business in the office of the Commander-in-Chief; the Colonel firmly believes, that he made his report, as usual, to the Duke as to the fitness of the exchange, though he kept no minutes of the inquiry, upon which the report was founded; and he has not the smallest doubt, that the Duke acted solely upon that report, unbiassed by any other influence whatever. For the Colonel’s opinions we may have a very great respect, especially as he appears to have had so much to do with the illustrious personage, whose conduct was the subject of inquiry; but, with all due deference to the Colonel, opinions are not facts; nor will they, in the mind of any impartial man, weigh one grain against positive and corroborated testimony.
In his speech, stating the charges, Mr. Wardle, at the first opening of the business, stated the exchange of Knight and Brooke to have been concluded on the 25th of July. It now appears, that it was not gazetted till the 30th; and, observe, it has been attempted to be shown, that the thing was done without the aid of Mrs. Clarke, because Colonel Gordon has produced a document to show, that the Duke gave his sanction to the exchange on the 23rd of July, just as if Mr. Wardle had ever pretended to name the day when the application was made to Mrs. Clarke! He merely misstated the date of the Gazette, a misstatement which could not possibly be intentional, because there was the Gazette to refer to. But, what is this document? What is this written proof, that the Duke gave his sanction to the exchange on the 23rd of July? Why, it is a document, in which the material part, the only words that are material, are found written in PENCIL! The exchange was not gazetted, it appears, till seven days after it was approved of by the Duke, though there must have been one gazetting-day between; not till seven days after the Duke is, in pencil, stated to have approved of it. In pencil, reader, you will please to bear in mind; always keep in mind, that it was in pencil. I wonder what judges and juries would say of documents, of written evidence, partly in pencil?
Colonel Gordon states, however, positively, that the Duke of York went to Weymouth on the 31st of July; which is important, because the Gazette in which the exchange of Knight and Brooke appeared, was published on the 30th of July, and Mrs. Clarke says, that she received the 200l. before the Duke went to Weymouth. This brings the whole of the operations subsequent to the Gazette into a crowded space. She sent the Gazette to Dr. Thynne; Dr. Thynne sent it to Mr. Knight; Mr. Knight sent her the money; she showed the money to the Duke; and all this must, if true, have taken place, between some time in the day of the 30th, and some time in the night of the 31st, or in the morning of the 1st of August; that is to say, if Colonel Gordon be correct as to the day of the Duke’s setting off for Weymouth. Yet is there nothing, that I can perceive, at all incredible in this rapidity. If Mr. Knight got the Gazette on the 30th, he would not, after the pressing note from Mrs. Clarke to Dr. Thynne, fail to send her the money the next day; on that day the Duke, before his departure, would naturally go, as the witnesses stated he did go, to Mrs. Clarke’s; she would, if ever, then show him the money; and, of course, if she got the note, or notes, or one of them, changed through him, that was the very time when she would get it done. All the servants agree, that the Duke was there on the day, and in a part, at least, of the night previous to his departure for Weymouth, and Mrs. Favourite, perfectly corroborated by Pierson, says that she gave Ludovick a note to get changed; and she further says, that she took up the change and delivered it to the Duke and Mrs. Clarke in bed.
Now, reader, dismiss from your mind all prejudice; all bias; and ask yourself, whether it be possible for such a story as this is all through; so many concurrent circumstances, flowing from so many quarters, to unite by mere accident; or by any thing short of the power of one great and prevailing truth. Ask yourself, whether the evidence of Mr. Adam to character, and the evidence of Ludovick and Colonel Gordon to fact, is sufficient to weigh against all that has been laid before you in support of this charge.
Case of Captain Maling.—Mr. Wardle, when he brought forward his charges, stated, that there was a man, in the office of Greenwood, the Agent, who had risen to the rank of Captain in the army without having ever done one day’s military duty, and without having even joined any regiment. Upon the examination taking place, in the House, it appeared, that Mr. Wardle had made a mistake; not, however, as to the nature of the case, or the name of the person: but as to the office in which that person was, it appearing, that the person was a clerk in the office of the Duke of York and not in that of Greenwood.
And here we have an instance of the manner, in which Colonel Gordon gave information to the House. When first called in, he was asked: “What were the merits and services that obtained Capt. Maling his rapid promotion, and the gift of his three commissions?” His answer is; “I will state them to the House.” He then goes on to show, from documents in his possession, that he was recommended thus and thus, and that he had served thus and thus; and though the promotion was very rapid indeed, and seems not to be unaccounted for upon the score of service, it does appear that the person in question had been engaged in actual military service.
Upon this being made appear, Mr. Wardle was disposed to withdraw this charge: “No, no!” said the friends of the Duke. No. It shall not be withdrawn; it shall stand for us to decide upon it.
The Colonel was then examined as to other matters; and, before he was ordered to withdraw, it occurred to some one, that a mistake, as to the office, had been made: and the Colonel was asked: “What were the services of Captain Maling’s brother, who is, I believe, a captain in the army, who is in the War-office?”
Now, mark the answer; mark this answer well. “There is a Captain Maling, an assistant of mine, in the office of the Commander-in-Chief; I take for granted that is the person referred to. What his services are as a Lieutenant I really do not know; I found him as a Lieutenant in the office of the Commander-in-Chief; and in consideration of his extraordinary good character, and more than common abilities, the promotions of the army going through his hands under mine, I did recommend him to his royal highness the Commander-in-Chief, to be placed upon the half-pay as a captain, upon which half-pay he most assuredly will be placed as soon as an opportunity offers; but the Commander-in-Chief has it not in his power.”
He is then asked: “Do you know whether, or not, that Captain Maling ever joined, or did duty with, any regiment?”—His answer is: “I do not know that he did; and I do not think that he did.”
Whence we may conclude with perfect safety, that he never did; so that the charge of Mr. Wardle is completely established, the circumstance of a mistake in the office being of no importance at all.
This is a case, which involves no direct pecuniary corruption; but it is worthy of as much attention as any one of the whole; for here, we see, that the offices of the army have been made sinecures, and, if this be tolerated, let the reader judge to what a length it may be, and, perhaps, already has been, carried, in an establishment consisting of from 12,000 to 15,000 commissioned and staff officers. I, in my last, observed upon the consequences of leaves of absence; I noticed the particular case of the younger Sheridan; but, what must we expect if the rank and pay, as military officers, are given to clerks in offices? If to clerks, why not to any who are not clerks? Why not to butlers and footmen? Why not to any body? There is no knowing where the terrible abuse will terminate.
This man never joined any regiment? Yet he must be a Captain of some company in some regiment, and, perhaps, in one of those regiments which were serving in Spain. Is not this pretty encouragement for officers who actually do serve? Is not this a shameful injury to that service, for which the people so dearly pay?
He has been thus promoted for his “extraordinary good character, and more than common abilities.” Abilities in what? In what; why, “the promotions of the army going through his hands under mine,” says the Colonel, with singular modesty. But, what have these abilities; this more than common abilities in copying letters, filling up blank commissions, and making memorandums, in pencil, in the margin of applications; what have these “more than common abilities” to do with military command, which demands not only abilities of quite a different description, but requires also the presence of the person with the army? Besides, has not Captain Maling his salary as a clerk? Aye,
