Mr. Yorke protested against this unparliamentary mode of calling on one honourable member to name another. Mr. Whitbread replied, that if the honourable gentleman had sat near him, he would not have been surprised at his feelings; when the right honourable gentleman, by a direct insinuation, and by his gestures and looks evidently directed towards himself, had pointed him out as the object of his attack. After some conversation between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mr. Wardle, the latter gentleman stated that if he found he could go on with the case of Colonel French (now in Jamaica), without the presence of that officer, he would do so on Tuesday; if not, he would proceed with that of Captain Tonyn. On Mr. Wardle's motion the following witnesses were ordered to be summoned for Tuesday :-Mr. Grant, Captain Huxley Sandon, Mrs. Shawe, Mr. Cockayne, Mr. Corri, Mr. Donovan, Mr. Sutton, and Mrs. Clarke. Mr. Sheridan expressed his surprise that his honourable friend had entered on this business without more serious preparation and knowledge. When he knew that his honourable friend had in contemplation to institute the proceeding, and when he heard that he was lending himself to an association of the most infamous nature, he had warned him of the dangers to which he was exposed. He was sure that this honourable friend was not influenced by unworthy motives, but he was also sure that if his honourable friend knew the real character of those by whom he had been deluded, he would shrink from them with horror. Having begun, however unprovided, he must now proceed. It was impossible that such an accusation should stand over, because the evidence by which the accuser expected to support his charge could not be immediately produced. Good God! What was the business before the House? It was whether at this peculiarly important crisis, the Commander in Chief of the forces should be reprobated and impeached, or his character restored fair in the public estimation? It was a case of vital conse quence. THIRD DAY. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7. List of Witnesses examined. MR. JOHN FEW. MR. THOMAS STOWERS. MR. DAVID PEIRSON. CAPTAIN HUXLEY SANDON. MR. DOMINIGO CORRI. WILLIAM MELLISH, Esq. (a Member.) WILLIAM DOWLER, Esq. WILLIAM HUSKISSON, Esq. (a Member.) MR. JOHN GRANT, MRS. MARY ANN CLARKE. Mr. WHARTON in the Chair. . Mr Wardle moved the order of the day for the house to resolve into a committee to inquire into the conduct of his Royal Highness the Duke of York. The house resolved accordingly. Mr. JOHN FEW was called in, and examined by the committee as follows: "What business do you carry on? An auctioneer. Do you know Mrs. Clarke? Not now, I do not. Did you ever know her? In the year 1803. Where did she then live? In Tavistock-place, next door to Tavistock chapel. Did she order any furniture from you? No; at that time I lived in Bernard-street, Russell-square, and I had a share in a glass concern in Holborn. She called; and, by direction of my partner, I waited upon her; it was to consult me about fitting-up a Grecian lamp in her back room. After she had talked a little while, I sat down, and drank some wine with her. In the matter of conversation, from one thing leading to another, she seemed to be acquainted with almost every person that I knew. I sat there perhaps about half an hour; a person, whom I understood to be her sister, was present. Did she represent herself as being a married woman, or a person who had been married? She talked of her late husband, and of her children, who were then at school. What further passed? Nothing more than general conversation; I conceived that she knew almost every body that I knew. I can hardly describe her to you; for I never met with any person who, on the first interview, behaved so extremely polite and genteel to a stranger: I saw her two or three times, and drank wine with her; and she consulted me about the placing of some glasses, and the size and shape of some figures, whether they were too large for the room. Did she give any orders to you? Yes; she desired I would have a Grecian lamp made, to fit up in the back room, which, I believe, came to about 201 What was the price of that lamp? About 201. I cannot say exactly the whole of the account with me was 201. odd. When was the order given for this lamp? About the middle of May, about the 18th or 20th of May; the first delivery to her was the 24th of May, 1803. Did you see any one but Mrs. Clarke at this house? I saw her sister, and I saw her mother, but that was subsequent to my bringing an action against her. When I arrested her, she mentioned to me at the time, that she had purchased that house of Mr, Burton, and given 1,2001. for it: I applied to Mr. Burton, and he corroborated her having bought it, but I do not recollect the amount. Did you ever observe any thing which led you to believe she was not a widow? I once called, I believe in the morning, to see whether the lamp was properly hung, or I was asked by an upholsterer to get him a sight of the house, and I saw a cocked hat; I made an observation to the servant, and the servant said her mistress was a gay young widow, and had been at the masquerade the night before, and of course I did not suspect any thing after that. Were you paid for those articles you furnished? Subsequently I was; I brought an action against her, but I was nonsuited. How so? I do not understand the distinction, but she either pleaded her coverture, or gave it in evidence; I believe there is a distinction, but I do not know which it was. You were defeated, upon the ground of her being a married woman? Certainly; I was in court at the time. Did you ever write any letter to Mrs. Clarke, upon the subject of this demand? I am pretty certain I did not, I am almost certain I did not; do you niean the demand after my action or before? I believe I did not in either case. Do you recollect writing any letter, threatening