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other things, which the Conspiracy, the Jacobin Conspiracy, wishes to accomplish, is, we are told, the overthrow of the Church, including, of course, Doctor O'Meara, who possesses the celestial unction, and whose lips are touched with the live coal from off "the altar;" aye, those very lips, through which had passed the ofler to Mrs. Clarke. Why, John Bowles and Redhead Yorke may say what they please about "our holy religion" being in danger from a Jacobin Piot; but, will they have the impudence to say, that transactions like these ought to be tolerated, let what will be the consequence of removing the means of their existing? Perhaps they will; but, they may be assured, that that impudence will only tend to hasten the cutting up of the corruptionsDean Swift gives us a caution against your gentry with the "celestial unction;" and, it is no small compliment to the discernment of the king, that he was not to be imposed upon in this case; for, though he might express his objection merely to the great O, yet there is no doubt, that he saw the whole drift of the preacher, and pretty fairly estimated his character as well as his talents. It should further be observed here, that the Duke does not speak with any great confidence even of being able to get the Doctor the opportunity to preach before the king. When it came there, the way was full of difficulty. The matter was delicate. And this, in justice to the king, the people should bear in mind.

notorious that not the smallest grounds were discovered, and that while she stood ornamented with truth and sensibility, the only fault of her life was her having lived upon terms of intimacy with Mrs. Clarke, with that Mrs. Clarke, with whom a prince was living, and with whom we find a countess in the closest habits of friendship.- -What Miss Taylor foresaw, as the consequence of her evidence, has (I state it upon unquestionable authority) actually come to pass.- -She and her sister, after much pains and difficulty, had succeeded in establishing a school, at Chelsea, by which they hoped to be able to support themselves. Since she appeared at the bar of the House, she has lost all her scholars, the number being twelve; her goods have been seized for rent and taxes due, and she is now actually in danger of a prison, though the whole of her debts do not exceed a hundred and fifty pounds.-It is true, that the rent and taxes and debts were due previous to the inquiry; but, the forcing of her before the House of Commons, caused the loss of her scholars; that is to say, the loss of the only means which she had, or could be supposed to have, of ever paying any of those demands. Viewing her in this state, not only of insolvency, but of irretrievable insolvency, her creditors would naturally fall upon her, and therefore, to the circumstance of her having been compelled to give evidence, and to make a full exposure of all her connections and acquaintance, and to that circumstance alone, she owes her ruin, and her present danger of actual imprisonment.- It is not for me to point And here I have to beseech the atten- out, nor is my local situation calculated tion of the public, and the exercise of their for the carrying into execution, any prebest feelings, towards, and in behalf, of a cise plan for the relief of this unfortunate person, who appears to me to merit not and hardly-treated young woman; but, I only their compassion, but their efficient think it my duty to recommend her case protection. The evidence, which she to the public, who, I am sure, will not has given, is before them. They will have suffer her to sink into the lowest depths seen, that, from first to last, it was clear, of misery. The payment of her debts precise, consistent, and bearing at the is the first thing necessary; because upon features of truth and honesty.-They that, perhaps, even her life may depend; will also have observed, that Mr. Wardle and that, I think, ought to be followed declared in the House, that, when he told by the raising of money sufficient to se her, he should want her evidence, she cure her a small annuity. There have said, that," if she told the truth, she knew been few appeals of this sort made to an "it would be to the ruin of herself and her English public in vain; and, as far as "dearest connections, and that she hoped he my recollection serves me, there never "would not force her forwards."- -Af-was one made with fairer or stronger ter every effort that was made to find out claims upon public justice. grounds of imputation against her, it is Botley, Thursday, 9 March, 1809.

MISS TAYLOR'S CASE.

LONDON: Printed by T. C. HANSARD, Peterborough Court, Fleet Street; Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent-Garden: Sold also by J. Bund, Pall Mall.

VOL. XV. No. 11.] LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1809.

[Price 18.

