2.  

By my late advices, up to 8^th inst it will be Seen,

how I then stood with the Govrn^t or the Secretary of State.

It is now pretty obvious, that the vaccilating [sic] course

of the Secretary, and his determination one day,

varied, or changed, the next, all have had their

origin in the desire of this Gentleman to avoid any

official contact with me as your recognized Agent,

hence, the notice taken of the omission of my

credentials (altho' this was rather to have been

anticipated under all the circumstances of the case)

and hence, after assenting to the plain suggestion

of considering M^r Pakenham's Letter, which as

proposed, would have been an official com-

munication to the Secretary of Stateassuring him

that he M^r P was entirely satisfied with the

validity of my appointment and that any thing

I might propose, within the limits of my

instructions would in his opinion be ratified,

by your Govrm^t, if adopted & ratified here-whilst

I was led to suppose that this assurance from M^r P

would be amply sufficient to relieve me from the

want of my credentials, until they should arrive[.]

It resulted, at the next interview, that the Secretary

seemed to expect that M^r P was prepared to bind

his Govm^t to the ratification of any arrangement,

all no doubt to avoid the responsibility of meeting

me. A sort of arrangement was then proposed

by M^r P that my communications to the Secretary

should go through M^r P who would be responsible,

or vouch for them, as we progress^d in the business.