Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-08-15

the fall OF 1886 three British sealing vessels
were seized by an American revenue cutter
at a considerable distance from land, In the
waters OF Behring Sea, and were towed
captive to SItka. Complaint was instantly
lodged by the British government-coupled
with earnest protest. This led to a lengthy
correspondence between Secretary Bayard
and the British government--all OF which
has been printed. Mr.. Bayard was Of the
opinion that our right to restrain these
vessels was very doubtful. and, on his sug-
gestion they were released. after some
delay In the execution OF the order. The
question at ones arose whether there was
any difference between the jurisdiction OF
nation over one portion Of the high seas
and over another portion; IN other words
whether there was to be one law for the At
lanti, and another for the Pacific ocean. MIR.
Bayard did not choose that this govern
ment should commit an act OF doubtful le-
gality or allow itself to be made catspaw
for commercial trading company, as the
Germans did In Samoa and consequently
have been obliged to back down. He
sought nothing but what was right and
was unwilling to submit to what was
wrong. Contemporaneousy With this the
negotiations with Great Britain as to our
fishery rights IN tho waters OF Nova Scotia
and Newfoundland were going on, and we
were insisting on our right to go through
the Gut Of Canso and to navigate the Gull
Of st. Lawrence, which is entirely sur
rounded by British territory. We were
holding Great Britain closely down to this
on the Atlantic coast, while the Alaska
Commercial Company was urging claim
to exclusive jurisdiction over sea 1000
miles broad on the Pacific.
But the desirability Of securing some
conventional agreement among the mari
time powers by which the valuable seal
fisheries OF Behring Sea might be preserved
| from the extinction which unregulated and
indiscriminRte slaughter would certainly
cause, was naturally fully appreciated by
Mr.. Bayard, and, following the precedent
OF an existing conventional arrangement
between Great Britain, Norway, Sweden
and Denmark, for the protection OF the oil
ssal OF The North Atlantic, q much les
valuable animal than the fur seal, he ad
dressed circular letters to the MARITIME
powers, and chiefly to Great Britain
Russia was identlcally interested witt
the United States In this matter, because o
her Behring sea Islands, and because tina
government has also contract with the
Alaska Commercial Company, giving tina
company the same rights In the Russian a
1t possesses In the American portion o
Behring Sea. Mr.. BAyard, through gu
minister at St. Petersburg, brought thi
matter TO the attention OF the Rnssiai
government and found It earnestly II
accord with his plan. The proposition
was laid before the British government Il
luhibit the citizens or subjects OF any OF tn
contracting powers from taking sef
In the waters OF Behring Sea troI
the month OF April to the mont
OF November, and to enforce thi
regulation by summary arrest
all offenders by the national vessel
Of any OF the parties to the agree
ment. Great Britain responded favorabl
to the proposition, for her interest In th
preservation OF the seal fisheries is create
even than our own, because all the SCI
furs are dressed In London, where tn
business furnishes employment to abol
$4,000 people, and as the English are vii
enough not to lay a tariff on them the IA
skinY come In and the dressed ski
go out duty free. Japan, owning q
Kurlle Islands, where there are also f
seal, was similarly favorable; as also we
Sweden and Norway. and Denmark, wi
her Iceland and Greenland seal interests.
This negotiation would seem to ha
. been wholly neglected since March ID
and matters allowed to drift into a high
dangerous and discreditAble condition.
is due to the American people that Il
: administration OF their government shou
: promptly indicate whether they are
follow the laws OF civilized nations al
restrict their maritime Jurisdiction with
= the limits they expect all other natto
: equally to obey--or whether, at the beht
!, OF mercenary trading company, they W
: he led into u false pretension which th
= cannot prosecute with safety nor rece
: from without humiliation.