owing, he should have had no observation | supported by himself alone. Had that to make; but when it was to go forth to hon. gent. been so deserted as his noble the public that he, a member of Parliament, friend described him to be, he should not acted in a Parliamentary proceeding as the have wanted his aid; but having on a forprofessed adviser of the Duke of York, he mer occasion, upon an inquiry into the had reason to complain of such an expres- conduct of the Medical Board, witnessed sion, and endeavour if possible to counter- that hon. gent.'s ability, he should have act its tendency. He begged the House thought it highly indelicate had he thrusted would excuse his calling their attention to himself into his councils unasked and una subject wholly personal; he owned he called for. That hon. gent. had evinced was actuated by the most serious feelings the utmost manliness and delicacy in on this subject. He was anxious in the standing on the ground on which he had most solemn manner to repel the imputa- chosen to stand, single and unsupported. tion which that appellation might cause. He had rested his character on the event, -He knew how unpleasant it was to the and the event would justify him; but it House to listen to personal observations, was not becoming any member to arrogate but it was important to him that he, whose to himself peculiar praise on this occasion. life had been passed in the discharge of a The noble lord ought to give credit to variety of public duties, should endeavour others for acting on principles similar to to preserve the character which he trusted those on which he had himself acted. he had acquired without touch or stain. With respect to the noble lord's panegyHe was not aware that on any occasion ric, he thought he had read it in some pubhe had failed in the discharge of the va- lication; if not, perhaps he might yet do so. rious obligations which had from time to He could not, however, but be of opinion, time been imposed upon him; whether that it would have proceeded with more during his Parliamentary life of above propriety from any other lips than his twenty-five years, or in the private concerns of his family, exposed as he had been to encreasing pressure, to the res angustæ domi; by which, however, he had never been tempted to deviate from the strict line of political or moral integrity. Although the hon. gent. by whom those charges were originated had intimated that the appointment of a Select Committee to investigate them would accord with his opinion, he had not thought proper to move for such a committee. An hon. gent. opposite had suggested proceeding by a Parliamentary Commission; with those two exceptions, he did not recollect a dissenting voice against the course ultimately adopted by the House. He appealed to the House, whether there had been the least interruption to the most free and unrestrained enquiry. With respect to himself, he was in the judgment of the House, whether he had ever said or done any thing that gave a colour to the appellation of" professed adviser of the Duke of York." He hoped that the country would be satisfied that this matter, which had been introduced publicly, had been conducted openly, and in a manner that was in the highest degree honourable to the House of Commons. Mr. CALCRAFT blamed the noble lord for the censure which he had chosen to pass on the House, and for the assumption which he had chosen to make in stating that his hon. friend, in the charge which he had brought forward, had been own." This is a debate full of interest. We will go backwards in our remarks, because Mr. Calcraft's charge against lord Folkestone is of a sort to demand immediate comment. What arrogance did his lordship discover? How did he pronounce a panegyric on himself, in stating, that, until within a few days, Mr. Wardle had received no assistance from any member out of the 658, and that all he had now received, out of doors (for such was the manifest meaning) was what little he, lord Folkestone, had been able to give him? Was it not the well-known truth, and was it not necessary to state that truth, in a manner that it might be imprinted upon the minds of the injured and insulted people? That it was out of doors that his lordship meant is certain, because he says, that Mr. Wardle has had no " agent" to assist him; and, then, he goes on to say, that Mr. Wardle has not had the assistance of "the services of a Lowten, or a Wilkinson, "to arrange his documents, and to mar"shal his witnesses."It is true, notoriously true, and is universally seen and acknowledged, that, since Sir Francis Burdett was disabled by the gout from attending the House, lord Folkestone has been the only man, who has actually appeared as an assistant of Mr. Wardle. As to the panegyric that Mr. Calcraft has read, or expects to read, upon the noble lord, in some publication, he may be disappointed, point of fact, and a little too soon in point for the conduct of his lordship needs none; of time; because the formal and solemn nor is there any pen that can do justice to disclaimer is still fresh in the memory of the subject. Mr. Calcraft was safe, here, every man, who is not an ideot.