Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-06-06

| CenU correspondence On UnS BerlnR sea
fishery question. The first communica-
tion is from Secretary Blaine to Sir
Julian Pauncefote. 1t reads as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
| WASHINGTON, May T. 1891.
| SIR-During the month OF March last, fow
| days after the adjournment OF congress acting
| under the instructions of the president pro.
| posed to you that modus vivendi be agreed
| upon touching the seal fisheries, pending the
result OF arbitration of the question ut issue be
tween the two governments. The presidents
| first proposal, which submitted to YOU was
that no canadian senler should be allowed to
come within certain number of miles OF Priby.
| Ion islands,
1t was however, the conclusion of the presi
| dent, after reading Lord Salisbury's dispatch OF
| February 81, that this modus vvendi might pos
| sibly provoke conflict in the Bering sea, and to
! avoid that result he instructed me to propose
| that sealing, both on land and sea- should be
suspended by both nations during the progress
of arbitration, or during the sealing season OF
| 1891. On both occasions It was q conversational
exchange OF views, the first In my office Mt the
state department, the second at my residence.
The president was SO desirous of a prompt re.
sponse from Lord Salisbury to his second prop
| osition that ventured to suggest that YOU re.
| quest an answer by cable, IL practicable Espe
cially was the president anxious to receive an
answer (which he trusted would be favorable)
| before he should set out on his tour to the Pa.
| cihc states. He left Washington on the night
of April Is without having heard a word from
| your government. 1t was then full month
| after he had instructed me to open negotiations
on the question and the only probable inference
was that Lord Salisbury would not agree to his
| proposal
The silence OF Lord Salisbury implied. as
seemed not improbable, that he would not re.
| strain the Canadian sealers from entering Ber.
| Ing sea- and us all intelligence from British
| Columbia showed that the British sealers we're
| getting ready to sail in large numbers the
| president found that he could not with Justice
| prevent the lessees from taking seals on the
| Pribylon island. The president, therefore, in
structed the secretary OF the treasury, who has
official charge of the subject TO issue 10 the les
| sees the privilege of killing on the Pribylon
| islands the coming season the maximum mum
| ber of sixty thousand l60.0J0) seals subject
however, TO the absolute discretion and power
| OF an agent appointed by the secretary OF the
treasury to limit the killing to rs small a mum.
| Der as the condition OF the herd might In his
| opinion, demand.
on the 22d of April, eight days after the
| president had left Washington, you notified
| me when was absent from the capital that
| Lord Salisbury was ready to agreed that all
| sealing should be suspended pending the re.
| suit OF arbitration. On the 23d OF April l tele.
| graphed Lord Salisbury's proposition to the
rest He replied April 20. expressing great
| instructing me to inform you that some seals
| must be killed by the natives for food; that the
| lessees are bound under their lease from the
| government TO feed and care for the natives
making it necessary to send ship TO the Pri.
| byloff islands each season at their expense"
| and for this service very expensive one the
| "lessees should find their compensation in TAX
ing a moderate number of seals under the
| lease"
The president expressed his belief that this
allowance would be readily agreed to by Lord
Salisbury because the necessity is absolute.
| You will remember that when / communi-
Gated this proposition from the president to YOU
| on the evening of Monday. April "a, YOU did not
agree with the presidents suggestion. ON the
| contrary, you expressed yourself as confident
| that Lord Salisbury would not accept It; that
in your Judgment the killing OF seals must be
| cut on absolutely on the land and in the water
| and that it could not be stopped on either un.
| less stopped on both.
The president instructs me to propose to
| Lord Saibury that he concede to the North
| American company the right TO take su ffici.
ent number OF seals and no more than sufficient
| to recompense them for their outlay in taking
| care of the natives; and that, in the phrase OF
| the president all commercial killing of seals
be prohibited pending the result OF arbitra.
| tion." The secretary of the treasury has the
| right to fix the number necessary TO the end
desired After full consideration, he has linn.
lled the NUMBER TO seven thousand hVe hundred
| $500 TO be killed by the company to repay
| them for the outlay demanded for the support
OF the 800 people on the Pribyloff islands He
further directs that no females be killed, and
| that thus the productive capacity of the herd
shall not In the slightest degree be impaired.
This point being fixed and agreed to- the pro.
| posed arrangement between the two countries
| would be as follows The government of the
United States limits the number of seals to be
| killed on the islands, for purposes Just de.
scribed. to seven thousand five hundred (7.JOO).
The government of the United States cuaran.
tees that no seals shall he killed in the open
waters OF Bering sea by any person on any yes.
sci sailing under the American flag or by any
citizen sailing under any other flag.
The government of Great Britain guarantees
that no seals shall be killed in the open waters
OF the Bering sea by any person on any vessel
sailing under the British flag, and that no Brit
ish subject shall engage in killing seals for the
time agreed upon ON any vessel sailing under
any other flag
These probabilities shall continue until the
first day OF May, 1892 within which time the
arbitrators shall render lnal award awards
to both governments
These several propositions are submitted for
the consideration OF Lord Salisbury. The
president believes that they are calculated TO
produce result at once fair and honorable to
| Governments and Tins m m.
ent adjustment of controversy which has
already been left too long at issue. have the
honor TO be- sir. with the highest consideration,
your obedent servant, JAMES q. BLAINE.
To this Sir Julian responded as follows:
BRITISH LEGATION
WASHINGTON, May 3, 1891
SIR-I have the honor to acknowledge the re.
ceipt OF your note of yesterday, in which you
have formulated for the consideration OF the
Marquis of Salisbury detailed proposals for a
''modus vivendr during the approaching fish.
cry season in Bering sea on the principle OF
cessation OF seal killing, both at sea and on
land, an arrangement to which, as l informed
you'in my note of the 2Jth uitimo, his lordship
was disposed to give his favorable consideration
have forwarded to Lord Salisbury by this
days mail copy OF your note, and have tele.
graphed TO his iordship the precise terms of the
proposal which ii concludes. much regret to
dnd that misconception has arisen regards
your complaint OF delay on my part in acauaint
ing Lord Salisbury with your second alterna-
tive proposal for cessation OF seal killing at
sea and on land, which you originally made to
me verbally.
II you had informed me that the president for
sny reason desired that this alternative pro.
posal should be telegraphed to Lord Salisbury
l need hardly say that should have complied
at once with the wishes, But cannot call to
mind that the presidents name was ever men
toned at our interview which you correctly de-
scribe as "a conversatisnal exchange of views :"
Fortunately, however, no appreciabie loss OF
time occurred. acquainted Lord Salisbury
with your alternative proposal by the mail OF
the 9TH OF April Ga few days only after It was
made) and received a prompt answer by tele.
| graph NnlOh enabled me 10 inform DV
note Of April 20 that his lordship was disposed
10 consider the proposal favorabiy.
Al an interview at your own residence on the
ead of April you expressed your satisfaction at
Lord salisburys reply and you stated that be.
. fore taking any further steps you desired to
communicate by telegraph with the president
AT further interview at your residence on
the 9Th you informed me that the president de.
sired that the '.modus vivendi'' should contain
reservation OF the right TO kill u certain mum.
Der OF seals for the support of the natives OF the
Pribylon islands. AT first sight this reserva.
tion caused me some disappointment II Ger.
tainly appeared to me open TO exception as de.
tracing from the principle OF equality which
fnot s.fs q. 7