174: THE TKEATY OF WASHINGTON. 



or other Englishmen, whose false representations de 

 ceived the British Government, and involved Great 



W. Atherton, if they ever went to either? Why were they not 

 sent to the house of Sir Roundell Palmer ? How did they ulti 

 mately get into the hands of Sir William Atherton and Sir 

 Roundell Palmer? 



Now, whatever Sir Roundell Palmer says I believe ; and his 

 declaration shows that there is no. more reason to suppose the 

 papers were sent, either to Sir J. Harding or to Sir W, Ather 

 ton, of which nothing is known, than that they were sent to 

 Sir R. Palmer himself, to whom we know they were not sent, 

 as he positively declares. 



Observe that Sir R. Palmer takes pains to commend the dili 

 gence, conscientiousness, and industry of Sir W. Atherton, from 

 which it is plain to infer that he never received the papers. 

 Of course, the allusion to the death of him and his wife is as 

 little to the purpose as that to the death of Sir J. Harding and 

 his wife, or the insanity of Sir J. Harding. 



Another observation. According to Sir Roundell Palmer s 

 statement, there were two successive references to the Law 

 Officers, on the 23d and the 25th or 26th. He implies that 

 each of these references might have been communicated to Sir 

 J. Harding and to Sir William Atherton. He does not speak 

 of the insane Sir J. Harding alone, as Lord Russell does ; but 

 is careful to make excuse in like manner for the sane Sir W. 

 Atherton. Now, when he was called in for consultation on the 

 evening of the 28th, did it not occur to him to inquire why 

 these sets of papers, each one of which ought to have been 

 communicated to him at their respective dates, were not so 

 communicated ? Why speculate on the effects of the insanity 

 of Sir J. Harding or the integrity of Sir W. Atherton ? Why 

 not as well lay before us conjectural inferences founded on the 

 diligence or uprightness of him, Sir R. Palmer ? Should not the 

 suppression of the papers as to himself have suggested to him 

 that they had been suppressed as to Sir J.Harding and SirW. 

 Atherton ? 



We revert now to Lord Russell s statement to Mr. Adams, 



