Evening journal., 1890-07-10
The STATE CORRESPONDENCE.
what Has Passed Between Secretary
Blaine and Minister Pauncefote.

Whnt Has Passed Between Secretary
Blaine and Minister Pauncefote.
NEW YORK, July 1O.-The New York
Herald gives an alleged digest Of the nego-
tiationg that have thus far been held be
tween Secretary Blaine and the British
minister in regard to Behring sea. The
correspondence opens in January last with
a note from Mr.. Blaine TO the British min
ister setting out the ancient and recog-
nized claims Of Russia TO the exclusive
benefits Of the fur seal fishery in Behring
aea and the acquisition Of those rights and
benefits in the eastern part Of that sea by
the United States.
II also makes claim to right to protect
the fur seal by all reasonable measures in
that part Of the sea by reason Of the home
Of the seals being in the territory of the
United States and their custom of regular
" departing from and returning to their
habitation in such territory.
The correspondence then shows that an
international convention was agreed upon
al which the trouble should be settled, but
the conditions imposed by England gov
erning the convention were rejected by Mr..
Blaine.
This rejection of the project Of an inter
national convention appears TO have been
taken by the British government as notice
OF q reversion by the government Of the
| United States to its original claim Of a
legal right Of exclusive jurisdiction over
seal catching In the American part Of
Behring sea. Lord Salisbury accordingly
repiied to Mr.. Blaine's note Of the preced-
/ ing January in long dispatch, In which
| he relied upon the attenuated contention
that the controversy Of 1922 between Russia
and the United States had an obvious ref
erence to Behring sea, then known as the
Sea Of Kamchatka
10 tbe imputation Of Lord Salisbury that
he had ignored and reversed the historic
position of the United States, as expound-
"a ana successfully maintained against
Russia by John Quincy Adams when sec
retary 81 state. Mr.. Blaine replied with
force and feeling in a long note TO the
British minister at the beginning Of the
present month.
The secretary of state uses some warmth
Of expression in repelling that part Of Lord
| Salisbury's dispatch which Mr.. Blaine
seems to have accepted as having some
what Of a personal application to himself.
Having disposed Of the personal question,
the secretary proceeds to a revindication
and restatement of the American claim of
right to exclude Canadian sealing opera
tions from Behring sea and to take all
reasonable measures Of suppression.
All the world understood as well as dld
the United States that the acquisition OF
the fur seal fishery that Russia had mo
nopolized for over a century by general
consent was one of the things for which
the United States bargained and for which
it paid. No other power objected TO OF
questioned this understanding, and like
Rcquiescence followed the act Of congress
Of lsGS. designed obviously for the protec-
tion Of the fur seal in the waters OF Ben
ring sea.
The treaty Of cession so describes the
western boundary line Of Alaska as to IN
clude the eastern part of Behring sea IN
the territory and dominion ceded. Openly
and deliberately the United States so held
IL and there was not note of dissonance
for nearly twenty years afterward
Mr.. Blaine combats Lord Salisbury $ pre-.
tension that the United States IL le,Ss helo
the same position now occupied " 1IsA'