HL Deb 03 October 1820 vol 3 cc108-12
The Earl of Liverpool

rose. He observed, that he felt it his duty to offer some explanation respecting a transaction upon which a good deal of conversation had taken place when they last met on this case. He alluded to a conversation respecting a letter which was stated to have been addressed to a Mr. Marrietti in this country, from his father at Milan. When the subject was mentioned at the period to which he alluded, he stated that he had been privately informed of the existence of this letter, and of the nature of its contents. Upon receiving that information, he had felt it his duty to desire that a letter should be written to colonel Browne, calling upon him to explain any thing which he might know of the circumstance. He had now in his possession a correspondence which had taken place in consequence of the compliance with his desire, which, with the permission of the House he would read.—[The noble earl then proceeded to read the correspondence which is inserted below.] The noble earl having finished the reading of the papers, said he had felt it his duty to submit them to the House, lest any doubt might arise as to any point in this transaction calculated to excite an undue impression. From their contents it would be seen that colonel Browne was so far conscious that he had acted consistently with his duty, that he courted any further explanation or investigation into his conduct that their lordships might think necessary. The papers he held in his hand, might, if it was their lordships pleasure, be laid on the table.

Lord Holland

said, that supposing every part of the assertions contained in the correspondence was true, and that nothing either directly or indirectly, had passed relating to the Alien bill, it did not remove his objections to the bill. The letters that had been read confirmed the report of the alarm which the existence of such a power created. He must say, that the statement that had been made had not completely satisfied his mind, nor indeed could any ex parte declaration, that nothing had passed on the subject, he so received by him. Colonel Browne had said he wished to be further examined; but no satisfactory opinion could be formed unless all the parties concerned were fully examined, and every particular minutely investigated. Every man felt that great apprehension was excited at the idea of the Alien bill; and although it was stated that nothing had passed relating to it; yet it was evident that some conversation had been held by Mr. Marrietti with a clerk employed officially by his majesty's government.

The Earl of Liverpool

said, that in consequence of what had fallen from the noble lord, he should now feel it his duty to lay the papers on the table of the House.

The Earl of Lauderdale

thought the House ought to be put in possession of the original letter of the elder Mr. Marrietti.

The Papers were then laid on the table. The following are Copies of the said Papers:

Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Browne with three Inclosures.

COPY of a Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Browne to the Earl of Clanwilliam, dated Milan, September 20th, 1820; explanatory of the allusions made to the name of Lieut. Colonel Browne in Mr. Marrietti's letter to his son, with three inclosures.

Milan, 20th Sept. 1820.

My lord;—I have received your lordships letter of the 5th inst. written to me by direction of viscount Castlereagh.

Perhaps the best reply I could make to its contents would be, that I had never spoken one syllable to the father of Mr. Joseph Marrietti on the subject of his son's conduct in London.

I remember, however, that some time since one of the clerks of the respectable banking-house of which Mr. Marrietti is the head, having called upon me to settle some accounts, I mentioned to him my having heard from London that the younger Marrietti had visited Mr. Sacchini, and had made inquiries into the nature of the evidence he had formerly given. I added, that such occupation appeared to me very unnecessary, as information of that nature could not possibly be interesting to a person whose pursuits were quite of a different tendency.

I made this remark with so much indifference, and, in fact, considered the affair of so little importance, that it never again entered my thoughts. In consequence, however, of your lordship's letter, I wrote immediately to Mr. Albertoni (the name of the clerk to whom I thus casually mentioned the matter) a letter of which the inclosure No. I is a copy, and received from him an instant reply, of which No. 2 is the original.

Mr. Marrietti himself, the father of the young man in question, on learning the interpretation that had been given to the letter which he had written in confidence to his son addressed to me the letter of which No. 3 is also the original.

I trust, when these papers shall have been submitted by your lordship to his majesty's government. I shall stand acquitted of having so far forgotten my situation and character, as to have ventured an unauthorized and powerless menace against a respectable individual under their protection, the employment of which would not only have been decidedly contrary to the spirit and letter of my instructions, but injurious to the interests of justice itself, before whose tribunal I shall be ever forward to render the strictest account of the delicate and painful duly which has been confided to me. I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) J. H. BROWNE.

