Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-11-20
DOCUMENTS
ACCOMPANYING THE
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
CONTINUED.

CONTINUED.
MR.. PINKNBr 70 LORD WELLESLEY.
Great Cumberland Place,
l4th January, 1911.
My LORD,
After a lapse of many months since had
the honor to receive and convey to my go
yernment your lordship's repeated assurances.
written as well as verbal, (Which you declined,
however, to put into an official FORM I" that it
sc was your intention immediately to recon-
mend the appointment of a Minister Pleni-
g potcntiary from the King to the United
States,'' the British government continues to
be represented at Washington by Charge
d'.4faireS, and no steps whatever appear TO
have been taken to fulfil the expectation which
the aforementioned assurances produced and
justified.
In this state of things it has become my
duty to inform your Lordship, in compliance
with my instructions, that the government of
the United States cannot continue to be re-
presented here by Minister Plenipotentiary.
AS soon, therefore, as the situation of the
Kings government will permit, | shall wish
to take my leave and return to America in
the United States frigatc Essex, now lying at
Plymouth; having first named, as | am spe-
cialy authorised to do, a fit person to take
charge of the affairs of the American lega-
ton in this country.
have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) WIN. PINKNEY.
TIE most noble the Marquis WeAesley.,
Mr.. PINKNEr 70 LORD WELLESLEY.
Great Cumberland Place,
l5th January 1911.
My LORD,
have the honor to inform you, that it
has been represented to me that, two Ameri-
can vessels (the schooner Polly and the schr.
Mary) laden with Goldfish, and bound from
Ntarblehead TO Bordeaux, in France, have
since the lst inst. been captured and brought
into Plymouth as prize, for an imputed
breach of the British Orders in Council.
1t is my duty to demand the restoration Of
these vessels and their cargoes to the Amer
lean owners, together with compensation for
their unjust detention, and liberty to resume
the voyages which that detention has interrupt
ed.
/ have the honor to be, sc. sc.
(Signed) WIN. .PINKNEY.
The most noble The Marquis Wellesley, &c. &c.
Frtract cf a .ttter from 1bh.. Pnkney to the
Secretary Of State efthe U, States.
6 London, February -, 1911.
/" received few hours since letter from
Lord Wellesley Ga copy of which, is enclosed,)
in answer to mine Of the l4th ult. respecting
the British Orders in Council and Blockades."
THE MARQUIS WELLESLEY 70 Mr.. PINKNEr
Il N I'll,
SIR,
The letter which had the honor to re-
ceive from you, under date the l4th OF Janu-
ary, 1911, has been submitted to his Royal
Highness the Prince Regent
In communicating to you the orders which
/ have received from His Royal Highness on
the subject of your letter, am commanded to
abstain from any course ofargument, and from
any expression, which (however justified by
the general tenor of your observations might
tend to interrupt the good understanding
which it is the wish His Royal Highness
on behalf OF his Majesty to maintain with the
government of the United States.
No statement contained in your letter APP
pears to affect the general principles which
I had the honor to communicate to you in
NV letter of the 2sth of December, 1910.
Great-BritaiH has always insisted upon her
right of self defence against the system of
commercial warfare pursued by France and
the British Orders of Council were founded
upon Just principle of retaliation against
the French Decrees.-The incidental opera
ton of the orders of Council upon. the COM
mcrce of the United States although deeply
to be lamented), must be ascribed exclusively
10 the violence and injustice of the enemy,
which compelled this country to resort to adj
eouate means of defence. 1t cannot now be
admitted that the foundation of the original
question should be changed, and that the mea-
sure of retaliation adopted against France
should now be relinquished at the desire of
the. government Of the United States, with
out any reference to the actual conduct OF the
encmy.
The intention has been repeatedly declared
H. nrJa nf (sOnncll whenever