The Earl of Fauderdale suggested, that, before any further proceeding could with propriety take place, it would be necessary to get the letter which M. Marrietti had written to his son. That letter, he supposed, could be easily obtained; and it appeared to him indispensa❤ ble, if a foundation was to be laid for future investigation. This first step, he thought, would be but jus tice to Colonel Browne, as well as to the parties in the present case. If, therefore, any inquiry was intended to be instituted, he hoped means would be taken to obtain that letter. The papers were ordered to be printed, of which the following is a copy. No. 1. LETTER FROM MR. MARRIEtti the elder, TO HIS SON IN LONDON, Milan, Sept. 16. Dearest Son,-I have received and read your letter of the 3d inst, Relatively to the threats conveyed to me by Mr. Browne, I must repeat to you once more the same observations I then made-that it is expedient to cut short with the great (tagliar corto coi grande). They are always in the right. You have taken up the matter with much heat; in the main you are right, I feel that you are so, but you have carried it too far. It is true that Browne has expressly and re peatedly insisted with Mr. Albertonio that he should make known to you the dissatisfaction in that quarter towards you, and the danger of the Alien Bill which you were going to encounter. But, nevertheless, follow the judgment of your father, who knows by experience what is most expedient, and for the best, in similar cases. Abandon the object, and allow the controversy thus to terminate, since, by persons of mean condition or inferior rank, as you and I are, it is sufficiently well terminated by what has been already done. This instant a courier has arrived with letters of the 5th, and by the paragraph relative to Milan you may see how completely what Browne said here has been verified. You treated and spoke with the person alluded to, believing him quite a different character. I will speak with Peter at his return, as I have to-day spoken with Sperati; but whatever happens, what you said is right, that you, Peter, and Sperati, are well known, for persons of sense and character, and very different from that good for-nothing individual (quel poco di buono). But the conclusion is, to keep every thing silent, and to prevent all publicity, I salute you, your affectionate father. LETTER FROM MR. MAKRIETTI THE ELDER TO COLONEL BROWNE. Most worthy Colonel,—I understood, with great concern, that your name has been comprised in a subject of conversation, which was supposed to have taken place between you and me relative to my son Joseph, at present in London. I think it therefore my duty to declare upon my honour, that no conversation ever passed between you and me, directly on this subject. If the expressions contained in a letter written by me to my son are somewhat strong, that must be ascribed to the affection which a lively interest in him created, and a conformity to the advice I have always given to him-advice (ending to manifest the necessity of adhering to the system adopted by me, never to mix in affairs foreign to one's own business. It grieves me exceedingly that an interpretation has been given to my letter opposite to my intentions an interpretation which supplies materials to discussions irrelevant and ill founded. My displeasure in this case increases at seeing that a similar interpretation has caused doubts regarding the good faith of an individual whose distinguished and honourable character is known to me by long experience. I consider you, moreover, incapable of making use of the threats which are attributed to you, as the British government is of executing them. In taking this mode of stating to you the sentiments with which I am animated in the present emergency, I experience the sweet satisfaction of fulfilling a duty which is incumbent upon me, and I take the opportunity of assuring you of my perfect esteem. No. 3. LETTER FROM MR. ALBERTONIO TO COLONEL BROWNE. Milan, Sept. 19. M. Colonel. It is with regret proportioned to the respect which I bear you that I learn that the sense of a letter written by M. Marrietti to his son, has been so ill understood as to have imputed to you the communication of an intention on the part of the British Govern ment to watch over the latter, and to send him out of England on account of his relations with Sacchini, a witness in the case of the Queen. I remember that you said to me, one morning that I was with you on business. that you had received a letter from England, stating the interference of Joseph Marrietti in this affair, and that you could not but regard such conduct as a little unwise, and foreign to his occupation in London. I cannot at the same time forget that I regarded this communication as a simple opinion emanating from yourself, and very far from the expression of authority or of menace. regards what is said on the Alien Bill, of the provisions of which I am ignorant, it is a duty I owe to your character, always frank and loyal in all respect, to say that you never gave me the least reason to fear for the personal security or the protection of the said Joseph Marrietti. As I can add that I thought it my duty to beg M. Marrietti the father, to write to his son to advise him not to mix in an affair so foreign from his occupations, but to restrict himself to the wise and moderate conduct which has always distinguished bim; and if in writing to him. his father has made use of strong expressions, they ought in no wise to be ascribed to you Colonel Browne, but solely to the confidence and paternal affection which dictated them. No. 4. LETTER FROM MR. MARRIETTI THE ELDER, TO HIS SON IN LONDON. Milan, Sept. 20. Dearest Son,-I am ever the more confirmed in my maxim that it is right to have as little as possible to do with the great. I must