ny other country, that the prosecutor should form a sort of court of
his own erection, call witnesses before it of his own choosing, and,
under offers of great rewards, take minutes of the evidence of such
witnesses, and publish those minutes to the world under the forms and
appearances of a judicial proceeding? Was it ever before known, that
steps like these were taken previous to an indictment,--previous to
the bringing of an intended victim into a court of justice? Was there
ever before known so regular, so systematic a scheme for exciting
suspicion against a man, and for implanting an immovable prejudice
against him in the minds of a whole nation, previous to the preferring
a Bill of Indictment, in order that the grand jury, be it composed
of whomsoever it might, should be predisposed to find the bill? I ask
you, sir, and I ask the House, whether it was ever before known, that
means like these were resorted to, previous to a man's being legally
accused? But, sir, what must the world think, when they see some of
those to whom the welfare and the honour of the nation are committed
covertly co-operating with a Committee of the Stock Exchange, and
becoming their associates in so nefarious a scheme? Nevertheless, sir,
this fact is now notorious to the whole world. I must confess I was
not prepared to believe the thing possible."

Thereupon followed a detailed examination of the charges brought
against Lord Cochrane, and of the way in which those charges were
handled, special complaint being made concerning the malicious bearing
of Lord Ellenborough. "It must be in the recollection of the House,"
said Lord Cochrane, "as it is in that of the public, that he urged,
that he compelled, the counsel to enter upon my defence _after
midnight_, at the end of fifteen hours from the commencement of the
trial, when that counsel declared himself quite exhausted, and when
the jury, who were to decide, were in a state of such weariness as to
render attention to what was said totally impossible. The speeches
of the counsel being ended, the judge, at _half-past three in the
morning_, adjourned the court till ten; thus separating the evidence
from the argument, and reserving his own strength, and the strength
of my adversaries' advocates, for the close; giving to both the great
advantage of time to consider the reply, and to insert and arrange
arguments to meet those which had been urged in my defence."

All his treatment by Lord Ellenbor