122 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



other party. And if the com- 

 mander-in-chief would attach him- 

 self to such a woman as that, and 

 make himself a party with her, 

 part of the disgrace must fall on 

 him too. A fourth additional point 

 urged against the commander-in- 

 chief. If a Mr. Kennet, an auc- 

 tioneer or broker, could lend to 

 the duke a certain sura of money, 

 he would second and support Sir 

 Horace Mann's recommendation 

 of that person, with a view to ob- 

 tain a place for him, which sup- 

 port had been given. But, as al- 

 ready observed, these additional 

 points were not brought forwards 

 when Colonel Wardle first stated 

 his charges against his royal high- 

 ness, but afterwards. 



Colonel Wardlehavingstatedjwith 

 brief comments, the cases of ma- 

 jor Tonyn, colonel Knight, major 

 Shaw, colonel French, and captain 

 Maling, and reported the existence 

 of a public office in the city for 

 the sale of commissions, concluded 

 with moving " for the appoint- 

 ment of a committee to investigate 

 the conduct of his royal highness 

 the Duke of York, the com- 

 mander-in-chief, with regard to 

 promotions, exchanges, and ap- 

 pointments to commissions in the 

 army, and in raising levies for the 

 army." 



Sir Francis Burdett seconded 

 the motion. 



The Secretary at War rose, but 

 not, he said, to oppose the motion. 

 If he did so, he would ill consult 

 the wishes, and worse the interests, 

 of the commander-in-chief. Hefelt 

 great satisfaction that an opportu- 

 nity was afforded, of instituting an 

 effectual inquiry into the grounds 

 of the various calumnies and mis- 

 representations, which had of late 

 beeu 60 industriously circulated 



against that illustrious personage. 

 The facts which the honourable 

 gentleman had brouglit forward 

 were of a very serious nature, and 

 well deserved the attention of the 

 house. Charges clearly and dis- 

 tinctly stated, his royal highness 

 was ready and even desirous to 

 meet. With regard to the private 

 transactions stated by colonel War- 

 die, he would say nothing, having 

 never heard of them before. But 

 he could contradict those that 

 were stated to have occurred at 

 the Horse Guards. The papers 

 respecting the half-pay fund, be- 

 fore the house, would show that 

 his royal highness had given up 

 a great part of his patronage for 

 the benefit of that fund. But it 

 was needless to enter into parti- 

 culars now, as a full inquiry would 

 necessarily take place. He would 

 only remark, that the thanks which 

 the house had been conferring on 

 the army, reflected no small cre- 

 dit on the commander-in-chief. It 

 had been universal!}' allowed, that 

 to make courage available in the 

 day of battle, discipline was ne- 

 cessary. And it was well known, 

 how much the commander-in-chief 

 had attended to that object. Ex- 

 treme order and regularity had 

 also been introduced into the office 

 of the commander-in-chief, which 

 the inquiry would prove. 



Sir Arthur Wellesley, having 

 expressed his j(iy that a specific 

 inquiry would rescue the com- 

 mander-in-chief from that general 

 sort of discussion which sometimes 

 took place in that house, said, 

 that it bad fallen to his lot to know 

 how promotions were conducted in 

 the office of the commander-in- 

 chief. It was regularly recorded 

 in that office, who recommended 

 the promotion. The documents 



were 



