open

Mr. Wildman fwore, that in 1770, or 1771. Lutterloh lived with him as a fervant, during which time an accident happened (alluding to his bureau being broke and rifled of about 80 or gol.), but he did not pretend to affert, that Lutterloh had been the robber; but his fufpicions, and the motives which gave birth to them, were fuch as to fully juftify him in his own confcience to refuse Lutterloh a character when he difmiffed him from his fervice.

After the examination of other witneffes' to collateral circumftances, Mr. Peckham arofe and combated the whole of the charge; and contended, that both in point of law and fact, the indictment muft fall to the ground, for that the overt acts were not proved, and as to the papers defcribing the ftate of our fleet, and the fick and wounded feamen, they were no more than what might be every day read in a news-paper. He entered into the hiftory of M. De

la Motte, faid he was a French nobleman, and he would not call him prisoner, but an unfortunate gentleman, brought to the bar for his life through the contrivance of a witnefs, with whom M. De la Motte had been acquainted, and who, to fcreen himself from punishment, had charged the offence of a treasonable correfpondence upon M. De la Motte. He took many other liberties with Mr. Lutterloh in the courfe of his obfervations, and having used many arguments to show that M. De la Motte had acted only as a trader from England to France, and that the crime charged was more imputable to Mr. Lutterloh, he called two witnesses to impeach his character, but they failed in fuch kind of proof.

The folicitor-general was a confiderable time in reply, and de

fended the evidence of Mr. Lut

terloh; and Mr. Juftice Buller, at nine o'clock began to charge the jury; in the courfe of which, he faid, that collecting intelligence for the purpose of turnishing our enemies, was high-treason.

The jury, after a fhort deliberation, pronounced the prifoner Guilty, &c. as has been already related, in our Chronicle for July, p. 184.

M. De la Motte was about five feet ten inches in height, 50 years of age, and of a comely countenance; his deportment was exceed ingly genteel, and his eye was expretlive of strong penetration. He wore a white cloth coat and a linen waistcoat, worked in tambour. After fentence Mr. Akerman's fervants prepared to reconduct him to prifon, but being ignorant of their defign, he fat in [Q] 2

the

came enamoured of that gentleman's daughter, and married her, whereby he incurred the difpleafure of his relations. Being reduced to diftrefs, he engaged as a livery servant to Capt. Phillips, upon quitting whofe fervice he lived in the fame capacity with Mr. Wildman of Lincoln's Inn. Being difmiffed from Mr. Wildman he took a chandler's fhop in Great Wild-ftreet, and having accepted the drafts of a relation to a confiderable amount, he was much haraffed by the preffing importunities of his creditors, to avoid whofe importunities he retired to Germany, fome time after which he returned to England, and availed himself of an infolvent act.

Being at Portsmouth during the late naval review, he gained employment as book-keeper at the George Inn. In this fituation he projected a scheme for purchafing arms in the petty German ftates for the use of America, and visited that quarter of the globe, in order to promote this plan, which how ever was not attended with fuccefs, and after this commenced his connection with the prifoner.

He acknowledged, that he fupplied the prifoner with accounts of the ftate of the Weft-India fleet, the number of fick and wounded at Hallar, in a letter directed to Mr. John Tweed, of Philpotlane, Condon, and that other information was conveyed, under cover of franks, to Mr. Wall, of Little Carrington-fireet, May fair, who deals in pamphlets, newspapers, &c.

He, further confeffed, that in violation of a folemn engagement with the prifoner, wherein it was

ftipulated, that they should on no confideration betray each other, after being raised from a ftate of the most extreme indigence to independency with respect to pecuniary, circumftances, by his generofity, he had, with a view to make fome reftitution to the country he had been fo induftrious to injure, but more with a defign to enrich himfelf, communicated the whole particulars of the iniquitous schemes in which he had been engaged.

He was afked by Mr. Dunning, whether, immediately after leaving the grand jury, when the indictment was preferred, he did not fay to Rouffeau, that there was not evidence for finding a Bill without the facts to which he was to swear, but that his depofitions would caufe De la Motte to be convicted, in which cafe he fhould derive great profit. This he dinied; but owned he had offered to lay a wager that De la Motte would be hanged A great number of letters which he, the witnefs, had fworn to be the handwriting of De la Motte, relative to the ftate of our fleet, rates, guns, weight of metal, outfit, commanders, deftination, plement of men, &c. &c. were read, and appeared to contain the moft precife, and we prefume, accurate accounts, which fully confirmed the observation made by the attorney-general, on his opening the profecution, and which he faid ought to be much regretted, "that the great fums the prifoner had to difpofe of enabled him to carry corruption to very great and dangerous lengths."

com

Mr. Rouffeau depofed, that on the day when the indictment was preferred before the grand jury,

Lutter

Lutterloh expreffed forrow for the melancholy fituation of De la Motte, faying at the same time he would be hanged, for the miniftry would be glad of the opportunity that was afforded them of gratifying their vengeance; and adding, that he wished he might be hanged, for he could do his business better without him.

Mr. Lepel depofed, that he knew Lutterloh when he kept a chandler's-fhop in Wild-ftreet, at which time he proposed to this deponent a plan for purchafing 25,000 ftand of arms for the ufe of the Americans, whereby, being affifted by Dr. Franklin and fome German officers, a large fortune might be raised.

