Castlereagh took early opportunity to
approach the United States on the matter, suggesting to Minister Rush,
June 20, 1818, a mutual but strictly limited Right of Search.[27] Rush
was ordered to give him assurances of the solicitude of the United
States to suppress the traffic, but to state that the concessions asked
for appeared of a character not adaptable to our institutions.
Negotiations were then transferred to Washington; and the new British
minister, Mr. Stratford Canning, approached Adams with full instructions
in December, 1820.[28]
Meantime, it had become clear to many in the United States that the
individual efforts of States could never suppress or even limit the
trade without systematic co-operation. In 1817 a committee of the House
had urged the opening of negotiations looking toward such international
co-operation,[29] and a Senate motion to the same effect had caused long
debate.[30] In 1820 and 1821 two House committee reports, one of which
recommended the granting of a Right of Search, were adopted by the
House, but failed in the Senate.[31] Adams, notwithstanding this, saw
constitutional objections to the plan proposed by Canning, and wrote to
him, December 30: "A Compact, giving the power to the Naval Officers of
one Nation to search the Merchant Vessels of another for Offenders and
offences against the Laws of the latter, backed by a further power to
seize and carry into a Foreign Port, and there subject to the decision
of a Tribunal composed of at least one half Foreigners, irresponsible to
the Supreme Corrective tribunal of this Union, and not amendable to the
controul of impeachment for official misdemeanors, was an investment of
power, over the persons, property and reputation of the Citizens of this
Country, not only unwarranted by any delegation of Sovereign Power to
the National Government, but so adverse to the elementary principles and
indispensable securities of individual rights, .
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