New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-28

NO sucb statement having been made, OF course
il was never repudiated. His letter to Collector
pboIps. wherein he says, 81 do not see that the
limited States would have the jurisdiction or
mower to drive off parties going up there Tor
that purpose unless they made such attempV
within a marine league of the shore" TO ne
propt.ry understood must be read In the liGht
of the communication to which it was reply.
Collector Phelps had told him that Australian
and Hawaiian vessels were Thought 10 De eli
route for the Oonimak Pass to kill seals as they
entt,red'' Behring Sea, and had suggested that
cruisers be stationed outside the Pass IN the
Pacific Ocean to intercept the marauders Al
that time our authority in the Behnng sea ltsell
had not been uestoned much less deed. That
Mr.. BOutNelIs reference to our want OF J'riS-
diotion appertained solely to the Paclhc ocean
is perfectly clear on the face of this correspond
ence but that there might be no excuse Tor sucn
peryersions of his meaning as The Post," IN
il, zeal to hurt the American case, has MADE
Mr.. Boutwell, himself testified some six years
AGO as TO what he meant. "My letter., nc
said had reference solely to the waters OF the
Pacific Ocean south of the Aleutian Islands"
So far as we have observed, the instructions
unupf WHICH our TCNCHuC OhiNt'o cSh~" 49,
British vessels have not been printed. 1t would
be extraordinary if they had been. The law
forbidding all unauthorized killing or the seal
empowers the collector and deputy-collectors
APPOINTED for Alaska Territory, and any person
authorized in writing by any of them, or by the
Secretary of the Treasury" "to arrest persons
and seize vessels engaged in such unauthorized
killing. and to deliver them to the proper courts.
So that, even if the initiative in the matter OF
selling had been taken by Alaskan oliiclals, IL
would not Justify 1.-The Posts" mischievous IN
situation that the Nation has been ofilciously
drawn into all this trouble by the artful acts o.
the Alaska Commercial Company 1t appears
however. from the testimony of the revenue
officers themselves that their orders came III
rectly from the Secretary Of the Treasury CNr.
Manning). Captain Abbey, who seized the YES
sells mentioned by The POST "a probably taken
without proper warrant, teSuiies that ne re-
ceiyed his instructions at Astoria, Ore. This
means by mail from Washington, and, OF course
forbids the idea suggested by "The Post" lie
further said he had copy of the laws, g with
orders TO seize any one violating those laws
CAPTAIN Shepard, who succeeded captain ADJ
bey, received his orders, he says, " from the
Treasury Department" Under the first insruc-
tions he seized twelve vessels under the second,
differently worded, none. But to make the
evidence that all these orders came directly from
Washington more complete it may be said that
tho exhibit sent by Secretary Fairchild on May
3. 1855. to the Treasury Department. wherein
the seizures are enumerated, is entitled: " Last
f vessels seized under orders of the Treasury
Department"
This information will not satisfy " The Posts
curiosity to see the actual text of the orders but
il sufficiently demonstrates that, whatever they
were. they came from the Department, and IT
sufficiently disproves the charge that our 1cve-
nue. officers, responsible to the Governments
were manipulated by the Commercial Company
Not that we suppose for a moment that the facts
will at all affect "1he POST When 1t sets
out to play an unpatIlotic part 1t is not 10 De
halted by things 50 impertinent as facts.