-Now, in one respect; for there was no fear of as to the phrase, which appears to have retaliation on the part of his lordship. given so much offence to Mr. Adam, Lord One thing, respecting lord Folkestone, Folkestone says, that he by no means however, I must state, and that is, when meant it in the way of reproach; and, I the late ministry (under whom Mr. Cal- must think, that the reader will agree with craft had a fat post) came into power, they me, that, when Mr. Adam's first speech offered his lordship a place of fifteen hun- upon the subject is recollected; when it dred pounds a year, of which he declined is recollected, what he said about the 20 to accept; though, it will be remembered years that the pecuniary affairs of the by most men acquainted with politics, Duke had been in his hands, and about that he all along, except upon particular the unreserved communication between occasions, continued to support them. them; when it is recollected, that he There is no man, who knows my lord then took upon himself to say, that the Folkestone, who is acquainted with that charges would prove unfounded; when it steady adherence to truth and to principle is recollected, that he has since held (as which is innate in him, and with that mo- he acknowledges) conferences and condesty, which is so prominent a part of his sultations with the Duke and Colonel Gorcharacter, with his fidelity to his word and don and Mr. Perceval, relative to matters to his friends; there is no man, who is at connected with the inquiry; that he has all acquainted with his character, who will had a witness, if not witnesses, in favour ever believe, that he has, upon this occa- of the Duke, sent to him, who put quession, acted from any other motive than that tions to them, previous to their coming to of a conviction that his duty required him be examined by the House; that (as he to do what he has done.Oh, oh! It acknowledges) he was apprized of similar seems, then, that there were many mem- previous examinations going on at Mr. bers ready and willing to assist Mr. War- Lowten's office; and, finally, that he was dle from the first, had they not been convinc- consulted and did advise relative to the ed, that so great were his own individual time and manner of producing the circumpowers, he wanted no assistance; and stance of the pretended forgery: when even Mr. Calcraft himself, would have ten- all this is recollected, was there any thing dered the use of his abilities, had he not unjust, any thing harsh, any thing overentertained this conviction. Come, this strained, in lord Folkestone's calling Mr. is some comfort. But, if I mistake not, Adam the "professed adviser of the Duke at the first opening of the business, there " of York?" Besides, observe the occasion was only Sir Francis Burdett (who second- on which the phrase was used. It was in ed Mr. Wardle's motion), and my lord reference to the mode of inquiry, and bore, Folkestone, from whom Mr. Wardle reupon the face of it, a proof, that it was not ceived even the smallest degree of coun- meant to convey to the world an idea, tenance. And when, at a later period, that Mr. Adam had, while a member of the charge about Captain Maling, ow- the House, while a judge in the case, acted, ing to a mere error in words, appeared at the same time, as the advocate of the to have failed; at this period, if I mis- Duke. There was nothing in the words take not, the party, to which Mr. Cal- to convey such a meaning; and, therecraft belongs, did, in a most formal and fore, it does seem strange to me, that solemn manner, disclaim all connection with Mr. Adam should have felt so sore upon Mr. Wardle, with respect to these charges, the subject.I shall, hereafter, endeaand that one of that party did distinctly vour to give a fair view of Mr. Adam's say, that he had sent a message to him case, who, at present, certainly does not not to bring forward the charges, adding, that stand so well with the public as I could he had been imposed upon by the actors in most sincerely wish; and I cannot refrain a foul conspiracy against the Duke. That from observing now, that, we must be inthis was the case the public well knows; volved with such people, by slow degrees, and, therefore, this declaration, that there as Mr. Adam appears to have been; we were many members ready and willing to must be exposed to the solicitations of the assist him, had they not been convinced that all-powerful; we must experience their his own abilities rendered their assistance importunities and feel the weight of inunnecessary, comes a little too late influence, pressing from so many quarters, and, from the other side, in a few days. after, it was flatly stated, that Mr. Wardle had been imposed upon by a foul conspiracy. Was not this giving him a hostile reception?Then, as to pushing him on; and leaving no time for search, or for reflection; is it not fresh in the recollection of the public; is it not written in the reports of the debates, that he was pushed on? And that, when Mr. Wardle complained of this, and wished for a day or two to look about him and to think, was it not represented as unjust, and was he not asked: "Is it to be endured, that charges "like these shall hang, from day to day, "suspended over the head of a son of the crown "When lord Folkestone, upon one occasion, stated the exhausted condition of Mr. Wardle himself, was he not silenced by the cry of " go on, go on * To say, as Mr. Perceval does, in answer to lord Folkestone, that there have been no divisions in the House, upon