138 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



and Mr. W. Adam in defence of 

 the duke of York, lord Folkstone 

 in support of the address moved 

 by colonel Wardle, and Mr. W. 

 Smith who preferred the measure 

 suggested by Mr. Bankes to any 

 of the others that had been pro- 

 posed. Among a great variety 

 of shrewd observations made by 

 Mr. Adam on the evidence ad- 

 duced in support of the charges 

 against the duke of York, was the 

 following : " the testimony given 

 by Miss Taylor ; her confirmation 

 of the evidence of Mrs. Clarke ; 

 the existence of such a person 

 or such a proof was never hinted 

 at by the mover of the charges ; 

 nay it appeared that it was not 

 only not known to that gentleman, 

 but that it could not be known : and 

 that it had been thought of, and dis- 

 covered by Mrs. C. since the charges 

 were brought. And yet, this was 

 a charge in which corroborating 

 evidence had been thought of be- 

 forehand, but was made to rest 

 at the opening upon the payment 

 for the plate and on that alone." 

 The following anecdote, which does 

 great honour to the Duke of York, 

 and which was applied by the 

 duke himself with perfect proprie- 

 ty or reason, was very judiciously 

 brought forward by Mr. Adam. 

 At a period, said Mr. A. of this 

 proceeding, when some matter 

 had been brought forward, which 

 aftected his royal highness deeply, 

 by his finding the meanness of 

 pecuniary corruption cruelly and 

 falsely imputed to him ; he com- 

 municated to me the promotion 

 of general Graham, lately a mem- 

 ber of that house, a person whose 

 high character was well known ; 

 whose peculiar turn to military 

 affairs had greatly distinguished 



him ; whose promotion had at a 

 former period been refused for 

 reasons which were then thought 

 conclusive ; the objections with 

 regard to whose promotions had 

 been since removed by subsequent 

 events, and the long continuation 

 of voluntary services. This gal- 

 lant officer who fought at the bat- 

 tle of Corunna, and stood by the 

 side of his friend sir John Moore 

 when he fell, general Moore had 

 recommended to the commander- 

 in-chief, at the dying request of 

 sir John Moore, in order that he 

 might get his rank. When his 

 royal highness communicated this 

 subject to me, under the circum- 

 stances which I have just set forth, 

 he said, " I know from your at- 

 tachment to Graham, that it will 

 give you pleasure to learn that I 

 have passed a great part of this 

 morning with his majesty, in offering 

 my reasons for thinking that the 

 obstacles to colonel Graham's pro- 

 motion are removed ; and I trust 

 I have given such reasons as will 

 induce his majesty to authorize 

 the promoting him to the rank of 

 major-general. The king's an- 

 swer has not yet come back, but 

 I impart the matter to you, be- 

 cause I know how much you will 

 be gratified by being told what 

 is so truly interesting and impor- 

 tant to your friend." 



I felt, Mr. Adam continued, 

 the kindness of the communica- 

 tion, and being particularly im- 

 pressed with the whole scene, with 

 the excess of feeling, the fortitude 

 in repressing it, and the kindness 

 in devoting himself under these 

 circumstances to the interests of 

 others, I could not refrain from 

 showing and expressing what I 

 felt. After a little time his royal 



highness 



