Mr. Whit-breadrose pursuant to notice, and after a few preliminary observations, moved, "That there be laid before the House copies of dispatches from Mr. Erskine to Mr. Secretary Canning dated the 3d and 4th of December, 1808; and also copies of dispatches from Mr. Erskine to Mr. Smith, dated in August 1808."
Mr. Canningdeclared, that as no inconvenience was now likely to arise to his Majesty's government from the production of those papers, he had not the slightest objection to their being laid upon the table. He was not in the House on a former night when mention was made of a dispatch, relative to which some difference of opinion had originated. A question had arisen between Great Britain and America with respect to the propriety of ratifying the agreement into 314 which Mr. Erskine had entered with the United States. It was the opinion of the British cabinet, that such agreement ought to be abolished, and of the American, that it ought to be kept. Of the former opinion he decidedly was; and although he did not wish to impute blame to Mr. Erskine, still he was of opinion, that good faith was to be kept up between the nations only by a disavowal in toto of Mr. Erskine's power to come to any such conclusions as he did. It was totally a different question whether Mr. Erskine's original instructions were wise, and whether he was warranted in infringing them. On a former occasion, when he thought the production of these papers might do mischief, he was averse to their publication; but now since there could be no longer any danger, he was anxious for that publication. He hoped the House would examine them with care; and in the course of the examination, if he saw any necessity for other documents, he should himself move for them As to the compact with America, all he should say was, that Mr. Erskine, in entering into that compact, had totally disobeyed his instructions, and of course his Majesty was by no means bound to observe it.
§ Mr. Whitbreadhoped, as the right horn gent, had declared Mr. Erskine guilty of disobeying his instructions, he, on the production of these papers, would be competent to verify his assertion. For his part, he held a very different opinion, and pledged himself to shew, that the substance of the instructions were strictly observed; and then the question would be reversed, and the right hon. gent. would have to shew why he ran counter to the instructions which he had himself dictated. He did not mean to speak from authority on the subject; but he had heard, that if the dispatch marked No. 1, had been produced, it would have set matters in a totally different point of view. He was happy, however, that the affair was about to be candidly examined, and had little doubt it would appear, that Mr. Erskine had wisely observed his instructions.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerthought it his duty to declare, that the instructions were observed neither in substance nor in spirit.
§ The motion was then put and carried.