colouring at least in this representation, which false as they are malicious, could never have must have proved much more against the dispo- proved crime in me, however manifestly they sition and character of the informers, and the might display the malice of my accusers.quality of their information, than against the Must it not, then, have occurred to any one, person who was the object of their charge. But who had seen the whole of this Narrative, if the when, in addition to all this, the Declaration motive of my accusers was, as they represent it, states, that I had, with respect to my unfortu- merely that of good patriots, of attached and nate and calamitous separation from His Royal loyal subjects, bound, in execution of a painful Highness, stated that I had acknowledged my-duty, imposed upon them by His Royal Highself to have been the aggressor, from the begin-ness the Prince of Wales, to disclose, in detail, ning, and myself alone; and when it further states, that if any other woman had so played and sported with her husband's comfort and popularity, she would have been turned out of his house, or left alone in it, and have deservedly forfeited her place in society; and further still, when, alleging that I had once been desirous of procuring a separation from His Royal Highness, and had pressed former Chancellors to accomplish this purpose, it flippantly adds, that "The Chancellor may now perhaps be able to grant her request." The malicious object of the whole must surely have been most obvious. For supposing these facts to have been all true; supposing this infamous and libellous description of my character had been nothing but a correct and faithful representation of my vices and my infamy, would it not have been natural to have asked why they were introduced into this Declaration? What effect could they have had upon the charge of crime, and of adultery, which it was intended to establish? If it was only, in execution of a painful duty, which a sense of loyalty to your Majesty, and obedience to the commands of the Prince of Wales at length reluctantly drew from them, why all this malicious accompaniment?" His Royal Highness" indeed, they say,desired that they would communicate the whole circumstances of their acquaint ance with me, from the day they first spoke with me till the present time; a full detail of all that passed during our acquaintance," and "how they became known to me, it appearing to His Royal Highness, from the representation of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, that His Majesty's dearest interests, and those of this country, were very deeply interested in the question," and "that he particularly commanded them to be very circumstantial in their detail respecting all they might know relative to the child that I affected to adopt."---But from the whole of this it is sufficiently apparent, that the particularity of this detail was required, by His Royal Highness, in respect of matters connected with that question, in which the dearest interests of your Majesty and this country were involved; and not of circumstances which could have no bearing on those interests. If it had been therefore true, as I most solemnly protest it is not, that I had in the confidence of private conversation, so far forgot all sense of decency, loyalty, and gratitude, as to have expressed myself with that disrespect of your Majesty which is imputed to me;--If I had been what I trust those who have lived with me, or ever have partaken of my society, would not confirm, of a mind so uninformed and uncultivated, without education or talents, or without any desire of improving myself, incapable of employment, of a temper so furious and violent, as altogether to form a character, which no one could bear to live with, who had the means of living else where ;-What possible progress would all this make towards proving that I was guilty of adultery? These, and such like insinuations, as

all the facts which could establish my guilt, that these circumstances never would have made a part of their detail? But on the other hand, if their object was to traduce me;-if, falsely attributing to His Royal Highness, sentiments which could belong to no generous bosom, but measuring his nature by their own, they thought, vainly and wickedly, to ingratiate themselves with him, by being the instruments of accomplishing my ruin;-if aiming at depriving me of my rank and station, or of driving me from this country, they determined to bring forward a charge of treason against me, which, though they knew in their consciences it was false, yet they might hope would serve at least as a cover, and a pretence, for such an imputation upon my character, as, rendering my life intolerable in this country, might drive me to seek a refuge in another; if, the better to effectuate this purpose, they had represented all my misfortunes as my faults, and my faults alone, drawn an odious and disgusting picture of me, to extinguish every sentiment of pity and compassion, which, in the generosity, not only of your Majesty's_royal bosom, and of the members of your Royal Family, but of all the inhabitants of your kingdom, might arise to commiserate the unfortu nate situation of a stranger, persecuted under a charge originating in their malice;-if, for this, they flung out, that I had justly forfeited my station in society, and that a separation from my husband was, what I myself had once wished, and what the Chancellor might now perhaps procure for me;-or, if, in short, their object was to obtain my condemnation by prejudice, inflamed by falsehood, which never could be ob tained by justice informed by truth, then the whole texture of the declaration is consistent, and it is well contrived and executed for its purpose. But it is strange, that its purpose should have escaped the detection of intelligent and impartial minds. There was enough at least to have made them pause before they gave such a degree of credit to informations of this description, as to have made them the foundations of so important and decisive a step, as that of advising them to be laid before your Majesty.—And, indeed, such seems to have been the effect which this declaration at first produced. Because if it had been believed, the only thing to have been done (according to the judgment of the Commissioners,) would have been to have laid it im mediately before your Majesty, to whom, upon every principle of duly, the communication was due. But the declaration was made on the 3d of December, in the last year, and the commu nication was not made to your Majesty till the very end of May. And that interval appears to have been employed in collecting those other additional declarations, which are referred to in the Report, and which your Majesty has like. wise been pleased, by your gracions commands, to have communicated to me. -These additional declarations do not, I submit, appear to furnish much additional reason for believing the