to expose her? I cannot say; I might; I drew up a hand-bill and sent it to her, but whether I sent any note to her with that I cannot say; that hand bill was warning the tradesmen in the neighbourhood of Gloucester-place, from trusting her. Do you recollect sending the hand-bill to any body else in a letter; Yes, I do recollect, I enclosed one to the Duke of York, directed to Portman-square; I think it was. Do you recollect whether you wrote to the Duke of York when you sent the hand-bill? I do not think I made one single letter inside; I am pretty certain I did not. Are those letters your hand writing? Yes, this is my hand-writing; I had not the least recollection that I had ever written it. Is that the hand-bill? Yes, that is the hand-bill; I tried to get a copy of it when I was served with the order of the house, but could not. [The hand-bill and letter were delivered in, and read.] "MADAM, "As I have not heard from you in reply to my last letter, I think myself justified in informing you, that in the course of a week the enclosed hand-bill will be published, which no doubt will prevent any other tradesman from subjecting himself to similar treatment. As the wording of the bill has received the legal sanction of very able men in the profession, I am perfectly at ease in regard to any additional threats that may be held out to me. "I remain your obt. servt. "22d June, 1804. "Mrs. Clarke, Gloucester-place, "No. 18,Portman-square." JOHN FEW, Junr. "CAUTION TO TRADESMEN. "THIS is to give Notice to the Tradesmen in the Neighbourhood of PORTMAN-SQUARE, that they cannot recover, by Law, any Debt from MRS. MARY ANN CLARKE, formerly of TAVISTOCK-PLACE,RUSSELLSQUARE, but now of GLOUCESTER-PLACE, she being a married Woman, her Husband now living, though his Place of Residence was unknown even to herself or her mother. These Facts were proved on the Trial of an Action, lately brought by a Tradesman in Holborn, against this MRS. MARY ANN CLARKE, for Goods actually sold and delivered to her; but she availing herself of her Coverture, (which, to the great Surprize of the Plaintiff, she contrived to prove,)he could not by law obtain any Part of his Demand; and, being consequently non-suited, an Execution for her Costs was, by her Attorney, actually put into his, the Tradesman's House!!! "W. MARCHANT, Printer, 3 Greville-Street, Holborn." I understand you to have stated, that you were paid your bill; was that subsequent to that hand-bill being published? Of course it must be, I should hardly have published it, if I had had my bill. I received the debt and costs. Did you recover your bill by any process of law? I could not. You were paid it entirely through the will of Mrs. Clarke? It is impossible for me to say; I did not receive it from Mrs. Clarke. After being non-suited, and after that hand-bill had been published, Mrs. Clarke paid you your bill? I cannot say it was Mrs. Clarke, I received the money through a Mr. Comrie; it was immaterial to me who paid it. Did you know Mr. Comrie to be Mrs. Clarke's professional man? That was impossible to say, Mr. Stokes defended the action, and afterwards Mr. Comrie paid me the money. Is Mr. Comrie a lawyer? I believe so. Do you know that he was Mrs. Clarke's lawyer? It is impossible for me to know that, because one defended the action, and then it came to Mr. Comrie; it was impossible for me to tell. Did Mr. Comrie defend the action against Mrs. Clarke No; Mr. Stokes. I believe so, because Mrs. Clarke told me afterwards, that she never authorized Mr. Stokes to give that plea. Mr Comrie paid you the money? By his clerk. [The witness was directed to withdraw. Mr. THOMAS STOWERS was called in, and examined by the committee as follows: Did you know Mrs. Clarke before she was married to Mr. Clarke ? I did not. Did you know her after she was married to Mr. Clarke? I did. Do you remember the time when Mr. Clarke was married to her? I never knew the time. What business did Mr. Clarke then carry on? When I first knew Mrs, Clarke, by being wife to Mr. Clarke, he was not in business just at that time; he was a young man. What business did he afterwards carry on? That of a stone-mason. Was that soon after his marriage? I cannot speak to that; I did not imagine that he was married so soon, as I understood he had an acquaintance with this lady. Did he carry on the business of a stone-mason while she was living with him? He certainly did. For how long? Not less than three or four years. Was she living with him all that time? As I never visited them, I cannot undertake to say she lived with him all that time, but I conceive she lived with him the principal part of the time. Had they any children? Not less than three. Were those children born during the time he was carrying on the business of a stone-mason? Some of them were. Where did Mr. Clarke live at that time you speak of? The first part of the time he lived in Charles's-square, Hoxton; then he was not in business as a mason. Was Mrs. Clarke with him at that period? Certainly she was. How long did they live there? As I did not visit them, I cannot speak positively; I know it was not less than one year, and, I should imagine not more than two. Where did they live afterwards? I do not know of their living any where else, till they went to live in Golden-lane, where he carried ou the business of a mason. When was this? He commenced there somewhere about 1794, and he lived there about three or four years. Had Mr. Clarke a stone-mason's yard there? He had. At the first place he lived at? In Charles's-square, Hoxton, he lived on his fortuue; he had no business. Did you visit at his house? I never did visit him at any time whereever he lived. Did you know Mrs. Clarke by sight? Yes, I did. Did you know when Mrs. Clarke parted with her husband? No, indeed, I did not. You have no guess when she parted from her husband? No further than that it was after they quitted Golden-lane I understood. |