h at the form and substance of his address." Mr.
Canning said that "he conceived such a settlement would be a direct
violation of the article of the Convention of 20th October, 1818." Mr.
Adams took down a volume, read the article, and said, "Now, sir, if
you have any charge to make against the American Government for a
violation of this article, you will please to make the communication
in writing." Mr. Canning retorted, with great vehemence:--

"'And do you suppose, sir, that I am to be dictated to as to the
manner in which I may think proper to communicate with the
American Government?' I answered, 'No, sir. We know very well
what are the privileges of foreign ministers, and mean to respect
them. But you will give us leave to determine what communications
we will receive, and how we will receive them; and you may be
assured we are as little disposed to submit to dictation as to
exercise it.' He then, in a louder and more passionate tone of
voice, said: 'And am I to understand that I am to be refused
henceforth any conference with you upon the subject of my
mission?' 'Not at all, sir,' said I, 'my request is, that if you
have anything further to say to me _upon this subject_, you would
say it in writing. And my motive is to avoid what, both from the
nature of the subject and from the manner in which you (p. 142)
have thought proper to open it, I foresee will tend only to
mutual irritation, and not to an amicable arrangement.' With some
abatement of tone, but in the same peremptory manner, he said,
'Am I to understand that you refuse any further conference with
me on this subject?' I said, 'No. But you will understand that I
am not pleased either with the grounds upon which you have sought
this conference, nor with the questions which you have seen fit
to put to me.'"

Mr. Adams then proceeded to expose the impropriety of a foreign
minister demanding from the Administration an explanation of words
uttered in debate in Congress, and also said that he supposed that the
British had no claim to the territory in question. Mr. Canning
rejoined, and referred to the sending out of the American ship of war
Ontario, in 1817, without any notice to the British minister[3] at
Washington,--

"speaking in a very emphatic manner and as if there had been an
intended secret expedition ... which had been detec