disposed, were anxious to make an ex- | influence extended to appointments on change-the one desiring, for the reco- the staff of the army, as well as to promovery of his health, to remain in England; tions and exchanges in the army itself; while the other, from a similar motive, secondly, That the Commander in Chief desired to go to the West Indies. These punished an individual by reducing him gentlemen sought their object by every from full to half pay, for non-performance honourable means. The most urgent re- of a nefarious contract with his mistress; quests, and the most respectable recom- thirdly, that the Commander in Chief was mendations were made in their favour, but a direct party to all this shameful transacin vain. No mistress was resorted to; tion. The witnesses to this case are, Mrs. no bribe of 2001. was offered; major Clarke, Mr. Shaw, uncle to major Shaw, Macdonald was forced to go to the West Mr. Coutts's clerk, and Mrs. Shaw.Indies, and fell immediately a victim to VII.-I now come to the very novel case the climate; major Sinclair was forced to of colonel French and his levy. This offi⚫ remain in England, and survived but a cer was, through the influence of Mrs. few months. Thus was the country de- Clarke, appointed by the Commander in prived of two highly deserving officers. Chief to conduct a levy in the years 1804-5. VI.-The fourth case I have to The colonel was introduced to Mrs. Clarke adduce refers to major John Shaw, of col. by capt. Huxley Sandon, and the condition Champagne's Ceylon regiment. Major upon which he obtained his appointment Shaw was appointed Deputy Barrack was, that Mrs. C. should have one guinea Master of the Cape of Good Hope upon out of the bounty of each man raised, tothe 3d of April, 1806, through the influ- gether with the sale or patronage of a ence of Mrs. Clarke. It was known that certain number of the commissions. The this officer by no means enjoyed the favour agreement being concluded, it was comof the duke of York; that in fact his municated to, and approved of, by the royal highness entertained some preju- Commander in Chief. Col. French was dices against him. But these obstacles accordingly sent by Mrs. Clarke to the Mrs. Clarke easily contrived to overcome: Horse Guards, and after many interviews, for it was agreed to pay her 1,000l. for the levy was set on foot. As the levy the major's appointment. The appoint-proceeded, Mrs. Clarke received several ment was therefore made, and the major sums of money from col. French, capt. himself paid Mrs. Clarke 300 l. Soon Huxley Sandon, and a Mr. Corri. She after, 2001. more were sent to Mrs. Clarke, also received 500 l. from a Mr. Cockayne, by major Shaw's uncle, through Coutts's who is a well known solicitor in Lyon's-inn, bank, and the payment was made by one and a friend of capt. Huxley Sandon's. of Mr. Coutts's clerks. The remaining 3007. however, was not paid; and when it was found not to be forthcoming, Mrs. Clarke was enraged, and threatened revenge. She actually complained to the Commander in Chief of major Shaw's breach of contract, and the consequence was that the major was soon after put on half-pay. I am in possession of several letters which passed upon this subject, from major Shaw and Mrs. Shaw, threatening both the Commander in Chief and Mrs. Clarke with public exposure, &c. if their complaints were not redressed, but in vain. In consequence of this business, I have been induced to examine the half-pay list, in order to see whether any similar reduction to that of major Shaw had taken place in the Barrack Department; but I have found no such thing. Such officers being, in fact, kept on full-pay, even on the home staff. This case of major Shaw was indeed the only instance I could find of such an officer being reduced to half-pay. The case of this officer then demonstrates, first, that Mrs. Clarke's

-VIII.-But, to return for a moment to Mr. Donovan, the garrison-battalion lieutenant. This gentleman, who was such a prominent agent in those transactions, was acquainted with an old officer, a Captain Tuck, whom he very strongly recommended to seek promotion; and to encourage him by a display of the facility with which it might be attained, he sent him a written scale of Mrs. Clarke's prices, for different commissions, which, in stating, I beg leave to contrast with the regulated prices of the Army:

