, 1890-07-24
THE SEAL FISHERIES.
Omctal Correspondence Sent
to Congress-.
DLAlNE'S FINE ITALIAN HAND
A Claim That the British Have
Reon Violating Unwritton
International Law.

WAsHfssroN, July 23--The president
to-day sent TO the house Of represents
tives. in answer TO = resolution intro
duced by Representative Hin, the oifi.
cizl correspondence between this gov
ernment and Great Britain touching
upon the seal fisheries Ia Behring sea
In tho accompanying letter of trans
initial to the president. Secretary
Blaine. under date Of Bar Harbor. July
10. regrets the delay in transmission.
which the president directed on the iith
inst., and says the correspondence is
still Id progress.
The correspondence will include thirty
separate papers, beginning with letter
from Mr. Edwards. first seeretary of the
Britain legation, for Minister wesrs re-
call, dated August "A, 1850. and closing
With one from Secretary Blaine to Sir
Julian Pauncefots. the present British
minister, dated July 10. fSoa
The opening letter from Edwards says
he is instructed by his government to
call stsention to the fact that repeated
rumos had reached the British govern
nent that British vessels had been
searched and seized by United States
eruisers In Bshring sea, outside the
thrse-m mile limit and asks the United
states TO send stringest instructions to
its officers 70 prevent the possibility Of
such occurrences taking place, In accord
sncs with che assurances of Secretary
Bayard that, pending the negotiations,
no such interference should take place,
and adding that Sir Julian Pauncefots,
ON his return 70 Washington. would be
prepared to discuss the whole question.
To this Mr.. Blaine replied on the same
day that the rumors, probably based ON
truth, had reached the government OF
the United States, but that up 20 that
there had been no official communica-
tion received on the subject. He added:
lit has been. and Is. the earnest desire
Of the president of the United States to
have such adjustment as shall remove
all possible ground OF misunderstanding
with Her Majesty's government CON-
cerning the existing troubles in the
Behring sea, and the president believes
that the responsibility for the delay in
the adjustment can not properly be
charged to tine government of the United
States. In the opinion Of the president
the points ut issue between the two
governments are capable of prompt ad-
justment, ON basis entirely honorable
to both"
September II last Edwards asked
when he might expect an answer 10 the
request cf his government made August
"a. that instructions be sent to Alaska To
prevent the probability of the seizure OF
British ships in Behring sea. He says:
THE recent reports Of seizures having
49,
ment, both in England and Canada"
Mr.. Blaine. September IA, replied,
saying that he supposed her majesty's
agent WAS satisfied Of she presidents
earnest desire TO come TO friendly rela-
tons, snd that the official instruction to
Sir Julian Pauncefote 10 proceed, i'm
mediately after his arrival in October, to
. full discussion of the question, re-
moved all necessity for preliminary cor
respondence touching its merits. "a
categorical RESPONSE" he said, would
have been, and still is. impracticable,
unjust TO this government and misiead-
ing to the government Of her majesty.
Therefore the judgment Of the president
on the whole subject could more wisely
be reraanded TO the formal discussion 80
near at hand. Il il proper. however. to
add that any instructions sent to Behring
sea at the time Of your original would
have failed 10 reach those waters before
the departure Of the vessels of the
United Stafes-"
The next communication is q tele-
gram from Lord Salisbury to Edwards,
favoring the proposed international
agreement for a close season on the seal.
ine grounds
1t is another letter to Edwards, dated
October 2. the m marquis transmits copies
of afficavits bearing on the seizure OF
the British sealers Black Diamond and
Triumph by the United States revenue
cutter Rush. He says: .lt Is apparent
from these affidsvits that the vessels
seized were at distance from the land
far in excess Of the limits Of the mari
time Jurisdiction which any nation can
clam by international law. The case
Is similar in this respect to that Of the
ships Caroline. Onward and Thornton,
seized by vessels of the United State.
outside of the territorial waters In the
summer Of 1887"
he adds: THE illegality OF this wa.
brought to the attention Of the United
1tatSrs 0btif aiAhoubh ho
was made. Mr.. Baysrd gave unofficia
assurance that no more seizur~i
would be made pending negotiations"
BLAINE AND PAUMcEFOrE
The SECRETARY of State Displays nj
Fins Italian Hand.
The correspondence between Mr.
Blaine ard the new British minister be-
gan January 22 Of this year, with q very
long letter from the secretary to Sir Ju-
lian Pauncefote. The secretary openec
with the acknowledgement of the re-
ceipt Of papers bearing on the seizures
made by the Rush. He says: "In tn,
opinion OF the president the Canadian
vessels arrested and detained in Behrins
sea were engaged In a pursuit In iisel
contra bonos morcs, n pursuit which O
necessity involves serious and perma
nent injury TO the rights O
the governments and people o
the United States. To establish
this ground, 1t Is not necessary to argu,
the question Of the extent and nature o
the sovereignty Of this government ov~
the waters OF Behrins sea IL 10 no
necessary 70 explain, certainly not t.
define, the powers and privileges cedee
by his i'm perial majesty, the Emperor o
Russia, in the treaty by which thi
Alaskan territory was transferred to tn.
United States The weighty considera
tions growing out Of the acquisition O
that territory, with all the rights on LIANT
ana sea inseparably connected there
with, may be safely left out Of view
while the grounds are set forth upoi