174 THE TREATY 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 spe&k 
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 Aim 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 Sir W. 
Atherton ? 
We revert now to Lord Russell’s statement to Mr. Adams, 
