The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-06-02
The Matter In the Commons - Everything
Points to Speedy and Amicable Ar
rangement for Close Season.

Presidents anxiety to receive an answe
before leaving for his western tour
which answer he did not get. Th
silence of Lord Salisbury seemed Z
imply he would lot restrain Canadian
sealers from entering Behring sea, and as
all intelligence from British Columbi
showed sealers were getting ready to sal
In large numbers, the President found b,
could not with justice prevent the lessee;
from taking seals on Pribyloff islands. Tn,
President, therefore, instructed the secre
tary of the treasury to issue TO the lessee
the privilege OF taking the maximum mum
Der OF 6O 100 seals the coming season, sub
lect to the discretion of the special agent Il
limit the killing 20 as small number as tn,
condition of the herd might demand.
On the 22nd of April, Blaine received no
tlce from Pauncefote that Lord Salisbury
was ready to agree to his proposition, anC
Mr.. Blaine telegrapned it TO the President
The latter replied, April %, expressing
satisfaction. but instructing Blaine to in
form Pauncefote some seals must be killed
by the natives for food; that the lessees
are bound under their lease from the gov
eminent to feed and care for the natiy es
etc.
Pauncefote replied. April "a. that he did
not agree with the Presidents suggestion
and expressed the belief that Salisbury
would not accept it; that the killing Of seals
must be cut off absolutely.
Mr.. Blaine then submitted to Pauncefote
a statement Of exactly what terms. in re-
gard to caring for the natives Of Alaska,
were imposed upon the North American
company by the lease-in short the means
of living, facilities for education, care OF
their health, religious teaching, training OF
the old and young in a community of over
| three hundred persons are imposed upon
the company by specific article of the
lease. II the company should, as Paunce-
fote says Salisbury requests, be deprived
| of all privilege Of taking seal, they GER
tainly could not be compelled to minister to
the wants of these people for an entire
year. 1t evidently requires considerable
sum of money to furnish all the requisite
supplies, which must be carried 1900 miles
on a specially chartered steamer II the
lessees are not TO be allowed payment in any
form, they will naturally decline expense,
no appropriation having been made by
Congress for the purpose, and the Presi
dent cannot leave those worthy and inno-
cent people to the hazard of starvation.
even to secure any form of agreement with
Lord Salisbury. Behring sea seal life may
be valuable, but the first duty of a great
country is to protect human life. In this
exigency the President asks that Lord
Salisbury concede to the North American
company the right 20 take sufficient num-
".
and after full consideration the secretary
OF the treasury has fixed the member at
1900 to be killed; that no females be killed
so that the productive capacity of the herd
be not diminished. Secretary Blaine then
reviews the proposition that the govern
ments agree to a suspension of sealing.
subject to the above proviso, saying the
President believes the propositions are cal
culated to produce result at once fair and
honorable to both governments, and thus
lead to permanent adjustment of a con-
troversy which has already been too long
left at issue.
On May Sir Julian Pauncefote replied
to MIR. Blaine, stating he had forwarded
Lord Salisbury copy Of the secretary's
note, and had cabled his lordship the pre-
else terms Of the proposal. The British
minister regrets to lind some misconcep-
ton as regards the complaint Of delay In
acc lainting Lord Salisbury with Blaine's
second alternative proposal. This pro-
posal for cessation of killing, he saws,
was originally made to him verbally
by Mr.. Blaine. and he expressed some
posals to Lord Salisbury, while the
latter's dispatches of April Is, submit
ting proposals remained answered. and
suggested it would be more satisfactory if
this new proposal "a cessation of killing
were made c0ncurrently with Mr.. Blaine's
reply and it was understood Mr.. Blaine
was to assent to that suggestion. If MIR.
Blaine had informed him that the Presi-
dent for any reason desired this alternative
should be teiegraphed Lord Sails
bury, he need hardly say he should have at
once complied with his wishes, but be can
not call to mind that tae Presidents name
was even mentioned at that talk, which
was merely conversational exchange of
views. No sppreciable loss of time oc-
however, as he acquainted Lord
Salisbury with the proposal by mail and re-
ceived prompt answer by telegraph which
enabled him to inform Secretary Blaine,
April 20, that his lordship was disposed TO
the proposal favorsbly. Eat an
interview at your residence the 23rd OF
April" continued the minister.
you expressed satisfaction at Lord
reply and stated that before
taking further steps you desired to COM
municate by telegraph with the President |
At a further interview at your residence |
IN the 9th you informed me the President /
desired the modus Uirendi should contain a /
of the right TO kill a certain /
number Of seals for the support of the ma
ives, etc.
LAT first sight this reservation caused |
ne some disappointment. II certainly ap-
,eared open to exception as detracting from
he principle of equity which was a feature
If the other proposal. was concerned at
'our stating it was never the intention of
he President or yourself that the nlodus
iUendi should be put in force until the
arbitration terms were settled.
This, L feared, would prevent a timely ap-
'reciation of the modus uirendi, and / notice
With satisfaction no such condition affixed
o your present proposal, although reser-
alton as to the killing of limited numoer
f seals is maintained. am glad to think
here is yet time to carry out for this sea-
on any arrangement which may be
romptly agreed tor
May &c, Acting Secretary Adee addressed
personal note to the British minister, re-
Nesting reply 70 the United States gov
rnment's. On May 26 he sent another
ote to the same effect saying the Presi-
emit was anxious for an early response.
The situation" he adds, ''calls for prom OF
ction. A large feet of Canadian sealers
- been for some weeks or months on tho
eos. They are daily going further out Of
each. Revenue cutters have awaited den-
tie orders. Their presence II urgently
eeded in Bearing sea, and ~ further
clay tends to defeat any purpose {
Dr. which. an agreement il sought
il quite incompatible with fitness
I'D justice 70 our citizens thet this should