Regulated Prices. £.2600

1500

550

400

Mrs. Clarke's Prices. A Majority £. 900 A Company 700 A Lieutenancy 400 An Ensigncy 200 From this scale it appears, that the funds I have before alluded to lost, in an enormous ratio to the gain of Mrs. Clarke, or any other individual acting upon the same system.-IX-Here I am to take leave of Mrs. Clarke. Here the scene closes upon her military negociations ;

and in what follows, the Commander in Chief alone is interested. It appears that his royal highness required a loan of 50001. from col. French, and Mr. Grant, of Barnard's inn, promised to comply with the request in procuring the money, provided the Commander in Chief would use his influence and obtain payment to col. French of a balance due to him by government on account of the levy. This was promised, but the Commander in Chief failing to fulfil his part of the condition, the loan he required was not advanced, and 3000 1. still remain due from government to col. French. The case of this levy shews, first, that Mrs. Clarke, in addition to promotions in the army, to exchanges, and appointments on the staff, possessed the power of augmenting the military force of the country; secondly, that in this case, as in all others, she was allowed to receive pecuniary consideration for the exercise of her influence; thirdly, that the Commander in Chief endeavoured to derive a pecuniary accommodation for himself independently of Mrs. Clarke's advantages. The witnesses in this case are colonel French, captain Huxley Sandon, Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Corri, Mr. Grant, capt. Tuck, and Mr. J. Donovan.--- -X.-The last case with which I shall at present trouble the House is that of capt. Maling. This gent. was appointed to an ensigney in the 87th reg. on the 28th of Nov. 1805; to a lieutenancy in the same reg. on the 26th of Nov. 1806; and to a captaincy in the Royal African Corps, under the command of the duke of York's own secretary, col. Gordon, on the 15th of Sept. 1808. I have every reason to believe capt. Maling to be a very unexceptionable character, although I cannot help pronouncing the mode of his promotion as extremely exceptionable. this promotion was effected through the influence of the favourite agent, Mr. Greenwood, in whose office Mr. Maling was a clerk, remaining at his desk while advanced in the army by such an extraordinary courseby a course which interfered with the interests, which superseded the rights of many meritorious officers who had long served in the army-who had fought and bled for their country. This Mr. Maling has also, I understand, had, while so promoted, some appointment of pay-master in Ireland. I would appeal to the candour of the House, to the common sense of any man or body of men, whether it be right, whether it be tolerable, that such an accumulation of favours should be conferred upon any individual without any claim of

But

professional merit, but merely through the operation of undue influence, while so many hundreds of truly deserving men are slighted and overlooked? I would ask, whether it be possible that our army can prosper-that its spirit can succeed, or its character be advanced, while such injustice is tolerated? But I will not dwell upon those points-it is quite unnecessary. -XI-The facts I have stated are such as must suggest such reflections to any man's mind. The House must feel the propriety, the necessity of grounding some proceeding upon such facts. The proceeding I propose will, I have no doubt, be acceded to. I am sure I have stated quite enough to induce the House to give me what I ask-I could state more if necessary. There is, indeed, one thing to which I cannot omit alluding. The House must be astonished indeed at the corruption of the times, when told, that there is at this moment a public office in the City for the Sale of Commissions, at the same reduced scale as that of Mrs. Clarke, and that the persons who manage this office stated in my presence that they were the agents of the present favourite mistress, Mrs. Carey. Indeed, these agents declared further, that they were also enabled to dispose of places both in Church and State, and that they did not hesitate to say, that they were employed by two of the first officers in the administration. But these are points to which I may, on a future day, feel myself more enabled to speak at large. The hon. member concluded with moving for the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the conduct of the Commander in Chief, with regard to Promotions and Exchanges in the Army, &c.

&c.

Sir FRANCIS BURDETT seconded the motion.

