Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-09-24
FOREIGN.
CASE OF ALEXANDER MCLEOD.

The object he had in in seeking the information
rom The noble lord al the earliest opportunity the
Poahoon and maintenance Of peace between the two
countries (ilear, hear) The questions which he was
oou. 70 put 10 the noble lord amounted to FIVE, and
ne, lnii Roeouck) had put them down in writing in
ofuer mat the noble lord might understand them and
'"al no WisconcePtion might arise The Quessns he
nsed scarcely say related entirely to the detention of
VT. 'icLsou Hear That detention, the house
aware, arose out Of the Transaction with reference to
the steamboat Caroline the atl,ck u,on which in the
waters OF the w. ) had given great u,nbrape in the
State Of New York. Thereupon an applicoton had
been made to the Government Of this country, and 10
mat application no answer had been returned II SO
happened that Mr. Mcleod one Of the persons no
had been supposed TO have taken part in ,ha, attack
THIS supposIlion from his own boastful state
ments respecting that transact ton, and hapuenius 10
be in the State Of New York. he had been arrested in
consequence OF the belief that he had been 40 connect
ed with The flair.
i Mr.. Mcleod being arrested, strong feeling arose
in this country, and then orders sent out TO the
| British Minister, Mr. Fox, 10 make nm immediate ap
plicaon to the Government Of the United States d..
mandlng the liberation Of Mr.. Mcleod. Thereupor,
IN made by Mr.. Forsyth the Secretary Of
State, Of the then American Government to the appl-
cation OF Mr. Fox, and 10 that answer he (Mr. Roc
buck) call the attention of the House.
Let 1t be remembered, in the meantime that the de-
mnnd for the Liberation by MIR. Fox, had been made
| before any answer had heen received from the noble
Lord, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, with regard to
| the affair of the Caroline
Mr. Forsyths was, i'll substance, that he had
| no jurisdiction whatever the matter there spoken
of-tha il matter wholly within the jurisdiction
Of tile State Of New York and that therefore, tie Pre-
sident of the United States could give the
application, and could not inieripre-and though the
matter related to the safety Of British subject the
ply went further and SAID that the President had
wish feeling that would induce him 10 interfere
if lie had the power Mir. Forsyth, after that, went out
ior and tha la Eor
ment Of the United States, with MIR. Webster, It's
preventative, as Secretary OF State.
Now, he (Nlr. Roebuck) wanted to know from the
noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs frs whe
Their there had been any change in the language OF the
U. States Government since the accession OF the new
Government to power 1t should be remembered
and this should have been the made TO the APP
plica,ion to which he has alluded-that the esta-
blshment Of the Constitution Of the u. 5 those States,
early their history declared themselves To be
BILE to the international law established between the ma
tons of Europe, and also declared that their sole med
um Of communicating with other nations was through
their Federal Government, or in other words, through
their President.
Under such circumstances he (hlr. Roebuck) con.
tended that this country had to do with, and
could not be assumed 10 have any knowledge OF
the and feelings OF the State OF New ork, than
the citizens Of that State had Of the views and feelings
of the county Of Rutland. CLEAR, hcarl Therefore
he maintained that the answer Great Britain ought
to have given was that this country knew nothing Of
the State of New York, but that all communications
ought 10 BE- made through the President Of the U. 5.
lie (Nr Roebuck) wanted"how ascertain from the
noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether
by any formal declaration her Majesty 5 Government
had assumed the whole responsibility Of the attack upon
the Caroline? He then wanted 10 know whether the
Government Of the U. S. had admitted that responsible
lily, and had demanded reparaton for the I. s. lie
asked that question because, II the u D hid done So,
it did not lie in their mouths TO tu.n ronnd and
say that the State of New York had jurisdiction
in this matter. Iiear, hear) Next nc (Mr Roebuck)
would ask if her Majestys Government had informed
the u. S. specially that Mr.. " Leod had acted in the
matter under the command Of lis superior officers, and
with the express sanction Of her Majestys Govern.
ment.
Fourthly, he begged to ask if the British Govern
ment had hernandez. OF the L. S. whether, after such
declaration, il WIS able, and at the same time willing
to guarantee me safety and Liberation OF Mr. Mcleod
nowithss aiding the determination of the State OF New
York t. 90 on with the proceedings pending
againe that gentleman in the courts OF that State
AM lastly he asked, if the Government OF the u >
admitted the validity Of such authority as protection
over Mr. Mcleod, and il, having SO admitted it, the
noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, could state
any circumstances which justified the continued deen'
ton of Mr. Mcleod BY tho authority OF the State OF ~
York: The answer which the noble lord al the head OF
foreign affairs might be able to give TO these questions
might ease the minds Of the people OF this country
and prevent heat on all sides Of the house. IL was
Lord Palmersion and saId he should be lie last
man in that house who would inerpose between, or
who would curtai any information which m'ght De
given on any subject, but he al The same time rev pouho
to remark, that the proceedings OF the onefapIe mem
Der for Bath were somewhat rregular-becaua he was
sure the house would be Of opinion, II Iuestsns upon
matters of the creates, difficulty and Gecacy were TO be
prefaced by rablc members win sort oil narrative
il became extremely Difficult, If the individual whose
duty il might be to tie questions, to refrain from
nfo Tho In 90
TONS reated-an thus under the form OF asking cues
tion debate might be brought on without notice upon
matter of the greatest national Importance CiicaF'
hear) "
IN rive The honorable and learned member for Bath
the information he asked, and he had no doubt the
statement lie was about to make would tend TO relieve
the minds of many persons who might lhink mat he
present state Of the question with regard 10 hr NC
cod was likely to bring a serious difference between
The Two countries The of the honorable and
learned gentleman was, lie believed substantially cor
rect End upon it he 4ord Palmerston) had no parcu-
! lar remark 10 make.
II was quite true as the honorable and learned gen.
L.man had stated that upon the first demand mace ny
,,rr Maesty's Government for the Liberation OF VI
Mr. cod nm answer had hccn returned by the lae Sc
cr.,ary Of State of the L S. winch was ny no means
satisfactory and he Q.ord Pomerston) was quite ready
10 dnit as doctrine OF international law lat no one
cnunry had right stale, III reply to dein1nd Tor
redress. for wrong done either TO another country or
10 the subject of another country, that It had peculiar
/ institutions within itself Nations dealt with each
other as aggregate cnmnunes-they knew ho'hhs
Of the internal institutions Of each other; II wrong
were done redress must be given, and # the laws and
constitution of the country did not enable 1t to give
that redress. that nation must alter its laws or submit
10 The alternative which in such became neces-
sarv (Cheers.l
Now, although the first reply of the American Co.
vernment has BEEN he thought entirely wrong as 10
the principles OF international law-alshouCh ne con-
,dered that reply be unsatisacoryyet he had the
satisfaction of being able inform the honorable and
learned member from Bath and the House, that from
The present Government of the United States com
municaton lad been received containing formal IN
struc,ion given 10 the Attorney General OF the United
States with reference to tn question, which contained
the doctrines Just and consistent with the law OF ma
tons, and perfectly in accordance with the principle.
upon which her Majes,ys Government had denanaeo
the release and liberation Of Mcleod.
The paragraph which he should read from these IN
sructons would, he believed, answer more thah I've
of the questions which had been put to HIM oy the no
oorable and learned member for Bath LOT "ou, :.
show that her hlae.,y's Government had avoweG III
IL la