this was the very point, whether it was not most reprehensible and improper to take such an officer, and mount him over the heads of officers, who had spent their lives in foreign service, and every climate? But in consequence of this inquiry into the case of Captain Maling, it had now appeared collaterally that be had a brother in the Duke of York's office, who was also a captain, and that though there appeared no reason to suppose that this gentleman had ever joined any regiment, yet he had been put over the heads of hundreds of meritorious officers. We were told, however, that he was to be put on half pay; though there was an express act of parliament, that no man should be put upon half pay, who had never joined his regiment at its regular station. British officers would never repine at promotions bestowed for gallant actions in the field, they would rather feel gratified on such occasions; but when they had officers from the Duke of York's office put over their heads, their feelings must be very different from those of satisfaction on such occasions !— Colonel Gordon had stated his own services to the house, and there was no man more ready to allow them than I am. His long services deserved to be rewarded; but I cannot see any reason why he should be singled out to receive a regiment, when so many general officers and colonels of longer standing were with out them. There must be a limit to abuses of this kind, otherwise they will produce the greatest mischief. The next case to which I beg leave to call the attention of the house is that of Colonel French's levy. The first witness examined on this case was Captain Sandon, who stated, that he was engaged with Colonel French in the levy, and that Mrs. Clarke was to receive 20001. for the exercise of her influence with the commander in chief to procure it. In consequence of this, Captain S. added, that he had paid 8501. at various times, and various sums.→ Mr. Corri, the music master, said, he was to receive 2001. for his introduction of the parties to Mrs. Clarke; and he particularly mentions that it was stated by Mrs. Clarke, that this application could only go through the war office, in order that every step might appear to be perfectly regular. From the evidence of Mr. Dowler, it appeared that that gentleman had several times seen Colonel French at Mis. Clarke's house, and was informed by her of the nature of the transaction that was going forward. This witness expressed to Mrs. Clarke his disappro bation of the whole business, which he thought exceedingly wrong, and, in fact, he stated that he had been present when various confidential conversations took place, and different alterations on the terms of the levy were proposed. All this proved that Mrs. Clarke received a very considerable sum of money from Colonel French, under the impression that she had the power of prevailing upon the commander in chief to assent to the levy. That she did actually use such influence was directly proved by the evidence of Miss Taylor, who expressly states a conversation be tween his royal highness and Mrs. Clarke, at which she was present, in which his royal highness asks, “How does French behave to you, my dar ling," &c. There were many other minute circumstances which went to prove the same point. We find Colonel French and Captain Sandon were frequently at Mrs. Clarke's; that they were frequently discussing the terms of the levy; that alterations were made upon them from time to time; and is it not clear, from all that she must have proved to them, that she had influence with his royal highness? It was not very likely that such men would be easily deceived, or would have given away their money without a complete conviction that she possessed such influence. In one of her notes to Sandon, she even states the Duke of York's remarks on his terms "I gave his royal highness "the papers; he read them while "with me; said he still thought the men high; but that an answer "would be left at his office, as in the 66 way of business." In another letter she says to Sandon--"I hope you will attend the Duke to day, as Clinton leaves him on Thursday, and he has all his writings "for you in hand. He will not " 44 I believe that Colonel French took upon him to send people to Germa ny for the purpose of recruiting, and that it was through Mrs. Clarke's influence that he obtained this permission. In one of her letters to Sandon she says, "The Duke is "leave his office till six." From these letters Mrs. Clarke seemed fully as much aware of the necessity for official regularity, as Col. Gordon, or any other gentleman at the horse guards could be. In the last letter it was also proved, that she had communications with his royal highness on the subject, as she tells Sandon how Col. Clinton was employed at the war office. In the letter marked No. 39, she also notices an alteration in the terms of three guineas a man. The letter marked 10, was also important. In this she says to Sandon-" Pray do "something for me as soon as possi"ble; the Duke told me this morn"ing you must get on faster with your men; he has written to town "for that purpose." In letter No. 6, she says, "He will do it-so let "the proposals be sent in by when "he gets to town, for one thousand "at least. The Duke of Cambridge "has already four thousand. You "have not any occasion to be very "particular as to their being protestants, for I don't think it of a ny consequence to him! Pray, "when you attend him, put on a "nice pair of boots, and let it be "about half past three." It is rather a peculiar circumstance that I cannot find on the table of the house any thing respecting a German levy; but I have strong reasons for believing that the allusions in the last etter refer to something of that sort. very angry with you; for when he "last saw you, you promised him "300 foreigners, and have not pro"duced one." This was almost positive proof that such a levy had been in agitation. From all these circumstances, from the numerous allusions scattered in the letters, from the negociation for the levy taking up two or three months, all the alterations in which, evidently passed through her hands, it seemed quite evident that Mrs. Clarke had frequent communications with his royal highness on military subjects. If then she made frequent applications on these subjects, it was not very natural that he should ascribe them to a mere disinterested concern for her friends; it was natural for his royal highness to inquire, why she took such an interest in the concerns of a variety of individuals ?