[Enclosure in No.
13.]
Major General Doyle to
Lord Lyons.
Government House,
Halifax,
Nova Scotia,
January 6,
1864.
My Lord: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your lordship’s despatch of December
22, communicating the application of the honorable W. H. Seward,
Secretary of State at Washington, for the extradition, under the
treaty, of John C. Braine, H. C. Parr, John Parker Locke, alias Vernon G. Locke, David Collins,
George Robinson, John Wade, and others, but upon which no action
has been taken, as I had previonsly granted my preliminary
warrant for the apprehension of the same persons upon the
requisition of the vice-consul of the United States at this
port.
I beg also to enclose herewith a corrected copy of my despatch of
the 23d ultimo to his grace the Duke of Newcastle, to be
substituted for the copy previously forwarded to your lordship,
as some slight alterations were made in that document before it
was forwarded to England. I also transmit, for your information,
my second despatch of the 24th of December, forwarded to his
grace by the same post.
As your lordship has been already addressed by telegraph, my
government having decided to put the Chesapeake into the court
of vice-admiralty precluded the adoption of any suggestion to
dispose of her by the direct action of the government.
Surrounded as this matter is with complicated legal questions,
the course thus taken to secure the decision upon them of a
judicial tribunal will, I doubt not, meet with your
approval.
Although no apprehension on the part of my government existed as
to the safety of the Chesapeake from any attempt to interfere
with her, I felt it my duty to take every precaution to put that
beyond doubt by placing an armed party on board, and mooring her
securely in Halifax dock-yard.
The advocate general has been engaged in completing the necessary
papers, and she was this day handed over to the court of
vice-admiralty.
I have further to inform your lordship that, having learned that
goods had been landed from the Chesapeake in the country
districts in this province, I despatched duly commissioned
revenue officers in search of them, and they have seized all
that could be found and sent them to this port, where they are
now warehoused, and will abide the decision of the court.
As your lordship has been already advised, I issued a commission
to investigate the charge contained in a telegram to the
vice-consul here, to the effect that Braine had been arrested at
Petite Rivière, but rescued by the people. The report of this
commission proves that statement was inaccurate, as Braine had
not been served with any legal process on the occasion referred
to.
Up to the present time none of the parties against whom warrants
were issued have been apprehended in this province, although
every facility has been rendered by my government for that
purpose.
In accordance with my previous letter to his worship, the mayor
of this city, offering any assistance the civil power might
require, that officer made applica tion to me to aid him with a
military force a few days since, when Braine was expected here
by the railway train. This was promptly granted, and every means
taken to secure him, but in vain, as he was not found. Vide accompanying copies of letters from
the mayor.*)
The parties accused of having prevented the arrest of Wade were
summoned
[Page 505]
to appear
before the proper authorities, with a view to requiring bonds
for their appearance to answer that charge at the first sitting
of the supreme court in April next; upon their application for
time for defence, the case was remanded until Monday, the 11th
instant.
In conclusion, I beg to say that I will keep your lordship
informed of any additional facts that may transpire in connexion
with this matter.
I have, &c.,
