The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-13

| This case was briefly touched upon in the House OF
Lords on the 9th. IL introduced by the Earl oil
Mountcashe who after some remarks on the enor-
nifty of the proceedings had In the otate OF Ne"
| York inquired of Lord Melbourne whether the Gov
had any information and what steps had been
taken.
The Viscount replied, briefly, that information had
been receiyed-that Mr.. McLeods Liberation had been
demanded by Mr. Fox, sc. As to the steps, he was
sure the House would not expect him to give any an
swer at present. He would only say that Ministers
had taken every means in their power to secure the
safety of Her Majesty's subjects, &C.
| In the House of Commons the same matter was
| called up by Lord Stanly, who said that
! Seeing the noble Lord, the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs in his place. he Lord should ask that ques-
ton of which he had given notice This being a
subject of so important nature, and coming forward
at So critical period he compelled to preface the
question he about to put by short statement of
| facts but il should be only such statement as the
| rules of the House permitted.
Here his Lordship stated the facts relating to the
destruction of the Caroline, which, by the way, he
called schooner, and then proceeded as follows
representation Of these proceedings was made to
the authorities of the State of New York and the Pre-
sident of the United States, and at the same time
draw up by the British author-
ties in PIPER Canada and transmitted through Mr. Fox
Minister in the United States, to the Government
of that country. In consequence of the conflicting
nature of the evidence thus produced, the President
entered into communication with Mr.. Fox, and for
warded to him copy of the evidence transmitted from
the authorities of New York for the purpose of being
laid before Her Majesty's Government These pa
pers accompanied by demand Of reparation for
what tile despatch called outrage the neutrality
| of the American Territory.
counter stalemrnt from the Canadian authorities
containing strong counter representation, having
been made by her Maesty's minister at Washington,
the whole of the correspondence in January or
February, 1888 transmitted to her Majesty govern
ment accompanied by the demand for reparation
made by the government of the United States. But,
/ from that period to the present. information had
been laid before the house by the Foreign office re-
specng the affair The Colonial Office, in 1888 gave
| some Information to the house the subject, and
after that it furnished various papers, including the
proceedings of the House Of Assembly and the Lieu
tenant Governor of Upper Canada, who, in those
documents strongly supported the views OF the Cana
dian authorities and referred In terms of the hig hest
appreciation to the conduct OF those who participated
| in the attack on, and firing the schooner
He believed that since then the public had consi-
dered the affair entirely settled between the two
tries but, the 18th of November last he under
| stood, gentleman by the name of M'Leod, who had
been engaged in the service of her Majesty IN Upper
! Canada sheriff of county, and who undoubtedly
had taken active part on several occasions in repe
ing invasons of the province; but who, however, SO
| far as he Lord S. knew had had nothing whatever
do with the affair of the Caroline, arrested in
the State of New York by the command of the local
authorities charge of murder and arson. He was
committed Jail this charge; for it appeared the
seizure of the Caroline considered although the
|
authorities and in repeing an invasion of the Cana
dian territories and under the directions of gentle
/ man TO whom the command of military force was
| then entrusted.
was about to be tried by jury OF citizens Of New
i York He Lord 81 hspcd he stating these facts
correctly but he should misrepresent he hoped the
noble Lord would correct him. In the meantime
4 Congress met, and the members requested the Pres
| dent to lay before them the communications which
/ the United Stains Government had had with the
| British Government on this subject. The President,
in complying laid before the Congress the strong
| monstrance which Mr.. Fox, representative of the
British Sovereign, had made on the apprehension by
the authorities of New York of British subject for
an offence Gf II an ofence) committed under the
sanction of British authorities whose act was at that
moment under the consideration of the two Govern
mens and had been for three years the subject of ne
| gotiation.
The answer of the President was refusal to re-
cognise the claim of Mr.. MLeod for these reasons,
pary because the federal government had grounds
for interfering with the authority of the several states
and if they had grounds for interfering this not
a to exercise any right or authority which such
grounds might give them, inasmuch as the question of
international right here deeply involved, which
should preclude any interference. Mr.. Fox closed
this correspondence by expressing in the strongest
manner his deep regret at the view which the Presi-
dent had taken of this matter and that he Mr.. Fox
not authorized to express the opinions which her
Maiestys Government entertained upon the subject,
but his part he should enter his protest In the
strongest manner that lay in his power against the
proceeding and he would farther without loss of time,
lay the whole correspondence before her Majestys
Government.
MI. M'Leod was arrested last November and in the
month of February the assizes take place-the pre-
sent month, and it is fact, which he he noble lord)
hoped would furnish sufficient vindcaton for now
inter- osing in matter which is calculated to place
two great nations in serious and critical posi-
ton hear, hear Ii should be considered that at
this moment the life Of British subject may be placed
in the greatest jeopardy, in consequence OF his haV
ing acted by the authority of her Majestys Govern
ment and by orders of the military authorities, TO
obey which il was his necessary and bounden duty
The question, then, which he Lord Stanley
wished TO put was this-that, inasmuch as negotla-
iions had commenced upon the subject OF the burning
of the Caroline since January, 1888 between her
Maiesty's Government and the Government of the
United Staes-he wished to ask, in the first place,
whether her Majesty's Government would have any
objection to Law on the table the entire of the
pondence which had taken place upon the subject of
the destruction of the Caroline and, also, whether
the dispatches had all been received which had been
referred by Mr. Fox in the recent accounts and par
tculary that which had been transmitted on the 29th
of December last announcing the apprehension of
Mr. M'Leod He (Lord Stanly) begged to ask far
thcr whether her Majestys Government had taken
any steps toward procuring the release of Mr. MLeod
from his present confinement, and If so, whe her they
would lay upon the table the nature of those steps, and
the correspondence which had passed upon this sub
iect between the Government of the United States and
her Majesty's Minister'S
Viscount Palmerston and said, the noble lord
had adverted at much length to subject of extreme
interest," and which from the great delicacy of its ma
ture involved considera ions of grave and serious
character to two great countries [hearl He (Vis-
count Palmerston) that this house would
think with him. that this subject should be touched
very lightly and with great delicacy-l hear, hear II
With reference to the statement which has just been
made by the noble lord the member from North Ian
cashre, to the proceedings which had taken place
relating to the subject before them, and the particular
circumstances which preceded the apprehension of
| Mr.. M'Leod, they were strictly correct. He (Vis-
count Palmerston) would first answer the question
which the noble lord Stanoy) had put to him, before
he would state word in explanation. He thought
it would not be expedien in the present state of the
question TO lay upon the table the correspondence re-
lang to the capture and destruction of the Caroline,
until that correspondence brought to final close
-[hear, hear.
He begged 10 in form the noble lord that dispatches