Mr. Wildman fwore, that in 1770, or 1771. Lutterloh lived with him as a fervant, during which time an accident happened (alluding to his bureau being broke open and rifled of about 80 or gol.), but he did not pretend to affert, that Lutterloh had been the robber; but his fufpicions, and the motives which gave birth to them, were fuch as to fully justify him in his own confcience to refuse Lutterloh a character when he difmiffed him from his fervice.

After the examination of other witneffes' to collateral circumftances, Mr. Peckham arose and combated the whole of the charge; and contended, that both in point of law and fact, the indictment muft fall to the ground, for that the overt acts were not proved, and as to the papers defcribing the ftate of our fleet, and the fick and wounded feamen, they were no more than what might be every day read in a news-paper. entered into the hiftory of M. De

He

la Motte, faid he was a French nobleman, and he would not call him prifoner, but an unfortunate gentleman, brought to the bar for his life through the contrivance of a witnefs, with whom M. De la Motte had been acquainted, and who, to fcreen himself from punifhment, had charged the offence of a treasonable correfpondence upon M. De la Motte. He took many other liberties with Mr. Lutterloh in the course of his obfervations, and having used many arguments to fhow that M. De la Motte had acted only as a trader from England to France, and that the crime charged was more imputable to Mr. Lutterloh, he called two witnesses to impeach his character, but they failed in fuch kind of proof.

The folicitor-general was a confiderable time in reply, and defended the evidence of Mr. Lutterloh; and Mr. Juftice Buller, at nine o'clock began to charge the jury; in the course of which, he faid, that collecting intelligence for the purpose of turnishing our enemies, was high-treason.

The jury, after a fhort deliberation, pronounced the prisoner Guilty, &c. as has been already related, in our Chronicle for July, p. 184.

M. De la Motte was about five feet ten inches in height, 50 years of age, and of a comely countenance; his deportment was exceed ingly genteel, and his eye was expretlive of strong penetration. He wore a white cloth coat and a linen waistcoat, worked in tambour. After fentence Mr. Akerman's fervants prepared to reconduct him to prifon, but being ignorant of their defign, he fat in [Q] 2

the

the chair in which he had fat during almost the whole of the trial. But upon the matter being explained to him, he rofe, paid a polite obedience to the court and retired.

Copy of Lord George Gordon's Correspondence with Lord North and Lord Southampton, September 3, 1781.

To the Right Hon. Lord North, First Lord of the Treafury, &c. &c. &c.

My Lord,

HE committee of corre

teftant intereft at Edinburgh, have done me the honour to intruft to my care a very valuable book to be delivered to the king. It is entitled Scotland's Oppofition to the Popish Bill, and contains a collection of all the declarations and reSolutions publifhed by the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland, and the different provincial fynods, prefbyteries, affociate prefbyteries, kirk feffions, counties, cities, royal boroughs, boroughs, towns, parishes, incorporations, and focieties throughout Scotland against the proposed repeal of the Statutes enacted, and for ever ratified, by the Revolution and Union parliament, for preventing the growth of Popery; with an introduction, giving a fhort hiftory of the rife, progrefs, and effects of that national alarm; and an Appendix, containing a thort view of the Statutes at prefent in force in Scotland against Popery, the nature of the Bill propofed to be brought into parliament for repealing those Statutes, and fome

remarks, fhewing the propriety and neceffity of oppofing fuch repeal; with a few hints on the conftitutional and prudent mode of oppofition. Printed by David Paterfon, at Edinburgh.

"I think it right to fend this information to your lordship, that you may acquaint the king, I have a book of fuch confequence to deliver into his majesty's own hands; and, that I humbly wait his majefty's pleasure to know, whether I fhall have the honour of prefenting it to his majefty at his public levee, or at his private house, or when his majefty is fitting upon the throne? My wifh is

my

testant Affociation on Wednesday evening, might have the good effect of tending in fome degree to quiet the minds and apprehenfions of the affociation in general; and,

I am confident that fuch an an

fwer would be looked upon, and efteemed as a due attention to the declarations and refolutions of their country, by the Scotch divifion of Protestants in London; who, permit me to tell your lordship, are very refpectable indeed, and numerous too, about twenty thousand men, including the train of artillery at Woolwich, and the beft part of all the regiments of horfe and foot-guards. If your lordship was to advise his majesty to compliment them on their difcernment and loyalty in oppofing the Popery Bill, I think it would be judicious,

and in feafon."

vered to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

[Here follows the title of the book, as in the letter to Lord North.]

"I think it right to fend this information to your lordship, that you may acquaint the Prince of Wales that I have a book of fuch confequence to deliver into his royal highness's hands; and that I humbly wait his royal highness's pleasure, to know when and

where I fhall have the honour

of prefenting it to him. My wish is, at the fame time that I do my duty towards the people of Scotland, to comply with all the forms and ceremonies of his royal highnefs's establishment in approaching the heir apparent of the House of Hanover, on a public fubject of the deepeft political confider

ation.

"I have the honour to be, my lord,

Your lordship's most obedient and humble fervant, • G. GORDON.

Welbeck-ftreet, Sept. 3, 1781.

"P. S. I have had the honour to receive great civilities from your lordship both in London and at Paris, and I have not forgot them. I have always looked up to your lordship as a man of good understanding and integrity, as well as of the most agreeable and refined manners. I believe the public alfo, in general, think your lordship very well qualified for the high and important office of firft lord in the establishment of his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales; and I have no doubt, but your lordship will ufe the utmost [Q] 3

of