18 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



crowded 'with a vast number of 

 personsanxioustohear the debates 

 on this interesting subject, and the 

 gallery was instantly filled on open- 

 ,ing the door. Many peers were 

 also waiting below the bar as au- 

 ditors. A motion, however, was 

 unexpectedly made by Mr.Lygon, 

 member forWorcestershire, for ex- 

 cluding strangers, which of course 

 was carried into effect. Mr. Ben- 

 net thereupon moved an adjourn- 

 ment, which was negatived. Mr. 

 Cochrane Johnstone then rose and 

 said, that as the hon. gentleman 

 opposite had thought proper to 

 dear the gallery, he should not 

 bring forward his motion that 

 night, but should reserve to him- 

 self the right of renewing it on any 

 future occasion. Mr. Lygon de- 

 clared, that whenever the hon. 

 gentleman did renew his motion, 

 he should also again move for 

 clearing the gallery. 



A conversation then ensued, in 

 which Mr. Whitbread urged lord 

 Castlereagh for information re- 

 specting the report of the privy- 

 counsellors alluded to in her royal 

 highness's letter, which his lord- 

 ship refused to give, as there was 

 no motion before the House. Mr. 

 Whitbread then read the report as 

 published from a newspaper, and 

 observed that the public were ig- 

 norant of all the circumstances 

 which had induced the council to 

 make such a report ; and said, that 

 if no other member would submit 

 a motion to the House on her royal 

 highness's petition, he would do 

 so. Mr. C. Johnstone having then 

 given notice of his intention to 

 bring on his motion on the follow- 

 ing day, the House adjourned. 



On March 5tli, the gallery being 

 first cleared, M.. Cochr.ine John- 



stone rose, and declared in the first 

 instance, that for the motion he 

 was about to submit, he had no 

 authority from the princess of 

 Wales, and no communication 

 with any persons whatever, but 

 that the proceeding had originated 

 exclusively from himself. He then 

 stated that a commission had been 

 granted by the king, in 1808, to 

 lords Spencer, Grenville, Erskine, 

 and Eilenborough, to examine into 

 certain allegations that had been 

 preferred against the princess of 

 Wales, whose report (which he 

 read) contained the most unquali- 

 fied opinion, that the charge pro- 

 duced by sir John and lady Dou- 

 glas, relative to her having borne 

 a child in 1802, was utterly desti- 

 tute of foundation; but concluded 

 with some strictures made by the 

 commissioners on the levity of 

 manners displayed by the princess 

 on certain occasions. He next read 

 a paper, which he was ready lo 

 prove to have been dictated by lord 

 Eldon, Mr. Perceval, and sir Tho- 

 mas Plumer, though signed by the 

 princess of Wales, being a protest 

 addressed to the king against the 

 report just mentioned, strongly as- 

 serting her innocence, and calling 

 the charges of her accusers a foul 

 conspiracy, made ex parte, and af- 

 fording no appeal. Upon this pa- 

 per the hon. member observed, 

 that he fully concurred in its senti- 

 ments on the subject of the com- 

 mission, and insisted that tlie 

 charge against the princess before 

 that tribunal was nothing short of 

 treason, and that if the commis- 

 sioners had power to acquit her of 

 the crime charged, they had equal 

 power to convict her. He thought, 

 however, they had no authority to 

 give a judgment on the occasion. 