— Now to such questions as these, I see no possible answer which she could give, with which his royal highness could be satisfied, except this, that she expected to benefit in a pecuniary point of view. Had Mrs. Clarke said, that she was actuated by pure friendship on such occasions, it was not very likely that the Duke would have been satisfied with such an answer, nor, indeed, with any other, but the true one.→ If she had been afraid of the Duke's knowing anything of the matter, it is not very likely that she would have permitted such frequent communications with French, or that she could have received so many letters at her own house relating to the subject. It would even appear, that she had applied to French for a loan of 50001. for the accommoda tion of hus royal highness; and this unquestionably must have been at the suggestion of the Duke of York. In my opinion all these facts are decisive as to the Duke of York being acquainted with these corrupt transactions, and the support which they receive from Miss Taylor's evidence, appears to render the matter quite incontestible. Indeed the -conversation which Miss Taylor stated she heard between the Duke of York and Mrs. Clarke was quite natural, and corroborated all the other parts of the evidence. "The next fact to which I shall beg leave to direct the attention of the house, is the payment by Mrs. Clarke of 5001. to Birkett the goldsmith, which was the identical sum that she received from Sandon, on account of the levy. The remainder of the money for the plate was paid for at different times by the Duke, who must have been aware of the circumstance, for if not aware of it, it must have been quite natural for him to have asked how she got the money to pay the balance? Having thus directed the attention of the honourable house to the oral testimony connected with this, case, I shall now proceed to the documents which were laid on the table of the house. And here the principal object which called for attention was the letter of service procured by Colonel French. The object of the levy was to raise five thousand men; and if four thousand of these were not raised in nine months, and the whole five thousand in thirteen months, then the levy was to be discontinued. But we find that in seven months only two hundred were raised, though the bounties were advanced from fifteen to nineteen guineas. The letter of General Taylor on the subject of this levy was peculiarly important, and exposed the nature of the gross abuses which were carried on. In this letter it was stated, that every one of the recruits, cost the Country one hundred and fifty pounds! : After such a document had reached the war-office, it was quite astonishing that Mrs. Clarke's influence, or indeed any consideration what ever, could have induced his royal highness to continue the levy a mo ment longer, when the country was paying at the rate of 1501. for every recruit, and when many other practices of the most abominable kind were going forward in that levy! Instead however, of putting a stop to such a nuisance, his royal highness permits it to go on, at the same time directing Colonel Gordon to give a gentle hint, that unless the recruiting improved, he would not be suf fered to continue his recruiting any longer and General Taylor, after all the gross abuses which he had stated, and though it had raised only 200 in 7 months, is told that he had formed a premature judg ment of its probable efficacy. This letter was written on the 20th Feb. and the levy is still permitted to linger on till the 14th April, when it was finally stopped, on the grounds that it had only produced 219 men in twelve, when it should have raised 5000 in thirteen months. This was at the suggestion of the then inspector general, Whitelocke, who wrote to the commander in chief, stating the unproductive nature of the levy, which was then discon tinued. This was not all; for Col. Robins, an inspecting field officer of the London district, informs Gen. Whitelock, in a letter of the 11th April, that the conduct of Colonel French's temporary serjeants was in every respect infamous and disgraceful to the service. After all these circumstances were stated, was it not rather remarkable that Colonel Gordon should be directed to order the discontinuance of such a levy, in a letter to Col. French, couched in terms so mild, and such as the following;-" I am commanded to "inform you, that his royal highness "cannot give any encouragement ་་ "the prosecution of a levy which "has turned out so unproductive to the service, and for discontinuing "of which orders have been already given." For my part, on a review of the whole transaction, I feel quite convinced, that, without some powerful reasons, Col. French and his levy would have been both speedily dis missed. And here I must call the attention of the house to the incalculable burden which was entailed on the country by such levies as the preFor every guinea that Mrs. C. received for her influence, it must have cost the public eighty at least; and I believe there never was a more corrupt or shameless measure carried on under any government, however despotic. Upon the whole of the case, I think that man's mind must be strangely con structed who does not see that this charge is brought home to his royal highness. On such a mind, no evidence on earth will seem to have any effect. sent. The next case is that of Capt. ΤΟΝΥΝ. This officer agreed to pay 5001. for her influence in procaring him a majority, and Donovan, the agent, was only to receive 251. It appeared that Capt Tonyn began to grow impatient at the delay of his appointment, and to talk of taking away the money he had deposited. In consequence of this, Mrs. Clarke employed Sandon to shew him a letter, purporting to come from his royal highness, and which was to the following effect :"I have just received your note, and Capt. Tonyn's business shall remain as it is.