The Right hon. the Earl of

Clanwilliam, &c. &c. &c.

No. I.—TRANSLATION of a Letter from Colonel Browne to Mr. Albertoni.

Milan, 17th Sept. 1820.

Sir—A letter written by Mr. Marrietti to his son, who is in London, seems to have created a belief that I had so far forgotten my duty and character as to have threatened the latter with being placed under the surveillance of the British police, and even with an intention on the part of the British government to compel him to quit England under the operation of the Alien bill, in consequence of some communications which he had with M. Sacchini, a witness against the Queen.

Having never conversed with Mr. Marrietti, his father, on this subject, nor with any one, except yourself one morning when you were at my house settling some accounts, I beg you will have the goodness to declare to me, explicitly and by letter, all you can recollect on this subject, and to detail it as truly and fairly as possible.—Accept, &c.

(Signed) J. H. BROWNE.

To Mr. Albertoni, at Messrs. Marrietti, brothers, bankers, Milan.

No. II.—TRANSLATION of a Letter from M. Albertoni to Lieutenant Colonel Browne.

Milan, Sept. 17, 1820.

Sir—It is with regret equal to the respect which I feel towards you, that I have just learnt that the meaning of a letter written by M. Marrietti to his son has been so misunderstood as to cause to be imputed to you the communication of an intention on the part of the British government to place the latter under surveillance, or to order him to quit England, on account of some conversations he had held with Mr. Sacchini, a witness against the Queen.

I recollect your having told me one morning, when I happened to call upon you on business, that you had heard from England that our M. Joseph Marrietti had interfered in this affair, and that you could not but consider such conduct as indiscreet, and foreign to his business in London. I well remember that I considered this communication to be simply your own private opinion, and far from being an expression from authority or a menace. As to what has been asserted with regard to the Alien bill, the provisions of which are wholly Unknown to me, it is a duty I owe to your open and honourable character upon all occasions, to declare explicitly that you have never given me the slightest reason to be apprehensive for the personal safety or protection of our Mr. Joseph Marrietti. I ought to add, that I have thought it my duty to beg the father of the said J. Marrietti to write to his son, and advise him not to interfere in an affair so unconnected with his occupations, and to observe that wise and discreet line of conduct for which he has ever been distinguished. If in writing to him his father made use of strong expressions, it is not to you, Sir, that they are to be attributed, but to that confidence and paternal affection alone by which they were dictated—Pray accept the sentiments of esteem with which, &c.

(Signed) ALBERTONI, of the House of P. and J. Marrietti.

No. III.—TRANSLATION of a Letter from M. Marrietti to Lieutenant Colonel Browne.

Milan, 19th Sept. 1820.

Most esteemed Colonel—I have heard with particular regret that your name has been compromised on the subject of a conversation which has been supposed to have taken place between you and me relating to my son Joseph, at present in London; I therefore consider it my duty to declare, as I do declare upon my honour, that no conversation ever took place between you and me directly upon such subject.

If the expressions contained in my letter to my son be rather strong, it is to be attributed to my wish that a lively impression should be made upon him by advice on my part, tending to prove to him the necessity of his adhering to the system pursued by myself, never to interfere with affairs unconnected with his own business. I am beyond measure concerned, that a construction should have been put upon my letter directly contrary to my intentions, a construction which has furnished matter for discussions totally inconsistent and ill-founded. My regret on this occasion is increased, on observing that such a construction should have given rise to any doubts as to the conduct of an individual whose distinguished and honourable character has been, from long experience, well known to me: I consider you, Sir, as incapable of using the threats attributed to you, as your government of carrying them into execution. In thus making known to you the sentiments by which I am animated on this occasion, I have the agreeable satisfaction of fulfilling a duty incumbent upon me; and I avail myself of the opportunity to assure you of my perfect esteem, &c

LUIGI MARRIETTI.

To Lieut. Colonel Browne, &c. &c.

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