The record-union., 1891-06-16
speci al to the REcoRD-UN1oN.

opeSl al 10 Jne ttECORD-UNION.
WASHINGTON, June I5.-The President
tod ~ issued proclamation stating that
the agreement for the m0dltS UiUendi, be-
twee II the Government Of the United
States and the Government of her Britain
mic Majesty, in relation to the fur-seaI
fisheries in Behring Sea, was concluded
on til he a5th of June. 1t reads:
"Fc,r the purpose of avoiding irritating
differences, and with view to promote the
friendly settlement of the questions pend
ing bEtween the two governments touch
ing heir respective rights in Behring
Sea and for tine preservation OF the seal
species, the following agreement is made
with put prejudice to the rights or claims
OF Ell Their party:
81. Her Majesty's Government will
prohibit, until May next, seal-killing in
that part of Behring Sea lying eastward
OF the line of demarkatiOn, described in
Article l. of the Treaty of 1867, between
the Uu tied States and Russia, and will
prompt ly use it's best efforts to insure the
observa nee of this prohibition by British
subjects and vessels.
''2. Th United States Government VIII
prohibit seal-killing for the same period
in the s'ame part Of Behring Sea and on
the shore S and islands thereof, the prop
erty Of 'Ghe United States, in excess of
$500, to be taken on the islands for the
subsisten ce and care of the natives, and
will promptly use its best efforts to insure
the observance of this prohibition by
United States citizens and vessels.
SO. Every vessel or person offending
against this prohibition III said waters Of
Behring Sea, outside of the ordinary ter
ritOrial Lsnits of the United States may
be seized and detained by naval or other
duly commissioned officers of either of
the high contracting parties but thew
snail be handed over as soon as practica-
bic to the authorities of the nation TO
which they respectively belong. who
shall alone have jurisdiction to try the
otfense and impose penalties for the same.
The witnesses and proofs necessary to es-
tablish the otfense shall also be sent with
them.
81. In order to facilitate such proper
inquiries as her maiesty's Government
may desire to make, with the view TO the
presentation OF case, that agreement for
arbitration may be arrived at, it is agreed
that suitable persons, designated by Great
Britain, will be permitted at any time
upon application, to visit, or to remain
upon the sea islands during the present
sealing season for that purpose
'Signed and sealed in duplicate at
Washington, this 18th day of June, 1891,
in behalf of their respective Govern,
ments, by William Z. Wharton, Acting
Secretary of State, tor the T1nitad
States, and Sir Julian Pauncefote. Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten-
tiary.
Now, therefore. be it known that I.
Benjamin Harrison, President Of the
United States of America, have caused
said agreement to be made public to the
end that the same and every part thereof
may be observed and fulfilled with good
faith by the United States Of America and
the citizens thereof
I'm witness whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and caused the seal of the
United States to be affixed"
The arrangement indicated in the above
proclamation has been carried to a com
pletiOn with a degree of speed without
precedent in the history of the State De-
partment, and the cable has been relied
upon to an unwonted extent. The
agreement was signed this morning bv
Sir Julian PauncefOte and Wharton.
and the Presidential proclamation fol-
lowed as quickly as it could be prepared.
The Navy Department has been ad-
vlSed OF the progress and necessities of
the case, and orders are now in prepara-
ton for the immediate dispatch of proba-
bly, two naval vessels from San Francisco
to Alaska, where they will assist the rev.
enue cutters in the task of driving off
poaching vessels. 1t viii be noticed that
the agreement authorizes the United
States vessels to seize offending British
vessels which, however. are to be turned
over to the British authorities for trial
and this feature Of the agreement is ex-
pected to prove Of great value in the
pressing emergency that is held to exist |
in clearing out the law-breaking vessels
before irreparable damage can be done to |
the seal fisheries.
On this point the official comnunica-
ton says: The fourth clause of the pro-
posal of her maiesty's Government linn
iting the taking effect of the n1OdUS aiyendi
upon the assent of Russia, presents what |
seems TO be an lrreparable difficulty as |
an adherence to that suggestion by her |
majesty's Government will, in his opin- |
ion, prevent the conclusion of any agree |
ment, and will inevitably cause such de- |
lay as to thwart the purposes which he |
must suppose both Governments have |
had in view. He is surprised that the |
result did not suggest itself to Lord Sails |
bury, and does not doubt that it will be |
apparent to him on re-eXanlinatiOn.
y am also directed to remind YOU that !
the contention between the United States |
and Great Britain has been limited to /
that part of Behring Sea eastward of the |
line of demarcation described in our |
convention with Russia, to which refer |
ence has already been made, and that |
Russia never asserted any rights in these |
waters affecting its Subiect-matter Of this /
contention, and cannot, therefore, be a |
necessary party to these negotiations. II |
they are not under the statutes Of /
the United States the President is |
to prohibit sealing in |
Behring Sea within limits described in |
our convention with Russia, and TO re-
strict the killing OF seals on the islands of |
the United States, but no authority is
conferred on him to make penal the TAX
ing OF seals in waters OF Behring Sea
westward of the line referred or upon
any other shores or island thereof. 1t
was never supposed by any one repre-
Sentlng the Government of the United
States in this correspondence, or by the
President, that the agreement for a nIod2ts
UiUe71dG could be broader than the subject
ofcontention stated in the correspondence |
Of the respective Governments. Negotia-
tions for arbitration have been proceed
ing between the United States and Great
Britain, and If these powers are compe-
tent to settle by this friendly method
their respective rights and relations in
the disputed waters upon q permanent
basis, it would seem to follow that no
question could arise as to their cornpe-
tency to deal directly with the subject
Of a single season. If Great Brit
ian now insists upon nossihia
viz, that the conclusion
of the D1odatS UiUegadi is to be DELAYED unti1
and made contingent upon the assent Of
Russia to stop the killing of seals of its
own islands and in its own water and
upon the exercise by the President of
power not conferred by law, this would