veracity was not to be wholly shaken on that account. This observation applied especially to the testimony of Mr. Stower, who had been brought forward to prove that Mrs. Clarke's husband was a stone-mason. The right honourable gentleman, in the course of his admirable speech, had touched on many cases, in most of which Mrs. Clarke was triumphantly set up by other evidences, and in none more than in that of General Clavering. But it was said that her evidence was contradicted by Mr. R. Knight. He had the honour of being long acquainted with this gentleman, and entertained a great respect for him; but he could not help thinking that in some instances he had been led into an over-statement of the case. When Dr. Thynne was asked whether he understood from Mrs. Clarke that he was to keep the transaction a secret from the Duke of York; he replied, that "that was a matter of surmise." Mr. R. Knight stated that Mrs. Clarke told him she would expose the Duke of York: but was there any evidence to shew that she meant by this threat that she intended to expose him at the bar of that House; or was it not rather such an exposure as that threatened in her letter to his honourable friend (Mr. Adam)? That this was the impression at the time upon Mr. Knight's mind was evident from this; that according to his own statement, he requested, "if she was going to publish her memoirs, he hoped she would spare his brother." Mr. Knight had stated, that she requested of him that the business should be kept secret from the Duke of York, and every one must believe him. He had no doubt that she did make some stipulation of this kind with that gentleman. But was it to be inferred from this, that the Duke of York knew nothing about it? But if, as the right honourable gentleman said, the mill was going every day, is not this a precaution she would naturally have recourse to. If she said, the eyes of Gordon were upon the Duke of York, and the eyes of Greenwood upon her, was it not natural, that she should take every possible precaution; that it should not come round to the Duke of York through a third person; particularly after the injunction he gave her, to take care what hands she got into? With respect to her connection with Dowler, and to her passing the night with him, was it surprising that she should deny it? Whatever the right honourable gentleman may think of women of her unfortunate class in

society, they were not always wholly void of sentiment and delicacy. But was this reservation of her's a most justifiable one, he would contend, to shake an evidence, which was otherwise unimpeachable? It was there she was said to have hatched the conspiracy with Dowler to overthrow the Duke of York. The occasion, he would admit, was favourable for doing it; but the presumption was, from the whole tenor of the evidence, that she had formed no such plan. He had weighed every step she had taken, and where her evidence was unsupported, he did not believe her; but the presumption was excessively strong when it appeared that such influence had been

used.

He would examine a little into the grounds of this presumption. Mrs. Clarke, it appeared, was acquainted with the Duke of York previous to the year 1801. At that time she had no expensive establishment. It was not until the expensive establishment began in Gloucesterplace that any trace of an application on her part respecting military appointments appeared. He would not assert that this circumstance was conclusive; that it proved that the Duke of York was acquainted with the means to which she was under the necessity of recurring to support that establishment; but he could not help considering it as a most extraordinary coincidence, and one which lent great weight to the presumption; for though Gordon had his eyes on the Duke of York, and those of Greenwood were on Mrs. Clarke, still the business might go forward. People might apply to Mrs. Clarke, and these applications might be submitted by her at a convenient opportunity to his Royal Highness. It was also possible that the business might have gone on in the regu lar way, that her recommendations may not have been attended to, and that the Duke, with a perfect consciousness that her interference had no effect, might, on his return from the Horse-Guards, to please her, to flatter her vanity, say, this was done through your influence. But it was said, it was miraculous, that in ten thousand instances of promotion only these few should have occurred, in which there was a deviation from the fair and honour. able course. Was it not, he would ask, more miraculous, that the son of a king, possessing immense patronage, scattering benefits around him, able, as it appeared, to secure the adherence of a party in that House, should be

called upon to answer for his conduct? Was it not sur prizing that his honourable friend should have the courage to stand up as his accuser in that House, to bring forward these scintilla of evidence, as they at first appeared against him? When an unhappy creature was brought up for trial in the criminal courts, it was a common excuse to say, "This is my first offence, I was never convicted before;" but this was not admitted as an excuse. A learned gentleman has expressed his astonishment, that the Duke of York should have so committed himself. He was equally astonished; but there was the damning proof that he had so committed himself. It was not in evidence that he was particularly acquainted with the two thousand five hundred pounds Mrs. Clarke appears to have received, but the House must agree that he had a general knowledge of the corruption. Notwithstanding the advantages that this inquiry must produce to the country, he could not belp feeling for the Duke of York. It was to be regretted that he had not adhered to his agreement with Mrs. Clarke; that he did not pay her the annuity which he pro mised when he discarded her. Why, for a paltry five hundred pounds, suffer such letters, such trash as had been read in evidence, to be brought forward? Why not purchase these follies by the punctual discharge of the engagement to which he was pledged? Why allow a volume of nonsensical letters to be sent into the world, which he must wish, for all the world to get back again?

