Part 161

Lord Ellenborough. Then put the question to character at once; you must not go indirectly into it, if Colonel Torrens knows his character at all.

Mr. Park. You do not know, personally, his character?

A. I do not, personally.

Q. Are you acquainted with the hand-writing of Mr. De Berenger?

A. Not in the least.

Q. You have never seen him write?

A. I never did.

Q. Have you received letters, purporting to be from him upon subjects of business, and have you answered and acted upon those letters?

A. I do not recollect, since I have been military secretary ever to have received any.

Q. He had been, I believe, in the rifle corps of the Saint James's.

A. I believe he had.

Lord Ellenborough. Do you know him, personally?

A. I know nothing of him, personally.

Henry Goulburn, Esq. M. P. sworn.

Examined by Mr. Serjeant Best.

Q. You are under secretary of state for the colonial department?

A. I am.

Q. Can you tell us, whether any and what application was made to your department for Mr. De Berenger going abroad with Lord Cochrane?

Lord Ellenborough. The terms of the application I think we cannot hear; I do not think Government secrets (when I say secrets, I mean the detail of them) ought to be stated; we cannot go further than the fact, that an application was made.

Mr. Serjeant Best. That is all we want, my lord; was any application made to the colonial department?

A. Yes; there was.

Q. By whom?

A. By Sir Alexander Cochrane.

Lord Ellenborough. All this must have been in writing, I should think?

A. Yes, it was.

Lord Ellenborough. You have laid this basis, that there had been some application, and that it had been in contemplation, that he should go out as connected with the service.

Mr. Park. That is all we wish, we want to show a connexion with the Cochranes, without this illicit connexion.

Lord Ellenborough. No doubt there had been an intimacy and connexion; whether for good or ill is the question?