Lieutenant Governor Gordon to Richard Lyons, 1st Viscount Lyons, January 21, 1864

Lieutenant Governor Gordon to Lord Lyons.

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your lordship’s despatch of the 5th instant, and am gratified to learn that the cabinet of Washington appreciates the prompt action of this government in reference to the alleged piratical seizure of the United States steamship Chesapeake.

A determination to observe in the strictest manner the requirements of international law, and to fulfil every obligation of international courtesy, will, I trust, always be found by the government of the United States to exist on the part of this province.

In my despatch of the 28th ultimo I informed your lordship that I had issued my warrant, authorizing the arrest of the parties implicated in the transaction referred to. Since that date three of those persons, David Collins, James McKinney, and Linus Seeley, have been arrested at St. John.

The honorable J. H. Gray, of St. John, one of the counsel for the accused, applied to me on the 31st ultimo on behalf of his clients for copies of the requisition upon which my warrant authorizing the arrest was founded, and of the depositions which accompanied it.

I accordingly transmitted the required documents to Mr. Gray, at the same time stating my reasons for declining to entertain his application as a matter of right, whilst I acceded to it as an act of courtesy for which persons in the position of the accused might fairly look. At the same time I informed the United States consul of my decision.