LON 
“unlefs the fyftem of corruption that had fo long prevail¬ 
ed in the military department fliould be done away, this 
country might fall an eafy prey to the enemy.” The fird 
point in the cafe he had to Hate related to the half-pay 
fund, which was an eftablilhment under the direction of 
the prefent commander-in-chief. This fund arofe out of 
the fale of commiffions vacant by death—by the promo¬ 
tion of officers not allowed to fell—or by difmiffions from 
the fervice. The power of the commander-in-chief over 
this fund was constituted and intended for the reward of 
merit, either by the appointment of meritorious officers 
to the commiffions which fo became vacant, or by felling 
them, and applying the produce of fuch fales to the re¬ 
demption of half-pay commiffions, or to the compaffionate 
fund. Here the power of the commander-in-chief over 
fuch produce ceafed. If the commiffions he had defcribed 
were otherwife difpofed of, the authority veiled in the 
commander-in-chief was abufed, and the objects of the 
half-pay fund abandoned. Now, if he could (how that 
thofe commiffions were appropriated to very different pur- 
pofes, it would, of courfe, appear, that fuch abufe and 
abandonment did take place—that merit was not rewarded 
—-that the half-pay lilt was not reduced—that the compaf¬ 
fionate fund was not affilted. For the purpofe of Ihow- 
ing this, it was neceflary to call the attention of the lioufe 
to another fablijhment of the commander-in-chief's, which 
was quite of a different complexion from that which he 
had juft mentioned. This eliabliffiment, which confided 
of a fplendid houfe in Gloucelter-place, a variety of car¬ 
riages, and a long retinue of fervants, commenced in the 
year 1803 ; and at the head of it was placed a lady of the 
name of Clarke. As this lady formed a principal party in 
feveral of the facts which he had to cite, he was under the 
neceflity, however reluctantly, to mention her name, as 
well as that of others, in order to make out a fair parlia¬ 
mentary balls for his motion, and to fatisfy the houfe, 
that he had not brought it forward upon light grounds. 
The fil'd cafe to which colonel Wardle called the atten¬ 
tion of the houfe, was that of captain Tonyn, of the 48th 
regiment of foot, who had been promoted to a majority 
in the 31 d regiment; for which promotion he was indebted 
to the influence of Mrs. Clarke. The terms of agreement 
were, that Mrs. Clarke drould be paid 500I. upon captain 
Tonya's being gazetted. Major Tonyn was gazetted on 
the ad of Augud, 18043 and the 500I. was paid to Mrs. 
Clarke. The pofitions that colonel Wardle held to be 
clearly deducible from this cafe were, Fird, that Mrs. Clarke 
poffeded the power of military promotion. Secondly, 
that (lie received pecuniary conlideration. And, thirdly, 
that the commander-in-chief was a partaker in the benefit 
ariling from fuch pecuniary conlideration. The truth of 
this cafe would be edablilhed by witnelfes, whofe names 
foe mentioned. 
The fecond cafe colonel Wardle had to adduce related 
to exchanges. On the 2.5th of July, 1805, an exchange 
was concluded between lieutenant-colonel Brooke, of the 
56th regiment of infantry, and lieutenant-colonel Knight, 
of the 5th dragoon guards, through the induence of Mrs. 
Clarke. Mrs. Clarke wanted fome money to defray the 
expenfes of an excurfion in the country. She therefore 
urged the commander-in-chief to expedite the exchange, 
as die was to receive aool. for it. This urgent requelt 
was made on a Tburfday, and its influence was fuch, that 
the exchange was actually gazetted on the Saturday fol¬ 
lowing. Mrs. Clarke, in confequence, received from the 
agent negociating the tranfaftion, 200I. The witneffes 
to this cafe he named. 
Another cafe colonel Wardle had to adduce referred to 
major John Shaw, of colonel Champagne’s Ceylon regi¬ 
ment. Major Shaw was appointed deputy barrack-mailer 
of the Cape of Good Hope, on the 3d of April, 1806. It 
was known that this officer by no means enjoyed the fa¬ 
vour ot the duke of York : that, in fait, his royal highnefs 
entertained fome prejudice agajnft him. But thele oblta- 
cles Mrs. Clarke readily undertook, on conditions, to 
Voi., Kill. No. 900. 
