Romaine to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)

I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to send you
herewith, for the information of the Duke of Newcastle, a Copy of a
Letter from Rear Admiral Baynes, dated the 25th Jany last, No 16,
with Copies of the Rear Admiral's Correspondence with the Governor
of Vancouver Island, relative to the joint Military occupation of the
Island of San Juan by this Country and by the United States.

My Lords are of opinion that it is to be regretted that Governor
Douglas did not comply with the request of Rear Admiral Baynes to be
furnished with Copies, or at least with extracts, from the Instructions

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upon which the requisition of the Governor was
made to the Rear Admiral for cooperation and assistance in concerting
measures for placing a British Force on the Island, equivalent to
that retained by the United States.

It must be apparent to the Duke of Newcastle that in complying with a
requisition of this description from the Governor of a Colony, a
Naval Commander in Chief must of necessity become responsible to his
own Department, and the simple perusal of documents in such a case
can rarely be sufficient to enable an Officer to place on record the
reasons which may induce him either to comply with or to decline
acting upon such requisitions, and my Lords trust that the attention
of Governor Douglas may be called to the serious inconvenience which
might arise from the course which he adopted.

Their Lordships consider that every requisition addressed to a Naval
Commander in Chief should be accompanied by the fullest information
which can be furnished, and it appears to my Lords to have been an
error on the part of the Governor to suppose that in furnishing a
Copy of his Instructions

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he would have been delegating his authority to an Officer, who was
not under his command, but was responsible to another Department for
the proper disposition of the Force under his own orders.