The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-01-19

testimony which has been presented 10 your Wv
ernmeut in support ofthat demand.
avail IN yself Of tho occasion to renew 10 you
tho assurance Of my distinguished c0nsldrra,inn'
JOHN FORSYTH.
A brief but interesting discussion toIlowed the
reading Of the above correspondence, which We
give bellows
Mr. Fillmore moved that The message with me
accompanying documents, be referred to the com
mttee on Foreign Relations, and five thousand eS-
ira copies thereof be printed.
Before taking his seat Mr. Fillmore desired to
make remark in reference TO the communication
from the Minister Of Gcat Britain, in regard to his
statements about the Caroline. The boat belong
ed to man in The city of Buffalo, by the name oil
VIM ;Vells, pcacahe citizen. /! neither boong'
cd to the patriots, was 1t under their control or
authorty-und what reason is there (he nsked) Tor
the appella,;on that is given to that boat by the
Minister of Great Britain. who has called 1t ps' al
ica{ vessel He believed to be an entire mistake
II had no coEnexion with the patriots. The sim
pie facts were these: Wells, during the time nsur-
gents we're occupying Navy Island IN the Niagara
river,-which Island is the Canadian side OF
that river-was the owner ofthis boat. lie appl-
ed at the Custom House for license to run that
boat as n ferry boat at Scholossing. The boat was
duly licensed at Custom-house, and went
down the rIver the day previous to lis destruc-
ZION, and stopped at Scholossng. 1t passed over
once twice, carrying passengers that afternoon,
and returned again TO our own shore, and was moor
ed own wharf-not within the nominal terri
tory of the United Sates-bu the undoubted terri
tory, much as this where we now stand.-There
it was left in the peaceabe and quiet charge ofthe
watch Of the boat who were wholly unarmed. The
proof is, that there was but one solitary arm on
board the boat, and that pocket pistol, without
ammunition and without being loaded. While the
boat thus lay at our wharf, she was attacked by au
armed force, which il appears sent from
the Canada shore for that purpose-was attacked
without any warning, and one or two persons kill
ed-the boat itself was taken out int" the stream
above The falls, on fire and sent the falls
This was the outrage-thc arson that has been
complained of--and this murder Of one Of our. citi
zens wholly unarmed who had his brains beat out,
and WINS found the next morning on the wharf; and
there is good reason to believe that others
went the falls in the boat, who had been kill
ed OF SO wounded 10 be unable to make their es
cupe
This presents something of difficult question
BY the laws Of the State of New York this was a
murder and the person committing the murder and
Arson is liable to be tried and punished by the laws
ofthis State, and neither the government the
Executive ofthe government has Gas he could
ceve oO control over the unless the govern
ment Of Great Britain should see fit to respond by
entering into some treaty with U.S. and this matter
be compromised, and this individual who is now
put on trial for murder could in this way be par
doned, and in no other way can it DO done. lie
was uncertain whether 1t could be done in thisway,
but this was the only way. But if The same spirit
is manifested by the powers at home. that seems TO
have been by the rminister Of Great Britain the
necessary course ofevents must be conclusion be
tween this country and Great Britain.
SIr F. had no doubt that Mcleod would be tried
lie hoped he was lnnocent--but if guilty, had no
doubt that he would be executed unless it pre-
vented by the treaty making power between this
country and Great Britain.
Mr. Pickens hoped there would be as little as pos
sble said or done in tins juncure Of excited feel
iDgs. He hoped the communications would be
laid on the table and printed
Mr. Underwood of Kentucky, objected to the
printing of Eve thousand extra copies The prin.
ciples involved were OF very great importance. 1t
has Leen averred by the British Minister that the
perpetra,or Of THE murder, in time of profound
peace, wasnot amenableto tho lawsof ourard, This
is asserted on the principle of nu,ioual luw-sup.
Pose consent tc this? Whai is necessary 10
bring the within the principles ofnatonal ju.
risprudence? That the order should come from
the supreme authority Of that country that thus
sends her invading forces into our territory. We
had yet order Lord Paimerston has even
10 this very hour, preserved profound silence on
this subject
Now, sir, am inclined 10 think that if an inCe-
ror officer attached TO the navy Of Great Britain,
without authority, invades our territory in time of
peace, and takes the life of our citizens that such
person, in every sense Of the word, is a murderer,
and liable to be punished such if can get hold
Of him. lie wished the Committee on Foreign Re
latuns TO give the House their opinion ON this
point and TO do this with view to other meas
ures which may possibly grow out OF this. There
were other things involved in This correspondence
of very deep moment TO this country: and that is
the question in reference 10 the Jurisdiction of the
States and the Union; and to this point he wished
the Committee Foreign Affairs to turn their at
tention and report whether the question lie alto
geiher within the jurisdiction Of the State of New
York. He deprecated collision between the Uni,
ed States and Great Britain, but if Great Britain