The right honourable gentleman seemed to place great reliance on the statement which he had delivered in respecting the expences of the establishment at Gloucester-place. But what did this amount to? The account was confirmed by Mrs. Clarke, and her statement agreed with that furnished by the Duke to within five hundred pounds; a small fraction, as she would state it. It was said that the Duke was careless about money, and to prove this, a learned gentleman related an anecdote that he heard from the preceptors of the two royal brothers forty years ago. They said that they found it impossible to instil into the minds of the young princes proper ideas of the value of money. This was a subject on which it was not very surprising, that, even with the assistance of the Archbishop of York and others, they should not imbibe very accurate notions. But, however averse the Duke of York might have been in his infancy to the acquisition of this species of knowledge,

it was of imperious necessity that he should have since obtained it. He was at the head of a great establishment, through which, though not a great deal, some money must pass. But when his Royal Highness saw, from day to day, the most sumptuous and expensive dinners servedwhen he saw those elegant carriages drawn forth, in which he sometimes condescended to ride-when he viewed the profusions that prevailed in every part of the establishment in Gloucester-place-and when he considered that he only contributed so much to the support of this luxury and extravagance, it was impossible that he must not have known that they were supported from other channels than those which flowed from him. It was indeed said that Mrs. Clarke had frequently received sums which she applied to take her diamonds, those dearest objects of female vanity, out of pawn. It was very probable she did. Where such boundless profusion and inconsiderate extravagance prevailed, it was natural that considerable distress should follow. But for what purposes were those trinkets pledged? Were they not to support the establishment? Had the applications of Mrs. Clarke to the Duke of York been made in favour of persons who were mostly known to her, the practice would admit of some excuse. For example, "Do give a commission to Thomson; he is my brother." It is quite natural that she should do so; the appli cation would be perfectly excusable. "Well, well, don't teaze me, it shall be done; but let the application be made in the regular way." There would have been nothing improper even in this. Any man, in the Duke of York's situation, could hardly have refused acceding to such a request. But what would the House say when they found an Irish clergyman step forward? What should have been the answer of the Duke of York, when he received an application in favour of such a man? Should it not have been, "If this man, this Dr. O'Meara, is an acquaintance of your's, he is not fit to be a member of the church; he is a disgrace to his sacred profession; I will not interfere for him." But there was something in the nature of the promise that was made, to further his view of gratifying his ambition of "preaching before royalty;" that must induce a suspicion that something was given for the introduction. The same arguments would apply to the case of French and Sandon, Elderton and Clavering. The applications in all these instances were first made to Mrs. Clarke.

With respect to the case of Samuel Carter, he regretted that his honourable friend had brought it forward. It turned out that he proved a most meritorious officer. He should exceedingly lament-it would grieve him to the very heart, if any scandal should attach to this youth, in consequence of the manner in which he obtained his comission. For himself, he was not one of those who could boast of a long line of ancestry; and these were not times in which the privileges of birth were to super ede the claims of merit and talent wherever they were to be found. It was one of the proud advantages of our happy form of government, that the road to eminence and honours was open to every one. The Hou e was not ignorant that Buonaparte had made generals and statesmen out of the humblest materials. If the Duke of York had discovered any rare merit in Mr. Carter, while he was standing behind his chair, or handing his mistress out of her carriage, there was not, he was persuaded, a manly mind in the country which would not rejoice that he had elevated him to that bonourable profession, of which, by all ac counts, he was likely to prove a distinguishe ornament. He hoped that this would be the sentiments of the officers with whom he was now serving, and that no gallant man among them would feel himself (as it was in the course of this inquiry suggested by an honourable member on the other side of the House) disgraced by having such an associate joined with him. (Loud cries of No, no, from all parts of the House.)

He would now advert to the case of the exchange be tween Colonels Knight and Brooke, in which so much was demonstrated, that he could not bring himself to sup pose, that a doubt could remain on any mind, respecting the corrupt nature of the transaction. It was completely proved that Mr. Robert Knight, a person not unac quainted with the ways of the world, had paid two hundred pounds to Mrs. Clarke on account of his brother. There was no doubt of the money having been paid, and that it was paid in consideration of the influence employed by Mrs. Clarke to effect the desired exchange. This was confirmed by the evidence of Doctor Thyune, a most respectable man; and who, from the nature of his profession, which obliged him to go about from family to family, was as likely to hear as much tittle-tattle as anybody. He was of opinion that this exchange was brought