The SECRETARY AT WAR said, that he did not rise to give any opposition to the motion. (Hear, hear, from the Treasury Bench.) If he did so, he would ill consult the wishes and worse consult the interests of the Commander in Chief*, The facts which the hon. gent. had brought forward were of the most serious nature,

* From a regard to the interests of the Commander in Chief, he felt unfeigned satisfaction, that, at length, an opportunity was afforded of instituting an effectual inquiry into the grounds of the various calumnles and misrepresentations which had, of late, been so industriously circulated against that illustrious personage.

not have rested with the Commander in it was no less so to write down all the estaChief, but with him-(hear! hear!) *

blishments of the country. By means of the press, the liberty of which was so valuable, and the licentiousness of which was so pernicious, it appeared to be the

down the military system through the Commander in Chief-the army through its generals, and other establishments through the persons most conspicuous in each—

[The remainder of the Debate shall be given in my next.]

Now, as I said before, we need not wait for this discussion, in order to be able to form a judgment upon certain very impor tant points, introduced into this debate; because those points are quite distinct from the main subject of the debate.

Mr. YORKE observed, that he never listened to a charge more serious, and he had heard it with the greatest possible concern, both on account of the Com-design of the CONSPIRATORS to write mander in Chief, and the hon. gent. who had brought it forward, (hear! hear!) who took so heavy a responsibility upon himself. But he was glad that the House had come at last to some charges against h. r. h. the Commander in Chief in a tangible form.† Publications which he would treat as libels, (hear! hear!) had lately appeared against the Commander in Chief, and these had been circulated with a pertinacity hitherto unexampled. He was glad, therefore, that something was now brought forward in a tangible form, and he hoped the House would do its duty to itself, to the country, and to the ROYAL HOUSE OF Upon the statement of Mr. WARDLE no BRUNSWICK (Loud cries of hear!, hear!); observation need be made. It consists of that blame might rest where it ought to be facts; not of declamation or loose asserfixed, and that if there was no ground for tion; but of specific facts, the truth or these accusations, justice might be done falshood of which may be, and are to be, to the Commander in Chief. And he sin- ascertained. I should, however, do great cerely hoped, that if the latter should turn violence to my feelings, were I to suppress out to be the fact-the hon. gent. would an expression of my admiration of the be enabled to acquit himself, by shewing manly as well as the able manner, in which at least, that there existed some probable that statement was made. The speech reasons in support of the heavy charge was, at once, concise, plain, and impreswhich he had taken upon himself. For my sive; the allegations were unequivocal, own part, Mr. Yorke continued, I believe the motives undisguised, and the principles that there exists a CONSPIRACY of the such as do honour to the heart of the most atrocious and diabolical kind against speaker; such principles as a great mahis royal highness (loud cries of hear! jority of us entertain, but such as very hear!)-founded on the JACOBINICAL few of us indeed, have the courage to spirit which appeared at the commence- avow. There was no hypocrisy in the ment of the French revolution; for though speech; no affected solicitude that the this spirit did not shew itself exactly in charges might prove false. The persuathe same form as at first, when once raised sion in the mind of the speaker evidently it was not easily quelled, and it never was, that he was stating truths; and, ac-. could promote its views with better hopes cordingly, he appeared to be afraid of noof success than by TALKING down illus- body. The Morning-Post news-paper trious persons-(hear! hear!). It was the calls it "a curious speech." If by "cuobject to write down his royal highness-rious," he, the editor, means rare, I must confess that it was "curious" in the highest degree.

* If that army had not performed those services, which it had pleased that House to honour with its thanks, it would not have been their or the Commander in Chief's fault, but his own; and whatever enthusiasm they had felt, was the result of the example and discipline, afforded by the illustrious person at the head of the army.

+ At length they could reach in a tangible shape some of those libels which had for some time past been more assiduously and pertinaciously circulated than at any former period in this country so prolific in libels.

