The Trial of Charles Random de Berenger, Sir Thomas Cochrane Part 67

_Mr. James Le Marchant sworn._

_Examined by Mr. Bolland._

_Q._ Are you acquainted with Captain De Berenger?

_A._ I was so.

_Q._ When did your acquaintance with him commence?

_A._ About 18 months ago.

_Q._ How long did it continue?

_A._ It continued until the 16th of February to the best of my knowledge.

_Q._ Between those periods was Captain De Berenger in the habit of calling upon you frequently?

_A._ He was, from the 10th to the 16th of February.

_Q._ At what period of the day?

_A._ At different periods.

_Q._ Did he pa.s.s his evenings with you?

_A._ Occasionally.

_Q._ In conversations with him, did you ever collect from him, whether he had any connexion with Lord Cochrane or Mr. Cochrane Johnstone?

_A._ I did--with both.

_Q._ State to the Court what he has told you.

_A._ He stated that he was about to go to America under the command of Lord Cochrane; on his mentioning this, I put the question to him, how he possibly could do it under the embarra.s.sments that he laid under, upon which he answered, all was settled on that score.

_Q._ Do you recollect upon what day this conversation pa.s.sed?

_A._ I should think nearly about the 14th, to the best of my recollection, he said, that for the services he had rendered Lord Cochrane and Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, whereby his Lords.h.i.+p could realize a large sum or large sums of money by means of the funds or stocks, one of the words, that his Lords.h.i.+p was his friend, and had told him a few days before, that he had kept unknown to him till that period, a private purse for him De Berenger.

_Q._ Did he state to you whether there was any particular intimacy between him and Lord Cochrane, or Mr. Cochrane Johnstone?

_A._ He frequently mentioned particular intimacy of dining, breakfasting and supping with his Lords.h.i.+p. He said, in which purse he had placed or deposited a certain per centage out of the profits which his Lords.h.i.+p had made by his stock suggestions.

_Q._ Did you afterwards hear of the events of the 21st of February?

_A._ I did so.

_Q._ Did you upon that make known to any parties, and to whom, your suspicions of Captain De Berenger having been active in them?

_A._ I did so.

_Q._ To whom were those communications made?

_A._ To Captain Taylor of His Majesty's 22nd regiment of foot, and Lieutenant Wright in the Honorable East India Company's Service.

_Q._ Did you collect in any conversations you had with Captain De Berenger, that Lord Cochrane and Mr. Cochrane Johnstone consulted him in any transactions of Stock?

_Mr. Park._ That is a pretty good leading question.

_Mr. Bolland._ Did he state to you any thing respecting their consulting him as to stock transactions?

_A._ Most undoubtedly, or I should not have drawn the conclusions I did.

_Q._ For what was he to have a per centage?

_A._ For the ideas he had given to Lord Cochrane, enabling him to make a profit in the stocks.

_Q._ Did he extend that to Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, or Lord Cochrane?

_A._ To both.

_Mr. Serjeant Best._ I am aware that your Lords.h.i.+p will not consider this as evidence against Lord Cochrane, or Mr. Cochrane Johnstone.

_Lord Ellenborough._ No; it is admissible evidence, the effect of it is another thing.

_Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Best._

_Q._ You have been corresponding with my Lord Cochrane.

_A._ I have so.

_Q._ You are now a prisoner in the King's Bench, I believe?

_A._ No; I am not.

_Q._ You have told my Lord Cochrane?----

_Mr. Bolland._ Have you ever had any communication with Lord Cochrane but in writing?

_A._ None individually.

_Mr. Bolland._ Then I object to any questions except as to letters.

_Mr. Serjeant Best._ You are a gentleman whose appointment Government have stopped?

_A._ It is not stopped.