HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



131 



rose and stated, that since he 

 had come to the House he had 

 received a letter, the contents of 

 which related to the inquiry now 

 pending before the Jlouse respect- 

 ing the conduct of his royal high- 

 ness the duke of York, and he 

 wished to know whether it was 

 the pleasure of the House that he 

 should read it. \^A general ex- 

 clamation (jf Read ! read J read I"] 

 The right honourable gentleman 

 then announced that the letter 

 came from his royal highness the 

 duke of York, was signed *' Fre- 

 derick," addressed to the Speaker, 

 and dated Horse Guards, February 

 23, 1809. The contents were as 

 follows : 



(copy.) 

 *' Horse Guards, Feb. 23, 

 " Sir; 1809. 



<' I have waited with the great- 

 est anxiety, until the committee, 

 appointed by the House of Com- 

 mons to inquire into ray conduct, 

 as commander-in-chief of liis ma- 

 jesty's army, had closed its ex- 

 aminations ; and I now hope that 

 it will not be deemed improper to 

 address this letter through you to 

 the House of Commons. 



" I observe with the deepest 

 concern, that, in the course of this 

 inquiry, my name has been coupled 

 with transactions the most crimi- 

 nal and disgraceful : and I must 

 ever regret and lament, that a 

 connection should have existed, 

 which has thus exposed my cha- 

 racter to animadversion. 



" With respect to any alleged 

 offences connected with the dis- 

 charge of my official duties, I do 

 in the most solemn manner, upon 

 my honour, as a prince, distinctly 

 assert my innocence ; not only by 

 denying ail corrupt participation in 



any of the infamous transactions 

 which have appeared in evidence 

 at the bar of the House of Com- 

 mons, or any connivance at their 

 existence, but also the sliglitest 

 knowledge or suspicion that they 

 existed at all. 



*' My consciousness of innocence 

 leads me confidently to hope, that 

 the House of Commons will not, 

 upon such evidence as they have 

 heard, adopt any proceedings pre- 

 judicial to ray honour and charac- 

 ter ; but if, upon such testimony 

 as has been adduced against me, 

 the House of Commons can think 

 my innocence questionable, I claim 

 of their justice, that I shall not be 

 condemned without trial, nor be 

 deprived of the benefit and pro- 

 tection which is afforded to every 

 British subject by those sanctions 

 under which alone evidence is re- 

 ceived in the ordinary administra- 

 tion of the law. 



" I am, sir, yours, 



" Frederick. 

 " The Speaker of the House 

 of Comvions.** 



House of Commons, March 8. 

 — Mr. Wardle, after an elaborate 

 examination of the evidence, mov- 

 ed a resolution to the following 

 effect : 



" That an humble address be 

 presented to his majesty, stating 

 that information had been com- 

 municated to them, and that evi- 

 dence had been examined to prove, 

 that various corrupt practices and 

 abuses had, for a long time, ex- 

 isted in the different departments 

 of the military administration ; 

 and that the evidence which had 

 been given, had been entered on 

 the records of parliament; that 

 his majesty's faithful Commons 



K 2 had 



