APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



331 



flattered by a communication of 

 the motives for such a proceeding 

 ay^ainst the individuals in ques- 

 tion. The Duke, on the same 

 day, not as an ansAver, wrote a 

 note to Sir Charles Stuart, en- 

 closing a letter from the minister 

 of police, which stated that Sir R. 

 Wilson, Mr. Bruce, and anotiier 

 person, were accused of having 

 favoured tlie escape of Lavalette ; 

 adding, that their trial was going 

 to commence, but that they would 

 fully enjoy all the facilities af- 

 forded by the French laws for 

 their justification. 



On tlvat and four subsequent 

 days Sir Robert Wilson was sub- 

 mitted to interrogatories from 

 commissioners of the police, 

 which he refused to answer, and 

 on the 17th he was lemoved to 

 the prison of la Force. Interro- 

 gatories were also put to Messrs. 

 Bruce and Hutchinson, who were 

 removed to the same prison. In 

 the subsequent exammations, the 

 share taken by these gentlemen 

 in the escape of Lavalette from 

 France was freely adn)itted, as 

 indeed it was rendered undeni- 

 able bv Sir R. Wilson's intercep- 

 ted letter to Lord Grey ; but the 

 ciiarge of conspiring against the 

 FVench govermnent, which was 

 deduced from expressions in this 

 letter and other seized papers, was 

 strenuously disavowed and refu- 

 ted 



The prisoners having demand- 

 ed to be released on bail, an ordon- 

 nance of the chamber of council 

 was made on January 30th, 

 which pronounced that there was 

 no ground at present for deter- 

 mining upon the said demand. 

 This produced a memorial from 

 these gentlemen, in which an ap- 



peal is maintained against the or- 

 donnance on the legal argument 

 that the title of the accusation in- 

 dicated only correctional and not 

 criminal penalties, and therefore 

 did not exclude bail. Of this no 

 notice was taken. They after- 

 warJs made an application for the 

 communication to their counsel of 

 the papers connected with the 

 trial, which was refused in con- 

 formity with the law ; and they 

 were transferred to the Concier- 

 gerie. 



The result of the examinations 

 and inquiries was, that the Tri- 

 bunal of First Instance chai'ged 

 Wilson with a plot directed gene- 

 rally against the political system of 

 Europe, with the particular ob- 

 ject of changing the French go- 

 vernment, and exciting the people 

 to take up arms against the 

 king's authority j also with effect- 

 ing the escape of Lavalette. 

 Hutchinson and Bruce were charg- 

 ed only with being his accomplices 

 in the latter action. The Court, en- 

 titled the Chamber of Accusation, 

 after its deliberations, published 

 an arret, in wliich it was declared 

 that upon due consideration of the 

 documents produced, it not ap- 

 pearing that sufficient evidence 

 existed against the thiee persons 

 accused, of a plot against the 

 French government and the royal 

 authority, there was no ground of 

 accusation in that respect ; but 

 that there resulted from the docu- 

 ments a sufficient charge of their 

 being accessary to the conceal- 

 ment and escape of Lavalette. In 

 consequence, the chamber com- 

 mitted to the Court of Assize of the 

 Department of the Seine the trial 

 of the prisoners for these offences. 

 Some Frenchmen were implica- 

 ted 



