BETWEEN A LIEUT.-COLONEL AND A LIEUTENANT OF MILITIA.
August 25, 1779.
A duel was fought at Coxheath between a Lieutenant of militia and a Lieut.-Colonel, when the latter was shot in the left breast, and expired immediately. The deceased had charged the lieutenant with exciting his men to mutiny, of which he was honourably acquitted by a court-martial.
BETWEEN THE HON. CHAS. JAS. FOX AND MR. ADAM.
November 30, 1779.
Mr. Fox having in debate, one day in the preceding week, animadverted, with some degree of asperity, on a particular species of argument, frequently made use of by the friends of ministers, viz.:—“That bad as the ministry were, it was not certain that the nation would be at all bettered by taking their opponents”—a Mr. Adam, who had made use of that argument in the same debate, called on Mr. Fox, some days after, for an explanation.
The following letters passed on the above occasion:—
“St. Alban’s Tavern, Saturday, 4 o’clock, Afternoon.
“Mr. Adam presents his compliments to Mr. Fox, and begs leave to represent to him, that upon considering again and again what had passed between them last night, it is impossible for him to have his character cleared to the public without inserting the following paragraph in the newspapers:—We have authority to assure the public, that in a conversation that passed between Mr. Fox and Mr. Adam, in consequence of the debate in the House of Commons on Thursday last, Mr. Fox declared that however much his speech may have been misrepresented, he did not mean to throw any personal reflection upon Mr. Adam.
“Major Humberstone does me the honour of delivering this to you, and will bring your answer.
“To the Hon. Charles James Fox.”
“Sir, “I am very sorry it is utterly inconsistent with my ideas of propriety, to authorise the putting any thing into the newspapers, relative to a speech which, in my opinion, required no explanation. You, who heard the speech, must know, that it did convey no personal reflection upon you, unless you felt yourself in the predicament upon which I animadverted. The account of my speech in the newspapers is certainly incorrect, and certainly unauthorised by me; and therefore, with respect to them, I have nothing to say.