New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-06

silence of law amid the clash of arms; nor was
| IL conferred by the power OF civil Government III
a crisis Of public danger. IL was Parliamentary
enactment III a season of profound peace that was
/ not broken in EuJhpe by war among the great e
Powers for eight and thirty years thereafter 'oee
/ Enclosure c.
/ The British Government thus assumed exclusive
/ and absolute control over a considerable secUoh
| Of the South Atlantic Ocean, lying directly In the
! path of the worlds commerce, near the capes
| which mark the southernmost points OF ootn
/ hemispheres over the waters which Tor centuries
had connected the shores OF all continuous, ana
| afforded the commercial highway from ana TO All
| ports OF the world. The body Of wafer thus con
! trOlled in the form of circle nearly hfty mics
| in diameter, scarcely less than 2oOO square
miles in extent; and Whatever slnp dared to larry
or hover within this area might, regardless Oh us
nationality be forcibly seized and summary iof'
| feited 10 the British King.
The United States had grave and special reasons
for resentlng this perepptOry assertion OF power
| by Great Britain. On the 80 day OF july, icl2,
fortnight after the batNe OF Waterloo and twelve
| days before Napoleon became prisoner oil war.
| all important commercial treaty was cohciudea AT
! London between the United States ana ureat
| Britain. 1t was the sequel to the treaty Ca
| Ghent which was concluded some sn months
! before and remarkable, not only IRON LILO
character Of its provisions, bit from Tue eni9enoe
of the American Experimentation Qullicy Aa ,hn
| Henry Clay, and Albert Gallatln Amohg othei
! provisions of this treaty relaxing the SInlgons
| colonial policy of England was one wlhch asieed
| that American ships should De aulni'eH an'
| Hospitality received at the island OF ~.
| Helena. Before the ratiications Of thc treaty
| were exchanged. i'll the following November, ~
| WAS determined that Napoleon Snoliu w Sthu "
| ST. Helena. England thereupon declined TO IatllS
| the treaty unless the United States should sur
render tho provision respectngsbat lsia;iu. Nc.
| that came the stringent enactment OF rariamehs
| forbidding vessels 10 hover within twenty-four
miles of the island The United States was al
ready q great commercial power. she hao l,sVo,-
600 tons of shipping; more than oyo snlps 9eSi,
| ing her flag were engaged in trade AROUND .ne
capes Lord Salisbury has had mucn 10 say aG io.
the liberty Of the seas 1a Thes 81 the IvV seas in
| space fifty miles wide in the South Atlaunc ocean
| by the express authority OF Great B,lt9n
The act of Parliament which asserted thus power
,er The ses was 70 lie in force a, long rs Napoleon
| should live NapOleon born the same year
with Wellington and was therefore Dui luz III IL
years of age when e was sent 10 ~ ne s % tne
| bike who lived unit 1852 The order made in
April 1916, to obstrpCt free naNlgGtloh Ia " sc,
| non of the South Atlantic might THEREFORE h"EC
been III force for the period OF tnrN-NN years II
| not longer II actually proved 10 be Tor hNc years
| only Napoleon died in 1921.
