Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

North Wales Gazette

Mae’r adnodd hwn yn rhydd o gyfyngiadau hawlfraint ac wedi ei gyhoeddi dan y Nod Parth Cyhoeddus 1.0.

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

3 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Advertising

iCOURT MARTIAL. -

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

COURT MARTIAL. We lately gave the Minutes ofthe Evidence on the Irial otthe HOII. Warwick Lake, for exposing a man on the desert island of brero. The following is a copy of Captain Lake's dvlence 1 11 Air. President and Gentlemen of this Ho- nourable Court-It is not my intention to de- taii» you at any length, by representing to you the paintul situation in which 1 am fhurd. nor of poiuting out to you the nature of the charge alleged agaiust site 10 men of) Hur honourable minds, such an address ran hardly be wanting; indeed, I am convinced it is wholly unnecessary, from the strict attention you have paid to the Inquiry. The accusation against me is of a most serious nature; and I beg leave to ask every Gentleman of this Ho- nourabie Court, whether it has not been brought forward under most singular circum- stances ? It is suggested by a person I have never seen in my life, but whose character will not bear investigation. 1 need not re- mind Jott, that the character ot an accuser ought always to be more scrupulously attend- ed to. When I s^ake of the accuser, of course 1 do not mean the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, for whom I must ever have the highest respect but by my accuser, 1 mean Thomas, who is not here to be confront- ed by me, and whose charge is couched in a bitterness of spirit-which brings down suspi- cion upon it. it also contains a foul and false assertion, as I trust will manifestly appear in the result of this Inquiry a charge which has occasioneclaggravaled and unfounded rumours and conjectures against my character. With regard to the fact of landing Robert Jeffery, 1 have never denied it t have admitted it in my letter to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and I was equally ready to admit a yesterday, in order to save the time of this Honourable Court; but I do from my heart deny the motives imputed to me. 1 solemnly declare I never intended to put Robt. JetFery 111 any jeopardy by landing him. it appears that his character was had his propensity to disobedience and dishonesty was such, as to lead me, and others, to bei-eve that fou- nishment would only harden his heart, and coniirm him iu hIS bad practices. You will be pleased to recollect the evidence of Mr. spencer, the chief witness on the part of the prosecution, on this point: he himself ad- vised me to get the man out of the ship; and I declare, that, by lauding iitm, 1 thought he would be made more sensible ufli-is viiit of conduct, and reform in future. I was persuad- ed, at the time, tliattheislatidw-asisitiabiled, in addition to which, 1 cannot but suppose it withm your knowledge, that the islaud is not out of the reach ot human assistance. I need not state that it is within the track of vessels Oil particular dClttillatiolls, and which frequent- ly pass ttiriiiusail of the island. Jeftery found tins to be the case, and there is no re-son to doubt but that he was taken off the island for it appears, that on a search being made there afterwards for him, one of the wit- nesses states,, expressly, that not a trace of him was to be found, which I cannot con- ceive could have been the case, if he had remained there, as is most unwarrantably as. serted by Thomas. licutlemen, 1 have no doubt he was conveyed to America in perfect safety, i myself venlv believe he is iti land at this moment* coiisigned (as it were) to the merchants, out of I pn-s. ted him,, and who, perhaps, arc keeping him concealed till the event of this Court-Martial ;s known, and then he may be let loose upon me, to seek a compensation in damages, by an section at litw the place of his conceal- ment, however, has hitherto eluded lbed-di. CIICC of my agents. I do not expect or desire any statement to be taken 1)11 my own asser- tion, but 1 stand here ou my defence, under considerable disadvantages, with sever&l wit- nesses, whom 1 consider material on iny Be- half, now abroad such as'Lieut-Mould, Mr, Salmon, the Midshipman, Mr. Boyce the Gunner, and others; auioug whom 1 may mention the Hon. Capt. Croftou. I am not, however, Idt