As to the reported and published speeches of the other speakers, the first thing that struck me was, that they should have contained any thing at all, except what might relate to the mode of inquiry. The charges were so clearly stated, that there seemed to be nothing to do but, at once, to fix upon the mode of inquiring into them. However, it appeared to be an occasion for many persons to express their opinions relating to the person accused, and, therefore, we will notice what they said, it being desirable that nothing

should escape publicity that belongs to this important subject.

of the 50th regiment, when they were making that gallant charge at Vimiera, before which the French instantly ran like a flock of sheep; suppose we were to admit, that the brave private dragoon, who took general Lefebvre; suppose we were to admit, that our regiments before Corunna, who, when engaged against triple their force, in point of numbers, and who, at the end of a march that had left even

the officers barefooted, stood like a wall before the enemy, and when they saw fresh numbers pouring down, gave three huzzas, rushed forward upon the gathering host, drove them up the bill, and by that act of almost unexampled bravery secured the safety of the embarkation: suppose we were to admit, that all these men were inspired solely by the "example" of the Duke of York. Nay, suppose we were to admit, to its full extent, the idea of Mr. Yorke; suppose we were to admit, that it was the Duke who alone had rendered the English soldiery worthy the name of an army; that he, and he alone, had poured courage to the breasts of Britons, and had given them strength of bone and of sinew. Suppose we were to admit all this, and, I think, it is hard if

a

A direct denial of the facts does not appear to have been made by any one; but, the Secretary at War (general sir James Pulteney, who marched against Ferrol, as the reader will remember) said, that, as a proof that the army had not been badly managed, as a proof that the Duke of York had not abused his powers, the excellent discipline of our army might be cited, and for the proof of the goodness of that discipline, he referred to sir Arthur Wellesley. Sir Arthur, who appears to have been seated near sir James, bore testimony to the excellence of this discipline; imputed, in part, to the Duke, that valour the consequence of which had recently been a subject of the thanks of the House; and concluded by saying, that, whatever enthusiasm the army had felt was the result of the example and discipline afforded by the illustrious person at the head of the army. Mr. Yorke said, that, at the time when the Duke took the army in hand, it was in such a state as scarcely to deserve the name of an army.— -Now, whatever others may think of the matter, I do not believe, that any, even the smallest portion, of the strength or the bravery of my countrymen is to be ascribed to the Duke of York, to any branch of the government, or to any other cause than that which proceeds from nature. I look upon steady courage; upon a temper to resist or attack without trepidation; to bear up when they come to the pinch; I look upon these as qualities natural to the people of this kingdom; nor will I, upon any account, give my assent, express or tacit, to any assertion leading to a contrary conclusion. But, the ascribing of the enthusiasm of the English soldiers at Vimiera to discipline is what I cannot understand. Discipline consists of restraints, at least; generally it implies checks, pains and penalties, Discipline may, and does, produce prompt obedience, submission, and, of course, order and regu-nown of the Duke of York? Mr. Wardle larity; but, that it should fill the soul with enthusiasm is, to say the least of it, something wonderful. Example," indeed, may inspire an army with enthusiasm; and as to the probable effect of the Duke of York's example; the example afforded by his battles; as to this, I am sure, it is quite unnecessary for me to say one word to any living creature in this kingdom.-After all, however, what has this to do with the main subject; the great subject now before the parliament and the public? Suppose we were to admit, that the men

broader admission could be demanded, or wished for, even by the most zealous Anti-jacobin in the country; suppose we were to admit all this, what would the admission make; of what weight would it be; how would it at all alter the case, when set against facts such as those stated by Mr. Wardle? The skill and the courage of the Duke of York are things which appear to me to have nothing at all to do with his mode of distributing promotion. Nothing at all to do with those bargains and sales mentioned by Mr. Wardle. Mr. Wardle plainly stated, that Mrs. Clarke, with the connivance of the Duke of York, had received so much a head upon a new levy. Is this to be answered by citing the military re

states, that a man was going through a long course of military promotion and pay, while he was actually a clerk in the agent, Greenwood's, office. Is this to be answered by telling us, that our army fought well at Vimiera? No, no. Such facts are to be efficiently met by nothing short of flat denial; and, unless they can be so met, at once, it were much better to wait the want of proof on the part of those, from whom the accusation has proceeded.

There was another argument, made use of by Mr. Adam, which does not seem