(By the Chancellor of the Exchequer.)

Had you authority from those persons to whom you referred, to give their names to Mrs. C.? I cannot recollect that, I declare.

Did you ever carry the names of any persons to Mrs. C. without their authority? I do not know whether I did not, I am sure.

State positively whether you did or did not? Indeed my memory does not help me out. State the names.-I cannot.

The witness was directed to withdraw.]

Mr. Secretary Canning suggested, that the question might be so framed, as to bring out the fact without disclosing the names of the persons. It was possible the witness might have been applied to as a broker, without reference to either Mrs. C. or the D. of York.

Sir G. Warrender said, it appeared, that the witness was one of Donovan's agents; and the committee would recollect, that it was stated, by a former evidence, that he had given in a long list of persons who were candidates for promotion to Mrs. C.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer agreed, that if it could be proved the names had been submitted to the D. of Y. it would be proper to inquire into the circumstance.

Mr. Huskisson observed, that previous to the D. of Y.'s letter, nothing was more common than for officers to purchase and exchange commissions through the medium of brokers.

General Fitzpatrick confirmed this statement, and said, a clause was introduced in the Mutiny Bill, for the special purpose of putting an end to such practices.

General Stewart said, it would be very unfair to the army, to have the names of officers mentioned, by persons without character, and particularly as they would have no opportunity of contradicting them.

General Mathew observed, that there was hardly an officer in the army, previous to 1805, who had not been guilty of this practice.

Mr. S. Stanhope objected to the question. It must necessarily implicate so many persons, that the committee would not be able to finish the inquiry in the course of the session

General Mathew declared he would take the sense of the committee on the question, if persevered in.

by the Chairman, that it was the opinion of the committee that she must answer the question put to her, and that the house had power to inflict very heavy punishments, and never more severely exerted that power, than in the case of Witnesses who conducted themselves in the contumelious man◄ ner she had done.]

(By Sir James Graham.)

State the names of the persons you carried to Mrs. C.--I did not meant the smallest contempt to the horse, quite the reverse; and to convince you that I feel a respect for this house, and not from fear, i will state the names: one is Johnson and another is Williamson.

Are there any other names? I do not recollect.

Endeavour to recollect.-I cannot.

You said there was several names, or a long list of names? I do not think I said that, I said there were some.

Did you never deliver the names of any other gentlemen but Johnson and Williamson? I do not recollect any other; I think I had others, but I do not recollect their names.

You did del ver others? I recollect those, because they are my own acquaintances.

What are their Christian names? They are, George Johnson and William Willamson.' Where do they live? I cannot tell you that, is now three years ago.

it

I

do not know where their lodgings were. Where did they live then? Upon my word

You have said that they were acquaintances of yours? I am sure I cannot tell where they lived, I did not ask the gentlemen their residence.

You stated they were acquaintances? Yes. Do you now state that you did not know where your acquaintances lived? They had not long arrived from Ireland.

Were they in the army? They never were, nor to my knowledge have not been in it yet; they were three months trying to get in, through Mrs. C. and could not.

Did you deliver any other list to Mrs. C. but those two names? I never delivered a list to Mrs. C.

Did you ever deliver any other name to Mrs: C.? I cannot recollect any other name I deli

vered.

Are you a married woman? I am a widow. How long have you been a widow? Nearly six years.

How long did you live in South Moltonstreet? At two different periods, I suppose about a year and a half, but not altogether.

Were you in a house or in lodgings? I was in lodgings.

Did you ever apply to Mrs. C. to procure leave of absence for any othicers? I never did, to my recollection.

Not for major Shaw? She told me she could not get leave of absence for him; I was to tell him to get it through general Burrard.

Then you did apply for major Shaw? I sent word to major Shaw, that he must get two months leave of absence.

Did you apply to Mrs. C. to procure that leave of absence? I did not; she applied to me to beg major Shaw would get two months leave of absence, that during that time she might have time to work on the good nature of the D. of Y. for fear he might suspect there was any thing improper in the transaction.

(By Lord Milton.)

What answer did Mrs. C. give you, when you carried those two names you have stated to the committee you carried to Mrs. C.? She said she would try, but must be very careful to have time, for fear there might be the smallest suspicion that it was a money transaction, as that would ruin her.

Did she express any desire that it should be particularly concealed from the D. of Y.? She certainly did.

(By Lord Folkestone.)

You live in Villiers street, do you not? Yes. Are you in a house there, or in lodgings? In lodgings.

What is the name of the person to whom the house belongs? Adair.

Are there any other lodgers in the house besides yourself? I believe there are.

Is the Adair who keeps the house a man or a woman? A woman.

How long have you known Mr. Donovan? Eighteen years, I believe.

When did you last see Mr. Donovan? This

moment.

