No. 18

1. I beg to enclose herewith for your information, copies of a
correspondence with Fayette McMullen Esqre, Governor of
Washington Territory, relative to the rendition of certain
deserters from the United States Army, who are said to have
sought an asylum on Vancouver's Island.

2. You will observe that the offences with which those parties
are charged in the affidavits accompanying Governor McMullen's
letter, are not such as appear to be within the terms of the
Treaty between Great Britain and the United States, of the 9th
August 1842, for the mutual surrender of refugees from justice,
and that they would not have justified a rendition of the
parties so charged.

3. I therefore did not comply with Governor McMullen's
requisition.

4. I hope that the view taken of the sense of that Treaty in my
letter may be correct; otherwise I 
shall no doubt receive your
instructions on the subject.