To James Madison from James Monroe and William Pinkney, 15 August 1806
From James Monroe and William Pinkney
London August 15. 1806.
Sir
We have the honor to transmit herewith enclosed a duplicate of our last under date of the 11th. instant.
Some circumstances have since occurred with which it is proper that you should be made acquainted.
On the 13th. we dined with Lord Grenville at his house in Downing Street, where we met the Lord Chancellor, Lord Howick, Lord Auckland,1 Marquis Wellesley, Lord Holland, Mr Erskine and several other persons of distinction. After dinner it was mentioned to us by Lord Grenville, as well as by Sir Fras. Vincent, that Lord Auckland and Lord Holland had been appointed and commissioned to treat with us, that Sir Francis Vincent had directions to communicate this circumstance to us, and that he would not fail to do So formally on the next day. Sir Francis has not in fact made this communication, but we doubt not we shall very soon receive it.
Just before we retired, Lord Auckland invited us to visit him in the country, “where,[”] he added, “I trust we shall be able to do Some good to mankind, if your powers are sufficiently extensive.” He Seemed to Suppose that we Should be under the necessity of consulting our government, in the progress of our negotiation, upon questions to arise out of it. To his enquiries on this head (which were connected with the most liberal and conciliatory professions) it was replied that we had no reason to believe that our powers would be found to be, in any essential particular, inadequate to their object. He did not explain the nature of the topics to which these doubts applied; but it is to be presumed that we shall not long be left to conjecture them.
Mr Erskine Sails for the United States in the course of next week, as the Successor of Mr. Merry.
The calculation of the day is against the success of Lord Lauderdale’s mission.
It was intimated to Mr. Monroe that his note on the Subject of Captain Whitby’s improper conduct at New York, as not being comprehended within the objects of the joint Commission, might be sent to Mr. Fox, and that it would now be attended to. He proposes to take immediate advantage of this Suggestion and to transmit a copy of his note and of the answer to it as soon as it is received. It was expressly stated, tho’ not in a manner to authorise the communication to be considered as an official act, that Captain Whitby was recalled and would be Subjected to a trial by a Court-Martial. We have the honor to be with great Consideration and esteem, Sir, Your most obedient servants
Jas. Monroe
Wm. Pinkney
RC (DNA: RG 46, Executive Proceedings, Foreign Relations, 10B–B1); RC (DNA: RG 59, DD, Great Britain, vol. 14); FC (MB). First RC in a clerk’s hand, signed by Monroe and Pinkney; docketed by JM as received 12 Oct. Second RC marked “Duplicate”; docketed by Wagner. FC in Pinkney’s hand; marked “original by Mr Holliday to NYork / Duplicate by Liverpool the 18th.”
1. William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland (1744–1814) attended Eton and received his B.A. and M.A. from Christ Church, Oxford, in 1765 and 1768, respectively. He became a barrister in the Middle Temple in 1769 and served in Parliament from 1774 to 1793. Known for shifting his political affiliations as Great Britain’s governments changed, he was a member of the Board of Trade, 1776–82; envoy to France with regard to commerce, 1785–87; ambassador to Spain, 1787–89, and to the Netherlands, 1789–93; joint postmaster general, 1798–1804; and president of the Board of Trade, 1806–7 (Cokayne, Complete Peerage [rev. ed.], 1:333–34 and n. [c]).