incredible story. They were taken indeed " for | transmission of it to your Majesty, (who, once the purpose," (for they are so described, this formally in possession of it, could not fail to is the title which is prefixed to them in the au- subject it to some inquiry.) I have dwelt, per thentic copies, with which I have been furnish- haps, at a tedious length, in disputing the proed,)" for the purpose of confirming the state-priety of the Commissioners' judgment, in thos ment made by Lady Douglas of the circum-approving the course which was pursned. And, stances mentioned in her narrative,” and they | looking to the event, and all the circumstances are the examinations of two persons, who appear connected with it, perhaps I have reason to to have formerly lived in the family of Sir John rejoice that the Inquiry has taken place. For and Lady Douglas, and of several servants of if three years' concealment of my supposed my own; they are filled with the hearsay details crime could not impeach the credit of my acof other servants' declarations. And one of cusers, three times that period might perhaps be them, W. Cole, seems to have been examined thought to have left that credit still noimpaired. over and over again. No less than four of his And, had the false charge been delayed till examinations are given, and some of these evi- death had taken away the real parents of the dently refer to other examinations of his, which child, which Lady Douglas charges to be mine; are not given at all. if time had deprived me of those servants and attendants who have been able so fully to disprove the fact of my alleged preg. nancy, I know not where I could have found the means of disproving facts and charges, so falsely, so confidently, and positively sworn to, as those to which Lady Douglas has attested. Following, as I proposed, the course taken in the Report, I next come to that part of it, to which unquestionably I must recur with the greatest satisfaction; because it is that part, which so completely absolves me of every pos sible suspicion, upon the two material charges, of pregnancy and child-birth.The Com missioners state in their Report, that they began by examining "on oath the two principal informants, Sir John and Lady Donglas, who both positively swore, the former to his hav "ing/observed the fact of pregnancy, and the "latter to all the important particulars contain"ed in her former declaration, and above re"ferred to. Their examinations are annexed to "the Report, and are circumstantial and posi "tive." The most material of "the allegations

These, I submit to your Majesty, are rendered from this marked circumstance, particularly undeserving of credit; because, in the only instance in which the hearsay statement, related to one servant, was followed by the examination of the other, who was stated to have made it, (I mean an instance in which Cole relates what he had heard said by F. Lloyd) F. Lloyd does not appear to have said any such thing, or even to have heard what she is by him related to have said, and she relates the fact that she really did hear, stripped of all the particulars with which Cole had coloured it, and which alone made it in any degree deserving to be mentioned. Besides this, the parents of the child which is ascribed to me by Lady Douglas, are plainly" pointed out, and a clue is afforded, by which if followed, it would have been as easy to have ascertained, that that child was no child of mine, (if indeed it ever had been seriously believed to be so) and to have proved whose child it was, before the appointment of the Commissioners, as it had been found to be afterwards.So far, therefore, from concurring with the Com-into the truth of which they had been directed missioners in approving the advice, under which "to inquire, being thus far supported by the His Royal Highness had acted, I conceive it to "oath of the parties from whom they had prohave been at least cruel and inconsiderate, to "ceeded," they state, "that they felt it their have advised the transmission of such a charge "duty to follow up the Inquiry by the exami to your Majesty, till they had exhausted all the "nation of such other persons, as they judged means which private inquiry could have afforded, "best able to afford them information, as to the to ascertain its falsehood or its truth.And "facts in question." "We thought it," they when it appears that it was not thought necessary, say, "beyond all doubt, that in this course of upon the first statement of it, as the Commis- Inquiry many particulars must be learnt which sioners seem to have imagined, forthwith to "would be necessarily conclusive on the truth or transmit to your Majesty; but it was retained "falsehood of these declarations. So many per for near six months, from the beginning of De-" sons must have been witnesses to the appear. cember till near the end of May; what is due to "ances of an actual existing pregnancy, so many myself obliges me to state, that if there had but "circumstances must have been attendant upon been in that interval, half the industry employed "a real delivery, and difficulties so numerous to remove suspicions, which was exerted to "and insurmountable must have been involved raise them, there would never have existed a "in any attempt to account for the infant in necessity for troubling your Majesty with this "question, as the child of another woman, if it charge at all. I beg to be understood as im- "had been in fact the child of the Princess; that pating this solely to the advice given to His "we entertained a full and confident expecta Royal Highness. He must, of necessity, have" tion of arriving at complete proof, either in left the detail and the determination upon this “the affirmative, or negative, on this part of the business to others. And it is evident to me," subject. "This expectation," they proceedfrom what I now know, that His Royal Highness was not fairly dealt with; that material infor mation was obtained to disprove part of the case against me, which, not appearing in the declarations that were transmitted to your Majesty, I conclude was never communicated to His Royal Highness.-Feeling, Sire, strongly, that I have much to complain of, that this foul charge should have been so readily credited to my great prejudice, as to have occasioned that" advice to be given which recommended the

