6102.
No. 253.
(CANADA.)
-
LAW OFFICERS to FOREIGN OFFICE. MY LORD,
Lincoln's Inn, June 24, 1864. We are honoured with your Lordship's commands, signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 7th instant, stating that he was directed by your Lordship to transmit to us a letter from the Colonial Office enclosing copies of a correspondence between the Governor of Canada and Lord Lyons, with other papers respecting the alleged abduction of a man named Peter Needham from Canadian soil, and his subsequent trial and con- demnation in the United States, and to request that we would take this case into our consideration, and report to your Lordship our opinion thereupon.
In obedience to your Lordship's commands we have taken these papers into consideration, and have the honour to
Report
That we are clearly of opinion that his Excellency the Governor of Canada has taken a correct view of this case, viz., that there has been no violation of Her Majesty's territorial rights by the United States authorities. We are of opinion that the Canadian Mayor of Clifton and the constable have behaved with great irregularity and carelessness in this matter; but that, whatever rights of action Peter Needham may have against them, or however censurable they may be by Her Majesty's Government, there is no ground for stating that the United States officers were any parties to the illegal proceedings by which Peter Needham was brought within the territory of the United States. The suggestion contained in the last paragraph of Lord Monck's letter to Lord Lyons (7th May 1864) seems to us well worthy of the attention of Her Majesty's Government.
The Earl Russell, K.G.
&c.
&c.
We have, &c.
(Signed)
ROUNDELL PALMER. R. P. COLLIER,
ROBERT PHILLIMORE.
0 16278.--506. 25.-2/86.
J
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTIC.O.
·885
10 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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