70] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



ed by the noble baron, but thought 

 it should be left to government to 

 pursue the proper measures to ex- 

 plain and set forth the subject in 

 its true light. Nor could he ap- 

 prove the conduct of the American 

 executive, which, without demand- 

 ing explanation, or making any 

 notification to the British minister, 

 had at once laid the papers before 

 congress. 



Earl Grey thought the question 

 was one of great importance, and 

 wished that the charge of commu- 

 nicating with subjects of the United 

 States who were desirous of with- 

 drawing themselves from the union, 

 had been authoritatively denied. He 

 dwelt much on the flagitiousness of 

 such conduct, which he conceived 

 would be unjustifiable even be- 

 tween states at war, still more in 

 peace, whatever apprehensions 

 there might be of impending war. 

 The noble lord had admitted that 

 the letters spoken of had afterwards 

 been communicated to the secre- 

 tary of state ; but there was no 

 evidence of any disapprobation ,be- 

 ing expressed by him ; and the go- 

 vernor was only enjoined to be 

 cautious in the employment of such 

 agents " for fear of involving the 

 country in a quarrel with America." 

 Under such circumstances he 

 thought the house was called upon 

 explicitly to condemn the princi- 

 ple : if they did not so, they must 

 for the future be silent with respect 

 to any similar breach of good faith 

 on the part of France, or any other 

 government. 



Viscount Sidmouth said he had 

 never known a case so greatly ex- 

 aggerated. If it were even admit- 

 ted that Sir J. Craig, .nhis anxiety 

 to preserve the province committed 



to his care, had overstepped the 

 limits of strict political discretion, 

 there still existed no pretence to 

 accuse ministers, who were com- 

 pletely ignorant of the transaction. 

 Sir James, in fact, in a moment of 

 danger, had employed a person to 

 ascertain the dispositions of the in- 

 habitants of the contiguous dis- 

 tricts, who was not directed to ex- 

 cite discontents, but to observe 

 any disposition that he might find 

 favourable to the British cause. 

 His lordship maintained that pub- 

 lishing the whole correspondence 

 would be attended with a serious 

 evil, as it would disclose the names 

 of those Americans who were re- 

 presented as friendly to the British 

 cause, or inclined to a change in 

 their own government ; and he in- 

 treated the house not to encroach 

 on the functions of the executive 

 government, but to leave the affair 

 to be settled by mutual explana- 

 tions between his Majesty's minis- 

 ters and the American government. 

 After some other lords had 

 spoken on each side of the ques- 

 tion. Lord Holland rose again to 

 make observations upon some 

 points which had been urged by 

 the lords opposite. He expressed 

 indignation at the conduct of mi- 

 nisters in not attempting any direct 

 defence, but seeking to shelter 

 themselves by throwing all the re- 

 sponsibility upon the memory of 

 Sir J. Craig. He particularly anim- 

 adverted on the noble viscount's 

 (Sidmouth) inconsistency, who 

 had displayed so much sensibility 

 respecting the Copenhagen expe- 

 dition, yet was disposed to palliate 

 an act equally subversive of good 

 faith and the law of nations. Upon 

 the whole, he said, a public charge 



had 



