The Hundred Associates subscribed sixteen thousand livres for the freighting of the vessels, and the king granted the balance of the expenses.  The news of these extraordinary war-like preparations caused alarm in London, but the French ambassador stated that these vessels were not being sent to trouble or disturb any of the English settlers who had taken possession of the French habitations.  This explanation relieved the public mind in England, and Charles I promised to give back to France its ancient possessions in America, as they were on April 24th, 1629, the date of the signing of the Treaty of Suze.  In justice to England it may be said that two English vessels were seized by the French at about the same time that Kirke had forced Champlain to surrender.  There was, therefore, illegal action on both sides, and both countries had claims to be regulated.

The English would have preferred to have retained possession of Canada, at least until the following year, as the Kirke brothers and their associates hoped to be able to realize considerable sums from their trade with the Indians.  This condition of affairs is explained in a letter addressed by Cardinal Richelieu to Chateauneuf, on December 20th, 1629:  “They assure us that they cannot restore Canada at once; this is the reason for our delay in restoring these vessels.”  And he adds:  “If they agree to the restitution of Quebec without any condition, you shall take it for granted, if not, it is better to put a delay to the settlement.”

It is obvious that Charles I had twice promised to restore Quebec, and when Chateauneuf retired from his position of ambassador in the month of April, 1630, he had obtained “every assurance of restitution of all things taken since the peace.”  The Marquis of Fontenay-Mareuil, who succeeded Chateauneuf on March 13th, received special instructions from the cardinal on this subject:  “His Majesty’s design is that, continuing the negotiations of Chateauneuf, you continue to ask for the restitution of Canada, and of all goods and vessels taken from the French since the peace.”

The new ambassador could not urge the claims of France with greater activity than his predecessor.  During the space of two months, Chateauneuf had prepared five documents relating to Canadian affairs, to which the commissioners appointed to settle the matter had replied on February 11th.  These officials were Sir Humphrey May, Sir John Coke, Sir Julius Caesar, and Sir Henry Martin.  Their conclusion regarding Canada was that His Majesty had not changed his mind concerning the restoration of places, vessels and goods taken from the French, according to the first declaration he had made through a memorandum in Latin, communicated some time since to the French ambassador.

Louis XIII was at this time engaged in war with Austria, and Richelieu was too busy to attend to Canadian matters, which were of less importance than the European questions which occupied his time.  Interior dissensions were soon added to the trouble which France had to undergo.  Gaston, the king’s brother, was compromised, and the Duke of Montmorency, who took part in a plot against the king, was seized and put to death.