in most cases only upon applications backed by high personal or official influence. I had an interview, accordingly, with the Secretary of State of the United States, for the purpose of procuring specific instructions to the American Ministers at London, Paris and the Hague, in favor of my Agency ; but he having declined giving them at that time, I embarked for Europe on the 1st of May, 1841. " On my arrival at London, on my way to Holland, I had several interviews with Mr. '

Stevenson, then American Minister at the court of St. James, and communicated to him, very fully, the objects of my mission. Mr. Stevenson, though uninstructed by the General Government on this point, interested himself at once, very warmly, in the subject and ;

advised an application forthwith, to Her Majesty's government, for permission to the Agent to make selections and transcripts of documents in the British archives relative to our Colonial and other history. A note was accordingly addressed to the Marquis of Normanby, on the 22d May, 1841, explaining the objects of the State in making the application, and requesting that the necessary facilities might be affijrded me for accomplishing, with as little delay as possible, the purpose of my mission to England. This note was referred by the Marquis of Normanby to Lord Palmerston, Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and on the ;

20th July following an answer was returned to Mr. Stevenson, that Lord Palmerston felt some difficulty in acceding to my application, but that if 1 would send to him a list of any particular documents I wished to obtain, his lordship would have them examined by some competent person, and, if no objection should be found to their being communicated, they should be copied for my use, on the usual terms, at my expense.