§ The House resolved itself into a Committee. Counsel appeared at the Bar in support of the Bill, and several witnesses were examined to prove its allegations.
§ After the examination had gone on for a considerable time
§ Mr. Humerose to move its adjournment. The Chairman, he said, ought to report progress, and ask leave to sit another day. He did not think any advantage would arise from continuing the examinations at that hour.
§ Sir H. Hardingeobjected to that course. This was the first divorce case ever so sifted by that House. Lord Ellenborough, however, would have no objection to the case being minutely investigated.
Mr. R. Gordonsupported Mr. Hume's Motion for an adjournment. The House really was too thin to proceed with the examinations at present.
§ Sir H. Hardingeproposed, that Miss Steele's examination should be taken. That lady was a witness of undoubted respectability, and he should wish her evidence to be taken at that time. He had every desire that the case should be gone into most fully; for the more it was examined, the more, he was convinced, it would appear that Lord Ellenborough was 1117 entitled to the relief he now prayed at the hands of the House. If Miss Steele's examination were taken then, he believed it would close the case for the Bill; and he thought it ought to be taken, not only for that reason, but because that lady had been in attendance sonic time, and if examined now, need not be put to further inconvenience.
§ Mr. Humeopposed proceeding any further at that time. He could assure the House, that when he first came there it was not his intention to ask a single question, nor had he done so until the apparent, the evident contradictions in the testimony of the witnesses were so great as to induce in his mind a suspicion of connivance. He really had never read the evidence that had before been given, and he should not have interfered at all, but for the cause he had stated. He wanted to know what evidence had been given, for he really had not as yet read anything of it? It seemed from what he had heard to-night, that all the servants knew of these occurrences for some months; in fact, that they had been the topics of common conversation in the family. Now, he wanted to know what the servants that had been examined had said, and whether more servants could not be called to explain all they knew about the matter? He had hoped to-day to have been home by five o'clock, but he had been kept here about this business until that hour; and now he was obliged to go away, for he had a very pressing engagement.
§ Sir H. Hardinge. pressed the hon. Members to go through the examination of Miss Steele. There were several Members present, and among them some members of the profession of the law, quite competent to conduct the examination.
§ Mr. Humesaid, there were not forty Members in the House, and he did not think, with such a thin attendance, they ought to go into the examination of witnesses, some of whom it was evident had received bribes, and their testimony was therefore suspicious.
§ Sir H. Hardingesaid, that the fact that a witness had received bribes did not of itself vitiate his evidence.
Mr. Alderman Woodobserved, that surely the gallant Officer did not mean to say that the evidence of such persons was worthy of belief.
Mr. Gordonagain observed on the very thin attendance of Members, and said that 1118 Wednesday was rather an awkward day to fix for such an examination.
§ [Mr. Hume and Sir C. Wetherell left the House.]
§ Sir H. Hardingethen observed, that if Members who had taken an active part in the examination absented themselves, it was impossible to go on. He repeated that he wished the case to be most fully investigated, satisfied as he was, that the result would be favourable to the Bill; but after the hon. Member for Montrose and the hon. and learned Member had withdrawn, he felt he could not conveniently press the examination further.
§ The further hearing of the case postponed to the next day.