HC Deb 10 April 1837 vol 37 cc927-9
Lord Granville Somerset

was sorry again to intrude on the House with a personal affair; but the conversation in which they had been engaged on Friday with regard to a military commission compelled him. Since that time he had had a communication with Lord E. Somerset, who staled, that as far as his recollection went, he had never made any written application for a commission for Mr. Lovesey; and that he had never entertained the slightest expectation of obtaining Mr. Lovesey's vote by getting him a commission. He (Lord Granville Somerset) had also had a communication with Captain Marshall, who denied that any political inducements had been resorted to obtain the commission. But the most important communication was a letter which he held in his hand from Mr. Lovesey himself, in which he declared that the charge brought against him of a change of politics in consequence of obtaining a commission from the Beaufort family was distinctly untrue. He had never been asked to make, nor had he made, any concession of political principle upon the occasion. He felt that he should not do justice to that Gentleman if he did not submit the letter to the House. He had given an intimation of his intention to do so to the hon. Member for Gloucester; and with the permission of the House he would read the letter:— Coxhome-house, Cheltenham, April 9,1837. My Lord,—I have read with much surprise the mention which has been made by Captain Berkeley of the application made by me, through Lord Fitzroy Somerset, for a commission for my son, in 1832. I shall feel obliged if you will state explicitly that the assertion, 'My family have always hitherto been Whigs, not on the same side of politics that you are, but if a commission can be got for me from the Horse Guards through the influence of the Beaufort family, we shall in future be on the Tory side,' is distinctly untrue. I have neither made, nor was asked to make, any concession of political principle in return for the applications made on my behalf, and it is a most unfair imputation on me that I have been influenced by any such consideration in the political course which I have taken. I remain, my Lord, Your most obedient obliged servant, C.N. LOVESEY. To Lord Granville Somerset.

Captain Berkeley

stated, that when he had been called upon to say whether Mr. Lovesey had made use to Lord Segrave of the words imputed to him in the Morning Chronicle, his answer was, that Mr. Lovesey had not done anything of the sort; but that it had been communicated to Lord Segrave that such was the intention of Mr. Lovesey in the event of his obtaining the commission through the interest of the Beaufort family. It now appeared, from the letter which the noble Lord had just read, that Mr. Lovesey denied having any such intention; and he (Captain Berkeley) gave the noble Lord the full benefit of that denial. But there was still this plain, broad, and simple fact, that at the election which took place shortly after the commission was granted, Mr. Lovesey, who had never before voted for a Tory, did vote on the Tory side. That was a fact which could not be contradicted; and on that fact he took his stand.

Lord G. Somerset

would only remark, that two years elapsed between the granting of the commission and the election. The commission was granted in 1832; the election did not take place until 1834. When Mr. Lovesey applied for the commission to Lord Fitzroy Somerset, the latter did not know what Mr. Lovesey's political oponions were.

Mr. Hume

observed, that the noble Lord had produced those letters, but had left unproduced the most important one, namely, the letter written by Lord Edward Somerset to his brother at the Horse-Guards.

Lord G. Somerset

would be most happy to produce such a letter if the hon. Mem- ber for Middlesex would tell him how. The fact was, that to the best of Lord Fitzroy Somerset's recollection, no such letter, nor any letter from Lord Segrave had ever been written. If they had never been written, how was it possible that he could produce them?

Mr. Hume

said, it appeared from the noble Lord's former statement that such applications had been made.

Lord G. Somerset

observed, that the applications made by both Lord E. Somerset and Lord Segrave were personal applications, and were so entered in the book kept at the Horse-Guards.

Mr. Hume

remarked, that the noble Lord had certainly led the House to believe, that such letters were in existence, for he talked of a strict search having been made for them. Why search for that which it was known was not in existence? It appeared to him (Mr. Hume), and it was the feeling of those who sat around him, that the noble Lord intended to convey the impression that such letters were in existence, and in his opinion their non-production would make the case complete.

Lord G. Somerset

declared, that if he found any more letters he should have great pleasure in producing them. But it was very hard to call upon him to do what was impossible; to produce what was not in existence.

Mr. Scarlett

contended, that the noble Lord had completely vindicated the course which had been pursued by the commander of the forces; and that the whole gist of the charge was gone.

Lord Howick

distinctly understood the hon. Member for Gloucester to state in the first instance, that Mr. Lovesey's application was made, not to Lord E. Somerset, but to Lord Segrave.

Subject dropped.