When did you last see him, before you came to this house? Yesterday.

Are you in the habit of seeing him pretty constantly? Constantly.

Have you any knowledge of any transaction in which Mr. Donovan is engaged? None, but that in which I was concerned myself, namely, major Shaw's.

Is that the only one of transactions of that nature of which you have any knowledge? I do not recollect any other whatever.

Had Mr. Donovan any concern in that list of names which you state yourself to have given to Mrs. C. No.

Did Mr. D. at that time carry on any traffic of the same sort? I know nothing about any thing Mr. D. does, only what concerned myself.

When you went to Mrs. C., was it of your own accord, or were you sent by Mr. D. I went of my own accord, without any introduction whatever, and Mr. D. never knew that I knew Mrs. C. till 3 months afterwards, and till the business of major Shaw was finished..

When was that? In April 1805 I think; I cannot be very certain as to the month, but I think it was April.

Was Mr. Donovan acquainted with Mrs. C.? Not to my knowledge, and I believe not. VOL. XII,

Were you often at Mrs. C.'s in Gloucesterplace? I cannot say how often.

Were you in the habit of going there frequently? No, not very frequently.

How often do you suppose you have been there? Latterly, major Shaw got very impatient, and I went five or six times, I think, in the last month.

Did you ever go there on any business but that of major Shaw's? I stated before, that I went on other business, and I have stated the business.

Any other business besides that of major Shaw and that of Johnson and Williamsón?" I do not recollect the other names.

Did you ever go upon any other business but those two occasions? No, I do not recollect any other.

I understood you to state, these names of Johnson and Williamson were given up to Mrs. C. at the time, with a great number of others? I have not said a great number.

With other names, were this affair of major Shaw's, and that in which Johnson and Williamson were concerned, the only occasions on which you went to Mrs. C.'s? I never went to Mrs. C.'s on any other business but that, till major Shaw's business was finished, and the papers returned.

Were you well acquainted with the house Mrs. C. inhabited in Gloucester-place? Certainly not.

Into what room did you use to go? Her bed-room.

Were you ever in any other room? Yes, the front parlour and the drawing-room, aud the bed-room.

There was very handsome furniture in that house? Very.

Very magnificent? It was very genteelly furnished.

You have seen all those rooms, and have only been there two or three times; do you adhere to that statement? I recollect stating that I was there six times within the last month.

How long have you been acquainted with Mrs. C.? December 1804, I think.

The beginning of your acquaintance was in 1804? Yes.

On the occasion of Mr. Shaw? I went before I went on the business of Mr. Shaw, I went without any introduction whatever.

On what business did you go? I was told she had commissions to dispose of, and without any introduction I went to her and asked her.

Why was your being told she had commissions to dispose of the reason of your going there, did you wish to procure commissions? I did at that time.

For whom? I do not know that I had any particular person in view at that time.

You were in the habit of procuring commis sions? No, I was not in the habit, that was the first time I went.

Then you did go to Mrs. C. upon this business of procuring commissions, besides the times you went about major Shaw and Johnson 2 Q

not.

What, then, was your motive for making that inquiry? At that period I had met with a very heavy misfortune; my agent in the West Indies died, and a house in London broke, and I was very much embarrassed.

What mode did you adopt to ease your embarrassments? I had hopes that would, I did not conceive it improper.

You sold commissions? I never sold one. You negociated the sale of them? I treated, but it did not succeed.

Were all the communications you had with Mrs. C. verbal; did you ever correspond with

her? I often wrote to her.

You had frequently letters from Mrs. C.?

bad.

I

What was the latest period you ever received letters from Mrs. C.? I made it a rule, whenever I received a letter from Mrs. C. the next time I saw her, to return her her letters.

What is the latest period at which you received letters from Mrs. C.? I believe that one in which she inclosed me major Shaw's security; I believe that was the last, I do not recollect any other since.

Have you never received any letter from Mrs. C. within these few months? No, I have not.

And you never kept by you any of the letters you received from Mrs. C.? I have not one of them.

When did you part with them? I made it a rule, whenever I went to see Mrs. C., to bring the letter I had received the day before, and to give them to her.

Was that an invariable rule? To the best of my knowledge.

You have stated in your evidence very lately, that you have been frequently in Mrs. C.'s house in Gloucester-place, and that you have seen her in her bed-room and drawing-room, and several places in that house; is that so? Yes. How do you reconcile that to the former part of your evidence, where you stated that you had seen her only twice? I never said so.

(By Sir R. Williams.)

You mentioned that you would not visit Miss Taylor, out of delicacy; why did not that delicacy operate with regard to Mrs. C., whom you knew to be living under the protection of the D. of Y.? I stated before my reasons for calling upon Mrs. C.

