APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



287 



was not really instituted to be- 

 nefit the Crown, but in point of 

 fact to serve Mr. Auston. Nothing 

 had been more remote from the 

 intention of Lord Moira than to 

 resist the payment of his debts ; 

 and in truth his Lordship had 

 made such arrangements for the 

 disposal of his estates as to secure 

 that object : nor would any re- 

 sistance have been made to the 

 present claim, but for the hasty 

 manner in v/hich the demand for 

 payment had been pressed. 



He then called Major James, 

 who proved that he was the con- 

 fidential agent of Lord Moira, 

 and had been in the habit of 

 raising money for his lordship for 

 several years. In the month of 

 April, 1813, in consequence of 

 some instructions from Lord 

 Moira, Avho v/as then preparing 

 to go out to his government in 

 India, he went to the banking- 

 house of Austen and Maunde, to 

 know whether they could cash 

 some bills for his lordship. Mr. 

 Maunde, who was the only per- 

 son ha saw, said he would try. 

 In a day or two after he went to 

 Austen and Maunde with four 

 bills (out of six, of l,0O0l. each,) 

 drawn by Lord Moira, and ac- 

 cepted by Mr. Ridge. Those four 

 bills had been handed to him by Mr. 

 llidge. He again saw Mr. Maunde, 

 and from him he received 3,40()1. 

 for the four, instead of 3,8001. 

 which he should have received, if 

 only the legal discount had been 

 deducted. The three bills (the 

 subject of the action) were then 

 handed to him, and he proved 

 them to be three of the four 

 which he had givea to Mr. 

 Maunde. 



On hia cross examination by 



time 

 Mr, 



then 



Mr. Dauncey, he said, that Mr. 

 Ridge was the military agent of 

 Lord Moira, and in that capacity 

 he had been accustomed to accept 

 his bills, and that he used also to 

 accept them before he became hia 

 military agent. He (Major James) 

 was in the habit of raising money 

 for Lord Moira since the year 

 1801, or 1802. Of late years his 

 Lordship's credit had sunk con- 

 siderably in the money market, 

 and bills with only his own sig- 

 nature were not easily negotiated. 

 He adiTiitted, that even with the 

 acceptance of Mr. Ridge, the bills 

 in question were not worth near 

 their nominal value at the 

 he negotiated them with 

 Maunde. 



Here the defence closed. 



A Gentleman at the table 

 rose and said, " My Lord, I wish 

 to address a few words to your 

 Lordship." 



The Judge (Baron Richards). 

 —" Who are you. Sir?" 



" My Lord, I am the Solicitor 

 of the Earl of Moira." 



Baron Richards. — " Then, Sir, 

 if you are the Earl Moira's soli- 

 citor, you should know your duty 

 better. Sit down." 



Mr. Dauncey addressed the 

 Jury in reply to the evidence, and 

 contended that no case of usury 

 had been made out in the de- 

 fence; on the contrary, from 

 what had appeared, it was evident 

 that Major James had sold the 

 bills to Mr. Maunde. That more 

 than their value was given for 

 them was certain, from the fact 

 of their being unpaid at the pre- 

 sent time, though more than two 

 years had elapsed since tliey be- 

 came due. Major James had 

 proved beyond a doubt that the 



credit 