ed to state, "was not disappointed. We are "happy to declare to your Majesty, our perfect "conviction that there is no foundation what ever for believing that the child now with the "Princess is the child of Her Royal Highness, "or that she was delivered of any child in the

66

year 1802; nor has any thing appeared to us "which would warrant the belief that she was pregnant in that year, or at any other period within_the_compass of our inquiries." They then proceed to refer to the circumstantial evi

dence, by which they state that it was proved that the child was, beyond all doubt, born in Brownlow-street Hospital, on 11th July, 1802, of the body of Sophia Austin, and brought to my house in the month of November following. Neither should we," they add, "be more "warranted in expressing any doubt respecting "the alleged pregnancy of the Princess, as "stated in the original declarations; a fact so "fully contradicted, and by so many witnesses, "to whom, if true, it must, in various ways, "have been known, that we cannot think it en. "titled to the smallest credit." Then, after stating that they have annexed the depositions from which they have collected these opinions, they add "We humbly offer to your Majesty our clear and unanimous judgment upon them, "formed on full deliberation, and pronounced "without hesitation, on the result of the whole "Inquiry."-These two most important facts, therefore, which are charged against me, being so fully, and satisfactorily, disposed of, by the unanimous and clear judgment of the Commis sioners; being so fully and completely disproved by the evidence which the Commissioners collected, I might, perhaps, in your Majesty's judgment, appear well justified, in passing them by without any observation of mine.-But though the observations which I shall make shall be very few, yet I cannot forbear just dwelling upon this part of the case, for a few minutes; because, if I do not much deceive myself, upon every principle which can govern the human mind, in the investigation of the truth of any charge, the fate of this part of the accusation must have decisive weight upon the determination of the remainder. I therefore must beg to remark, that Sir John Douglas swears to my having appeared, some time after our acquaintance had commenced, to be with child, and that one day I leaned on the sofa, and put my hand upon my stomach, and said, "Sir John, I shall "never be Queen of England;" and he said, "not if you don't deserve," and I seemed angry

at first.

nion of my pregnancy, to convey a meaning most contrary to that which I could by possibility have intended to convey, but which it was necessary that he should impute to me, to give the better colour to this false accusation.As to Sir John Douglas, however, when he swears to the appearances of my pregnancy, he possibly might be only mistaken. Not that mistake will excuse or diminish the guilt of so scandalous a falsehood upon oath. But for Lady Douglas there cannot be even such an excuse. Independent of all those extravagant confessions which she falsely represents me to have made, she states, upon her own observation and knowledge, that I was pregnant in the year 1802. Now, in the habits of intercourse and intimacy, with which I certainly did live with her, at that time, she could not be mistaken as to that fact. It is impossible, therefore, that in swearing positively to that fact, which is so positively disproved, she can fail to appear to your Majesty to be wilfully and deliberately forsworn.

