Charlton left Hawaii in September 1842 to present his complaints to the British government. On the way he encountered Captain Lord George Paulet of HMS Carysfort and alleged that proceedings were being rigged against him. Juries composed largely of American merchants later ruled against Charlton in his absence, although the merits of his opponents' cases remain open to argument. Rear Admiral Richard Darton Thomas authorized Paulet to investigate and report. Charlton's consular office made the dispute appear to Paulet as an affront to the British Crown. The criticism of Judd concerns his handling of this feud, despite his otherwise capable administration: personal rivalry and ministerial authority became entangled. He was a Hawaiian minister, while the American representative was his trading partner. Those overlapping connections made a commercial quarrel increasingly difficult to contain.
Notable Point · 17:06-23:18
Merchant rivalry trapped the Royal Navy in a national dispute
Charlton's disputed claims acquired national importance through his consular office, while Judd's commercial connections complicated his Hawaiian ministerial role.