He could not speak with certainty …………….. 1
He could not speak positively …………………. 1
He could not state the substance very generally.. 1
ANSWERS. TIMES.
He did not at present recollect ……………… 2
He could not recollect with precision ………… 2
He could not recollect at this distance of time .. 1
He could not recollect with certainty ………… 1
His recollection did not enable him ………….. 1
To the best of his recollection ……………… 4
As well as he could recollect ……………….. 2
Could not pretend to recollect ………………. 1
Not able to recollect at this distance of time … 1
He had a general recollection ……………….. 4
He could not state with accuracy …………….. 3
He could not state precisely ………………… 3
He could assign no specific reason …………… 1
He did not know ……………………………. 2
Not that he knew of ………………………… 2
He had no means of forming a judgment ………… 1
He did not think …………………………… 1
He had no knowledge ………………………… 2
He could not judge …………………………. 1
Probably ………………………………….. 1
He was led to suppose ………………………. 1
He was led to believe ………………………. 1
He was persuaded …………………………… 1
He learnt …………………………………. 1
He heard surmises to that effect …………….. 1
ABSTRACT.
He thinks, rather thinks, or thinks he understood …………… 10
He conceives ……………………………………………. 7
He believes, rather believes, &c. …………………………. 10
He understood, was satisfied, &c. …………………………. 6
Not able to ascertain, could only state the substance ……….. 2
Did not recollect, to the best of his recollection, &c. ……… 31
He could not say, speak with certainty, &c. ………………… 6
Did not occur to his mind, &c. ……………………………. 7
He could not state with accuracy, precision, &c. ……………. 7
He had no knowledge, not led to believe, to suppose, &c. …….. 16
I am perfectly convinced ……………………………….. 1
No, I believe it impossible ………………………………. 1
___
104
Now it is almost impossible to imagine that a witness could have made such answers to 104 questions, unless he deliberately and pertinaciously meant to conceal and withhold the truth by equivocating.
Mr. Pitt's memory, be it observed, was equally bad and treacherous upon the trial of poor old Hardy, the shoemaker, and Mr. Horne Tooke. He then could not recollect any thing that was likely to tell in favour of the prisoners: when their exculpation was likely to be the result of a plain honest answer, "Non mi ricordo" was his reply. That Mr. Pitt had connived at the peculations of Lord Melville, was clearly proved; and also that he had lent Boyd and Benfield, two ministerial Members of the Honourable House of Commons, 40,000_l_. of the public money, without interest. These transactions being made known by means of Mr. Whitbread's exertions in Parliament, the public mind was in a violent ferment. Petitions were poured in from all parts of the country against the conduct of Lord Melville, and the people were delighted at the resolution passed by the House, ordering the Attorney-General to commence criminal proceedings against him in the Court of King's Bench. But they were very much mortified at the notice of the motion given by Mr. Leicester, on the 25th, for the rescinding the resolution passed on the 13th of June, and thus to do away with the vote of the House on that night, in order to substitute an impeachment of Lord Melville, instead of the criminal prosecution.
On the twenty-sixth of June, an impeachment was ordered by a vote of the House, instead of a criminal prosecution. This was considered, by every honest man in the country, to be a measure adopted for the purpose of screening the newly made noble delinquent. Mr. Cobbett took up the discussion of these proceedings, with his accustomed zeal and ability; and his Weekly Political Register was universally read, not only in the metropolis, but all over the kingdom. His clear, perspicuous, and forcible reasoning upon this transaction, convinced every one who read the Register; he proved to demonstration that Mr. Pitt had been privy to and connived at his friend Lord Melville's delinquency, and it was made evident, to the meanest understanding, that the public money had been constantly used for private purposes, and to aggrandize the Minister's tools and dependants.