Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-09-12
the new method OF catching the seals with

OF great Importance and Of immediate
will asst that you give 1t us early
attention as possible. am. etc..
T. F. BAYARD.
Immediately upon the receipt OF these
Instructions Minister Phelps celled upon
Lord Salisbury in company with tho
Russian ambassador. Minister Phelps
reported the result of this interview TO
the State Department, under date OF Feb
ruaGy 2lst, 1883, as follows.
Lord Salisbury assents to your prop
osition to establish by mutual arrange
ment bstween the governments interested
close time for fur seals between April
18th and November LIST, aud between 60
degrees of longitude west and 10 de-
grees of longitude east in the Bshring
Sea. He will also join the United States
government in any preventive measures
which may be thought best to adopt by
orders Issued to the naval vessels in that
region OF the respective governments.
The Russian ambassador concurs so far
AZ his personal opinion ia conoefned in
the propIiety of the proposed measures
for the protection OF the seals, and has
promised to communicate al oncs with
his government in regard to it,"
70 this communication Secretary
Bayard replied to MIR. Phelps on March
I'd, as fCliows:
DFPARrMEsT OF STATE, WAsaISdroS, Mar.
2, 1oos-SlR: l have TO acknowledge the
receipt of your No. G9D OF the 18Th altino,
In relation TO the Alaskan seal fisheries,
and have pleasure in Cbserving the prompt-
itude with which the business hns been
conducted.
1t Is hoped that Lord Salisbury Will give
Pa nYtlitG~nttnn AZ thapn a ha
no doubt Of the Importance Of preserving
the seal fisheries In Behring Sea, and II Is
also desirable thar this should be- done by
AN arrangement between the governments
Interested, without the United States bolng
called upon to consider what special
measures of It's own the exceptional
alacter OF the property In question might
req lire Il to take In case OF tue refusal Of
forrlgn powers to give their co operation.
Whether Legislation would be necessary
70 enable the United States aud Great
Britain to carry out measures Tor the pro-
tecioa OF the seas Won d depend much
upon the the character o. the regulatiousj
NJ. It Is probable that legislation would be-
required.
In5 manner OF protecting the seas would
depend upon the kiud OF Arrangements
which Gteat Rritaiu would be willing to
mAks with the Un.tst 5tAras for the
| poiicng OF the seas Anl Tor the trial OF
Brltish subjects vlolatlGg the regulations
| which the two governments may Rgfes
| upon for such projection. As 1t appears TO
| this government, the c0mmetce carried on
In and about Behring S4a i2 30 limited in
variety and extent that the present forts
| of this government TO protect the seals
need not be complicated by considerations
which are OF great Importance In highways
OF commerce and render the interference
By tha officers OF one government with the
me- chant vessels of another on the high
seas inadmisslble. But even IN regard to
those parts OF the globe where commerce Is
extensively carried on, the United States
aud Great Britain have, for common pur.
pose. abated in n measure their objection
to such interference and agreed that II
might be made by the naval vessels OF
either country.
Reference is made to the treaty concluded
at Washington on the the 7th OF April
1862, between the Udited STAKES and Great
Britain for the suppression OF the slave
trade, under wHich The joint policing OF tie
seas by the naval vessels of the contractin (
parties was provided for. In this conyen
no limitation was impos ed as to the part o.
the high seas OF the world 10 which vista
ton and search OF the merchant vessels Of
enc OF the contracting parties might bt
made by a naval vessel OF the other party
In the present case, however, the range
within which visitation and search wonit
| ubftlulTtu Is 81 liillttU, anu liz cOuElttCs
there carried on 80 Insignificant, that Il Il
scarcely thought necessary to refer to tn,
slave-trade convention for precedent, no
Is 1t deemed necessary that tbs petfor
nance OF police duty should be by tn,
naval vessels Of the contra ting parties.
In regard TO the trial of offenders TO
violation OF the proposed resulation5, pro
vision might be made for such trial b!
handing over tho alleged offender to thu
courts OF his own country.
preca lent fofslch proce lure i5 found
In the treaty signed at Tha Ha ne on MAJ
9th, 1882, for regulating the police OF thS
North Sea fisheries, COPY OF wnlcn Is On
closed. am, etc.
Our Legation at London no ifed tn
State Department on April TIN, 1888
, that the Russian Ambassador had ia
} formed Minister Phslp8 that tho R1ssi O.
Government would like to haze tho regu
lations which might he agreed upon 10
Hehring Ssa extende TO inst portion G
the latter in which the Commando
Is9uds arc situated, and also to the So
Of Okhotak in which the Robban ISLAM
is situated. Both OF these PLACES az
outside tho limit laid down in the IL
strucions Ut tho State Department. o
April n, 1888, Mr.. Bayard notiied IN
Legation NJ London by cable that tn
United States did not object TO the exteG
: ton OF the arrangement FOR the proteC
/ ton OF the fur seal fisheries TO the Who'll
9 of Boring Sea.
A communication under date OF Jim
: Goth, 1883, from the legation at Londo
Z WAS received by our state department
/, which indicated that Great Britain ha
!, postponed further negotiations upon I'll
> subject, owing to information froI
+ Canada that the Canadian geverumer
would shortly forward memorandum
London upon the subjact, and expressin
= hops that pending the arrival OF thi
d document no further steps would +
r taAsn in the matter by the United Stat,
}. government, The secretary OF lesatio
Il Ut London reports; "Undsr these ci
. cnns;ancsR Lord Salisbury felt bound [
u await the Canadian mem orandum befoi
!. proceeding to draft the convention"
y The diplomasio ccrreapcDdenos she's
4 that the Ala ka Commercial Company, |
;. whpse interest it is supposed that tt
l. fnr,seRlS are isrg ly to be protected {
we'll as in the interest OF this Unite
!. States, cannot, under its contract wit
= the treasury Department, olaim to cato
/ ss,ls in the whole waters uf Bahring sci
/ 'rhs clause of the contract winch &c
' ties where the Alaska Ccmmsrcial Con
s pAny may raks seals is as follows: ~
I eagaga in the business of taking fur sea
= On the islends of st. George and Il
q PAU, within the Territory of alaska, an
n to send vessel or vessels 10 SAID isisn(
a for the skins OF such scala"
Mr.. George y, Boutwell, WAS Seoretai
y of the rieasIsy in April, 1872 at II
0 time when reports were cureIJ in 81
% Francisco that expeditions were 10 sta
:, FROM Australia and other is!snds in ii