of York. Though an
incapable general, the duke had shown himself, on the whole, an
excellent administrator, and in the opinion of the best officers had
done much for the discipline and efficiency of the British army.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Clarke, his former mistress, had received bribes for
using her influence with the duke to procure military appointments.
Colonel Wardle, an obscure member of parliament, to whom Mrs. Clarke had
temporarily transferred herself after being discarded by the duke,
animated by a desire to damage the ministry, came forward with charges
directly implicating him in her corrupt practices, and incidentally
brought similar accusations against Portland and Eldon. The government
foolishly agreed to an inquiry on the Duke of York's behalf, and it was
conducted before a committee of the whole house, which sat from January
26 to March 20. In the course of this inquiry, Sir Arthur Wellesley
bore strong testimony in his favour, and the duke addressed a letter to
the speaker, declaring his innocence of corruption. Though Wardle and
his associates pressed for his dismissal, Perceval ultimately carried a
motion acquitting him not only of corruption but of connivance with
corruption. The majority, however, was small, and the duke thought it
necessary to resign on March 20, whereupon the house of commons decided
to proceed no further. A curious sequel of this case was an action
against Wardle by an upholsterer, who had furnished a house for Mrs.
Clarke by Wardle's orders, in consideration of her services in giving
hostile evidence against her former protector. The plaintiff obtained
L2,000 damages, and the law-suit was the means of producing a reaction
in popular feeling in favour of the duke.

This scandal in high places quickened the zeal of parliament for general
purity of administration, and led to a disclosure of some grave abuses.
One of these, connected with the disposal of captured Dutch property,
dated as far back as 1795. Others were found to exist in the navy
department and the distribution of Indian patronage; others related to
parliamentary elections. Perceval brought in a bill to check the sale
and brokerage of offices, nor did Castlereagh himself escape the charge
of having procured the election of Lord Clancarty to parliament by the
offer of an Indian writership to a borough-monger. A frank explanation
saved him from censure, especially as it appeared that the offer had
never taken effect. The