The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-27
IN THE CANADIAN COMMONS.
A Stormy Debate on the Seizure of British
Vessels.


OTTAWA, April 26.-In the house of com
mons to-day Prior brought up the question
of the alleged illegal seizure of BIRTHS h
vessels in Behring sea. He said the United
States, England and Russia had signed a
treaty in 1921 in which Russia abandoned
her claims to exclusive jurisdiction in
Behring sea. He referred to the seizure Of
three ships from Victoria, B. C. in Behring
sea in 1886 by American cruisers. The
greater portion of the catch was confs-
Gated at the same time. 1t was caught long
before the alleged American waters were
reached No settlement had been arrived
at for those seizures, nor had any compen-
sation been offered to the owners, who had
been ruined. The original claims reached
e153,000. Eight other vessels were seized in
the following year. He referred to the
hardships experienced by 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
the Dominion government had asked Eng
land to secure a settlement, and he wanted
information 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
BehIing sea affair with the haste shown by
the United States in the Samoan affair. He
contended that majority of the Americans
on the Pacific coast wore opposed to
the monopoly enjoyed by the commercial
company in Alaska. Nothing lie con
| tinued, could justify the seizure Of the
| British vessels, and in many instances
many hundreds Of miles from land He
| referred to the issue Of the proclamation
| by President Harrison, and said 1t was 4
violation of international right. Blaine he
regarded as the author OF the proclamation,
which simply proposed to enrich the
Alaska Commercial company. Hhc mono
poly, he said. had its agents and lobbyists
| in Washington.
He urged the government 20 ask the i'm
perial authorities TO send a British war
vessel to Behring sea. He felt GER
tain that even if a little gunboat put
its nose near the Aleutian islands we would
hear of no further seizures.
| Davis, Liberal, agreed with Prior as to
the importance of the matter. Delay, ne
said, simply showed that Canada could
never secure summary justice until she had
an agent at Washington. If English and
American relations were unfrlendly, no
reason existed why Canada should suffer.
The present unsatisfactory state of affairs
! would continue until Canada had a right to
make her own treaties. Davis then turned
attention to the alleged indignity committed
by American cruisers in Behring sea to
show that the Americans had no iurisdic-
ton outside of the three miles marine
| limit.
| Sir John Mcdonald replied. He said he
would not deal with the question of estab-
| fishing commercial agency at Washing
ton. Parliament had already decided that
question. The United States, he continued,
claimed exclusive Jurisdiction in Behring
sea. In American seas Canadian vessels
had suffered equally from aggressive mo
nopolies. The question was not local one
it was one that affected all maritime ma
tons, which he feltwas iniquitous.
| The United States claim to Behring sea
England was pressing for settlement. Si1
Julian Paunceforte, he felt sure
as British minister at Washington
would do all in his power to bring the mat
ter to termination. England had en-
dorsed Canada's claims, and recently ad
mitted that American contentious were
unfounded If the United States insisted
upon its pretensions, grave complications
would result; what the results would be he
dared not say, nor did he dare think Of
those results. Canada had resisted them
and compensation was inevitable. The
Marquis of Lansdewne, ex-governor gen
eral of Canada, took warm personal inter
est in the question, and when he went tt
England he took with him statement from
the Dominion government The speaker sale
he felt that Sir Julian was equal to the oc
casion.
Cartwright took occasion to say that he
considered the necessity for Canada's de
manding the establishment of an agency al
Washington, as Canada alone was unable
i to settle her grievances, owing to inter
minable delays in the foreign Office. He
| declared that the claims of the United
States were absurd Weldon said it wa:
the mare clausum, and blamed the
government for delays in pressing for 6
settlement The minister for justice fol
| lywed. He denied the truth of the assertion:
that Canada could not appeal from thu
Judgment of the Alaska courts.