(By Lord Folkestone.J

Did you ever upon any occasion receive any authority from Mrs. C. to negociate the sale of commissions in the army? Never.

You have stated, that you were informed that Mrs. C. had commissions in the army to dispose of; who so informed you? General report.

Endeavour to recollect some individual who might have told you.-I do not recollect any

Who was that gentleman? Mr. Taylor; he is married to a sister of Mrs. C. since that. What object had you in asking him that question? That I might call on her.

You have stated, that you were in the habit of returning to Mrs. C. all the letters you received from her; what reason had you for pursuing that conduct? She begged I should do so.

Did she state any reason which induced you to do so? For fear any accident should discover her trafficking in commissions.

[The Witness was directed to withdraw.] Sir George Hill stated, that as a letter purporting to have been written by the Archbishop of Tuam had been produced to the committee, a relative of that worthy prelate wished to be examined as to whether it was his hand-writing.

JOHN CLAUDIUS BERESFORD, Esq. a Member of the House, attending in his place, was examined;

(By Sir George Hill.)

Will you look at that letter and state whether it is the hand-writing of the Archbishop of Tuam? I have seen him write many times, and have no doubt it is his hand-writing.

[A Letter of the Archbishop of Tuam was read.] "Sir; In consequence of your application to me, I am ready to give ample satisfac❝tion, and to bear testimony, that I have "had assurances from persons in whom I "place the most implicit confidence, that you are a gentleman of most unexceptionable character in every respect, of a "respectable family, and independent for I have the honour to be, &c. "W. TUAM." "Crescent, Bath, Feb. 17th, 1806." Addressed "The Rev. Dr. O'Meara, No. 7, "Alfred-street."

"tune.

Mrs. MARY ANN CLARKE was called in, and examined.

(By Mr. Wardle.)

Did you know col. Shaw? Yes. Do you recollect who introduced him to you? Not exactly.

Do you recollect his applying to you to procure any appointment for him through the medium of b. r. h. the D. of Y.? Yes, I do.

State what that appointment was.-He wished to be made a lieut. col. and to get into some situation upon the staff.

Did col. Shaw promise you any pecuniary consideration on the event of his obtaining the appointment? Yes, he did.

What was the pecuniary consideration he did promise you? I cannot say that I immediately recollect the sum, I believe it was 1,000l.

Did you, in consequence of this, acquaint the

was not.

No, I

In consequence of not being satisfied with the 5001, did you make any complaint through the Commander in Chief? Yes, I did.

What was the consequence of such complaint? II. r. h. said, he had told me all along, that I had a very bad sort of man to deal with, and that I ought to have been more careful, and that he would immediately put him upon halfpay.

Do you know whether major Shaw was put upon half pay in consequence of that? He sent me several letters complaining, but I did not trouble myself much with reading them; one of the letters I gave in to-night, I believe; I thought him already too well off, for his conduct to me.

[Letter from col. Shaw was read, dated in pencil, off the Lizard, 19th May 1806.]

"Off Lizard and a fair wind, 19 May." Although I have troubled you so often, and "although my mind is nearly convinced that "the hardship of which I complained HAS "been rectified by the order of the Gazette "in respect to my reduction being rescinded,

66

yet whilst even the suspicion of so serious "an evil and indeed an injustice continues, "I know that you will make every allowance, and pardon my being so importuIn addition to the custom of the

"nate.

sequence. Thus my case bears in point "of right. Your feelings will justify my "expectations in point of promise and (6 assurances. The first impression of re"ceiving injury at the hands from whence I "had trusted to have merited the contrary, "are the only excuses I can plead. For any "intemperance that may have appeared in my letters, you will, I am sensible, as my "mind was at the time affected, readily par"don. The period may arrive in which you "will know that, independent of particular "consideration, I merited your good offices; "but until circumstances develope them"selves, you shall never understand them "through me or by my means. However "severely I have felt, however warmly I 66 may have expressed myself, of this be as"sured, that you shall not experience unea"siness of my occasioning. Though thus "decided at present, yet permit me to say, "that it does not arise from viewing other"wise the severe and cruel injury of putting me on half pay. Independent of present "mortification, my prospects in the active "line of my profession are ruined by it, and, "God knows, they are not very brilliant,

considering either the length or the nature "of my services. Further, madam, in my

present separation from my children, it "creates in me sensations particularly pain"ful, when I reflect, that if approaching "that state to which we must all at some

66

period arrive, that I could not (by this "measure) have the consolation of resign"ing my commission by sale for the benefit "of my large family; and that they should "in this event have no other memento of my "having served 23 years than in the ex"pences of the purchase, &c. &c. of some "commissions. In such cases the humane "consideration of the present Commander "in Chief have been eminently distinguished.