MIR SPENCER PERCEVAL, the press nt Chancellor of the Exchequer, receives £.2,600 a year, in that capa ty; for his ffice in the Treasury, £.1,800 a year; as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, £4,525 a year, as Surveyor of Meltings and Clerk of the Irons in the Mint, £.126 a year; besides which, he has the grant in reversion, after the death of his brother, Lord Arden, of sinecure offices, or offices ex cited by deputy of the clear value, according to their own statement, of £.12,562 a year.-These facts, when are stated upon the author ty of a Report, laid before the House of Commons, in the month of Jue hist, shew, that this gentleman receives now, 8,851 pounds a year of the public money, and that, if his brother were now to die, he would be in the receipt of £.21,413 a year of the public money.

985)

DUKE OF YORK.
(Continued from page 384.)

[386 "ed upon what had been represented as a "scandalous circumstance, that the backs "of a thousand men should be submitted

to a youth, who had not yet attained the "age of twenty one years," so far from being justified in fact, was most illiberal "and unfair, and that there was not a bat "talion in his majesty's service, in which "fewer corporal punishments were inflict.

"

THE anxiously looked for discussion of the Evidence, relative to the Charges against the Duke of York, has, by this time (Tuesday) taken place; and, it will naturally be expected of me, that I offer some remarks upon that discussion. This I shall do; but, to go much into detail is impossible, and, indeed, would be ed, or in which better military regulauseless. The general turn and complex- "tions were established."--Now, I need ion of the discussion, particularly noticing not tell the discerning reader, that, when some characterizing features of it, is all men find it difficult to rebut what is said, that can be the subject of remark here; they, not unfrequently, are led to attack but, I think it necessary to state, that the what is not said; and, in the first place, whole of this important Debate, and also with respect to this complaint of Mr. Adam, the whole of the Evidence and Documents after a careful examination of the passage produced by the Inquiry, will in the fullest complained of, I do not find, that I have manner, be inserted in my PARLIAMENTARY denominated the speedy promotion of CoDEBATES, where the several Speeches will lonel Adam " a scandalous circumstance." be recorded, in my usual manner, with the But, in the next place, I am quite sure, most scrupulous impartiality; and, I take that my words will not, in any hands upon this opportunity to notify, that any mem-earth, adrait of being strained to mean, that ber, on either side, who may have a wish to have his speech recorded with particular accuracy, shall find his communications punctually and readily attended to.

the regiment, under the command of that gentleman, was cruelly treated, or that it suffered, in any way, from the circumstance of his having the command of it. Before I enter upon any observations The words were these: "At twenty-one upon the debate, as it relates to the great" years of age no person in the world can be merits of the case, I cannot refrain from "fit for a Lieutenant Colonel. He has the noticing a passage, in the speech of Mr. "absolute command of a thousand men. Adam, relating to my own conduct. It will The comfort, the happiness, the morality, be remembered, that, at page 227, in re"the backs of a thousand men depend upon ferring to the extraordinary rise of his son "his wisdom and integrity. A person to in the army, I pointed out the almost ine-" be intrusted with such a charge, ought vitable evils that must arise from the" to be sober, considerate, compassionate, making of very young men commanding "and yet firm to execute justice. Where officers of regiments. In alluding to these "are these to be found united with the remarks, MR. ADAM, in his speech of the passions inseparable from youth? Be10.h instant," adverted to the pain, which "sides, is it possible, that the other offi some remarks, which had been made," cers, captains old enough, perhaps, to be "in a weekly publication, upon his son's "his father, and who have every fair promotion, had occasioned him, and re- "claim to prior promotion, can cordially gretted, that he had it not in his power to "submit to the command, and, occasion. "shew the House, that the imputation foundally, to the reproof, of a boy of twenty

