Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-11
AGREED ON POINTS.
Important Fact Disclosed by At.
torney General Miller.
ARBITRATION IN THE SEAL CASES.

Diplomatic Secret Gets Loose During
the Argument of the Sayward Case Be
fore the Supreme Court-Alleged Story
Gen. Alger Tells About BIaine's PoIit-
ical Positfon-A Sure Candidate in 1 SOC
Reports from the Corn Fieids-Sta-
tistics of Coinage and Precious Metals.
WASHINGTON, Nov. l. There was no
cessation of interest in the continuation
of the argument in the Behring sea case
yesterday before the supreme court of the
United States. When the court was called
to order at noon every seat, both inside
and outside the bar, was occupied by in
terested persons, most of whom re-
manned through the day Ex-Secreta-y
Bayard sat within the bar ard followed
the arguments closely.
Solicitor General Taft took up the argument
for the United states at the point where he
left off Monday. lie claimed that jurisdiction
oFer the waters accompanying the grant of
Alaska to this country by Russia, and all
waters of Alaska over which the emperor of
Russia had jurisdiction were conveyed by the
grant as the waters of Alaska, and included
Behring sea- He insisted that the question
was political one, and argued at length to
prove this.
The Arbitration Negotiations.
The United States. he said, had been asked
TO submit the matter to arbitration and had
agreed 10 the proposition and now the other
side asked for an opinion in advance of this
arbitration. Perhaps arbitration had not been
agreed on but at least the correspondence on
the matter was leading up to arbitration.
Not only that interjected Attorney Gene
raj Miller, but it has been agreed on in the
correspondence"
This announcement by the attorney
yaOaral lmnOrtant IL did
create that amount of visible interest that
it would have created if made outside the
supreme court chamber. Very few present
seemed TO recognize the significance of
the statement and Mr.. Taft went on with
his argument-as if nothing had happened.
The Attorney General Speaks.
Attorney General Miller then continued the
argument for the government, principally as
he stated understanding and emphasizing
what Taft had said, and quoting additional
authority for the governments contention.
He made an ironical alluson to the foreign
policy of Great Britain, adding that the Brit
ish government had not always shown that
touching regard for international law of
which Mr.. Carlisle had spoken SO highly Mon
day in its International dealings. The ques-
ton of boundaries, he said, was not a question
for the courts, because the courts did not
make boundaries. They simply investigated
into and found what the political department
udu tslADlSHeu 1OurlS dueSllon
the acts of either of the political branches of
the government.
Choate's Closing speech.
Joseph H. Choate of New York city, followed
Mr.. Miller He made the closing argument for
the British government. He outlined the
points ofinternational law and contended that
according to II the Sayward when seized, fifty
nine miles from land, was ffty-six miles out
side of all possible jurisdiction of the United
States. 1t was the duty and power of the SUI
preme court to search the proceedings of the
Alaska district court to find what justification
1t had in finding that the Sayward had taken
seal Illegally.
Indefinite Extension Suggested.
Continuing he said that the position of the
United States concerning sovereignty over
Behring sea did not hold. What warrant was
there for the assumption of such executive
power? Why would it not be proper, taking
the contention Of the United as to territorial
jurisdiction as correct, for the president to
tend the territorial Jurisdiction OF this country
hundred miles out to sea; even more, extend
il from ocean to ocean The side he repre-
scented claimed that the United States had not
even made the claim of national sovereignty
brought forward.
Mare CIausem Disavowed.
Down TO the time that Mr.. Bayard ceased to
be secretary of state there had been no une-
quivocal policy on this question:; no such con-
tention as was brought forward by the counsel
for the United States. The state department
had over and over again openly disavowed the
ground on which ontention was made; that
from the 1881 PARALLEL east to the American
shore was mare clausem.
With the conclusion Of Choate's argu-
ment, the case was closed and the court
adjourned.
Miller's Important Announcement.
The important announcement by At
torney General Miller that the United
States and Great Britain had agreed to
submit the Behring Sea controversy to
arbitration. was the first intimation that
the correspondence on the subject that
has been carried on for some time past
between the two countries, had at last
resulted in satisfactory agreement.
Both sides had agreed to submit the mat
ter to arbitration if an agreement could
be reached as to what points should be
laid before the arbitrators, but there did
not seem to be much prospect of a unani-
nifty of opinion on this subject. Attor-
ney General Miller refused to talk about
his revelation further than to say that an
agreement as to the questions to be sub
mitted for arbitration had been reached
and only awaited the sanction of the SEN
ate before being placed before the persons
chat will be selected by Great Britain and
the United States to settle the matter.
The Oniciais VIII Not Talk.
Secretary Blaine was not accessible to
reporters last night, and Sir Julian
Paunoefote, when approached upon the
nature Of the questions bearing en- the
Behring sea controversy that had been
agreed upon by the United States and
Great Britain to be submitted to arbitra-
ton, said he preferred to say nothing
whatever in regard to the matter.
A STORY ABOUT BLAINE,
Said To BE Toll by Gen. Alger-A Candi-