St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-27
Of Illegal Seizures by the
United States in Behring
Sea.
Aid Certain of Her States
men Suggest Gunboats
and Things.
Rochefort Slipped Quietly
Into England for Fear Of
a Mob.
Boulanger Speaks Mysteri-
I ously Of What He Is Not
Going to Do.

OTTAWA, Ont, April 26.-In the
house of commons to-day Mr.. Prior
brought up the question of the alleged
illegal seizure of the British vessels in
Behring's sea. He said that the United
States, England and Russia signed a
treaty in 1921 in which Russia aban-
dOned her claims to exclusive juriSdic-
ton in Behring's sea. He referred to
the seizure of three ships from Victoria,
b. Gin Behring's sea in 1886 by Ameri-
can cruisers. The greatest portion of
the catch confiscated at the same
time was caught long before
the alleged American waters were
reached. No settlement has been ar
rived at for those seizures. nor had any
compensation been offered to the own
ers, who had been ruined. The amount
of the original claims reached s153,O 200.
Eight other vessels were seized in the
following year. He referred to the
hardships experienced by the British
seamen on these vessels, who, after
being landed at Alaska, were obliged to
return home in a pennilesS condition.
Three of the vessels to-day lay
RoTTING ON THE BEACH
of Alaska. He knew that the dominion
government had asked England to Sc
cure settlement. and he wanted infor-
nation as to the delay in bringing the
international negotiations to a close.
If any blame existed he wanted to know
where it rested. He contrasted the
delay in settling the Behring's sea af-
fair with the haste shown by the United
States in the Samoan affair. He con-
tended that the majority of Americans
on the Pacific coast were opposed to the
monopoly enjoyed by the Commercial
company in Alaska. Nothing, he con-
tended. could justify the seizure of
British vessels, in several instances
many hundreds of miles from land. He
referred to the issue of the
proclamation by President Harri-
son, and said it was violation
of international right. Mr.. Blaine
he regarded as the author of the
proclamation, which simply proposed to
enrich the Alaska Commercial COM
pany. The monopoly, he said. had its
agents and lobbyists at Washington.
He urged the government to ask the
imperial authorities to send British
war vessel to Behring's sea. He felt
certain that even if
A LITTLE GUNBOAT
put its nose near the Aleutian islands
we would hear of no further seizures.
Mr.. Davies (LiberaD agreed with Mr..
Prior as to the Importance of the mat
ter. The delay, he said, simply showed
that Canada could never secure sum-
mary justice until she had an agent at
Washington. If English and American
relations were unfriendly, no reason ex-
listed why Canada should suffer. The
present unsatisfactory state of affairs
would continue until Canada had the
right to make her own treaties. Mr..
Davies then turned his attention to the
alleged indighities committed by Amer
lean cruisers in Behring's sea, to show
that America had no jurisdiction out
side the three-mile marine limit Sir
John Macdonald replied. He said he
would not deal with the questian of es-
tabllShing commercial agency at
Washington. Parliament had already
decided that question. The United
States, he continued, claimed eXclu-
sive jurisdiction in Behring's sea.
American and Canadian vessels had
suffered equally from an aggressive
monopoly. The question was not a
local one. 1t was one that affected all
maritime nations, which he felt certain
would resist the Ubiquitous attempt of
the United States to claim Behring's
sea. England was pressing for a settle
ment. Sir Julian Paucenfote, he felt
sure, as British minister at Washing
ton, would do
ALL IN HIS POWER
to bring the matter to termination.
England had Endorsed Canada'S claims.
and recently admitted that the Ameri-
can contentious were unfounded. If
the United States insisted upon it's pre-
tensions grave complications would
arise. What the results would be he
dared not say, nor did he dare to think
of the results. Canada had resisted her
wrongs. She would continue to resist
them, and compensation was inevitable.
The Marquis of Lansdowne, ex-gover-
nor general of Canada, took warm
when he went to England he look with
him a statement from the Dominion
government. The speaker said he felt
that Sir. Julian was equal to
the occasion. Sir Richard Cart
wright took occasion to show
what he considered the necessity
for Canada demanding the estab-
liShment of an agency at Washington,
as Canada alone was unable to settle
her grievances, owing to interminable
delays in the foreign Office. He de-
clared that the claims of the United
States were absurd. Mr.. Weldon said
the American claim that Behring's sea
was a mare clausum was outrageous,
and blamed the government for delays
in pressing settlement. Sir Thompson,
of Justice, followed. He de-
MED the truth of the assertions that
Canada could appeal from the judg-
ment of Alaskan courts. The matter of
he said, rested with the owners
OF vessels, and he was glad that they
preferred to claim compensation in