-As to the conversations which she asserts to have passed between us, I am well aware, that those, who prefer her word to mine, will not be satisfied to disbelieve her upon my bare denial; nor, perhaps, upon the improbability and extravagance of the supposed conversations themselves. But as to the facts of pregnancy and delivery, which are proved to be false, in the words of the report, by so many witnesses, to whom, if true, they must in various ways have been known," no person living can doubt that the crime of adultery and treason, as proved by those facts, has been attempted to be fixed upon me, by the deliberate and wilful falsehood of this my most forward accuser. And when it is once established, as it is, that my pregnancy and delivery are all Sir John and Lady Douglas's invention, I should imagine that my confessions of a pregnancy which never existed; my confession of a delivery which never took place; my confession of having suckled a child which I never bore, will hardly be be lieved upon the credit of her testimony. The This conversation, I apprehend, if it has the credit of Lady Douglas, therefore, being thus least relation to the subject on which Sir John destroyed, I trust your Majesty will think that I was examined, must be given for the purpose of ought to scorn to answer to any thing which her insinuating that I made an allusion to my preg- examination may contain, except so far as there nancy, as if there was a sort of understanding may appear to be any additional and concurrent between him and me upon the subject, and that evidence to support it.- -This brings me to the he made me angry, by an expression which im- remaining part of the Report, which I read, I plied that what I alluded to would forfeit my do assure your Majesty, with a degree of astoright to be Queen of England. If this is not the nishment and surprise, that I know not how to meaning which Sir John intends to be annexed express. How the Commissioners could, upon to this conversation, I am perfectly at a loss to such evidence, from such witnesses, upon such conceive what he can intend to convey.-Whether an information, and in such an ex parte proceedat any time, when I may have felt myself unwelling, before I had had the possibility of being I may haveused the expression which he here im- heard, not only suffer themselves to form such putes to me, my memory will not enable me, an opinion, but to report it to your Majesty with the least degree of certainty to state. The with all the weight and authority of their great words themselves seem to me to be perfectly names, I am perfectly at a loss to conceive. Their innocent; and the action of laying my hand great official and judicial occupations, no doubt, upon my breast, if occasioned by any sense of prevented that full attention to the subject which internal pain at the moment, neither unnatural, it required. But I am not surely without just nor, as it appears to me in any way censurable. grounds of complaint, if they proceeded to proBut that I could have used these words, intend- nounce au opinion upon my character, without ing to convey to Sir John Douglas the meaning all that consideration and attention which the which I suppose him to insinuate, surpasses all importance of it to the peace of your Majesty's human credulity to believe. I could not, how-mind, to the honour of your Royal Family, and ever, forbear to notice this passage in Sir John's the reputation of the Princess of Wales, seem, examination, because it must serve to demon- indispensably to have demanded.In the part strate to your Majesty how words, in themselves of the Report already referred to, the particumost innocent, are endeavoured to be tortured, lars of the charge, exclusive of those two imby being brought into the context with his opi-portant facts, which have been so satisfactorily

disposed of, are, as I have already observed, variously described by the Commissioners; as, "matters of great impropriety and indecency of "behaviour;" as "other particulars in them"selves extremely suspicious, and still more so, "when connected with the assertions already "mentioned;" and as "points of the same na"ture, though going to a much less extent." But they do not become the subject of particular attention in the Report, till after the Commissioners had concluded that part of it, in which they give so decisive an opinion against the truth of the charge upon the two material facts. They then proceed to state-" That they cannot close their report there," much as they could wish it; that besides the allegations of the pregnancy and delivery of the Princess, those declarations on the whole of which your Majesty had required their Inquiry and Report, contain other particulars respecting the conduct of Her Royal Highness, such as must, especially considering her exalted rank and station, necessarily give occasion to very unfavourable interpretations. That from various depositions and proofs annexed to their Report, particularly from the examination of Robert Bidgood, W. Cole, F. Lloyd, and Mrs. Lisle, several strong circumstances of this description, have been positively sworn to by witnesses, who cannot, in the judgment of the Commissioners, be suspected of any unfavourable bias, and whose veracity in THIS RESPECT, they had seen no ground to question." They then state that "on the precise bearing and effect of the facts thus appearing, it is not for them to decide, these they submit to your Majesty's wisdom. But they conceive it to be their duty to report on this part of the Inquiry, as distinctly as on the former facts; that as, on the one hand, the facts of pregnancy and delivery are, in their minds satisfactorily disproved, so on the other hand they think, that the circumstances to which they now refer, particularly those stated to have passed between Her Royal Highness and Captain Manby, must be credited until they shall receive some decisive contradiction, and if true, are justly

