The Edmunds scandal has not developed any very new phase,
but some of the papers have got hold of and published Mr. Edmunds's own statement as to the part of the affair which affects his connection with Lord Brougham and his brothers. That statement is far from clear. It appears that money was lent on mortgage to Lord Brougham and his brother James in 1811 by a Miss Robinson, and that when the money was called in in 1827 the trustees under the will of the father of Mr. Leonard Edmunds lent the amount to Lord Brougham and his brother, receiving an assignment of the mortgage .as their security. The interest on this mortgage appears to have been paid by James Brougham till the year 1830, but from that date till Mr. Edmunds received the Patent-Office clerk- .ship in 1833 he received, he says, no interest, but advanced to his sisters their share out of his own funds,—for he was for some .time previous to 1833 Pursebearer and Secretary to the Chan- cellor, Lord Brougham. In 1833 he received this Patent clerkship, on the understanding that its salary was to be chiefly devoted to paying the interest of this mortgage, and that it was in fact an equivalent for it. James Brougham died in 1833, and his brother William renewed the arrangement, which went on till last autumn. After the troubles at the Patent Office, Lord Cranworth looked into the matter onbehalf both of Mr. Edmunds and Lord Brougham, And held that Lord Brougham received no part of the 5,0001., which went to his brother James, and that he knew nothing of the resulting transaction, but that he is of course liable for the principal sum of 5,000/. Other witnesses appear to assert that Lord Brougham did know to what purpose the income of this -clerkship was devoted. Mr. Edmunds, however, gives no sort of reason why he should have acquiesced in so strange and unprofit- able an arrangement as paying interest due on a mortgage to his -own family out of his own official salary. For him at all events the ease looks bad enough.
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