Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-08

| attempted to control body OF water sit
mated beyond the northwestern section of
Scotland, 2. 200 square miles in extent, and
| TO direct that certain methods of fishing
shall not be used within that great body
of water under prescribed penalty It
will be observed that the inhibition is not
alone against British subjects, but against
/ any person.
/ Pacific Ocean and BeIring Sea.
! The secretary quotes the British law,
and suggests form of law to be passed
( by congress for the protection of the fur
I seal, almost exactly similar in language
/ to show his lordship how it would look
and how similar the cases are.
/ He then says: "Lord Salisbury reasserts
his contention that the words Pacific
ocean at the time of the treaty between
| Russia and Great Britain did include
Behring sea. Undoubtedly the Pacific
ocean includes Behring sea in the same
sense that the Atlantic ocean includes the
Gulf of Mexico, ami yet it would be re-
! garded as a very inaccurate statement to
say that the Mississippi river flows into
| the Atlantic ocean. 1 think Lord Sails
! bury fails to recognize the common dis
| tinction between the Atlantic ocean and
| the waters of the Atlantic While the
Mexican gulf is not a part of the Atlantic
ocean, it would, am sure, comport with
general usage TO say that it belongs to the
waters of the Atlantic, and while Behring
sea is not technically part of the Pacific
ocean it undoubtedly belongs 20 the
waters of the Pacific.
Not Geographical, but Historical.
"In point of fact, therefore, according
to the usage OF the world, there Is nodis-
pute of any consequence between the two
| the eranrranhiRai ir,t
under consideration. The historical point
D. the one at issue. The explanatory note
from Russia, filed IN the state depart
ment OF this country, specially referred to
in Mr.. John Quincy Adams diary, and
quoted in my note OF Dec. Il, 1890 plain
ly draws distinction between the Pacific
ocean on the one hand aud the sea of
Okhotsk, the sea of kamschatka and the
Icy sea-, on the other; and, so long as Rus.
sia drew that distinction it must apply
to, and must absolutely decide, all the
contentious between the two countries
is far as the waters OF the Behring sea are
concerned. To discuss this point further
would, in the opinion of the president
contribute nothing OF value to the gem
eral contention.
| His Lordship in Great Error.
In the opinion of the president, Lord
Salisbury Is wholly and strangely in
error in making the following statement:
. Nor do they 1.-THE advisers of the presi-
dent rely, as a justification for the seizure
OF British ships IN the open sea, upon the
! con tention that the interests OF the seal
fisheries give to the United States govern
meRt any right for the purpose, which,
according to international law, it would
not otherwise possess The government
OF the United States has steadily held
, just the reverse of the position which
Lord Salisbury has imputed to it.
Resume of Uncle SANS Position.
1T holds that the ownership Of ne isl
ands upon which the seals breed: that the
habit of the seals in regularly resorting
thither and rearing their young thereon;
that their going out from the islands in
search of food and regularly returning
thereto, and all the facts and incidents OF
their relation to the island, give TO the
United States a property interest therein;
, that this property interest was claimed
and exercised by Russia during the
whole period of its sovereignty
over the land and waters OF
Alaska; that England recognized this
property interest so far as recognition is
, implied by abstaining from all interior
ence with 1t during the whole period Of
Russia's ownership of Alaska and duriu =
OF the United States. 1t is yet 10 be de-
termined whether the lawless intrusion
OF Canadian vessels IN 1856 and subse.
Gue2t years has changed the Law and
equity of the case heretofore prevailing