The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-24
Some Remarkable Statements Made by
the Premier Of Great Britain.
Secretary Blaile'S CaustiC Letters to Lord
acknowledgements in Support Of
the United States Position.
Special dispatches to THE MoasIso CALL.

Bshring Sea. In the accompanying letter
OF transmittal to the President Secretary
Blaine, under date of Bar Harbor, July
10Th, says he regrets the delay in the
tsa nsmissioD, which the President directed
op the 11th inst, and says that correspond
ence is still in progress.
The correspondence includes thirty
separate papers, beginning with a letter
from Edwards, first Secretary of the lega-
ton and Charge d'Affaires after Minister
Vests recall, dated August "a, 1889,
and closing with one from Secretary
Blaine 10 Sir Julian Pauncefote,
the British Minister, dated July 49, 1890.
THE FIRST COMMUNICATION.
The opening letter from Edwards says he
Is instructed by his Government to call at
tention to the fact that repeated rumors had
reached the British Government that Brit
ish vessels had been searched and seized by
United States cruisers in Behring Sea, out
side the three-mile limit, and asks the
United States TO send stringent ins structlons
to its officers to prevent the possibility of
such occurrences taking place, in accord
anee with the assurances of Secretary Bay
ard til at, pending negotiations, no such in
reference should take place, and adding
that Sir Julian Pauncefote, on his return 10
Washington, would be prepared to discuss
The whole question.
BLAINE's REPLY.
To this Blaine replied on the same day
that the same rumors, probably based Oh
truth. had reached the Government Of the
United States. but that up TO date there
had been no official communication received
on the subject He adds: ut has been
and is the earnest desire of the President
oi the United States to have such an ad-
justment as shall remove all possible
ground of misunderstanding with her
Majesty's Government concerning existing
troubles in Behring Sea and the President
believes the responsibility for the delay In
the adjustment cannot be properly charged
TO The Government of the United States.
In the opinion Of the President the points
al issue between the two Governments are
capable of prompt adjustment on basis
entirely honorable to BOTH"
EDWARDS GROWS IMPATIENT
september 12th last Edwards asked when
he might expect an answer to the request
OF his Government made August 24th, that
the probability OF the seizure OF British
ships in Behring Sea. He said the recent
reports of seizures having taken place were
causing much excitement, both in Eng land
and Canada.
A FORMAL DISCUSSION PREFERABLE.
On September 14th Blaine replied that he
supposed "her Majesty's Government was
satisfied of the Presidents earnest desire to
come to a friendly understanding, and that
the official instructions TO Sir Julian
Pauucefote to proceed after his arrival in
October to full discussion of the question
removed all necessity for preliminary cor
respondence touching its merits. a Cate
gorical response would have been and still
is impractlcable, unjust to this Government
and misleading to the Government of her
Majesty. Therefore, the Judgment of the
President was that the whole subject could
more wisely be remanded to the formal
discussion so near AT hand. 1t is proper,
however, 10 add that any instruction sent to
Behring Sea at the time Of your original re-
quest would fail to reach those waters be-
fore the departure Of the vessels of the
United States"
PROTEST FROM SALISBURY.
The next communication is Il protest from
Lord Salisbury TO Edwards, favOriDg the
proposed International agreement Tor Il
close season on the sealing grounds. In an
other latter to Edwards, October %, the
ing 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 aflidavits that the
vessels were seized at distance from land
far in excess OF the maritime jurisdiction
which any nation can claim by international
law. The cases are similar in this respect
to those OF the ships Caroline, Onw ard and
Thornton, seized by a vessel of the United
States outside of tile territorial waters in
the summer Of 1887"
THE SECRETARY ASSURANCE.
He adds: The illegality of this was
brought to the attention of the United
States and though no official reply was
made, Bayard gave unofficial assurance that
negotiations" and says, but in view OF
the unexpected renewal of the seizures of
which her Majesty'S Government has pre-
vi0usly complained 1t Is my duty to protest
against them, and state that in the opinion
OF her Majesty's Government they are
wholly unjuStitied by international law"
RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
The correspondence between Blaine and
the new British Minister began January 22d
of this year with very long letter from
the Secretary to Sir Julian Pauncefote.
The Secretary opened with the acknowl-
edgment of the receipt of the papers bear
ing on the seizures made by the Rush. He
says. Ill lllt OpIlllOH OI Tie IItSiuSul lu6
Canadian vessels arrested and detained in
Behring Sea were engaged in a pursuit in
itself contra bonos mores, pursuit which
of necessity involves serious and permanent
injury to the rights of the Government and
the people of the United States. To estab-
lish this ground it Is not necessary to argue
the question of the extent and nature OF
the sovereignty of this Government over
the waters of Behring Sea.
PRIVILEGES CEDED BY RUSSIA.
"It is not necessary to explain, certainly
not to define, the powers and the privileges
ceded by his Imperial Majesty, the Em-
peror OF Russia, in the treaty by which the
Alaskan territory was transferred to the
United States. The weghty considerations
growing out Of the acquisition of that terri
tory. with all the rights on land and sea
inseparably connected Herewith, may be
safely left out of view, while the grounds
are set forth upon which this Government
rests its justification for the action COM
planned OF by her Majesty's Government
The Secretary then speaks OF the value 0l
the seal fisheries which were controlled by
Russia without interference or question
until the cession OF Alaska to the United
States in 1867. and SAYS this undisturbed
possession continued to the United States
until 1886, even passing whaling vessels
abstalning from seal capture.
CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES.
He says that this uniform avoidance oi
all attempts to take fur-seals in those
waters had been the constant recognition
of the right held and exercised, first by Rus.
sla and subsequently by this Government
1t had also been recognition Of the fac
now held beyond denial or doubt, that the
taking of seals in the open sea rapidly lead:
to their extinction. This, in brief, was the
condition of the Alaska fur-seal fisheries
down to the year 1856, Precedents, customs
and lights have been established and en-
for neatly centnrv % The +, ' two nntons wer,
the only powers that owned a foot Of lant
Oh The continents that b0rdered on Ih,
islands included within the Behring water:
where seals resort to breed.
ENCOURAGING THE CANADIANS.
In this peaceful and secluded field of la
Dor, whose benefits were so eouitabl,