"I shall no longer trespass; my only apo"logy rests in that every feeling is involved "in the present object. I had even appro"priated my full pay for the education of "two children remaining in England; but "illness has for some time deprived me of "all my family. Let me, madam, owe good "offices to you, and I shall be ever grateful. "From your explaining this case, I am cer"tain that his justice will be extended to "me. Let me not be driven from my pro❝fession. Do away the present bar to my "family joining me at the Cape; for I am "sure that your sentiments will accord, that "I ought not to serve when no longer with "honour and on a reciprocal footing with "those similarly appointed.

"We are not likely, I fear, to be a healthy "fleet; some ships are very crowded, and "sickness has already made its appearance; " and there are two ships, I hear, without "either doctor or medicines. Farewel: and "I hope to receive your commands.

"Do away the present evil, and unite the

"Appointments I mentioned, and I will
"annually, remit 3007. Whilst I remain,
"remember do me justice, let not any thing
prevent this; allow not self or family
"have ever to say that we owed misfortune
"to such a hand.”

Addressed: "Mrs. Clarke,
"18 Gloucester-place,Portman-square."
(By Mr. Croker.)

I understood you to have mentioned on a former night, that you never had represented yourself as being a widow; do you now abide by that answer? Does the gentleman mean represented, or that I have ever said so?

Have you ever said that you were, or represented yourself to be a widow? If I have ever said so, it was never but at the Court Martial; if it was ever at any other time, it must have been in joke; but I never represented myself to be so; the two meanings are so different, of saying and representing.

Do you ever recollect yourself to have stated yourself a widow at any other time, but on the occasion of the Court Martial? I do not; but if the gentleman will put me in mind at what time, or to whom, I will answer to the best of my recollection.

Nor in the neighbourhood of Hampstead? No, never any where, but in my own name. In whose house have you lived at Hampstead? Mr. Nichols's.

How long did you live at Mr. Nichols's? I. cannot recollect how long.

A considerable time? Some months. During the whole of which you passed under your own name of Clarke? During the whole

time.

In what year did you live at Hampstead? Part of 1808, and the end of 1807.

You have stated when you were last here, that you had seen Mr. Dowler but twice since his arrival in England; once on a Sunday, when he called relative to the business now under inquiry, and once in the Witness's room in this House; do you abide by that assertion? I will not be caught in a story about that, and therefore I shall say I did see him once besides.

Do you mean to say that you were caught in a story, when you before represented that you had seen him but twice? No; it is now perhaps your wish to catch me in one.

Did you not say that you had seen Mr. Dowler only twice? It is very likely I might have said so.

Is that true or false? It is true that I have seen him twice, and it is also true that I have seen him three times.

Where did you see Mr. Dowler the third time which you now allude to? In this House.

Mr. Croker. If the committee thinks that a sufficient answer, I am satisfied.

Have you ever called yourself by any other name than that of Clarke, since the year 1806? I do not recollect that I have; but it is very likely, to avoid bailiffs.

Is it so common a thing in you to assume a false name, that you cannot positively say when you assumed such a name, or indeed whether you did so at all or not? I only wish the gentleman to point out, and I will answer it immediately, any pointed question.

Is it so common a thing in you to assume a false name, that you cannot positively say when you assumed such a name, or indeed whether you did so at all or not? I do not recollect that I have done so.

Do you recollect to have gone by the name of Dowler? No, I do not; but it is very likely others might call me so; I never represented myself as Mrs. Dowler.

Then you say positively, that you never called yourself by the name of Dowler, or represented yourself as bearing that name? No, I have not, without it might be in joke; and if that is asked me, I will answer the question; it must have been to some acquaintance, if to any body, as I have always lived under my own

name.

Did you not, within the time alluded to, live at Hampstead, assuming to yourself the name of Dowler? No, I lived at Hampstead, but under my own name.

That is the whole number of times that you have seen Mr. Dowler since his arrival in England? I believe that the honourable gentleman can tell pretty well, for his garret window is very convenient for his prying disposition, as it overlooks my house. (A loud laugh.)

That is the whole number of times that you have seen Mr. Dowler since his arrival in England? Yes.

You are sure of that? Yes.

You are not now afraid of being caught in a story; you answer with perfect recollection? If the hon. gentleman wishes it, I will say I have seen him oftener, if it will at all tend to any thing; I do not wish to conceal that Mr. Dowler is a very particular friend of mine.

[The Chairman informed the Witness that

she did not stand there to make observations on the gentlemen who examined her, but to give correct and proper answers to the questions put to her.]

I have, as well as I can recollect.

At what other places than those you have already mentioned, and at what other times, have you seen Mr. Dowler since his arrival in England? I have seen him at his own botel.

When? The first night he came home, I believe, but which was to have been a perfect secret, as I did not wish my own family, or any one, to know I saw him that night.