The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-09

Shsuifcf w the proceedings winch thth b'"NN
relating the subec, before them, and the particular
circumstances which preceded the apprehension OF
MIR M'Leod, they were strictly correct. lie lsis-
count Palmerston) would first answer the question
which the noble lord Stanley had put him, before
he would state one word in explanation. He thought
would be expedent in the present state OF the
question TO lay upon the table the correspondence re-
lsng to the capture and destruction OF the Caroline,
until that correspondence was brought 10 maj close
| II hear, hear
He begged 10 inform the noble lord that dispatches
had been received enclosing copies VI the corespon
dence which had taken place between Mr FOX ana
MT Forsyth, the Foreign Minister OF the onhsu
States Government. These notes had been already
published in the American papers and he (Viscount
Palmerson,) would of course have objection TO lay
those documents which had been already published on
the tnbe-(aughter) But this was departure from
what he considered important rule in regard TO In
ternatona Affairs hear hear land which might
operate injuriously TO national interests 10 lay before
Parliament documents relating to pending discussions
He thought il important to make with reference to the
notice Of Mr.. Forsyth, observation The noble
lord Stanley had said that he believed Mr. Mcleod
was not one Of the party By whom the Caroline had
been attacked.
His Lord Pamerston's) information went precisely
TO the same concusion--that he Mr.. Mcleod, was
not member Of the party that was concerned IN the
destruction Of the Caroline; but with regard TO inc
ground taken by Mr.. Forsyth in replying to Mr. Fox
he Lord Pamerston) thought il right to say that lho
American Government undoubtedly might have con-
dealt with between the two Governments, by demands
for redress the hand to be granted, or refused
on the other and to be dealt with accordingly, or
might have been considered the British authorities
consider proceedings between American citizens on
the British side of the border matter TO be dealt with
by the royal authorities
But the American Government had chosen the for
course by treating this matter As one 10 be decided
between the two Gcvsrnments and this was the ground
which they were entitled demand redress from
the British Government for the acts Of its subjects
He was sure the house would think with him that in
matter Of such extreme difficulty II would be lmpro
per for him into any farther remarks or obser-
vations and he would therefore content himself with
answering the noble lords questions by stating those
important facts which he had then mentioned
Lord Stanley said that the noble lord who had just
sat down had omitted to answer one question wnch
he Lord Stanley considered to be ofthe deepest inter-
est. That question was whether the noble lord raj
merston, had taken any step, and if So what those
steps were, for the protection and liberation OF Mr..
McLead -[bear, hear
Viscount Palmerston said that somewhat
similar in principle to the present was expected about
year and half ago. and instructions were sent at that
time TO Mr.. Fox, which he founded the communi-
cation he made to the American authorities VI course
the house would suppose he trusted that her Males
tvs Government had already sent certain instructions
but until the correspondence upon this subject had
concluded it was impossible to send any instructions
that could he final. He hoped the house would Pc
lieve that the Government would send TO MT FOX
such farther instructions they might think It their
duty to do; the time he was not prepared 10
state what the nature Of those instructions was
(hear)
Mr.. Hume said that the noble lord (Palmerston)
had Just made speech in to certain questions
which had been put to him by the noble lord the mem
Der for North Lancastershire, but he (Mr Humc)
wished to ask the House to suspend their opinion upon
the subject until they had the whole OF the papers ad
before the House. He had himself papers in his pos
session that would plain many things connected with
this question, and which, by-thebye were not exactly
consistent with the statement which had Just oeeh
made II appeared by the papers which he had IN ms
possession, that in January, 1888, motion was made
in the House Of Representatives, calling upon the
President place on the table Of the House all the
papers respecting the Caroline and all the correspon
dence which had passed between the Government OF
the United States and the British Government on the
subject of the destruction of the Caroline
In consequence of that motion certain papers We're
laid upon the table including from MI Stevenson
the present minister here for the u. s. These were
accompanied by long letter, dated the 18th Of May,
1885, from that gentleman, and in that letter the burn
ing Of the Caroline characterized IN very strong
language He also stated that agIeeably to the or
ders of the President he had laid before the British
Government the whole Of the evidence relating to the
subject which had been taken upon the spot, and MI
Stevenson denied he had ever been informed that the
expedition against the Caroline was authorized or
sanctioned by the British Government. Now, from
May 1885, the time when that letter had been written
up to this hour had been given to that let
ter had any satisfaction been given by the BRITISH
Government upon this subject
In a letter dated from London, the I'd July MT Ste
venson stated that he had not received any answer
upon the subject and that he did not wish to press the
subject farther but if the Government OF the United
States wished him to do SO, he prayed to be informed
of it, BY the statement which had taken placein 'ne
House Of Congress, it appeared that the Government
Of the United States had been ignorant OF any inor
nation that could lead them to suppose that the enter
prise against the Caroline had been undertaken by ne
orders Of the British Government or by British autno
tI..sL L.l,ar al ba
Mr.. Forsyth had acted as he had done
He takes his objections, and denies the allegation OF
Mr. Fox that neither had he nor her MaJeslys Go
vernment made any communication 70 nun, or .ne au
thores ofthe United States, that the British Govern
had authorized the destruction OF the caroline
He Mr.. Hume) therefore hoped that no discussion
would take place until all the papers connected with
the matter were laid before the blouse lie wisheu 70
know what the nature of those communications was
with Mr. Stevenson and her Maesiy's Government
which had induced him TO act as he had done
Vscount Pamerston said that he rather thought his
honorable friend would find in that correspondence
that instructions had been given by the American 90
vernment TO Mr. Stevenson to abstain from pressing
the subjeBt farthcr.-( Hear.) With regard TO the
letter Of Mr. Forsyth, he (Vscount Paimers'oh)
begged leave to say that the case stood thus IN .c
case of the American citizens engaged In invading
Canada the American Government disavowed the
acts of those citizens and stated that the British Gov
eminent might deal with them as they pleased-(hear
hear and that there were persons concerned IN TINS
undertaking who were not In any degree enu"eu "
the protection of the U United States -(hear, hcar)
But in the other case, they treated the affair OF the
Caroline as one to be considered that OF The gov
eminent and in fac assumed to be altogether Gov
eminent Transaction and not TO be left upon the respon
sibity of individuals Until therefore, the British
Government disowned those persons concerned in the
destruction Of the Caroline in the same manner as the
American Government had disavowed their citizens in
the other case he conceived that the American Gov
eminent had adopted an international responsibility in
the late detention Of Mr.. Mcleod, and could not,
therefore, change their ground upon this question
{ Hear hear.l