any of these points; good Lord! what is it! what does that circumstance make against the fact?The other complaint of lord Folkestone is, that Mr. Wardle had proceeded with the threat of infamy contingently attached to him, and that this threat had neither been withdrawn nor modified up to the present moment. In answer to this Mr. Perceval says, that: "all that was meant, or had been said, was, not that infamy must attach either to Mr. Wardle or the Duke; but that, if the accusation "were false, and a conspiracy should be found "to exist, infamy would attach to the con before we can say, that we should not spirators, and that if the gentlemen "who brought forward the accusations, "should be found to have too easily lent them"selves to an unprincipled conspiracy, they "would not, by their conduct, have added "to their own credit."Oh, dear me ! Lack-a-day! Here are an abundance of very nice qualifications, not one word of which was to be seen, in any one of the reports of the famous debate, the evermemorable debate, the everlastingly-to-be esteemed and preserved debate, of Friday the 27th day of January in the year 1809. In the report of that debate, there appeared these words, as uttered by Mr. Canning, the king's secretary of state for foreign affairs: "The hon. gent. (Mr. Wardle) surely must be aware, that hav"ing undertaken the responsible task of " submitting to a British House of Com"mons such a serious accusation, whatever may be the result of its deliberation; in "whatever view the House shall consider the "transactions which he has disclosed, "whether they be refuted or substan- | "tiated, infamy must attach somewhere, ei"ther upon the ACCUSED or the AC"CUSER."- These were the words, and these words, lord Folkestone now, in the face of the House, after Mr. Perceval's speech, asserts to have been used, and no one contradicts him; therefore, we must conclude, that the reports of the several news-papers, which all agree as to these words in particular, were correct. That, by ACCUSER, Mr. Canning might mean the conspiracy" is certain; but, taking in the former part, the " responsible" part of the sentence, there is room to believe that he might, and did, mean Mr. Wardle; and, by the ACCUSED, it is utterly impossible, that he could mean any other person than the Duke of York.- -Mr. Perceval, when, in the close of this part of his speech, he complains of lord Folkestone's saying, that the inquiry had manifestly suffered from the fear of people capable of giving information, that their doing so might offend the government; when Mr. Perceval thus complains, and says, that such a statement is calculated to create unfounded suspicions in the country, he appears to have forgotten, that his lordship has spoken of a fact; that he had stated, that he himself had applied to a person to give up certain papers; that this person was unwilling to give them up; that the jet of his objection was, "that, as the defence of the Duke had been "taken up as a ministerial measure, he was apprehensive that he would incur their displeasure, and the displeasure of those immediately under them, which would probably operate to the ruin of himself and family." To this his lordship added: "I do assure the House, that this is not "the only instance where similar appre"hensions have prevented persons in pos"session of strong testimony, from com"ing forward, particularly officers in the army, and where information was withheld from the manner in which the thing had been taken up by the king's ser"vants in that House." And, is not this very natural? Was there any need of the positive fact, stated by lord Folkestone, to make the country believe this? Is there one man amongst us, who would not have anticipated what lord Felkestone expressed? When the ministers and their friends began, when they received the charges, with denouncing as conspirators all those, who had wrote and talked against the Duke of York, was it not to be expected, that all those persons, who were, in any 66 66 66 way, dependant upon the government, would, if they possessed information upon the subject, take 'special care not to let it be known? And would not this, in a particular manner, apply to officers in the army, whose sole means of preserving their rank in life, and even of obtaining bread, depended upon the ministry, including that very person, against whom the charges were preferred? A conclusion so obvious could have escaped no man with unaddled brains in his head.It is useless to endeavour to stop the spreading of this way of thinking. It has, long ago, reached every soul in the country. The mind of the country is completely settled as to this point; and, indeed, upon the whole of the proceeding; all that is now necessary to be done being to place the facts upon record, in a way that they may be with facility referred to.