Hastings Doyle to Richard Lyons, 1st Viscount Lyons, December 23, 1863

Major General Doyle to Lord Lyons.

My Lord: The unexpected arrival of the steamer from England compels me to send, for the information of your lordship, a copy of a despatch which I had prepared for transmission to his grace the Duke of Newcastle, instead of a full report which I had intended to prepare upon the subject of the Chesapeake and matters connected with her, especially for you. I may add, that the government had decided to put the Ghesapeake in the court of vice-admiralty here for the purpose of obtaining a judicial decision upon every question arising in connection with her.

Your telegram, received late last evening, will be placed in the hands of my government this morning, when, after receiving their advice, based on the opinion of the crown officers, I will reply by telegraph to the proposal you have communicated from the honorable W. H. Seward to have the Chesapeake delivered to the owners upon the requisition of the United States government.

As at present advised, I do not see how the Chesapeake can properly be delivered up except upon an order from the court of vice-admiralty; but I presume it will be quite competent for that court to surrender her to the assumed owners, upon their giving the necessary bail to abide the ultimate decision of this court.

I trust I need not assure your lordship of the very deep anxiety I have felt throughout this very complicated question to keep steadily in view your lordship’s opinion that as much as dignity, humanity, and law warrant should be done to content the government of the United States, but of course no more.

I have, &c.,