destitute of evidence, for a mosl important document is now before you 1 niean the official report made by Sir Alexander Cochrane to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, on this subject, and by them. transmitted to the Judge Advocate, read by him to this Honourable Court, and now ly ing on the table. Be pleascd to consider at- tentively the statement made by this official communication contrast it with the letter of Thomas, who is mv invincible accuser, and then decide whether he was warranted in as- serting, that Robert Jeffery had perished through the inhumanity of one whom he has thought proper to describe as a u titled mur- derer." Gentlemen, I have stated, that I ad- mit the fact of landing the man, but 1 deny the motives and consequences alledged against me, and found this deuial as well on his cha- racter, as on my own belief respecting the state of the island. I was informed afterwards, oil my arrival at Barbadoes* that I was mis- taken on this subject, which 1 must ever de- plore i. it cannot, however, be denied, that this island is within the observation of passing vessels. For this fact 1 beg to advert to the evidence on the part of the prosecution and also to the conclusion of the tetter from Sir A. Cochrane. 1 must again deny that any fatal consequence befei this mau as to this point, 1 Height safely rest ou the presumption of law, in lavourofthe man's existence, un- less his death be proved: as to this, 1 agaiu beg leave to refer to the evideuce before y ou, audouce more drawjour attention to Stir A. Cochraue,who took tins affair under his tuqui- ry, ,.iU,9erllueau.£ tuierinaUcu ft^'orded I to him; and the result of his mature and unbiassed judgment was, that the case did not require him to try site by a Court-Mar- tial, but he did, agreeably to the feelings of his honourahle character, inquire into, ad-- judge, and punish me on the occasion, for I was seriously admonished by him, as lie states in hi. letter and what but punishment can that be to-a fetlliti,t,. iT),ilily, aiid lit)ti(ptiritt)[a mind¡ I did, therefore, hope, lhal this unfortu* uato event had ly-visile(J,ajid that the present Court-martial might have been deemed unnecessary bul l do not mean this as the language of complaint; I how to the wisaom and justice of the Lords Commission, ers ot the Admiralty, who have thought iC proper to have put this mailer into a train of further investigation and some circumstances of my case must make it apparent, that IlIa"- 110 wish to impede or protract the inquiry. i cannot be prevailed upon to speak of my- seif, but it is possible youtpay know, that aa early testimony was bestowed upon me (i hope not undeservedly) for having d ne that, which I admit was nothing more than my du. ty, and which I do not pretend was worthy of notice. This, however, is a subject which it does not become any man to dwell upon, and hope to be excused for even alluding to it 5 but, Geiiiietticii, when I am presented loyour notice, cruel and oppressive, am I not vindi- cated from the rharge by the evideivet- ? Mr. Hobson, in particular, I consider as saviuo* expressly on his solemn oafh, that he duet not consider me capable of such acts; for i« states, that he is most certain, that I U'lIl¡id not have ordered Robert Jeffeiy U be land. had I known, believed, or even supposed, that the island was not inhabited, in addihoa to this, I might (if I could be permitted sr» to do) adduce the umofinu-d ami uaexper d evidence of a most handsome letter from the officers of iiiy own ship. 1 must ever feel obliged to those gentleman for addressing it to me, whether I am al owed to lay it before this Honourable Court or not. I rely impli- citly on your good sense, experience, and honour, snd 1 look forward to he speedily relieved hy your sentence, from the dark and horrible insiuualiot.s which have gone forth, and deeply wounded my peace of mind, and a tree led my character as a Captain of a British man-of-war. 1 apologise for occupying so much of your lime, acknowledging the atten- tion and interest you have mamiesled on this occasion, and conhdcutly expecting a favour- able result from your feelings of Justice and honour, actuated by the evidence winch has been adduced before you; and which, 1 must submit, does in 110 respect substantiate the very extraordinary accusation that has been preferred against uie—Dated 6 h February, 1810' VP. LAKE.5' um ,-4

LONDON. Monday, March 18.