say that the government in question has too strictly interpreted the letter I wrote you, and which has presented to the minister of police other motives than those which really originated it, since it is right to tell you that the English government has written an angry letter to Colonel Browne. He (Colonel Browne,) feeling himself much disquieted on this account, made such an application to Sig. D. Ciceri, and to Sig. Albertonio, that the former begged me to convey to the said Colonel Browne a letter of mine, which in a certain way (in certa qual modo); might justify him with his government from the too rigorous interpretation given to my former letter. And after having written and re-written, through the medium of Signor Ciceri, draughts of such a letter to be shown, the copy of which I inclose to your address was fixed upon. You will likewise find the copy of a letter which the said Col. Browne desired from the said Signor Albertonio, who gave me the account contained in the letters formerly addressed to you. To the honour of truth I have regarded what Col. Browne said through the medium of Signor Albertonio as an act of friendship, to prevent him from being brought into any danger. Nor could I ever have imagined that such a thing could have been of as much importance as it has proved. However that be, to facilitate the allaying of such a controversy, and to preserve amity with all, I have thought proper to second it, as you will perceive by the copy. They wished me to declare that my first letter was the result of my own simple suspicion, and had no ground to rest upon; but this I would not allow, because the having named Colonel Browne in the way I did would have been charged on me as a calumnious imputation; and therefore you will see in my letter sent yesterday to him (Col. Browne) that I mention my not having direct conversation with him, and derive my information from what he caused to bę said to me by Sg. Albertonio. Regulate yourself therefore in every thing with the greatest prudence, in order not to incur other annoyances and other dissatisfactions, which can only produce evil to you. Your affectionate Father. The Earl of Darnley rose to move that an account of the money expended in the proceedings against her Majesty be laid before the House. He had before urged the propriety of their lordships calling for a statement of the expense incurred by these unnecessary and disgraceful proceedings. He had a right to expect that that account would be produced without delay, and certainly it was proper their lordships should be made acquainted with the extent of the sums already expended. Whatever the amount might be, he considered it as money misapplied, as much worse than thrown away. An account of the expenditure had been ordered by the House of Commons; and there could, therefore, be no pretext for refusing it to their lordships. The noble lord concluded by moving that an account of the money expended on the proceedings against the Queen be laid before the House. The Earl of Liverpool could have no objection whatever in point of principle to the production of the account which the noble lord had moved for, if the House should now think fit to call for it. He must, however, say, that when he formerly opposed it, his objection did not apply to the production of the account, but to the time of producing it. He thought that the termination of the whole proceedings was the proper time for laying Defence.] b before the House an account of the expenses. This was his opinion; but, having stated it, he had only to repeat, that if the general wish of the House appeared to be in favour of the motion, he should not oppose it. The Marquis of Lansdown thought that the objection of the noble earl would be somewhat more reasonable if he had opposed the granting of an account of the expenses on the other side; but that account having been granted, he did not see any ground for refusing the present demand. What objection could apply to the stating the expenses for the one side which did not equally apply with regard to the other? He admitted, however, that the close of the proceedings was the proper time. The Earl of Durnley concurred in what had been stated by his noble friend, but did not press his motion. Counsel were then ordered to be called in, and the barristers and solicitors on each side entered and advanced to the bar. Mr. Brougham began the defence by saying:-The time had now arrived when it became his duty to address himself to their lordships in defence of his illustrious client. But when the moment which he had so anxiously desired had at length come, he felt the greatest alarm. It was not, however, the august presence of that assembly which oppressed him, for he had often experienced its indulgence; neither was it the novelty of the proceedings that embarrassed him, for to novelty the mind gradually gets accustomed, and becomes at last reconciled to the most extraordinary deviations; nor was it even the great importance and magnitude of the cause he had to defend which perplexed him, for he was borne up in his task with that conviction of its justice, and of the innocence of his illustrious client, which he shared in common with all mankind. But it was even that very conviction which alarmed him-it was the feeling that it operated so zealously and so rightly which now dismayed him, and made him appear before their lordships impressed with the fear that injustice might be done to the case by his unworthy mode of handling it. While, however, other counsel have trembled for fear of guilt in a client, or have been chilled by indifference, or have had to dread the weight of public opinion against them, he had none of these disadvantages to apprehend. Public opinion had already decided on the case, and he had nothing to fear but the consequences of perjury. |