The record-union., 1891-04-29
Special to the REcoRp-UN1oN.


NEW YORK, April 2S.-The Herald'S
Washington correspondent telegraphs to
his paper that from present indications
seal catching in Behring Sea this summer
is going to be free to all comers. The
revenue steamers Corwin and Rush will
receive the usual public orders to pro-
ceed to the sealing ground and enforce
the law, and their commanders will like
wise be furnished with confidential in
structions not TO modest any vessels en-
gagged in sealing beyond the jurisdictional
limit of three miles from shore.
Negotiations have been for several
weeks pending between Blaine and
Pauncefote looking to the arrangement
of D1OdaGs viUeadi for the approaching
season, but no conclusion has been
reached. British experts strenuously
deny that the fur seal species are either
diminishing or being driven from their
breeding places in the Behring Sea. nor
do they admit that there is any near
danger 30 the sealing interest from the
practice. of marine sealing. But as a
measure of precaution and comfy to-
wards the United States, Salisbury has
expressed willingness to bring about q
suspension of marine sealing to British
vessels in the Behring Sea for one or even
two seasons, provided Blaine will engage
that there shall be no marine sealing by
American vessels or any killing at the
seal islands by lessees or natives during
the agreed period of suspension.
Professor Elliott of the Smithsonian
Institution, the Government expert on
the part of the United States, advocates
the total suspension of seal killing for one
or two years as proposed by the British
Government as a measure wise and pre-
cautionary, if not of absolute necessity.
Blaine is understood to regard the
proposition with favor, but the Treasury
Department, which has the immediate
responsibility ofthe matter, has not given
its assent to that proposition. To totally
suspend seal killing at the islands the
year round would inflict the loss of up
ward of one million dollars upon the
public revenues and Of five hundred
thousand dollars upon the natives, who
would thereby become a public charge
upon the treasury.
As the market turned out, the new
1essees comprising Messrs. D. O. Mills of
New York, Stephen B. Elkins of West
Virginia and {. X. TeviS and Isaac and
Herman Liebes of San Francisco, lost
last year some S35O,OOO of profits by the
reduction of the catch from 100000 10
10000 skins, and an additional S275, 900 by
the reduction to 2l,000 skins ordered by
the agent. Hence they view with alarm
the pending negotiations for the total sus-
pension of all manner of seal killing
while the Governments are arranging
either final settlement or permanent
regulation of the fishery. Their objec-
tions to the proposed nl0dUs UiUeRdi have
been forcibly and effectively presented to
the Government, and they are understood
TO be confident that no such arrangement
Will be made.
AFFAIRS TO BE EXAMINED.
WASHINGTON, April 2s.-In seeking
full and trustworthy information of the
seal fishery controversy, Secretary Foster
has selected j. Stanley Brown, of the
Geological Bureau, as special agent to
proceed to Pribilove Island and make an
examination of the condition of affairs