DON. »oi 
overcome; and it was agreed to pay her 1000L for the 
major’s appointment. The appointment was therefore 
made; and the major himfelf paid Mrs. Clarke 300]. Soon 
after 200I. more was lent to Mrs. Clarke by major Shaw’s 
uncle. The remaining 500I. however, was not paid; and, 
when it was found not to be forthcoming, Mrs. Clarke 
was enraged, and threatened revenge. She aftually com¬ 
plained to the commander-in-chief of Mr. Shaw’s breach 
of contraft; and the confequence was, that the major was 
foon after put upon half-pay. This cafe of major Shaw 
was the only inflance colonel Wardle could find of fuch 
an officer being reduced to half-pay. The cafe of this of¬ 
ficer then demonflrated, Fird, that Mrs. Clarke’s influence 
extended to appointmenls-on the fiaff, as well as to pro¬ 
motions and exchanges in the army itfelf. Secondly, that 
the commander-in-chief punifhed an individual by reduc¬ 
ing him from full fo half pay for non-performance of a ne¬ 
farious contrail with his midrefs. Thirdly, that the com¬ 
mander-in-chief was a dire 61 party to the whole of this 
nefarious tranfaftion. Witnelfes named. 
Mr. Wardle now came to, what he called, the very no¬ 
vel cafe of colonel French and his levy. This officer was, 
through the influence of Mrs. Clarke, appointed by the 
commander-in-chief to conduil a levy in the years 1804-5. 
The colonel was introduced to Mrs. Clarke by captain 
Huxley Sandon ; and the condition upon which he ob¬ 
tained his appointment was, that Mrs. Clarke ffiould have 
one guinea out of the bounty of each man raifed, together 
with the fale or patronage of a certain number of the 
commiffions. The agreement being concluded, it was 
communicated to, and approved by, the commander-in¬ 
chief, Colonel French was accordingly fent, by Mrs. 
Clarke, to the Horfe Guards; and, after many interviews, 
the levy was fet on foot. As the levy proceeded, Mrs. 
Clarke received feveral funis of money from colonel French, 
captain Huxley Sandon, and a Mr. Corri. She alfo re¬ 
ceived 500I. from a Mr. Cockayne, a known folicitor in 
Lyon’s Inn, and a friend of captain Huxley Sandon’s.— 
Mr. J. Donovan, a furgeon, of Charles-fquare, (who had 
alfo borne a hand in the promotion of major Tonyn,) was 
acquainted with an old officer, a captain Tuck, whom 
he very flrongly recommended to feek promotion; and, in 
order to encourage him by a difplay of the facility with 
which it might be attained, he fent him a written fcale 
of Mrs. Clarke’s prices for different commiffions, which, 
in dating them, he begged leave to contrail with the re¬ 
gulated prices of the army: 
Mrs. Clarke's Prices. Regulated Prices. 
A majority 
^00 - 
- <£z6oQ 
A company - 
- 700 - 
I 5CO 
A lieutenancy 
- 400 
- S5° 
An enfigney 
200 
- 400 
From this fcale, colonel Wardle laid, it appeared, that 
the funds he had before alluded to, loft, in an enormous 
ratio, to the gain of Mrs. Clarke, or any other individual 
afling upon the fame lyitem. 
Here, faid colonel Wardle, the feene clofed upon Mrs. 
Clarke’s military negotiations; and in what followed the 
commander-in-chief dooct alone. It appeared, that Iris 
royal highnefs required a loan of 5000I. from colonel 
French; anu that Mr. Grant, of Bernard’s Inn, promifed 
to comply with the requed in procuring the money, pro¬ 
vided the commander-in-chief would ufe his influence and 
obtain payment to colonel French of a balance due to him 
by government on account of the levy. This was pro- 
rnifed; but, the commander-in-chief failing to fulfil his 
part of the condition, the loan he required was not ad¬ 
vanced, and 3000I. dill remained due from government to 
colonel French. The cafe of this levy fhowed, Fird, that 
Mrs. Clarke, in addition to promotions in the army, to 
exchanges, and appointments on the daft, poffeded the 
power of augmenting the military force of the country. 
Secondly, that in this cafe, as in all others, die was al¬ 
lowed to receive pecuniary confiderations for the exercife 
of her influence. Thirdly, that the coaxutander-in-chief 
3. -F endeavoured 
