28 SEPTEMBER 1839, Page 7

Founded upon the eorrespendence which appeared firet in the ?fora-

ley Pod on the 14th instant, a series of papere int the treetment of the late 1;oly Flora Ilastings by the inmates of 111.- P.IlaCe, IVUA l!olwalenced by th _thawing Past on the 16th, and cominnecl deily till yesterday morning, when information that Lent Portman wae about to publish a reply to the statement of the M trinis of Haetines, induced the Post to pause for a day or two. These papers display a searching logical acumen, and the language is highly spirited and energetic. They are written upon a well-considered plan of laying bare the part of' each person implicated in the treatment of the deceaecel. First, Lady Tavistock is brought on the stage; and her comluct ia avoiding all communication with the Dutchess of Kent and Lady Flora, with whom and whose family she hail been on terms of intimate friendship, while she could consult Lard Melbourne on the subject, is described as most italelicate, ungenerous, and indiscreet. Her Ladyship might at least have warned Lady Flora of the existence of the calumny which bad been hatched against her ; but she left the Court when her term of waiting was expired, and Lady Flora, " the unconscious and un- prepared object of the horrible accusation" which she knew to be "still hanging over its victim." Lady Portman's behaviour is next scrutiuieed in connexion with that of Si;' James Clark, who named her as his " confidante." Her Lady- ship's frequent conversations with the Queen, especially when she found Lady Flora's pregnancy was " her Majesty's own idea ; " her unfeeling anti indelicate conduct at the examination ; her " violence" against Lady Flora, and declaration to the Dutchess of Kent that data her own "experience as a married woman" she was convinced " her Majesty's idea" was correct,—all these parts of Lady Portman's conduct are placed in a strong light ; and so stinging are the sarcasms interwoven with this analysis, and so damaging to her Ladyship is the entire ex- post, that we are not surprised Lord Portman has found silence insup- portable, and determined, as it is said he has, to attempt at least the ex- culpation of his wife.

An apology is made for mentioning Sir James Clark, "the women's tool,"—namely, that the renewal of his visits to Windsor Castle, the per- mission to " dishonour and degrade" the Queen's Court by his occasional presence, renders him still " an object of sonic interest to the British people." And the Court Physician is not spared. Especially are we reminded, that while he professed to believe in Lady Flora's pregnancy, he was actually prescriltieg for her, " applications having no relation whatever to her Majesty's idea," and a!' clear and distinct physical relation to a disease entirely unconnected with and utterly remote from any such idea. " In orde? '• to please certain ladies of high rank or great influence at Conrt, he lent his aid to the propagatine of an impure and odious calumny agaiest one of his own female patients." Lord 3Ielhourne's conduct in the affair is diseacted. He virtually sanctioned the calumny of which he declared his utter disbelief; in the same time that he advised Lady Tavistock and the other ladies " to be (Pete" by allowing it to be propagated. when a word front him to the Queen would have silenced the crew of slanderers. his position at Cn.urt, as the Queen's daily companion, rendered ignorance of what was going on impossible, or incredible. He is responsible for the disgrace which these proceedings have stamped upon the reign of his yoathful mistress.

The Queen's own conduct towards Lads' Flora after the examination, and after her Majesty had promised Lord Hastings that his sister should be treated with " honour and kindness,"—a message having been sent through Lady Portman to the same effect,—is boldly and severely handled. It appears from Lady Flora's diary, that between the period of the publication of Mr. Hamilton Fitzgerald's letter on the 24th of March, to the 9th ofJune, when Lady Flora was dying, the Queen took no notice whatever of Lady Flora, except once when she made an inquiry about Lady Forbes's children. Lady Flora appeared at church and at the opera with the Queen, and the public supposed she was re- Compensed for past sufferings by extraordinary regard; but all the while she was really treated with cutting neglect. This proceeding is described as " a diabolical scheme for torturing at once an innocent, amiable. and unhappy lady, and practising a base and innonous delusion

upon the British public." It WilS sanctioned by Lord Melbourne; and yet his conduct in the affair wae declared by a Ministerial jour- nalist to have been that of " a wise Minister and a hieli-litinded gen- tleman! "

Little notice is taken of the Baroness Lehzen. Indy Flora's decla- ration of her belief that a " ceetain foreign lady piffled the wires," is quoted, and the signifieant question is asked—" Who was guilty of' conetteting the original and. redoubled atrocity, if the Betemea. Lehzen was not?" Whether Lady Flore's suspieion of the ilaro-.1„,:, was well fbunded or unjust. is not unimportant_

" Whether tiwt opinion was erroneous, is a question of the deepest possible interest to the British people; for upon its solution depeuds the character uf a

Smaaeigo„ upon when the British people de-it-e to besto. Itmaage of their decatt,1 atioci ion ant of their purest and warmest loyalty. If it coohl IT be- lieved that ' certain foreign lady ' had not availed lhis,df of the itatence she is known to possess over the mind of the S.aereign, to impel her -Iv to the cruel, indelidate, and unwomanly course mirsue 1, oi-e:cd'dy by Maje-ly, or by her Nlajet.ty's autherhy, in the c..,, Lady Flora all affection, all reverence, ail loyalty, even toward: her Muj,sty, save that of the cold and lift less kind whi,di the law inipe;u": pre,r:bes, would necessarily become extinct in the mind of a virtumiszuti;.!.:-roas

" It would he in vain to dissemble in this matter. No r;:li can hay' read the anthentic documents whit in hate bet niii herore the

wore] Without arriving at the mi.:Ill.:0,i, tLat ,ty who divrrs,d th, ■■1 the Pill.: . the j;fift •qtrhl:St S;:y they entertained, awl that it W;IS ny her direct author.:ty and command that they were impelled into the mist emly and brutal condurt w1;:eh so ne ;hem pur- sned. \V I, els.2 could ha%a any pretension to claim or to exi,.ct from the

Ladies Tat istock and Portman I bat il.0,earativt! and y,h1,11 they-

practised, when they refu,,,..1 up the somve from which the.yhml derived.

their fake and crimMal impressions upon the subject, or to nh ntion the au- thority opmt which they acted in t'.:e di-gusting ellItrSO t

quently pursued Lord Melbourne had not hesitated for a when app=kd tO by Lord 1Listings, to give them up, in order to excase Linis,df ;

and why slmuld these ladies liacc refused to exonerate themsAces mention- ing in like manner their authorhy rvsolut., self -saeritiee on their part can he accounted for in one manner, and in one manna 01:1:, consIstLutly with

common sellSe. ■pinioa owl the colthotoils made,. whicit th...1 spoke and oth.1 .thored to them .1;-oin a rega? and they had not enough ot sense

and virtue tither to withstand flue vieions impulse when flue; cemmunicsted, or to denounce it wle•li Os fatal cons::Ttences had arrived."

Indeed it is neck's; to affect a lastilicms delicacy on this sabject, after all that is passed. Lady Flora is in her grave, and the phi- fipples of the pass, backed by the fiercest reaeutwent of a proud fimily. will not restore her; neither is it necessary for a reentation already vindicated so far, the continuance of all this aagry writ- ing may be said to be unwiee and without an object. Vet there is no concealing the fact, that the story, front first to last, has made a pro- found impressien on the public mind. Too much has been dieclosed, and yet not enough. The Palace he in no sweet odour.