Counsellor Philipps's [sic] correct speeches in the following causes of crim. con. Guthrie v. Sterne, Creighton v. Townsend, Black v. Widow Wilkins, Brown v. Blake / [Charles Phillips].

  • Charles Phillips
Date:
1817
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Counsellor Philipps's [sic] correct speeches in the following causes of crim. con. Guthrie v. Sterne, Creighton v. Townsend, Black v. Widow Wilkins, Brown v. Blake / [Charles Phillips]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    generous consolation with, which a nation's gratitude cheers the last moments of her dying hero, by the portraiture of his children sus¬ tained and ennobled by the legacy of his atchievements, to be thus deliberately perverted into the bribe of a base, reluctant, unnatural prostitution ! Oh ! I know of nothing to parallel the self-abasement of such a deed, except the audacity that requires an honourable Jury to abet it. The following letter from Mr. Anthony Martin, Mr. Blake's Attorney, unfolded the future plans of the unfeeling conspi¬ racy. Perhaps the Gentlemen would wish also to cushion this do¬ cument? They do not Then I shall read it; — The Letter is addressed to Mrs Wilkins. 44 Galway, Jan* 9, 1817. “ Madam, “ I have been applied to professionally by Lieutenant Peter Blake to take proceed¬ ings against you on rather an unpleasant occasion ; but, from every letter of your’*, and other documents, together with the material and irreparable loss Mr. Blake has sustained in bis professional prospects, by means of your proposals to him, make* it indispensably uecessary for him to get remuneration from you. Under these circumstances, I am obliged to say, that I have his directions to take imme. diate proceedings against you, unless he is in sp ue measure compensated for your breach of, contract and promise to him. I should feel happy that you would save me the necessity of acting professionally settling the business [you see, Gentlemen, money, money, money, runs through the whole amour], particularly, as I conceive from the legal advice Mr. Blake has got, together with all I have seen, it will ulti¬ mately terminate most honqurably to liis advantage and to your pecuniary loss. Ci I have the honour to remain, “ Madam, f( Your very humble Servant, Anthony Martin.” Indeed, I think Mr. Anthony Martin is mistaken. Indeed, I think, no twelve men upon their oaths wilt say (even admitting the truth of all he asserts) that it was honourable for a British officer to abandon the Navy on such a speculation—to desert so noble a profession—to forfeit the ambition it ought to have associated—the rank to which it leads— the glory it may confer, for the purpose of extorting from an old wo¬ man he never saw, the purchase money of his degradation! But I rescue the Plaintiff from this disgraceful imputation. I cannot believe that a member of a profession not less remarkable for the valour than the generosity of its spirit—a profession as proverbial for its profusion in the harbour as for the prodigality of its life-blood on the wave—a profession ever willing to fling money to the winds, and only anxious that they should waft through the world its immortal banner crimsoned with the records of a thousand victories. No, no, Gentlemen, notwith¬ standing the great authority of Mr. Anthony Martin, I cannot readily believe that any man could be found to make the high honour of this noble service, a base, mercenary, sullied pandar to the prostitution of his youth ! The fact is, that encreasing ill-health and the improbability of promotion combined to induce bis retirement on half-pay. You will fmd this confirmed by the date of his resignation, which was imme¬ diately after the battle of Waterloo, which settled (no matter how) the destinies of Europe. His constitution was declining, his advancement