egotiations, and unwilling to make the two nominations of
minister and envoy, proposed to Mr. Gallatin to take the post of
minister, with powers to negotiate, and liberty to return when the
negotiations should be finished. Personal expenses at London were so
great that the post of resident minister was ruinous. Mr. Adams promised
Mr. Gallatin _carte blanche_ as to his instructions. But instead of
latitude and discretionary power he received at New York voluminous
directions which he engaged faithfully to execute, while regretting that
they had not been made known to him sooner. Nevertheless, in the three
days which intervened before his sailing, he wrote to Mr. Clay a lucid
statement of the points in issue, and mentioned the modifications he
desired. The points were: 1. The northeastern boundary. Upon this he was
only authorized to obtain a reference of the subject to a direct
negotiation at Washington. He asked consent, in case it should be
desirable, to open a negotiation on this point at London. Should Great
Britain refuse to open a negotiation at either place, or to agree to a
joint statement, then he was not to be bound to propose an immediate
reference to a third power. 2. The boundary west of the Stony Mountains.
The instructions limited British continuance on settlements south of the
49th parallel to five years. Mr. Gallatin thought this insufficient, and
proposed fifteen years. 3. The St. Lawrence navigation, and the
intercourse with Canada, as to which he suggested alternate plans. 4.
Colonial trade, on which he asked precise instructions as to what was
desired. To the President he complained of his instructions as 'of the
most peremptory nature, leaving no discretion on unimportant points, and
making of him a mere machine,' and he requested that it be officially
announced to him 'that the instructions were intended to guide but not
absolutely to bind him.' He was not afraid of incurring responsibility
where discretion was allowed, but he would not do it in the face of
strict and positive injunctions. Mr. Gallatin sailed from New York with
his wife and daughter July 1, 1826. Mr. William Beach Lawrence, then a
youth, accompanied him as his secretary. They reached London on August
7.

Canning was then at the head of the foreign office, and the temper of
the ministry was not that of Castlereagh and Wellington. Mr. Gallatin
did not like French diplomacy, nor did he admire that of England. He
wrote to his son: 'Som