part to these papers, which cannot fail, I think, to produce in your Majesty's mind, a full conviction of my innocence, and a due sense of the injuries I have suffered.

One other prayer I, with all possible humility and anxiety, address to your Majesty, that, as I can hope for no happiness, nor expect to enjoy the benefit of that fair reputation to which I know I am entitled, till I am re admitted into your Majesty's presence, and as I am in truth without guilt, suffering what to me is heavy punishment, whilst I am denied access to your Majesty, your Majesty will be graciously pleased to form an early determination whether my conduct and my sufferings do not authorize me to hope that the blessing of being restored to your Majesty's presence may be conferred upon, Sire, your Majesty's dutifully attached, affectionate, and afflicted daughter-in-law and subject,

(Signed)

Blackheath, Oct. 2, 1806.

CAROLINE.

To the King.

MINUTE OF COUNCIL, APRIL 22, 1807.

PRESENT,

Lord Chancellor (ELDON) The Earl of BATHURST Lord President (CAMDEN) Viscount CASTLEREAGH Lord Privy Seal (WEST- Lord MULGRAVE

MORLAND) Mr. Secretary CANNING The Duke of PORTLAND Lord HAWKESBURY. The Earl of CHATHAM

Your Majesty's confidential servants have, in obedience to your Majesty's commands, most attentive.

ly considered the original Charges and Report, the Minutes of Evidence, and all the other papers submitted to the consideration of your Majesty, on the subject of those charges against her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

In the stage in which this business is brought under their consideration, they do not feel themselves called upon to give any opinion as to the proceeding itself, or to the mode of investigation in which it has been thought proper to conduct it. But adverting to the advice which is stated by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to have dihis conduct, your Majesty's confidential servants are anxious to impress upon your Majesty their conviction that his Royal Highness could not, under such advice, consistently with his public duty, have done otherwise than lay before your Majesty the Statement and Examinations which were submitted to him upon this subject.

After the most deliberate consideration, however, of the evidence which has been brought before the Commissioners, and of the previous examination, as well as of the answer and observations which have been submitted to your Majesty upon them, they feel it necessary to declare their decided concurrence in the clear and unanimous opinion of the Commissioners, confirmed by that of all your Majesty's late confidential servants, that the two main charges alleged against her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, of pregnancy and delivery, are completely disproved; and they further submit to your Majes ty, their unanimous opinion, that all other particu lars of conduct brought in accusation against her

Royal Highness, to which the character of criminality can be ascribed, are satisfactorily contradicted, or rest upon evidence of such a nature, and which was given under such circumstances, as render it, in the judgment of your Majesty's confidential servants, undeserving of credit.

Your Majesty's confidential servants, therefore, concurring in that part of the opinion of your late servants, as stated in their Minute of the 25th of January, that there is no longer any necessity for your Majesty being advised to decline receiving the Princess into your Royal presence, humbly submit to your Majesty, that it is essentially necessary, in justice to her Royal Highness, and for the honour and interests of your Majesty's Illustrious Family, that her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, should be admitted, with as little delay as possible, into your Majesty's Royal Presence, and that she should be received in a manner due to her rank and station, in your Majesty's Court and Family.

Your Majesty's confidential servants also beg leave to submit to our Majesty, that considering that it may be necessary that your Majesty's Government should possess the means of referring to the state of this transaction, it is of the utmost importance that these documents, demonstrating the ground on which your Majesty has proceeded, should be preserved in safe custody; and that for that purpose the originals, or authentic copies of all these Papers, should be sealed up and deposited in the Office of your Majesty's Principal Secretary of State.

WHEREAS Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillor Thomas Lord Erskine, our Chancellor, has this day laid before us an Abstract of certain written Declarations touching the conduct of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales: We do hereby authorize, empower, and direct, the said Thomas Lord Erskine, our Chancellor; our right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin and Councillor George John Earl Spencer, one of our principal Secretaries of State; our right trusty and well-beloved Councillor William Wyndham Lord Grenville, First Commissioner of our Treasury; and our right trusty and well-beloved Councillor Edward Lord Ellenborough, our Chief Justice to hold pleas before ourself, to inquire into the truth of the same, and to examine upon oath such persons as they shall see fit touching and concerning the same, and to report to us the result of such examinations.

Given at our Castle of Windsor, on the twentyninth day of May, in the forty-sixth year of our reign.

A true Copy,

G. R.

J. Becket.

B

(No. 2.)

The Deposition of Charlotte Lady Douglas.

I THINK I first became acquainted with the Princess of Wales in 1801. Sir John Douglas had a house at Blackheath. One day in November, 1801, the snow was lying on the ground, the Princess and a lady, who I believe was Miss Heyman, came on foot and walked several times before the door. Lady Stewart was with me, and said she thought the Princess wanted something, and that I ought to go to her. I went to her; she said she did not want any thing, but she would walk in; that I had a very pretty little girl. She came in, and stayed some time. About a fortnight after, Sir John Douglas and I received an invitation to go to Montague House. After that I was very frequently at Montague House, and dined there; the Princess dined frequently with us. About May or June, 1802, the Princess first talked with me about her own conduct. Sir Sidney Smith, who had been Sir John's friend for more than twenty years, came to England about November, 1801, and came to live in our house. I understood that the Princess knew Sir Siddey Smith before she was Princess of Wales. The Princess saw Sir Sidney Smith as frequently as ourselves. We were usually kept at Montague House later than the rest of the party; often till three or four o'clock in the morning. I never observed any impropriety of conduct between Sir Sidney Smith and the Princess. I made the Princess a visit at Montague House in March 1802, for about a fortnight. She desired me come there because Miss Garth was ill. In May or June following the Princess came to my house alone; she said she came to tell me something that had happened to her, and desired me to guess. I guessed several things, and at last I said I