall on Monday, it is the only night I can go, as his royal highness goes to the house on Pitt's motion. You are to have the bounty Pitt gives to the line. I told him I should see you at Vauxhall."-To the same :-" Weybridge, June 2, 1804. I have mentioned the majority to the Duke; can you oblige me with 1001.? I pointed you out to the Duke, at the races."-The next was a letter marked outside with a pencil, "first letter," it seemed to be written to Colonel French, requesting his bill at two months for 2001. and declaring her being pleased with Captain Sandon as the managing person. To Sandon : "I asked his royal highness whether he read the Colonel's papers; he said, that he asked more favours than any other man. There are two vacant lieutenancies in the 14th dragoons. The Duke goes to Chelmsford on Saturday, and does not return till Tuesday. Ma jor Taylor has proposed something on the Irish levics, if you can settie with him. Do you think it possible to let me draw on you for 2001.? I thank you much for the pig, it was most delicate."

the objection of his being one-eyed.→ Can you get a vote for Pitt's motion on Monday? It will eventually serve us both." To the same: "There is nothing of the sort in contemplation; inquire about two lieutenancies in India. Kennet is a black sheep; he offered to bribe Colonel Gordon a few days since." -To the same : "Ere I leave town I scratched these few lines; be on your guard in every point of using my name; for the future never breathe it. I think you have a number of enemies. Within these few days the D was assailed by persons with invectives against you. I think that fellow Kennet tires his friends. Did you tell Ximenes, when Tonyn was gazetted, you would get him done in the same way, and that I was the person."-To the same: "Be so good as to look in the Gazette to morrow, as Trotter expects to have some in it. I gave his royal highness the papers; he read them whilst he was with me. I begged him to give the Colonel the preference. Can you send me 100l. to day, and let me see you to morrow?"

To the same: "I hope you will attend the Duke to day, before Clinton goes. On Saturday next Tonyn will be gazetted."

Captain Sandon was called in, and expressed his contrition, but his evidence was so grossly inconsistent with what he had before given, and as he would not state the reasons which had induced him to suppress the letters, he was remanded to Newgate.

The house them resumed, the chairman reported progress, and the com mittee was ordered to sit again on Monday.-After some conversation, it was agreed that the note found on Capt. S. should be deposited in a box kept by the clerk; that the members, clerks of the bank and post office, and other persons accustomed to compare hand writing, should have access to them from eleven to three o'clock till Monday.

Mr. Gregson's divorce bill was read a first time.--Sir J. Newport obtained leave to bring in a bill, making the em bezzlement of public money in Ireland a felony.--Adjourned.

Monday, Feb. 20.

The house went into a committee to take into farther consideration the charges exhibited against his royal highness the Duke of York.