Morning journal and courier., 1890-07-24

the solution would satisfy public opinion In
Canada or Great Britain without O full in.
curry BY mixed commission of experts.
Meanwhile he was prepared to recommend to
MS government certain provisional precau.
tionary measures to remove apprehension Of
depletion Of the fur seal species pending the
report of the commission. The regulations
proposed were as follows:
" That Pelsgic sealing should be prohib-
TIED IN the Behring sea, the Sea of Ochotsk
and the adjoining waters during the months of
May and June and during the months Of o.
tober, Novemer and December, which may
De termed the migration periods" of the fur
.(9 That all sealing vessels should be pro-
hibised from approaching the breeding
islands within radius Of ten miles.
These regulations, he thinks, will put q
stop to the practices complained of a. tend
ing to exterminate the seals. The British
minister also enclosed the draft of q conven-
ton providing for the appointment of o
mixed commission who are to report on GER
tain specified questions within two years.
Matters not adjusted by the commission may
be left to arbitration.
The Marquis of Salisbury, under date of
May ~ last, in letter to the British minis
ter undertakes to reply to Mr.. Blaine's srgu-
ments. Relative to the statement that
siezures were justified by the fact that they
were "engaged in q pursuit that is in itself
contra bonus mores-a pursuit which of
necessity involves q serious and permanent in
jury to the rights Of the government and
people of the United States" the marquis
says: 1t is obvious that two questions are
involved, first whether the pursuit and kill
ing OF fur seals in certain parts of the open
sea Ii, from the point in view of international
morality, and offense contra bonus mores,
and secondly. whether, if such be the case,
this fact justi6es the seizure ON the high
seas and subsequent confiscation in time Of
peace of the private vessels of friendly ma
tion. He argues against both conclusions
and says: It requires something more than q
mere declaration that the government or citi-
zens of the United States or other countries
interested In the seal trade are loaers by q
certain course of proceeding to render that
course an immoral one. Her majestys gov
eminent would deeply regret that the pur-
vessels should it involve even the slightest
injury to the people of the United States. If
the case be proved they will be ready to con-
sider what measures can be properly taken
for the remedy for such, but they would be
unable on that ground to depart from q prin-
ciple on which free commerce on the high
sea depends.
Respecting Mr.. Blaine's statement of the
exclusive monopoly enjoyed by Russia the
letter, the United States in Russia, which ma
ton in 1891 prohibited all foreign vessels
from approaching within one hundred miles
from the coast of Behring strait to the 31st
degree north latitude, to the effect that the
United States could admit no part of these
claims. He also cited the case of the United
States brig Lsriat to show that the fishing
thus asserted included the right of killing
the fur bearing animals. The brig was forced
by an armed Russian naval vessel to leave
the rights. He also argues from the speech
of MIR. Sumner when introducing the
question of the purchase of Alaska
to congress it is equally clear that
the United States did not regard
themselves as purchasing a monopoly.
Having dealt with fur-bearing animals, he
went on to treat of fisheries, and after allud.
ing to the presence of different species of
whales in the vicinity of the Aleutians says:
"No sea is now more clausum; all of these
may be pursued by ship under any flag ex-
cept directly on the coast or within its terri
torisl limit"
The marquis also says that Mr.. Blaine
must have been raisinformed respecting the
interrupted possession of the United States
from 1867 to 1886, and submits extracts
from reports of United States officers to
show during that time British vessels were
engaged in the fur zeal fisheries with the
cognizance of the Unite States government.
He finds 1t unnecessary to deal with the
question of extinction of seals through polaric
sealing, as it is proposed to examine the SUBJ
ject By commission appointed by the two
governments.
The marquis said: The negotiations now
being carried on at Washington prove the
readiness of her majesty's government to
consider whether any special international
agreement Is necessary for the protection
of the fur seal industry. In Its absence they
are unable to admit that the case put for
ward on behalf of the United Srates affords
any sufficient justification for the forcible
action already taken by them against peace
able subjects of her majesty's engaged in
lawful operations on the high seas" The
next letter of the British minister, dated May
%, referring to the departure of revenue cut.
ters to Behring sea to seize foreign seslers,
says he is instructed to state that q formal
protest against such interferences with Brit
ish vessels will be forwarded at once.
Mr.. Blaine on May 20 responds that he is
instructed by the president to protest against
the course of the British government in su
thorixing, encouraging and protecting ves-
sells which are not only interfering with
American rights in the Behring sea, but
which are doing violence as well to the
rights of the civilized world.
The thirtieth and last letter of the mass of
correspondence which would, If printed en-.
was addressed by Mr.. Blaine to Sir Julian
Poncefote from Bar Harbor last Saturday
In it the secretary takes up the "errors'
which Lord Salisbury thinks he has gathered
from the records in his Office. Touching
Lord Salisbury's denial that he ever gave an
| assurance with respect to the proposed con.
ventiou Mr.. Blaine Gays that he simply
| Phelps and our charge d. affairs, Mr.. White
He says that as Mr.. Phelps has long been
known In this country "a an able lawyer
accurate in the use OF words and discrimina
| ting in the statement of facts, the govern.
ment of the United States necessarily repose
| implicit confidence in the literal CORRECTNESS,
of the dispatch quoted. April 16 confer
ence was held at the foreign Office respecting
| the Behring sea controversy. The secretar,
says: This conference was really called q
the request of the Russian ambassador, whit
desired that Russian rights in Behring SCI
should be AZ fully recognized by England q
American rights had been Recognized
In the verbal agreement of Febru
airy % between Lord Salisbury ant
Mr.. Phelps. The Russian ambassador re
ceived from Lord Salisbury the assur
snce valuable also to the United States) tina
the protected area for seal life shoald be ex
tended southwark to the forty seventh degre
of north latitude, aud also the promise tbs
he would have "a drsught convention pre-
pared for submission to the Russian smbass.
dor and the American charge" Lord Sails
bury nov contends that all the proceeding
at the conference of April 10 are to be I,
garded as only provisional in order to ful
nsh basis for negotiation and withor
defnitively pledging our governments
While the understanding of this governmer
differs from that maintained by Lord Salt
bury, 1 am instructed by the presidel
to say that the United States
willing to consider all the procest
ings of April 16, 1888, Cancelled,
> far as American rights may be concerned
= This government will ask Great Britain |
> adhere only to the agreement made betwee
? Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Phelps on the %
r of February, 1888. That was an agreemel
f made directly between the two government
: and did not include the right of Russi
= Asking Lord Salisbury to adhere to Il
n agreement of February % we leave the agre
: ment of April 16 to be maintained, If mai
Q tanned OF all, by Russia, for whose cause ar
t for whose advantage it was particularly d
Q signed"
g Mr.. Blaine also refers to Lord Salisbury
Q statement that political events in the Unite
|, States had caused an interruption of negoti
J, tions, and not a Canadian objection, al
J. closes the voluminous correspondence as fe
% lows:
/. lam justified in assuming that Lord Sal