Morning journal and courier., 1890-07-24
BEHRING SEA FISHERIES.
Official Correspondence in
Relation to Them.
A STEAMER BURNED 1T SEA.
Four Persons Killed in a
Railroad Collision.
YESTERDAYS RACING EVENTS.
The Proceedings of House
and Senate.

and Senate.
THE BEHRlNG SEA LETTERS
Gent to Congress with q Note From
Secretary Blaine-The United States
Asked TO stop interfering with
British Vessels In she Behring Sea-
Mr.. Blaine,s Reply-The Value OF the
Seal Fisheries.
WASHINGTON, July 23.-The president to-
day sent to the house in answer to the reso-
luton introduced by Representative Hit
the official correspondence between the gov
eminent of the United States and the gov
eminent of Great Britain touching the seal
fisheries of the Behring sea.
In his accompanying letter of transmittal
to the president, Secretary Blaine, under
date of Bar Harbor, July 10, regrets the de-
lay in transmission which the president d.
rected on the 1Ith instant and says that the
correspondence is still in progress.
The correspondence includes thirty separ-
ate papers, beginning with letter from Mr..
Edwardes, the first secretary of legation
and charge de affairs after Minister Vests
recall dated August "a, 1889, and closing
with one from Secretary Blaine to Sir Julien
Pauncefote, the British minister, dated July
10, 1890.
The first letter is from Mr.. Edwardes to
Mr.. Blaine and is dated Bar Harbor, August
"a, 1880. It says:
msjesty's government that the United States have
stopped searched and even sezed British vessels in
Bshring outside the three mile limit from the
nearest land Although no official confirmation of
these rumors has reached her majesty's govern
fhnrn m hn ann n
authenticity am desired by the Marquis of Sails
bnry to inquire whether the United States govern
further to ask that stringent Instructions may be
sent by the United States government at the
prevent the possibility of such occurrences taking
taking place: Ia continuation Of my instructions,
government received very clear assurances last
year from Mr.. Bayard, at that time secretary Of
questions at issue no further interference should
take place with British vessels In Behring sea- In
conclusion the MARQUIS OF Salisbury desires me TO
say that SIR Julian Pauncefote. her majestys min
lister, will be prepared on his return to Washington
in the autumn to discuss the whole question, and
her majesty's government wish to point out to the
United states government that settlement cannot
g. q BY the
To this letter Mr.. Blaine replied on the
same day, and at the same place, that the
same rumors, probably based on 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:
1t has been and is the desire OF the presi
dent Of the United States to have such an adjust
ment as shall remove all possible ground for mis-
understanding with her nsjesry's government con
and the president believes that the responsibility
for delay in the adjustment cannot properly be
charged to the government OF the United States.
In the opinion Of the president The points at issue
between the two governments are capable OF
| both.
The secretary then speaks of the value of
the seal fisheries which were controlled by
Russia without interference or question until
the cession of Alaska to the United States in
1857. This undisturbed possession continued
to the United States until 1885. The United
States government had made successful eff
forts to improve and preserve the fisheries,
| resulting in the payment of more than $l2,
| O0O,0 900 to English laborers for the prepare.
| ton of the sealskins, and the elevation to
| civilization of the natives of the Alaskan
| islands. The precedents, customs and rights
| had been established and enjoyed either by
Russia or the United States for nearly q
century. The two nations were the only
powers that owned foot of land on the con-
tinents that bordered or the islands included
| within the Behripg waters where the scale
resort to breed. Into this peaceful, secluded
field of labor whose benefits were 80 equitably
shared by the native Aleuts of the Pribylef
islands, by the United States and by Eng
land, certain vessels in 1855 asserted theiI
right to enter and by their ruthless course tc
destroy the fisheries and with them also to
destroy the resulting Industries which are sc
valuable. The government of the United
States at once proceeded to check thii
movement. 1t was cause Of unfeigned sur
prise to the United States that her majesty
government should Immediately inter
fere to defend and encourage (surely to en-
/ hv IafapdiuOl nf Cana
dams in disturbing an industry which hae
been carefully developed for more thar
ninety years under the flags of Russia ant
the United States without interference will
the public rights or the private industries o
any people. Whence did the ships of Cansdl
derive the right to do in 1885 that whicl
they refrained from doing for more thai
majesty's government defend in the year 1SS
course of conduct In the Behring sea whicl
she had carefully avoided ever since the dis
covery of that seat
So great has been the injury to the fish
cries by Canadian vessels that whereas tn
government has allowed one hundred thou
sand to be taken annually for series @
years it 10 now compelled to reduce the mum
/ Der to sixty thousand. II four years thi
violation of natural law and neishbors' RICH,
has reduced the annual slaughter of seal b
. forty per cent, it is easy to see how short
/, | period will be required to work the total de
struction of the fisheries.
The ground upon which her msjestys gov
eminent justi6es or even defends the couri
of the Canadian vessels rests upon the fa'
that they are committing their &C
Of destruction on the high seas, vi
More than three marine leagues fro
the shore line. 1t Is doubtf
whether her majestys government won
abide by this rule If the attempt were maj
to interfere with the pearl fisheries of Ce
lon, which extend more than twenty mil
from shore line and have been enjoyed
England without molestation ever since the
acquisition. Nor is 1t credible that modes
fishing on the Grand Banks altogether prs
ticable but highly destructive, would be ju
tilted or ever permitted by Great Britain
the plea that the vicious acts were comm
, ted more than three miles from shore. J.
], president does not conceive 1t possible til
her majesty's government could In fact
IS less Indifferent to these evil results than
the government of the United States, but
M hopes that her majesty's government wi
after this frank expression OF view
- sition of the government of t
United States touching this serious questie
. This government has been ready to conce
much in order to adjust all differences
view and has in the Judgment of the pre-
" dent already proposed solution not OF
equitable but generous. Thus far
~ msjesty's government has declined to acoe
Oh the proposal of the United States. The pr
vi: ident now awaits with deep interest not Z
nd mixed with solioitude and proposition
/" reasonable adjustment which her n
:. jesty's government may submit. Z
s. foroible resistance to which this g
me- eminent is constrained in the Behri
on sea is, in the Presidents Judgment, dema'
eIa defending the traditional long establisl
rights Of the United States. In this conte
RI ton the government of the United States
. ne occasion and no desire to withdraw
modify the positions which 1t has at {
time maintained against the claims Of
imperial government OF Russia. the Uni
States will not withhold from any nation
ter) privileges ii demands for itself when Ala
was part of the Russian empire. Nor 10
.ect Government of the United States disposed