These proceedings against her royal highness soon manifested themselves in a commission being appointed at Milan; and rumours were circulated in this country that her conduct was at variance with propriety.

Mr. Leech, a Chancery barrister of some eminence, and who was subsequently elevated to the situation of Vice-Chancellor, and is now Master of the Rolls; Mr. Cook, also a barrister, and a writer of great eminence on the subject of bankruptcy; Mr. Powell, a gentleman of private fortune and

[[294]]connected with the court; a Colonel Brown, the impropriety of whose conduct met with general disapprobation; and Lord Stewart, the cowardly lordling who had repeatedly vilified the character of the princess, and had even personally insulted her, were selected as the individuals proper to conduct an inquiry into the character and conduct of her royal highness, during her residence on the Continent. To Milan they repaired. A person by the name of Vimercati was selected as the Italian agent. Colonel Brown was stationed to assist him. Salaries were of course attached to their respective offices, and each individual had his post assigned him. Vimercati was invested with the greater part of the management of this affair, and the nature of his conduct and proceedings cannot but excite mingled feelings of surprise and horror.

By this commission, witnesses were first obtained, then examined, and re-examined; exorbitant prices were offered to them for their testimony, and threats were made to those who shewed, or pretended to shew, any dislike subsequently to appear to verify their statements. Rastelli, afterwards a witness, was employed as courier, and to him was delegated the all-powerful argument of a long purse. Dumont, while in the hands of this commission, carried on a correspondence with her sister, (who was still in the queen's service) through the medium of Baron D'Ompteda, (the villain we mentioned a few pages back) for the purpose of obtaining information from her majesty's servants. And Omati was paid by

[[295]]D'Ompteda for stealing papers, for the use of the commission, from his master, who was her majesty's professional agent at Milan. These are facts proved by witnesses whose characters are irreproachable, and whose evidence is as well written as parole.

The year

1818

was a dark and troubled period,—a period of great private distress,—so that the minds of men were bent with more acerbity than usual upon the redress of public grievances. The country, borne down by debt, harassed by taxation, which had no longer for its excuse a monopoly of commerce, looked naturally enough to the source from which these calamities had flowed. They found the theory and the practice of the constitution at variance, and hearing they had a right to be taxed by their representatives, they thought it hard and unjust that over the great majority of those who taxed them they had no controul. Retrenchment and economy were what they required. They considered parliamentary reform would be the means of producing economy and retrenchment. Public meetings in favour of parliamentary reform were, therefore, held, resolutions in favour of it passed, and petitions in favour of it presented to the two houses of parliament; the energies of a free people were roused, and great excitement prevailed. When a country is thus agitated, a minister must resist with vigour, or yield

[[296]]with grace. Unjust and violent demands should be met with resistance; but sober and legitimate requests, with concession. When weakly opposed, they are obtained by immediate violence; successfully refused, they are put off for a day, or postponed for a week or a year; but they are not got rid of. Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning, however, were vain enough to think otherwise.

Parliament was opened by commission in January. The speech referred to the continued indisposition of his majesty, and the death of the Princess Charlotte; but without promising an inquiry into the cause of her untimely end! An address was voted in the Commons' House, according to custom, though Sir Samuel Romilly was not wanting in his expressions of severe opposition to the course ministers were pursuing. He stated, "that the despotic conduct of the ministry had produced in the minds of the people a determination to withstand any further infringement upon their rights and privileges."