-God bless you." "Addressed George Farquhar, Esq." It was strongly suspected by many gentlemen that Mrs. Clarke had forged this note; but I would ask, where was, the use or sense of addressing it to George Farquhar, Esq. a name with which Capt. Tonyn was entirely and totally unacquainted? Had it been forged, it was much more probable that it would VOL. V. have been addressed to Mrs. Clarke, as this would have appeared more likely to produce the desired effect. Captain Sandon has throughout discovered a hostile mind to Mrs. Clarke, and it is quite evident, that if he was aware of its being a forgery, he would have taken an opportunity of effectually disgracing her in the eyes of the house, and of the country. The hon. member then adverted to the case of Col. Shaw, and having taking a large review of the evidence relative to this case, as recorded in the minutes, argued that if such strong recommendations as those of Gen. Sir H. Burrard and Col. Clinton were insufficient to obtain for Mr. Shaw either promotion or an exchange, or to be permitted to go on half pay, under the circumstances of ill health, pleaded by Major Shaw; and if, on the application to Mrs. Clarke, he obtained both promotion and the lucrative appointment of deputy quarter-ipaster-general at the Cape of Good Hope, it was impossible to account for the conduct of his royal highness the Duke of York, or to reconcile it with any rational principles of probability, without admitting that he had been influenced by Mrs. Clarke in this new and unexpected arrangement. He had been refused promotion, though the strongest military interest had been employed in his favour; but immediately after his application to Mrs. Clarke, had not only obtained the promotion he pressed for, but, in addition to that, a lucrative and manent appointment. Was it likely in such circumstances that his royal highness could have been influenced by any other consideration than the application of Mrs. Clarke, and the knowledge he must have had that she was to obtain a sum of money in pros portion to the appointment? In urging not only the possibility, but the probability also of this fact, he had only to remind the house of the Duke of York's letters to Mrs. Clarke, in A& per which General Clavering and Dr. O'Meara are mentioned, and from which it clearly appeared, that his royal highness was in the habit of corresponding with Mrs. Clarke, not only on the subject of military, but of church preferments. But there was another point in this case, which ought not to be overlooked, and which tended to corroborate still more strongly the influence of Mrs. Clarke, and the fact of his royal highness acting from a knowledge of the pecuniary transactions between her and Col. Shaw; he meant the circumstance of this officer's being put on half-pay, in consequence of his not paying, at the expected time, the whole amount of the sum promised to Mrs. Clarke. It is clear from the letter of Col. Shaw to Mrs. Clarke on this occasion, that he understood the cause of his reduction, and that he did not treat it as an event usual in military routine, as had been attempted to be established. In his letter he expressed himself as an injured man, and believed that he stood singular and alone in such circumstances, mentioning other officers in India who held similar appointments, and yet had continued in full pay. At the same time he assures Mrs. Clarke, in his letter, "that he would not do any thing to jure her; which he never would have said if he had not believed that he had it in his power, by divulging the whole transaction. The hon. member next adduced the case of Mr DOWLER, who had stated at the bar, that he had never made application to any other person for his appointment to the commissariat, except Mrs. Clarke. He stated, that be knew for certain that his father made no application on the subject. The circumstance of bis, application to Mrs. Clarke is farther corroborated by the testimony of that witness, who states, that she applied to the Duke of York for the appointment, and that he in formed her, that he had been obliged to speak to Mr. Long for a Mr. Manby, whom it was the wish of his royal highness the Prince of Wales to serve. It appears, however, from her testimony, that his royal highness did apply for Mr. Dowler, and both Mr. Long and Mr. Sturges Bourge say, that though they can find no recommendation of Mr. Dowler at this office, yet that, in the routine of office, he must have been generally recommended. Dowler says that he gave Mrs. Clarke 10001. for this appointment, and Mrs. Clarke acknowledges ha ving received it; but what contin cingly proved, in his opinion, that Mrs. Clarke must have had communication with the Duke of York on this subject, was her knowledge of the conversation that took place between his royal highness and Mr. Long relative to the appointment, and which Mr. Long acknowledges to have taken place, particularly with respect to Mr. Manby. From what other sources was Mrs. Clarke likely to derive this information, if not from the Duke of York, and on what occasion, if not that of applying for Mr. Dowler? But a great deal more passed also, it appears, in conversation respecting Mr. Manby, such as his being-recommended by the Prince of Wales, and the necessity of having him provided for, which circumstances all agree with the facts, and which it was impossible Mrs. Clarke could have known, unless through his royal highness the Duke of York, which goes a very great way to corroborate her testimony of having applied for Mr. Dowler. On a comparison, therefore, of all the circumstances attending this case, the hon. member concluded that his royal highness must have been implicated in the transaction, and that no motive could be assigned for his acting so contrarily to other motives and interests, without supposing his knowledge of the pecuniary compliment |