no further upon your Majesty at present, than to point out, in passing this part of the Report, the just foundations which it affords me for making the complaint.Your Majesty will also, I am persuaded, not fail to remark the strange obscurity and reserve, the mysterious darkness, with which the Report here expresses itself; and every one must feel how this aggravates the severity and cruelty of the censure, by rendering it impossible distinctly and specifically to meet it. The Commissioners state indeed that some things are proved against me, which must be credited till they shall receive a decisive contradiction, but what those things are they do not state. They are partienlars and circum"stances which, especially considering my ex"alted rank, must give occasion to the most un"favourable interpretations. They are several "strong circumstances of this description," "they are, if true, justly deserving of most se"rious consideration," and they "must be cre "dited till decidedly contradicted." But what are these circumstances? What are these deeds without a name? Was there ever a charge so framed? Was ever any one put to answer any charge, and decidedly to contradict it, or submit to have it credited against him, which was conceived in such terms without the means of ascertaining what these things are, except as conjecture may enable me to surmise, to at parts of the examinations of the four witnesses on whom they particularly rely, they attach the im portance and the weight which seem to them to justify these dark and ambiguous censures on my conduct? But such as they are, and whatever they may be, they must, your Majesty is told, be credited unless they are decidedly contradicted.--Circumstances respecting Captain Manby, indeed are particularized; but referring to the depositions which apply to him, they contain much matter of opinion, of hearsay, of suspicion. Are these hearsays, are these opi nions, are these suspicions and conjectures of these witnesses to be believed against me, unless de cidedly contradicted? How can I decidedly contradict another person's opinion? I may Your Majesty will not fail to observe, that the reason against its justice, but how can I conCommissioners have entered into the examina-tradict it? Or how can I decidedly contradict tion of this part of the case, and have reported any thing which is not precisely specified, nor upon it, not merely as evidence in confirmation distinctly known to me?- -Your Majesty will of the charges of pregnancy and delivery which also observe that the Report states that it is not they have completely negatived and disposed of, for the Commissioners to decide upon the but as containing substantive matters of charge bearing and effect of these facts; these are left in itself. That they consider it indeed as re- for your Majesty's decision. But they add, that lating to points" of the same nature, but going if true, they are justly entitled to the most "to a much less extent," not therefore as con- serious consideration. I cannot, Sire, but colstituting actual crime, but as amounting to lect from these passages, an intimation that "improprieties and indecencies of behaviour, some further proceedings may be meditated. And "aggravated by the exalted rank which I hold," perhaps, if I acted with perfect prudence. as occasioning unfavourable interpretations," seeing how much reason I have to fear, from the and as "entitled to the most serious considera- fabrications of falsehood, I ought to have tion." And when they also state that it is not waited till I knew what course, civil or criminal, for them to decide on their precise bearing and your Majesty might be advised to pursue before effect, I think I am justified in concluding that I offered any observations or answer. To this they could not class them under any known alternative however I am driven. I must head of crime; as, in that case, upon their either remain silent, and reserve my defence, bearing and effect they would have been fully leaving the imputation to operate most inj competent to have pronounced.- I have, to a riously and fatally to my character; or I must, degree, already stated to your Majesty, the un- by entering into a defence against so extended precedented hardship to which I conceive myself a charge, expose myself with much greater to have been exposed, by this ex parte Inquiry hazard to any future attacks. But the fear of into the decorum of my private conduct. I have possible danger, to arise from the perverted already stated the prejudice done to my charac-interpretation of my answer, cannot induce me -ter, by this recorded censure, from which I can to acquiesce under the certain mischief of the have no appeal; and I press these considerations unjust censure and judgment which stands against

entitled to the most serious consideration.”