—The diversions, in Spain and Portugal, will be of little avail. There is nobody that cares, or need care, a straw about them. The interesting scene is at home, where the taxes are laid and collected. To this scene the people's eyes, after twenty-four years of blindness, are, at last, open; and, though it is possible, that they may be induced to wink for a while, all the arts in the world will never be able to blind them again. This is good. It is a great thing done. It is a firm step gained in the way of national restoration; and, for this great good, we have to thank, and the whole of the uncorrupt part of the nation most heartily do thank, MR. WARDLE. Botley, Thursday, 23rd Feb. 1809. The following Letter, published in the Morning Chronicle of the 20th instant, complains of a mis-statement in my paper of last week. The mis-statement is not mine. The name of Dr. Glasse was mentioned in the evidence; but, I very gladly give the correction; and should be still more glad to be able, consistently with truth and impartiality, to expunge also, from these scandalous disclosures, the name of Mr. Glasse, his son, who, upon my return to England, was one of the first persons to shew me kindness; who, as often as the occasion has occurred, has uniformly shown towards me the same disposition; whom I never had the smallest reason to suspect capable of meanness of any sort; but whom, on the contrary, I had every reason to regard as an upright and generous man. "SIR,-I had no design to notice the introduction of my name into the transac tions now before the public (in a manner COBBETT'S equally painful and astonishing to myself; Parliamentary Debates: otherwise than by making to my private and personal friends, the solemn asseveration of my ignorance as to the steps taken with a view to serve me, by mis-guided zeal and erring gratitude; accompanied by such proof as the nature of the case admits. The TWELFTH VOLUME is in the Press. All Communications for the above Work, if sent to the Publishers in due time, shall be carefully attended to. OFFICIAL PAPERS. SPANISH REVOLUTION. Twenty-fifth Bulletin of the French Army of Spain, dated Benevente, Jan. 5. where he will remain some days, and from whence he will proceed to take a central position at Valladolid, leaving to the duke of Dalmatia the task of destroying the English army.-His Majesty, on being informed that in the places where the prisoners were collected, and where there are ten Spaniards for one Englishman, the Spaniards ill-used and plundered the English, gave orders for separating the English from the Spaniards, and for observing towards the former a particular sort of treatment. The rear-guard of the English, by accepting battle at Prievas, had hoped to enable the left column, which was chiefly composed of Spaniards, to form its -But the pride of conscious innocence will not allow me to be silent, when I observe in several of the papers, and particularly in The Political Register of yesterday, the name of my honoured father His Majesty being informed that the confusedly blended with my own. It is to English army was reduced to less than shield his fair fame from the possibility of 20,000 men, resolved upon moving his censure, that I thus address you, Sir, re-head-quarters from Astorga to Benevente, questing you to give the utmost publicity, to the declaration," that the introduction "of Dr. Glasse's name into these miserable "discussions is totally and altogether "founded in error." To those who are acquainted with the, tenor of Dr. Glasse's life during a ministry of more than fifty years, this avowal may be unnecessary; it would, however, be unjust, that an idea to his prejudice should even accidentally be imprinted on the mind of a stranger. By my own conduct, as far as honesty of intention goes, I am ready to stand or fall; and on that ground I am little affected even by the attacks of calumny; but I confess myself unequal to enduring the thought, that the closing hours of a blame-junction at Villa Franca. He also hoped less and venerable man should be imbittered by imputations abhorrent from his character; or that he should be implicat- the hospital at Villa Franca 300 English ed in a charge, against which every feel sick or wounded. The English burnt in ing of his soul would not fail to revolt. I that town a large magazine of flour and am, Sir,-Your obedient humble servant, corn. They also destroyed several artilGeorge Henry GLASSE."lery carriages, and killed 500 of their Rectory House, Hanwell, Feb. 19, 1809. COBBETT'S COMPLETE COLLECTION OF State Trials: To be completed in Thirty-Six Monthly The THIRD PART of the above Work will be published on Wednesday, the first of March. One Part will appear, with the greatest regularity, on the first of each succeeding Month. Those Subscribers who have expressed their intention of taking the Work in Quarterly Volumes, are respectfully informed that the First Volume will be ready for delivery on the same day, to gain a night, in order more completely to evacuate Villa Franca. We found in horses. We have already counted 1600 of them left dead on the roads. The amount of the prisoners is considerable, and increases every moment. In the cellars of the town we found several English soldiers who had died from drunkenness.-The head of Merle's division, forming part of the duke of Dalmatia's corps, came up with the advanced guard on the 3rd. At four p. m. it reached the rear-guard of the English, who were upon the heights of Prievas, a league before Villa Franca, consisting of 5000 infantry and 600 cavalry. This position was a very fine position, and difficult to attack. Gen. Merle made his dispositions. The infantry advanced, beat the charge, and the English were entirely routed. The difficulty of the ground did not permit the cavalry to charge, and only 200 prisoners were taken. We had some 50 men killed or |