Huntsville gazette., 1890-12-27
BEHRING SEA NATTER.
President Harrison Will Take the
Bull by the Horns.
He Will Submit His Views to Congress,
Which Must Definitely Determine
the Course to be Pursued in
Asserting Our Rights.

versy with a special message of some
length. In this message he will ex-
press, in language of his own selection,
his views respecting the rights and
claims OF the United States connected
with the seal fishery, the comparative
merits of the conduct and position of the
two governments since the first seizures
in 1886, and the duty of Congress
IN the present position of the ques-
ton. The message will be framed
with especial reference to the now
pending proposal of the British Govern
ment for an arbitration, which proposal
it is intended to reject before any COM
munication is made to Congress. The
rejection of the proposal will effect a
practical if not complete suspension of
diplomatic efforts for a settlement.
There being no expectation that either
government will bring forward any eff
fort for renewal of negotiations after
the impending rejection of the British
tender of arbitration has been an
nounced by Mr.. Blaine to Sir Julian
Paunceforte.
The rersonal bitterness between Mr.
Blaine and Lord Salisbury, said to have
arisen out of the course of the negotia-
tions, is perceived here to constitute
material obstruction to a continuance
of efforts toward settlement, espc-
cially after the diplomatic relations be-
tween the two governments shall have
been further strained by the energetic
manner in which Mr. Blaine is prepar-
ing to show up the hollowness and un-
fairness of the British arbitration
project. 1t is, because of the seem
ing hopelessness of the prospect
of settlement by peaceful means, a
necessity of almost instant resolving
upon new course of conduct for the
United States, that the President has
determined to lay the matter fully be-
fore Congress, and to apply for legis-
lative assistance in shaping and enforc-
ing the policy of the immediate future.
The British proposal, as already stated,
is to refe,. to the determination of a
friendly and impartial arbitration the
question whether the seizure of British
sealing vessels by the United States
in 1888, 1887 and 1889 were or were
not lawful seizures. To this form
of proposed submission of the
case to arbitration the President siren
uously objects, and he will never agree
to it unless Congress shall assume the
responsibility in some mode of yielding
adherence to it. The principal gronnd
however, is that such a form of sub
mission would preclude the arbitrator
L., i -
wise than argumentatively or collater-
ally to those duties of comfy and good
neighborhood which, as the President
contends, are owed by Great Britain to
the United States in respect to the
seal fisheries of Behring sea. Those
duties, as the President conceives them,
arise partly out of the natural and part
ly out of the historical conditions of the
case, and he will neither ask nor accept
the award of an arbitration upon the
controversy unless Great Britain dis
tinctly agrees in the articles of sub
mission that the legality of the seizures
shall depend, so far as in reason and
justice, it ought to depend, upon con-
sideration of those circumstances and
conditions.
The non-disturbance of the protective
right assumed by this country over the
Behring sea seal fishery for nearly
twenty years after the cession of Alaska
is greatly relied upon by the President
to establish the right of the United
States, and he will not agree to an arbi-
tration that does not permit weight to
1,., <1xy 70, HI in
American jurisdiction. The message
will put the merits of the dispute on
broader grounds than mere legality.
The seal fishery is a valuable source
of public revenue, and has been conduct
ed for twenty years exactly as Russia
conducted it for four times that period
with the approval of all powers. This
revenue has been built up at the pains
and at the expense of the United States
and of the American citizens, and is not
to be shared with those who have not
earned and can not be trusted to con-
serve it. ThislGovernment has not at
any time asked more than Lord Sails
bury spontaneously offered in 1883, and
from which, he has admitted, he was
dissuaded by Canadian importantly.
The United States has even proposed to
accept some reduction of Lord Sails
bury's own proposals. Last season the
revenue cutters were held back from
their protective cruise in Behring sea
for a long time, and their protective
operations were greatly curtailed, as
matter of comfy to the British Minis
ter, and in order that no opportunity OF
a friendly settlement might De
lost. In return for these msl.-sfes-
tations of an amicable and con-
ciliatory spirit two tenders only
were made from the Brush
side, one Of pretended close season.
which was practically proposal to pre-
serve to British dealers by authority the
unlawful opportunities they had been
pursuing, and the other proposal oi
arbitration by which every right ana IN
terest of the United States would nave
been sacrificed.