New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-02

sum per skin to be paid to the Government, other
duties OF enerous costly and responsible character
were imposed upon the company.
Under their lease The company is obliged to furnish
to the inhabitants OF the islands Of Saint George and
Saint Paul. annually such quantity number OF dried
salmon, and such quantity of salt such number Of
at barrels for preserving their necessary supply of
neat as the Secretary Of the Treasury shall from time
time determine"
The company Is further obliged to furnish to the
inhabitants Of these islands eighty tons Of COAL
annually, and a sufficient number Of comfortable
dwellings in which said native inhabitants may reside
and shall keep such dwellings in proper repairs
The company is further Obliged to provide ard keep
In repair such suitable schoolhouses may be
ssry, and shall establish and maintain during eight
months Of each year proper schools for the education
OF the children said islands the TO be taught
by competent teachers, who shall be paid by the COM
psny fair compensation; all to the satisfaction OF tho
Secretary OF the Treasury"
The company is further obliged TO maintain suta
BILE house for religious worship, and will also provide
competent physician physicians and necessary and
proper medicine and medical supplies"
The company is stn further obliged to provide the
OF life for the widows and orphans aged and
infrm inhabitants Of said islands who unable to
provide for themselves"
And 1t is finally provided that call the foregoing
agreements shall be done and performed by the CON-
pany free OF all costs and charges to the said native
And 1t is made still further the duty of the company
ito employ the native inhabitants of said islands to
perform ch labor upon the islands as they are fitted
70 perform, and TO pay therefor far and Just COM
pensaton such may be fixed by the secretary OF the
Treasury
And, also the company "agrecs to contribute as far
in its power all reasonable efforts to secure the
comfort, health. education, and promote the morals and
civilization Of said native Inhabitants"
In short then, the Of living. the facilities for
education the of health. the religious teaching
the training Of the young and DID, in community OF
800 persons all imposed upon the company as
Its solemn duty. by specific articles Of the lease.
ncose you copy OF the Census of 1890, giving every
name Of the 3o3 persons, old and young. male and
female who constitute the whole community of the
Prbylof Islands.
The duties thus imposed upon the company must
De discharged annually with punctuality and exact
The comfort, possibly the safety of all these
human beings, peculiarly helpless when left to them
selves is dependent upon the company under the
lease and the lessees paid therefor by the Govern
ment In the seaskns which the company receives for
the service. II the company SHALL as you say Lord
Salisbury requests be deprived Of all privilege Of
taking seals they certainly could not be compelled to
minister to the wants of these 800 inhabitants for
entire these islanders to be left to charity
the North American Company is under greater
obligation to extend 1t to them than other citizens
Of the United States 1t evidently requires con-
named in the lsase-supplles which must be carried
1000 miles a specially chartered steamer. If the
lessees not to be allowed payment in any form for
the amount necessary to support these 800 people on
the islands, they will naturally decline to expend It,
No appropriation of money has been made by Congress
for the purpose, and the President cannot leave these
worthy and innocent people to the hazard Of sarva
ton to secure any form Of agreement With Lord
Salisbury touching seal life. Seal life may be
valuable but the first duty OF the Government OF the
United States in this matter is 10 protect human le
In this exigency, the President insIucts me TO pro-
pose to Lord Salisbury that he concede to the North
American Company the right TO take sufficient number
Of seals. and no more than sufficient 70 rcompense
them for their outlay in taking Of the natives
and that in the phrase OF the President, all CONNER
cial killing Of seals be prohibited pending the result
OF arbitration" The Secretary Of the Treasury has the
right to fix the number necessary to the end desired
After full consideration, he has limited the number to
seven thousand five hundred e 500 to be killed by the
company TO repay them for the outlay demanded for
the support of the 300 people the Pribylof Islands
He further directs that females be killed, and that
thus the productive capacity of the herd shall not in
the slightest degree be impaired.
This point being fixed and agreed TO- the proposed
arrangement between the two countries would be as
follows
The Government Of the United States limits the num-
Der OF seals to be killed the islands, for purposes
just described, to thousand five hundred (75o0
The Government of the United States guarantees
that no seals shall be killed in the open waters of the
Behrng Sea by any person or vessel sailing under the
American nag or by any American citizen sailing under
any other flag.
Tho Government Of Great Britain guarantees that
no seals shall be killed in the open waters Of the
Behrlng Sea by person any vessels sailing under
tho British flag. and that British subject shall en-
gage killing seals for the time agreed upon on any
vessel sailing under any other flag.
These prohibitions shall continue until the FIRST dav
render final award or awards to both Governments.
These several propositions submitted for the con-
sidention OF Lord Salisbury. The President believes
that they calculated TO produce result at once fair
and honorable to both Governments and thus lead to
the permanent adjustment Of controversy which has
already been left too long at issue.
have the honor TO be, Sir with the highest con.
alteration, your obedient servant
JAMES G. BLAINE.
THE BRITISH MINISTER'S REPLY.
To this note Sir Julian Pauncefote replied
promptly on the next day, as follows:
British Legation, May S, 1901
Sir have the honor to acknowledge the receipt Of
your note Of yesterday in which you have formulated
for the consideration Of the Marquis of Salisbury de-
tailed proposals for modus vivendi during the ap.
preaching fishery In Behring Sea on the prn-
ciple Of cessation of seal killing both at sea and on
land an arrangement TO which, as informed Won in
my note Of the Goth ultmo, his Lordshp disposed
to give his favorable consideration
have forwarded to Lord Salisbury by this days
mail copy Of your note, and have telegraphed 10
his Lordshp the precise terms Of the proposal Will,
which 10 concludes.
1 much regret to find that q misconception has
arisen as regards your complaint Of delay on nv part
IN acquainting Lord Salisbury with your second al.
Tentative proposal for cessation of seakiIng at sea
and land, which you originally made to me verbally
On that occasion you may remember that ex-
pressed some reluctance at sending further oro-
posas TO his Lordsnp while his dispatch Of February
81 last Submitting amendments tie questions for
arbltration) remained unanswered that suggested
that it would be satisfactory this new proposal
made concurrently with your reply TO that dis
patch, which hope TO receive with the least possible
delay.
/ understood you TO assent to that suggestion and
that would nrncead n that nrder