HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



145 



Mr. Donovan was asked whether 

 he bad been in the habit of traf- 

 ficking, in appointments from the 

 East India company. Appoint- 

 ments that must come under the 

 cognizance of the board of con- 

 trol ? He owned that he had, 

 and particularly that he had last 

 year obtained the promise of a 

 writership for a young man of the 

 name of O'Hara, for 3,500/., of 

 which he was to have 250/., as 

 the price of his agency, or com- 

 mission. The money was to be 

 paid to a Mr. Tahourdin an at- 

 torney in Argyle-street, who had 

 procured the promise of the nomi- 

 nation, on the young man's passing 

 as a writer to India. The nego- 

 tiation however broke oft' in con- 

 sequence of a diSerence about the 

 banker in whose hands the mo- 

 ney should be deposited. Mr. 

 O'Hara's money was already 

 lodged in a banker's in the city. 

 The person who had the disposal 

 of the appointment would not con- 

 sent to its remaining there, but 

 insisted on its being lodged at his 

 own banker's. This matter is men- 

 tioned here not certainly as one 

 of the most interesting or cu- 

 rious that were brought to light, 

 but as it led to an inquiry into the 

 disposal of East India patronage in 

 general. 



During this inquiry, which was 

 continued without intermission for 

 seven weeks, Mrs. Clarke, the 

 principal evidence, and as it were 

 the heroine of the accusing party, 

 was examined at the bar again 

 and again, and by the readiness 

 and smartness of her answers to 

 an infinitude of questions, some- 

 times gave a degree of relief to the 

 long and wearisome sittings of a 

 protracted examination. She 



Vol. LI, 



seemed to be verj-^ much at home, 

 and to reckon with confidence on 

 the complacent regards of a great 

 part at least, of the members of 

 the House of Commons, and to be 

 well pleased in the possession of 

 so splendid a theatre for display- 

 ing the attractions of both her 

 mind and person. She carried 

 however her ease, gaiety, and 

 pleasantry to a degree of perlness, 

 in a few instances, which was very 

 reprehensible, and contrary indeed 

 to that sense of propriety and de- 

 corum, of whichwe cannot but sup- 

 pose, from the quickness of her 

 understanding, she was in reality 

 possessed. Having said that she 

 stated, or showed something to 

 Mr. Adam, the question was put 

 to her what Mr. Adam thought of 

 it, under the impression no doubt 

 that Mr. Adam would naturally 

 say something about it. Mrs 

 Clarke answered, " I do not know 

 what Mr. Adam ihought." The 

 question being put to her by Mr. 

 Croker, if ever she had written an 

 anonymous letter to his royal high- 

 ness, the Prince of Wales, she 

 answered that she had, and that 

 Colonel Macmahon had called on 

 her in consequence. Did you 

 sign, said Mr. Croker, any name 

 to this anonymous letter ? Mrs. 

 Clarke looking to the chairman, 

 burst into a fit of loud laugh- 

 ter, in which, indeed, she was 

 joined by the house. The ques- 

 tion being put, what situations did 

 you endeavour to procure through 

 Mr. Maltby, and for whom ? she 

 answered, I forget. Being closely 

 interrogated and pressed on this 

 point : she named a Mr. Lawson, 

 but said she did not recollect any 

 other. Do you stake the veracity of 

 your testimony on that last answer, 

 L that 