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meeting with in every other breast. Not to run with pleasure at the call of the drum appeared to me as a sort of crime; when I should have considered, that the stimu lus which I had, others had not, and that, therefore, to them should have been left other enjoyments. Greater application and zeal than I possessed; a more ardent and sincere desire to do good to the service, I defy Colonel Adam, or any man breathing, to possess; there was nothing that affected the credit of the regiment, which I did not feel more acutely than if it had affected myself. Yet, as I have grown in years; as I have experienced the feelings of husband and father, and as I have had occasion to contemplate the characters, the tempers, the causes of the vices and virtues of men, I have, many times, had to look back with sorrow at many of those acts, which proceeded from the best intentions; therefore, I am qualified to speak upon this matter, and think myself fully justified in the observations that I have made, not believing it to be at all likely, that, out of ten men of twenty one years of age, the nation should afford one more sober, more vigilant, or less likely to have his mind improperly biassed, than I was.

"one? What would Mr. Adam say, if he "had to plead before a judge of twenty"one years of age? Yet, the Lieut.-Colo"nel of a Regiment (for the Colonel never commands) has powers still greater than "those of a judge. He has, in the course "of a year, to decide upon the cases of, perhaps, two thousand offences. He has "to judge of characters; to weigh the "merits of candidates for promotion; his "smile is encouragement, and his frown "disgrace; it depends upon him, whether "the soldier's life be a pleasure or a curse. "Is not all this too much for the age of " twenty-one years ?" Now, what imputation" is there here upon Colonel Adam? Are not all the arguments general? And do they breathe sober common sense; dispassionate reason; or illiberality and unfairness? I am ready to allow, that there is a very great difference in young men ; that the days of wisdom begin with some at an age when others ought still to be in leading strings; and, I believe, judging from the character of the father; considering the sort of education, the early habits of sobriety, and of all the moral virtues, which Col. Adam would, in all likelihood, have derived from the example of so good a man and so kind a parent; considering -I have thus gone into my own case as these things, I believe, that Col. Adam may an illustration, because I would leave nohave been as fit for the command of a re-thing undone to shew, that I was not, in the giment at the age of twenty-one, as many remarks which appear to have given pain others at a much more advanced age. to Mr. Adam, actuated by any motive of But, then, it is the danger of the prece- "illiberality or unfairness," but solely by dent; and, the small chance that a youth my conviction of the injurious consequenof 21 should be so endowed. Besides, the ces, which must arise, almost necessarily, passions of youth who is to quench, or to from the committing of regiments to the qualify? That zeal for the service, which command of such very young men. is so necessary to constitute a good officer, law, which, in such matters, contains the may become mischievous, and greatly accumulated wisdom of denies to ages, mischievous, if unrestrained by wisdom, persons the possession of their own properand this sort of wisdom is not to be ob- ty, till they be twenty-one years of age; tained without experience, which experience it denies them the liberty of choosing for must, again, be indebted for its existence themselves husbands and wives, until that to years, and many years, of actual ser- age, before they have arrived at which, it vice. I myself, by a combination of rare denominates them infants; and, be it obcircumstances, became possessed of great served, that Mr. Adam's son was a Major, power over the greater part of a regiment, and, as such, was, of course, frequently the at the age of nineteen, I think it was; and, commanding officer of a regiment, at the age though I always acted for what I deemed of twenty; for, it is notorious, that it selthe good of the service, I did many things, dom happens, that the Lieut. Col. and the which I would not now do, if possessed of si- Major are both present at the same time, milar power. Always sober, always in good health, always up long before the sun, with limbs that never felt weary, with a body of iron, and a mind wholly wrapped up in the military service, I made no allowances for the weaknesses, or lukewarmness, of others. That zeal which I felt, I was disappointed at not

The

-I shall conclude with declaring my sorrow at having given Mr. Adam pain; and, I think, that the public must be convinced, that I have, as far as my duty would allow me, avoided so doing. He is a gen tleman, of whom I have heard much good, of whom, from no party or person, I never heard a word of harm in my life; there

