Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-06
THEY CAN'T AGREE.
Blaine and Salisbury Continue
to Lack Harmony.
MORE BEHRING SEA DIsPUTATIoN

In Which Blaine Has the Last Word ana
Rather Holds Over the Britisher-
stewart Springs u Surprise In the Sem
| ate and, According to Hoar. KNOCKS tine
Election Bill sky-High-The silver Bill
on Deck with "a Free Coinage Amend
ment Pending.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 6.-The presi
| dent Yesterday sent to congress the con
GLIDING correspondence between the
United States and Great Britain up to
date. touching the fur seal question in
Behring sea The correspondence EN-
braces a letter dated Aug. 9 1890, from
Lord Salisbury to Sir Julian Paunceiote,
the British minister here, in reply TO
Secretary Blaine's letter of last July
maintaining that the United States de-
rived from Russia rights of jurisdiction
over the waters of Behring sea to u dis
tance of 100 miles from the coast
saIisburs's Contention.
Lord Salisbury in his letter contends in
brief: That England refused TO admit any
part OF the Russian claim, asserted by the
ukase of 1921, of maritime jurisdiction and
exclusive right of fishing throughout the
whole extent of Behring sea as far north
}, Behring straits; that the treaties of
ISIS between Great Britain and Russia
and the United States and Russia were
regarded on both sides as remuneration
on the part of Russia of that claim in its
| entirety, and that, though Behring straits
were known and specifically provided for,
Behring sen was not known by that name
at the time, but was regarded rs part of
the Pacific ocean. In support of this con
tention he sends copies of correspondence
from the archives OF the British foreign
Office showing that England protested
against the Russian claim from the begin
ming, and that the Russian government
gave verbal assurance that said claim
should not be insisted upon
The Reply 10 Blaine's Questions
Lord Salisbury's letter concludes as fol-
lows: The answer, therefore, to the
questions with which Mr.. Blaine con-
cludes his dispatch is that her majesty's
government have always claimed the
freedom OF navigation and fishing in the
waters of Behring's sea outside the usual
territorial limits of one marine league
from the cos,t; that it is impossible To adj
NIT that public right TO fish, catch seals,
or pursue any other lawful occupation on
the high seas can be held TO be abandoned
to "A nation from the mere fact that for a
certain number of years it has not suited
the subjects of that nation to exercise it.
IL must he remembered that British Col
umbia has come into existence rs a colony
at comparatively recent date and that
the first considerable influx of population,
some thirty years ago, was due to the
I q II 1 L. l..
mediate development ofthe shipping inter
ests." He then instructs Minister Paunce-
fote, if Mr.. Blaine still differs in his view
of the matter, TO offer to refer the matter
to arbitration.
Secretary Blaine's Response.
Secretary Blaine, in his response ad-
dressed TO Sir Julian Pauncefote on the
nth of December last, at the outset in
sists upon the correctness and validity of
the position which has been advocated by
the government of the United States in de
Tense of American rights in the Behring
sea He insists that the term Pacific
ocean did not at the time referred to in
clude Behring sea, which was named in
the maps of the period as it is named now.
and that the only matters settled by the
| treaties was as to rights south of Beh
| ring sea. He says that In the reaties not
once was Behring sea referred TO, and
| says that it was impossible that such an
| omission should have been made OF it was
Intended TO include that sea in the treat
| les. He declares that this position is
proved by the documents SO fully that it is
| incOntrOvertible
The Questions Asked Again.
After again stating that for forty years
Great Britain never exercised the rights
In Behring sea which she now claims Mr..
Blaine says: This government again in
sists that Great Britain and the United
States recognized, respected, and obeyed
the authority of Russia in the Behring
sea, and did it for more than forty wears
| after the treaties with Russia were nego-
| tiated. 1t still remains for England to
| explain why she persistently VIC
| lates the same rights when transferred
to the ownership of the United States
| Referring TO some elementary principles
Of international law touching the freedom
Of the seas alluded to by Lord Salisbury.
| Mr.. Blaine refers to the fact that the Brit
ish parliament in 1915 enacted law for
the purpose of making the detention of
Napoleon ON the island of st. Helena more
secure, assuming TO exclude the ships of
any nationality not only from landing ON
the island, but forbidding them from hoy
sring within eight leagues of the coast of
the island
| Another Case In Point.
He argues that point at length. and
then cites the fact that: Even TODAY
while her majesty's government is aiding
one of her colonies to destroy the' Amari
can seal fisheries, another colony. with
| her consent, has established a pearl fishery
in an area of the Indian ocean, GOO mile,
| wide. And so complete is the assumption
OF power that license fee is collected
from the vessels engaged in the pearl fish
| cries i'll the open ocean. The asserted
| power goes to the extent of making for
sign vessels that have procured their
pearls far outside the three-mile limit nav
a heavy tax when the vessels enter an
Australian port to land cargoes AM re-
| fit
The Offer of Arbitration.
Secretary Blaine says, referring to the
offer Of arbitration of the question
whether any country has right to extend
us jurisdiction more than one marine
league from land, that no one disputes
that As n rule, but the question is whether
| there may not be exceptions whose en-
| torcement does not interfere with those
highways of commerce which the necessj-
ties and usage of the world have marked
out. He proposes that the real uuestionsr
be arbitrated, which in brief arr. What
rights, If any, i'll Behring sea were con.
coded to Great Britain by the treaties. and
what are now the rights of the United
States as to the fur seal fisheries in Beh.
ring sea outside of the ordinary territorial