me, as it were, recorded in this Report. I shall in other respects? Is it meant to be insinuated therefore, at whatever hazard, proceed to that they saw reason to question their veracity, submit to your Majesty, in whose justice I have not in respect of an unfavourable bias, but of a the most satisfactory reliance, my auswer and bias in my favonr? I cannot impute to them my observations upon this part of the case.-such an insinnation, because I am satisfied that And here, Sire, I cannot forbear again pre- the Commissioners would never have intended suming to state to your Majesty, that it is not to insinuate any thing so directly contrary to a little hard, that the Commissioners (who state the truth.-The witnesses specifically pointed in the beginning of their Report, that certain out, as thus particularly deserving of credit, are particulars, in themselves, extremely suspicious, W. Cole, R. Bidgood, F. Lloyd, and Mrs. were, in the judgment which they had formed Lisle. With respect to Mrs. Lisle, I trust your upon them, before they entered into the parti- Majesty will permit me to make my observations culars of the Inquiry, rendered still more sus- upon her examination, as distinctly and separatepicions from being connected with the assertion ly, as I possibly can, from the others. Because, of pregnancy and delivery) should have made as I ever had, and have now, as much as ever, no observation upon the degree in which that the most perfect respect for Mrs. Lisle, I would suspicion must be proportionably abated, when avoid the possibility of having it imagined that those assertions of pregnancy and delivery, have such observations, as I shall be under the absobeen completely falsified and disproved; that Inte necessity of making, upon the other witthey should make no remark upon the fact, that nesses, could be intended, in any degree, to all the witnesses (with the exception of Mrs. be applied to her. With respect to Cole, Lisle), on whom they specifically rely, were Bidgood, and Lloyd, they have all lived in their every one of them, brought forward by the places for a long time; they had lived with His principal informers, for the purpose of support-Royal Highness the Prince of Wales before he ing the false statement of Lady Douglas; that married, and were appointed by him to situathey are the witnesses therefore of persons, tions about me; Cole and Lloyd immediately whom, after the complete falsification of their upon my marriage, and Bidgood very shortly charge, I am justified in describing as conspi- afterwards. I know not whether from this cirrators who have been detected in supporting cumstance they may consider themselves as not their conspiracy by their own perjury. And owing that undivided duty and regard to me, surely where a conspiracy, to fix a charge upon which servants of my own appointment might an individual, has been plainly detected, the possibly have felt; but if I knew nothing more witnesses of those who have been so detected of them than that they had consented to be vo in that conspiracy,-witnesses that are brought luntarily examined, for the purpose of supportforward to support this false charge, cannoting the statement of. Lady Douglas on a charge stand otherwise than considerably affected in so deeply affecting my honour, without cominutheir credit, by their connexion with those who nicating to me the fact of such examination, are detected in that conspiracy. But instead of your Majesty would not, I am sure, be surpointing out this circumstance, as calling, at prised, to find, that I saw, in that circumstance least for some degree of caution and reserve, in alone, sufficient to raise some suspicions of an considering the testimony of these witnesses, unfavourable bias. But when I find Cole, parthe Report on the contrary, holds them up as ticularly, submitting to this secret and voluntary worthy of particular credit, as witnesses, who, examination against me, no less than four times, in the judgment of the Commissioners, cannot and when I found, during the pendency of this be suspected of unfavourable bias; whose ve- Inquiry before the Commissioners, that one of racity, in that respect, they have seen no ground them, R. Bidgood, was so far connected, and in to question; and who must be credited till they league, with Sir John and Lady. Donglas, as to receive some decided contradiction. Now, have communication with the latter, I thought I Sire, I feel the fullest confidence that I shall saw the proof of such decided hostility and conprove to your Majesty's most perfect satisfac- federacy against me, that I felt obliged to order tion, that all of these witnesses (of course I still the discontinuance of his attendance at my house exclude Mrs. Lisle) are under the influence, and till further orders. Of the real bias of their exhibit the symptoms of the most unfavourable minds, however, with respect to me, your bias;-that their veracity is in every respect to Majesty will be better able to judge from the be donbted; and that they cannot, by any can- consideration of their evidence.--The imputadid and attentive mind, be deemed worthy of tions which I collect to be considered as cast the least degree of credit; upon this charge, upon me, by these several witnesses, are too your Majesty will easily conceive, how great great familiarity and intimacy with several genmy surprise and astonishment must have been tlemen, Sir Sidney Smith, Mr. Lawrence, Capat this part of the Report. I am indeed a little tain Manby, and I know not whether the same at a loss to know, whether I understand the are not meant to be extended to Lord Hood, passage, which I have cited from the Report. Mr. Chester, and Captain Moore.--With The witnesses in the judgment of the Commis- your Majesty's permission, therefore, I will "sioners, are not to be suspected of unfavour-examine the depositions of the witnesses, as "able bias, and their veracity in that respect they have seen no reason to question." What is meant by their having seen no reason to suspect their veracity in that respect? Do they mean, what the qualification seems to imply, that they have seen reason to question it

they respect these several gentlemen, in their order, keeping the evidence, which is applicable to each case, as distinct from the others, as I can. And I will begin with those which respect Sir Sidney Smith, as he is the person first mentioned in the deposition of W. Cole.

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