ge felt it, and felt it
deeply; and they appointed a Committee to investigate this business, and
to ascertain who were the parties to this fraud. That Committee pursued
the investigation with great industry, and they discovered that which I
shall lay before you in evidence. As the underplot is the shortest, I
may as well dispose of that first.--They ascertained that this second
post chaise had come from Northfleet, which is, you know, near
Gravesend. That Mr. Ralph Sandom, who is a Spirit Merchant, living at
Northfleet, but who was at that time also like Mr. De Berenger, a
prisoner within the rules of the King's Bench, and who kept within the
rules just as faithfully as Mr. De Berenger did, had sent, early in the
morning, to Dartford, for a post chaise and four, to be sent to him at
Northfleet, and for four horses to be ready to take him on to town; and
that Mr. Sandom; a Mr. Alexander M'Rae, a person in most desperate
circumstances; and Mr. Lyte, who is, I believe, a little Navy Agent, and
a very poor man, were the persons who had come in this post chaise; and
that M'Rae and Lyte were the two persons who were dressed in the uniform
of French Officers.

Gentlemen, they ascertained further, that Mr. M'Rae resided at a lodging
in Fetter Lane; that on Saturday the 19th of February, he had brought
into his lodgings a couple of great coats, blue lined with white, to
resemble the coats of French Officers; that he had white cockades made
up by his wife in the lodging, and upon enquiry being made by his
hostess what all this could mean, said, that it was _to take in the
flats_. He quitted his lodging in the afternoon of Sunday, stating that
he was going down to Gravesend by water; and he returned about two on
Monday, after having, as I stated, quitted the chaise at the Marsh Gate.
The great coat was speedily altered, by the white lining being taken out
and another lining put in its place, and the white cockades were burnt:
and Mr. M'Rae, who had been in the greatest distress for money, was, in
the course of that week, exulting in his success, boasting of the money
he had earned by that which he had done; and on being expostulated with
on the impropriety of that mode of getting money, said, "If I had not
somebody else would."

Gentlemen, the Committee discovered that Mr. M'Rae was a party to this
business at a still earlier period, and that it had been for some time
in preparation, that he had on the 14th (the Monday preceding)