"majesty's Army.-That it is the opinion "of this House, that the abuses which they "have thus most humbly represented to "his majesty, could not have prevailed to "the extent in which they had been proved to exist, without the knowledge of the Com→ "mander in Chief; and that even if, upon any principle of reason or probability, "it could be presumed that abuses so "various and so long continued could, in "fact have prevailed without his know

are many circumstances in his progress" that they trust his majesty will give through public life, which are highly ho- "them credit, when they assure his manourable to him, and I myself am under "jesty, that in the execution of this paingreat obligations to his wisdom, his ta- "ful duty they have proceeded with all lents, and his disinterestedness: but, if Mr. "due deliberation. That without entering Adam will, for a moment, put himself in "into any other of the many obvious conmy place, I am sure he will say, that I could sequences which may be expected to not have left unnoticed that which, with follow, from the belief once generally regard to him, I have noticed, and that my "established, of the prevalence of such observations could not have been more "abuses in the Military Department, there lenient than they have been, without justly "is one great and essential consideration subjecting me to the charge of base par-" inseparable from the present subject, tiality. "which they humbly beg leave, in a more In entering upon the Debate, the first particular manner, to submit to his mathing necessary is, to state, as correctly "jesty's gracious consideration, namely, as it can now be done, the several propo- "that if an opinion should prevail amongst sitions, that have been submitted for the "his majesty's Land Forces, that promo adoption of the House. On the 8th of the "tion may be obtained by other means month (Wednesday) MR. WARDLE, at the "than by merit and service-by means close of a speech, in which he most ably "at once unjust to the Army and disgracesummed up the Evidence upon all the se- "ful to the authority placed over it, the parate Cases, made a motion in the follow- "effect of such an opinion must necessarily ing words: "That an humble Address be "be, to wound the feelings and abate the "presented to his majesty, humbly stating" zeal of all ranks and descriptions of his "to his majesty, that information has been "communicated to this House, and evi"dence produced to support it, of various corrupt practices and other abuses hav"ing prevailed for some years past, in the "disposal of Commissions and Promotions" "in his majesty's Land Forces-that his majesty's 's faithful commons, according to "the duty by-which they are bound to his "majesty and to their constituents, have "carefully examined into the truth of sun"dry transactions which have been brought "before them, in proof of such corrupt "practices and abuses; and that it is with "the utmost concern and astonishment "his majesty's faithful commons find them"selves obliged, most humbly, to inform "his majesty, that the result of their dili"gent inquires into the facts, by the examination of persons concerned, toge"ther with other witnesses, and a variety " of documents, has been such as to satisfy "his faithful commons, that the existence "of such corrupt practices and abuses is "substantially true. That his Majesty's faithful commons are restrained by mo"tives of personal respect and attachment "to his majesty, from entering into a de"tail of these transactions, being convinced "that they could not be stated without exciting the most painful sensations of grief and indignation in the breast of his "majesty: That the proceedings of his majesty's faithful commons upon this important subject have been public, and the " evidence brought before them is recorded "in the proceedings of parliament; and

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ledge, such a presumption in his favour "would not warrant the conclusion that the "command of the Army could, with safety, or "ought in prudence, to be continued in his "hands. That on these grounds and prin

ciples his majesty's faithful cominons "most humbly submit their opinion to "his majesty's gracious consideration, that his royal highness the Duke of York ought "to be deprived of the Command of the Army."

MR. PERCEVAL, with the intervention only of MR. BURTON, followed Mr. Wardle, and proposed, in the way of amendment, to leave out the whole of Mr. Wardle's motion, with the exception of the word "That," and to substitute the following in its stead :-" That an Address be present"ed to his majesty, humbly representing, "that in consequence of charges against "his royal highness the Duke of York, his "faithful commons thought it their indis"pensible duty to inquire into the same, "in the most solemn and public manner; "and after the most diligent and attentive inquiry, his most faithful commons, considering the lively interest his majesty must