Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-30
PRELIMINARY TO ARBITRATION.
CaGashen's Action Pleasing to the Author
tiles at Washington.

I PRELIMINARY TO ARBITRATION.
| GiGsshen's Action Pleasing to the Author
tiles at Washington.
WASHINGTON. May 30.-The president
Thursday afternoon received cipher
4 dispatch from Minister Lincoln at Lon
4 don, sayiBg that official notice had been
! given in tie house of commons that a
bill would he introduced to authorize
| the queen to prohibit British subjects
J from taking seals III Behring sea. The
question engaged the presid ents
principal attention. Thursday, and he
| had conferences at different times on its
various phases with Secretary Foster,
Secretary Tracy, Secretary Proctor and
.Ac&ing Secretary Wharton. One point
considered was the advisatSlity of send
Gng was' vessels to Behring sea TO rein
force the revenue cutters i'll preventing
the taking of seals III case a closeG sea-
fOn is decided upon. This fleet wouid of
course cooperate with the English WAY
ships now in those waters III the enforce
ment of the agreement as concluded. 10
is understood that the secretary OF the
navy reported that there are three naval
vessels that cOuld be prepared for this
service without much delay.
HEe news Of Mr.. GosCnens action was
received with satisfaction at the state
department Generally it is taken as an
indication that the British government
is preparing to accept the condition i'm
posed by the president as a preliminary
to arbitration, and cause the British YES
sells to refrain from sealing meantime
The fixed period for the cessation of seal
ing, referred to by Mr.. Goschen, prob
ably means the remainder of this sea-
son.
During this time the arbitratoTs, for it
is to be presumed that the British gov
ernment's action carries with it an ac-
ceptance of the terms of arbitration held
out by the president durils sg the CORE
spondence, will have an o, Nportu1nty to
reach AN agreement. In the event that
the point of arbitration is no.t. reached,
it 1aay be that an expert commi Slon wall
be sent to Alaska to investigate the a4-
tual condition of the rookeries, al Vi SET
tie the question which is still at issue
between the governments of Great Sr1t.
ain and the United States, as to whe, her
what is known as ''pelagic sealing or
killing seal in the open sea on their waT
to and from the shore rookeries, is really
as destructive of seal life rs has been re-
ported by the United States treasury
agents.
1t is learned at the treasury depart
ment that the revenue cutter Bear will
sail from Seattle Saturday on her an
nual cruise i'll Alaskan waters. She will
proceed direct to Sitka and then go to
Icy Bay, port 200 miles to the north of !
that city, for the purpose of landing an
nj Of
the National Geographic society. who
will endeavor to ascend Mount st. Elias
for scientific purposes. The vessel will
then proceed to Behring sea to assist the
revenue cutter Rush in policing that
territory.
The President Hard at Work.
There are good grounds for believing
that the Behring sea case has been de- |
cided by the president agreeing; TO sub
nit the whole matter to arbitration
The question was in a somewhat tangled
condition upon his return, owing, to the J
fact that Mr., Blaine had been obliged to
leave Washington before negotiations
were finished on account of his illness,
and was not afterward able to give the
questions still under discussion the re-
quired consideration. This made it \
for the president to take up \
the problem himself. After calling the
careful attention of the cabinnt to the
questions still at issue, it is understood |
that decision on our part has been
reached aud an agreement on the part of !
Great Britain obtained, which will |
make the whole subject one of arbitra- |
ton. In the meantime pOaching is to be |
prevented and it is also believed that |
closed season will be agreed upon.
1t has doubtless been a matter of con- I
siderable embarrassment to the president |
tO find it necessary to take up this i'm |
purtant question in Mr.. Blaine's absence !
md pass upon the various aspects of it |
which remained undecided. But time
Eas pressing in the case owing to the /
avanced stage of the sealing season, |
MI this and other obvious reasons made \
obligatory to advance matters to a K
Inclusion. There was no probability of \
I. Blaines health justifying him in \
' ing at an early day that attention to l
e ,smbiect which it demanded. The 4
r ms of the arbitration as now proposed +
q mot known. 1t fact all that has \
"a yed FROM cabinet quarters is the sim A
q natement that il had become neces- I
nv TO take the matter mp in Mr.. h
lai pe1s absence, and that it had finally !.
zen settled by agreeing to full arbitra \
on.
n rs fortunate since the matter was
res ing, that the question was one to
hi n the president himself has given
Ios ,Study at every stage, and with
mi, h he was therefor fully prepared to-
cal In the absence of his secretary of
tate,
GREAT EXCITEMENT