Ii is hardly conceivable that the same ha'ioh
! which exercised this authority III the proau ~
antc over which, AZ that very tline' oVu'oouI,UJiy
| people mace their colnneoial exchanges sno"iu
! deny the right Of the United States 70 ASSUME
| control over a limited area, for tacuoh OF c'cH
| YEAR in a sea which lies far beyond the me ol
! trade. whose silent waters were never covch Nv I"
| commercial prov. whose unlnhaoIHd shoNS rave
| no port OF entry and could never De approached on
lawful errond under any other nag l1Hh 'la1 VI
| stand that Lord Salisbury justfes the course 81
| England? Is this Government 70 understand that
! Lord Salisbury maintains the night OF England az
| her will and pleasure, to 0bstruct the hlEn"aA VI
| commerce in mid-ocean, and That sine VIII az the
same time interpOso objections - the Cnlt'd
States exercising her jurIs iciion beyond the three
! mile limit. III a remote and unused sea, i0i ihe
sole purpose of preserving the most valuable i'u
seal fishery in the world from rcniedilrS' deS'r'c-
! ton
| If Great Britain shall consider that the pre-
| cedent set al ST. Helena Of obstruction to the
navgahle waters vi the ocean Is too remote TOT
present quotation, | Invite her attention TO one
..,l in, aNicfa fo-dAN
| jesty's Government is aiding one OF beT colonies
10 destroy the American seal fisheries. another
colony, with her consent, has established PIhl
fishery in area Of the Indian Ocean 600 miles
| wide. And 80 complete j. the assumption oil power
| that. according 10 SIR George FAden,Poweu,
| license fee Is collected from the vessels engaged
| in the pearl fisheries in the omen ocean. he
asserted power GOES 10 the extent Of making for
eign vessels that have procured their pearls far
the vessels enter an Aussrall@n port 70 land car,
goes and reht. Thus the foreign vessel Is hedSed
! i'm on both SIDES and II bound 10 pay the taH
Under British law hccanse, as Sir George Baden;
| Powell intimatcs TIE voyage TO another port would
probably he more expensive than the tax qao.s
further from Sir George - show the eTeeor 70
which British assumption Of power over the ocean
me right 10 charge those and to exercise rms
control outside the three-inile limit is 6as9d on az
act Of The FEDERAL Council Of Az SaeH s Wi
| council shall have legislative authority inter ana.
RESPECT Of hrrer IN AIs s rdc wsee o an a
TO regulate the pearl shell and beche De mer fisheries
| IN
Australia In iss- similar act had been passed
| Queensland ION he east COAST.
| ! am directed by the President 10 Sy that, on
| behalf Of the United States. be Is willing to ADOPT
the text used IN the act Of Parliament 10 exclude
ships from lowering nearer 20 the island of NJ.
Helena than eight marine leagues, OF h. WILL take
| the example cited by sir George Baden Powell
| where BY permission OF Her MaJeNtys Ho'e.h-
! ment, control over part OF the ocean 900 nllre
wide is to-day authorized by Australian law. lac
President Will ask he Government OF treat brlt
ain 10 agree 10 the distance OF twenty marine
leagucs-withl hin which 10 ship shall hover around
the islands Of -. Paul and 81. George, from Tie
/ 9TH OF May to the 10TH OF October OF each year
This Will prove an enecnve mode 81 preserving
the sea- fisheries tor the Of the clVllItd "OIId
ID mode which ~ view OF Great Britain > 40
sumption Of power over the open ocean, she can
I not with consistency decline Uic@t BIltun pre-
SCrlbed eI4ht ltdRJcs al -. llefI" bul lhc pO-
vio.s necessities III the Behring Sea Will, on the
basis of thus precedent Justify twenty leagues IOr
the protection OF the American seal fisheries.
Tie nted States desires only such control
over d limited extent OF the waters IN the BhIlng
Sea- for part Of each year, rs Wall De snlhcleh'
to insure the protection vi the Iscl lshcIlcs al
ready Injured possibly, TO an rFcpaIablc extent, ny
the intrusion vi Canadian vessels spuh8 win
the encouragement Of Great Britain and protected
by her flag. The gravest wrong ~ committee"
| when tas ia many Instances is the case American
citizens. refusing obedience to the laws OF their
own country have gone into partnership WIN the
british flag and engaged III the destruction OF the
seal fisheries which belong 10 the United States
80 GENERAL 50 notorious and so shameleAsly avowed
has this practice become, that last season. accord
ing TO the report OF the American CONSUL al
Victoria, when the intrudcrs assembled at ouna-
laska OH the 4th of july, previous u" ehlei1nA
pabripg Sea the day was celebrated IN patriotic
and spirited manner by the American citizens.
who. al tie time, were protected by the British
flag in their violation OF the laws OF theif OWL
country. ,., - ,L
With such agencies these, devised By thr
Dominion of Canada and protected by the nag oil
Great Britain, American rights ana interests naNe'
eytept of millions OF dollars, vi th no corresponding
gain TO those who caused the loss From 1870 TO
1890 the seal fishcrles-carefuly guarded ana pre-
year. 1Ac Canadian intrusionS began IN $50
and 20 great has been the damage resulting from
rnrnding tbc Pribylofl Islands that In 1880 the
government of tic United States limited uc
| tLnnaa nd seaLs. Bnt Lhc